Putting Students First Community Engagement Events

[Anonymous]

Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

[Anonymous]

She’s just building her image, OP. She wants to be seen as close to the families she serves. A photo of her talking to families, a little buzz and press coverage, and she’s in clover.
Unless the meetings turn contentious, and the media stories are about how communities are unhappy with her…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She’s just building her image, OP. She wants to be seen as close to the families she serves. A photo of her talking to families, a little buzz and press coverage, and she’s in clover.
Unless the meetings turn contentious, and the media stories are about how communities are unhappy with her…

Sounds like she is close to families and is putting students first. Why are you so threatened by her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s just building her image, OP. She wants to be seen as close to the families she serves. A photo of her talking to families, a little buzz and press coverage, and she’s in clover.
Unless the meetings turn contentious, and the media stories are about how communities are unhappy with her…

Sounds like she is close to families and is putting students first. Why are you so threatened by her?

Because I don’t like her. I didn’t like her predecessors either. I feel MCPS spends way too much money marketing themselves, creating ridiculous equity programs or socio-emotional support initiatives, changing curriculum every few years and paying boatloads to lawyers to fend off complaints from families of children with special needs. That money could be used to far greater effect on actual, rigorous instruction, for example, teaching phonetic-based reading, which has been shown to be very successful method for all reader types, particularly dyslexic children.

No amount of glad-handing and photo ops will compensate for misuse of funds.

I am grateful and happy with some of the teachers and programs in MCPS. But I feel they exist in despite of, not thanks to, top leadership.

[Anonymous]

I ditto the complaints from the special needs community. Dr. McKnight leads a school system that ignores the needs of students with disabilities at every turn. Instead of PPW and school psychologists (staff with specific expertise regarding problems for my child) MCPS stacks the meeting with so many school administrators and now legal staff that the hands on providers have stopped providing input.

You can’t put students first if the Special Education Department operates in a dysfunctional manner that MCPS turns to a slash and burn policy of attacking students and parents for their advocacy. MCPS fails to put students first when they use COVID as an excuse to not implement 504 Plans and IEPs then buck at the concept that every child with special needs deserve compensatory services.

Three meetings are not enough to hear from parents in MCPS. A virtual option for participating is needed for families who have loved ones with underlying health conditions that a large indoor gathering precludes them from attending in person. At a time MCPS is still holding IEP meetings virtually, I am not understanding why a community input meeting doesn’t have an online option.

[Anonymous]

Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

DCUM has an existential need for people to want to whine on anonymous boards!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

I’ve been to meetings in the past at the community level and special topics that impact my children. However, they mostly are BS without anything constructive being accomplished or followed up with.

Dr. McKnight has been in charge this entire school year. Her initial slogan was to put students first during her first 100 days as interim superintendent. That slogan did nothing for students at the school level, especially for students with special needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s just building her image, OP. She wants to be seen as close to the families she serves. A photo of her talking to families, a little buzz and press coverage, and she’s in clover.
Unless the meetings turn contentious, and the media stories are about how communities are unhappy with her…

Sounds like she is close to families and is putting students first. Why are you so threatened by her?

Because I don’t like her. I didn’t like her predecessors either. I feel MCPS spends way too much money marketing themselves, creating ridiculous equity programs or socio-emotional support initiatives, changing curriculum every few years and paying boatloads to lawyers to fend off complaints from families of children with special needs. That money could be used to far greater effect on actual, rigorous instruction, for example, teaching phonetic-based reading, which has been shown to be very successful method for all reader types, particularly dyslexic children.

No amount of glad-handing and photo ops will compensate for misuse of funds.

I am grateful and happy with some of the teachers and programs in MCPS. But I feel they exist in despite of, not thanks to, top leadership.

So you hate the idea of equity and especially can't stand a minority running MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

I’ve been to meetings in the past at the community level and special topics that impact my children. However, they mostly are BS without anything constructive being accomplished or followed up with.

Dr. McKnight has been in charge this entire school year. Her initial slogan was to put students first during her first 100 days as interim superintendent. That slogan did nothing for students at the school level, especially for students with special needs.

I totally disagree. She kept schools open despite the bullying from teachers, county exec and the covidians. That is putting students first, especially those with special needs. This along makes her my hero at least in the short term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

I’ve been to meetings in the past at the community level and special topics that impact my children. However, they mostly are BS without anything constructive being accomplished or followed up with.

Dr. McKnight has been in charge this entire school year. Her initial slogan was to put students first during her first 100 days as interim superintendent. That slogan did nothing for students at the school level, especially for students with special needs.

I totally disagree. She kept schools open despite the bullying from teachers, county exec and the covidians. That is putting students first, especially those with special needs. This along makes her my hero at least in the short term.

Many schools were shuttered after winter break. That’s not keeping schools open for those families impacted by the closures. Many schools who had equally high percentage of cases remained open so yes, equity in MCPS is a problem.

As far as students with special needs, my child is due compensatory services that MCPS promised to provide at an IEP meeting. We have been waiting for months for MCPS to initiate the services that would help my child regain skills he lost during online learning. Dr. McKnight has done absolutely nothing to help students with disabilities during her interim position. In fact, key vacancies and core practices to provide roadblocks for students with disabilities crates systemic discrimination within MCPS that she is not addressing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

I’ve been to meetings in the past at the community level and special topics that impact my children. However, they mostly are BS without anything constructive being accomplished or followed up with.

Dr. McKnight has been in charge this entire school year. Her initial slogan was to put students first during her first 100 days as interim superintendent. That slogan did nothing for students at the school level, especially for students with special needs.

I totally disagree. She kept schools open despite the bullying from teachers, county exec and the covidians. That is putting students first, especially those with special needs. This along makes her my hero at least in the short term.

Many schools were shuttered after winter break. That’s not keeping schools open for those families impacted by the closures. Many schools who had equally high percentage of cases remained open so yes, equity in MCPS is a problem.

As far as students with special needs, my child is due compensatory services that MCPS promised to provide at an IEP meeting. We have been waiting for months for MCPS to initiate the services that would help my child regain skills he lost during online learning. Dr. McKnight has done absolutely nothing to help students with disabilities during her interim position. In fact, key vacancies and core practices to provide roadblocks for students with disabilities crates systemic discrimination within MCPS that she is not addressing.

by many you mean like 2-3 that had 5%+ infection rates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

I love that she does this! We're so lucky to have such a great leader!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

I love that she does this! We're so lucky to have such a great leader!

Then why didn’t she do this sooner? I guess better sometime than never is the standard? Also, our district is quite large. Only 3 dates with no online option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before you complain, have you ever been to one of these meetings? It’s structured information gathering, not information flow down. If you don’t like what’s happening in MCPS, go and give your input, rather than complain on an anonymous board.

I’ve been to meetings in the past at the community level and special topics that impact my children. However, they mostly are BS without anything constructive being accomplished or followed up with.

Dr. McKnight has been in charge this entire school year. Her initial slogan was to put students first during her first 100 days as interim superintendent. That slogan did nothing for students at the school level, especially for students with special needs.

I totally disagree. She kept schools open despite the bullying from teachers, county exec and the covidians. That is putting students first, especially those with special needs. This along makes her my hero at least in the short term.

Many schools were shuttered after winter break. That’s not keeping schools open for those families impacted by the closures. Many schools who had equally high percentage of cases remained open so yes, equity in MCPS is a problem.

As far as students with special needs, my child is due compensatory services that MCPS promised to provide at an IEP meeting. We have been waiting for months for MCPS to initiate the services that would help my child regain skills he lost during online learning. Dr. McKnight has done absolutely nothing to help students with disabilities during her interim position. In fact, key vacancies and core practices to provide roadblocks for students with disabilities crates systemic discrimination within MCPS that she is not addressing.

by many you mean like 2-3 that had 5%+ infection rates?

+1. She didn't allow the irrational bullies to shut down the whole county for "two weeks" to "flatten the curve". I guarantee you if that had happened we would have been fighting to get the MCPS BOE to open them well into March. Instead we removed masks, which in an of itself is putting students first.
And while I understand that services for SPED are still woeful, the 90% of non-sped students are finally getting the education they had taken from them in 2020/2021.