Did Dr. McKnight's antiracist speech fall flat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the speech but also was listening for the action steps and was left feeling like it was a lot of talk. I think most of us, and certainly those with kids who are getting bullied, would like to hear what, specifically, the consequences are now for hate speech and behavior, and how the curriculum will be altered to address this as well. It’s not that I think she doesn’t care, it’s that I want to see the tangible changes in school policies. I think that’s what she wants too, so I want her to be brave and just enforce standards of decency. Give the words some teeth.

This is a broad problem for society that MCPS can't possibly address. The school system should focus on doing its job of educating kids.

This. Not MCPS’ job to fix racism.

MCPS needs to focus on EDUCATION. For all kids. Smaller class sizes and a solid curriculum.

Get rid of some of the useless Central Office bloat and get rid of the useless initiatives that don’t benefit our kids.

You can't separate racism and EDUCATION, though. No matter how much some people keep insisting that you can.

I don't need her to give a speech on racism. Her job is to make sure kids, of all races, are getting a solid education. Making speeches about racism (or global warming) isn't going to achieve that goal.

Tell us what you are going to do about the abysmal test scores. Tell us what you are going to do about the low staff morale. Tell us what you are going to do about the prevalence of drugs in our schools. That's really what parents and staff want to hear about from McKnight.

*this*

She doesn’t have a plan to address abysmal test scores. She blames teachers for their implicit biases while ignoring her own so morale will not be improving even with a pay raise. She also doesn’t have a plan to keep drugs from being brought and used at MCPS schools. She is using the focus on racism to get a news sound bite to deflect from the real problems. The lack of a plan or metric to measure the success of her plan is an example of why she is a terrible superintendent.

I'd be happy if she focused on educating kids and left drug enforcement to the experts like the DEA and MCPD.

I would be happy if MCPD could randomly bring drug sniffing dogs into schools like they used to. That’s one way to get drugs out of MCPS schools. Expulsion of offenders would be another.

This, and bring in detectors for guns/weapons like other school systems. However that would mean a partnership with MCPD and they kicked them out of the schools.

How about some transparency on what's actually going on as well.

To be fair, MCPD is seemingly pretty complicit because they haven't pitched a fit about all the crime going on in schools that MCPS isn't calling them in for. MCPD and MCPS watch each other's backs and cover for one another to a degree.

MCPD is understaffed and not supported by our County political leadership (or by voters).

But, even if that was not the case, why would MCPD 'pitch a fit' over the crime in schools. They are not even made aware of it. Admin is encouraged NOT to involve MCPD. MCPS would prefer to minimize issues and sweep them under the rug. And our politicians want police out of our schools.

They are made aware of it. Several parents who said they had kids who were using and purchasing drugs at school said they went to MCPD with this info and MCPD didn't follow up and pursue the teenage dealers, because MCPD is in lock step with MCPS in avoiding "criminalizing" student behavior.

I'm not saying MCPD and MCPS are 100% on the same page about everything, but they have each other's back enough not to call each other out in public and to turn a blind eye to the things they want to. MCPD knows what's going on in the schools and don't go hard after what they know is going on because that's what MCPS wants.

I disagree that MCPD is made aware of everything or at least everything in a timely manner. The locker room incident at Damascus is a prime example.

However, I do agree MCPD goes out of their way to coordinate with MCPS to cover up problems. An example is the MCPS and MCPD memorandum of understanding in which they have closed door meetings without a representative for victims.

Selling drugs is a crime. Students selling drugs in school have a lucrative business in MCPS schools with minimal downside if caught. Ignoring the crisis has normalized drug use in schools. Until there’s severe consequences, drugs will remain being sold and used in MCPS schools.

Lucrative business? Are MPCS and MCPD getting kickbacks? Does it go to the principal's personal fund we keep hearing about?

Using Churchill as an example, students sell drugs to students. There was a family off of River Road that the father was a supplier with connections to a cartel that used his two boys to sell drugs at Hoover and Churchill. The student drug dealers make a lot of money in MCPS schools. There are no kickbacks, just a system that ignores the trafficking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many times, MCPS schools don’t even notify parents when students have problems at school. Parents can become partners with schools only when they receive information from schools. This includes academic as well as disciplinary information. Parents are not always informed when their children get in trouble at school.

This is a huge issue. MCPS and the schools complain parents aren't involved and they refuse to involve them. I want to know if something happens at school and if they get in trouble at school they WILL get in trouble at home and even if they don't get in trouble at school, there still may be consequences at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the speech but also was listening for the action steps and was left feeling like it was a lot of talk. I think most of us, and certainly those with kids who are getting bullied, would like to hear what, specifically, the consequences are now for hate speech and behavior, and how the curriculum will be altered to address this as well. It’s not that I think she doesn’t care, it’s that I want to see the tangible changes in school policies. I think that’s what she wants too, so I want her to be brave and just enforce standards of decency. Give the words some teeth.

This is a broad problem for society that MCPS can't possibly address. The school system should focus on doing its job of educating kids.

This. Not MCPS’ job to fix racism.

MCPS needs to focus on EDUCATION. For all kids. Smaller class sizes and a solid curriculum.

Get rid of some of the useless Central Office bloat and get rid of the useless initiatives that don’t benefit our kids.

You can't separate racism and EDUCATION, though. No matter how much some people keep insisting that you can.

I don't need her to give a speech on racism. Her job is to make sure kids, of all races, are getting a solid education. Making speeches about racism (or global warming) isn't going to achieve that goal.

Tell us what you are going to do about the abysmal test scores. Tell us what you are going to do about the low staff morale. Tell us what you are going to do about the prevalence of drugs in our schools. That's really what parents and staff want to hear about from McKnight.

*this*

She doesn’t have a plan to address abysmal test scores. She blames teachers for their implicit biases while ignoring her own so morale will not be improving even with a pay raise. She also doesn’t have a plan to keep drugs from being brought and used at MCPS schools. She is using the focus on racism to get a news sound bite to deflect from the real problems. The lack of a plan or metric to measure the success of her plan is an example of why she is a terrible superintendent.

I'd be happy if she focused on educating kids and left drug enforcement to the experts like the DEA and MCPD.

I would be happy if MCPD could randomly bring drug sniffing dogs into schools like they used to. That’s one way to get drugs out of MCPS schools. Expulsion of offenders would be another.

This, and bring in detectors for guns/weapons like other school systems. However that would mean a partnership with MCPD and they kicked them out of the schools.

How about some transparency on what's actually going on as well.

To be fair, MCPD is seemingly pretty complicit because they haven't pitched a fit about all the crime going on in schools that MCPS isn't calling them in for. MCPD and MCPS watch each other's backs and cover for one another to a degree.

Very true but no one is holding either organization accountable and any time they do something, folks like Jwando speak up and scream racism and not to have any consequences (of course his kids are in private and protected from all this).

It's MCPD's job to enforce laws. MCPS is a school system only one of these groups is accountable for law enforcement. Please get real

First off, MCPS is responsible education and discipline. Discipline does have some overlap with law enforcement, so MCPS is not exempt.

Both MCPS and MCPD are branches of Montgomery County Government. They ultimately have the same boss. Therefore, they will not step on each other's toes publicly, and a lot of things get swept under the rug to avoid making one branch of the local government look bad in front of the other.

That's mostly wrong. MCPS is not a law enforcement agency or has its own parallel judicial system.

When crimes are committed, it's the job of law enforcement to deal with it not the school system.

MCPD is dropping the ball.

I never said MCPS is a law enforcement agency. I said MCPS is responsible for student discipline, and that discipline has some overlap with law enforcement. This is an undeniable fact that is borne out by the fact that for some disciplinary violations, MCPS MUST involve law enforcement, which demonstrates the aforementioned overlap.

Argue with yourself.

That sounds like you are just using semantics to distinguish discipline and law enforcement. The bottom line is we already have laws and agencies to provide discipline to those who break them.

NP - MCPS schools have become areas that drugs are sold and used without fear of criminal prosecution. Schools are public places. All crimes including possession of illegal drugs in MCPS schools should be reported to MCPD.

Reporting incidents of drug possession to MCPD would go a long way to address the drug crisis at schools.

So you're claiming MCPS officials are knowingly covering up felonies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The White Nationalist Cultural Warriors are out in force today!

Pages and pages of evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:99% of the county did not watch and does not care, OP. And rightly so, because it's meaningless. Families want schools that aren't falling apart, with working A/C and heating, no rodents, and hustling to build more schools to alleviate overcrowding. Also, they'd love to have an adequate number of qualified teachers to fill all empty positions, and enough bus drivers.

We can all dream.

I have a Dream.

That MCPS will treat all children equally, fix all facilities equally, focus on providing academic fundamentals (versus Kid Museum and Leader in Me), provide services equally to all students in need, and stop talking about how 'equity' will be used to coddle a handful of the MCPS student body.

I don't see that happening under McKnight, but I can still dream!

I've supported her up to this point but have lost faith. She's too focused on nonsense and it is at the expense of their core mission to educate our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:99% of the county did not watch and does not care, OP. And rightly so, because it's meaningless. Families want schools that aren't falling apart, with working A/C and heating, no rodents, and hustling to build more schools to alleviate overcrowding. Also, they'd love to have an adequate number of qualified teachers to fill all empty positions, and enough bus drivers.

We can all dream.

I have a Dream.

That MCPS will treat all children equally, fix all facilities equally, focus on providing academic fundamentals (versus Kid Museum and Leader in Me), provide services equally to all students in need, and stop talking about how 'equity' will be used to coddle a handful of the MCPS student body.

I don't see that happening under McKnight, but I can still dream!

I've supported her up to this point but have lost faith. She's too focused on nonsense and it is at the expense of their core mission to educate our kids.

I wonder if it's her or the advocates she aligns herself with. But, I am very disappointed she has done nothing to straighten academics and turn around the schools. I am disappointed she has money for every pet project and travel but no to make our schools safer and repair the schools that are falling apart. And, to demand more money for next year and increase taxes, for what?

[Anonymous]

I don’t agree with her stance which makes it hard to be a teacher in this county. She never speaks about academics or safety, just about racism. The schools are in real trouble- kids are so far behind academically and behaviors are out of control. This is leading to teachers leaving, subs refusing to cover classes, and horrible morale.

I just want her to help the county as a whole. We can’t fix all of society’s issues, and she is fixated on racism while leaving everything else to fall apart. MCPS is horrible for everyone right now BECAUSE of her equity focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t agree with her stance which makes it hard to be a teacher in this county. She never speaks about academics or safety, just about racism. The schools are in real trouble- kids are so far behind academically and behaviors are out of control. This is leading to teachers leaving, subs refusing to cover classes, and horrible morale.

I just want her to help the county as a whole. We can’t fix all of society’s issues, and she is fixated on racism while leaving everything else to fall apart. MCPS is horrible for everyone right now BECAUSE of her equity focus.

Her single-minded focus on equity which seems to be this one size fits all approach to education also doesn't work short of the government taking on raising other people's kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t agree with her stance which makes it hard to be a teacher in this county. She never speaks about academics or safety, just about racism. The schools are in real trouble- kids are so far behind academically and behaviors are out of control. This is leading to teachers leaving, subs refusing to cover classes, and horrible morale.

I just want her to help the county as a whole. We can’t fix all of society’s issues, and she is fixated on racism while leaving everything else to fall apart. MCPS is horrible for everyone right now BECAUSE of her equity focus.

Her single-minded focus on equity which seems to be this one size fits all approach to education also doesn't work short of the government taking on raising other people's kids.

I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on McKnight. Equity has been the focus of MCPS for about the past 10 years. This was the case even before McKnight.

The BOE and Central Office have made closing the Achievement Gap the most important goal. It’s clear from the BOE meetings and from MCPS’ own website.

MCPS has been run with the idea of #EquityNotExcellence for as long as my kids have been in school here.

[Anonymous]

Equity has been A focus (which it should be), but McKnight has made it the sole focus and that is what is damaging our schools (in my opinion). We need to bring back a focus on high academic standards, safety, hard work, and striving for excellence. Not just excusing things with an excuse of equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t agree with her stance which makes it hard to be a teacher in this county. She never speaks about academics or safety, just about racism. The schools are in real trouble- kids are so far behind academically and behaviors are out of control. This is leading to teachers leaving, subs refusing to cover classes, and horrible morale.

I just want her to help the county as a whole. We can’t fix all of society’s issues, and she is fixated on racism while leaving everything else to fall apart. MCPS is horrible for everyone right now BECAUSE of her equity focus.

Her single-minded focus on equity which seems to be this one size fits all approach to education also doesn't work short of the government taking on raising other people's kids.

I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on McKnight. Equity has been the focus of MCPS for about the past 10 years. This was the case even before McKnight.

The BOE and Central Office have made closing the Achievement Gap the most important goal. It’s clear from the BOE meetings and from MCPS’ own website.

MCPS has been run with the idea of #EquityNotExcellence for as long as my kids have been in school here.

She has been a high level admin for years.

[Anonymous]

We need her out and someone with a more broad vision for the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t agree with her stance which makes it hard to be a teacher in this county. She never speaks about academics or safety, just about racism. The schools are in real trouble- kids are so far behind academically and behaviors are out of control. This is leading to teachers leaving, subs refusing to cover classes, and horrible morale.

I just want her to help the county as a whole. We can’t fix all of society’s issues, and she is fixated on racism while leaving everything else to fall apart. MCPS is horrible for everyone right now BECAUSE of her equity focus.

Her single-minded focus on equity which seems to be this one size fits all approach to education also doesn't work short of the government taking on raising other people's kids.

I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on McKnight. Equity has been the focus of MCPS for about the past 10 years. This was the case even before McKnight.

The BOE and Central Office have made closing the Achievement Gap the most important goal. It’s clear from the BOE meetings and from MCPS’ own website.

MCPS has been run with the idea of #EquityNotExcellence for as long as my kids have been in school here.

So how come they haven't come close to closing that Achievement Gap? They are failing spectacularly in this regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Equity has been A focus (which it should be), but McKnight has made it the sole focus and that is what is damaging our schools (in my opinion). We need to bring back a focus on high academic standards, safety, hard work, and striving for excellence. Not just excusing things with an excuse of equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t agree with her stance which makes it hard to be a teacher in this county. She never speaks about academics or safety, just about racism. The schools are in real trouble- kids are so far behind academically and behaviors are out of control. This is leading to teachers leaving, subs refusing to cover classes, and horrible morale.

I just want her to help the county as a whole. We can’t fix all of society’s issues, and she is fixated on racism while leaving everything else to fall apart. MCPS is horrible for everyone right now BECAUSE of her equity focus.

Her single-minded focus on equity which seems to be this one size fits all approach to education also doesn't work short of the government taking on raising other people's kids.

I don’t think it’s fair to place all the blame on McKnight. Equity has been the focus of MCPS for about the past 10 years. This was the case even before McKnight.

The BOE and Central Office have made closing the Achievement Gap the most important goal. It’s clear from the BOE meetings and from MCPS’ own website.

MCPS has been run with the idea of #EquityNotExcellence for as long as my kids have been in school here.

So how come they haven't come close to closing that Achievement Gap? They are failing spectacularly in this regard.

Closing the gap is a fool's errand because not everyone wants the same outcome. All you can really do is ensure that everyone has the same opportunities and let them sort it out.