$2M no bid contract to Joftus wife? BOE to approve on 9/8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"anti-Joftus campaigning"? Non-profit? What exactly does "educator" mean? Are you an actual teacher with MCPS at an ES, MS, HS? Or are you just some hired hack or maybe even someone who personally benefitted from the transaction?

https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/kid-museum,454070908/

Kid Museum scraped by at 1.4M in donations through 2019. Now, all of a sudden, it gets a windfall of 4M of federal government covid grant money, plus a cool 2M cherry on top from the board?

And Joftus' wife pulls down $60-something from it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See article- apparently the superintendent claimed in the memo to the BOE there had been a bidding process for this contract, but that wasn’t the case.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2022/09/08/mcps-says-clerical-error-led-to-concern-about-stem-program-contract/

Can the county council come in and review this given they fund MCPS? If so, how can that be requested?

This just seems way off….

If you watch the youtube link from the meeting above, they explain it. It seems like much ado about nothing.

Thanks MCPS PR. Nice try. That $2.37M could have given every teacher in MCPS (over 11,600) an extra $200 this year. Teachers know they are being short changed. That’s why they’re turning to Facebook/Nextdoor/etc and asking the community to help them out.

😂😂 A whole extra $200 or $22per month before taxes. Yeah, teachers would have felt really valued. You should probably talk to some teachers.

So all the mcps teachers on Facebook asking for $200 in supplies are just liars ripping off the public.

No one said the teachers were liars. $200 in supplies or specifically allocated for teachers supplies is completely different than giving an extra $200 in salary to teachers. First, not all teachers need the same supplies, second teachers are asking for $200 in supplies because they don’t want to have to pay for it out of their own money and want to provide students with good teaching and experiences, and third $200 in salary will be less because taxes will be taken out.

[Anonymous]

It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

[Anonymous]

^^ here's the link: https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2018/05/today-kid-museum-spokeswoman-is-emma.html?m=0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Educator here. I believe that what KID offers is valuable, but it needs to lay out exactly how they are choosing which students and schools they serve, what they provide in those field trips, and how much it costs taxpayers per child. The arrangement should be handled the same way MCPS handles outsourcing any service. If there is no competition then they will get the contract. And I am confused. I expected Scott Joftus to take the teachers’ and administrators’ and SEIU staff’s “no confidence” votes more seriously. His decision to vote in Dr McKnight showed a lack of understanding of educators’ concerns and possible repercussions, including talented people leaving MCPS. I know he didn’t respond to all the teachers and principals who reached out to him prior to his vote, and I think he harmed KID by being on the board. I do think he’s ethical and smart, but I’m disappointed. He should have waited for the election rather than get appointed early. I think that will hurt him in the election. The appearance is that he was put on the board as a guaranteed vote for Dr. McKnight, which is unfortunate. I’m less concerned with his ability to be impartial on KID stuff. I wish he had been braver in his first months on the board. At least he’s not going to ban books or do crazy paranoid stuff to the curriculum if he wins, so there’s that.

Educator here. What do you have against Kid Museum? Kid Musuem was VERY transparent with costs. It's a grant. So Title 1 schools are served first. This has been around way before Joftus was on the board...so...not sure if you are paying attention or not.

As an educator, you should re-read my post. I specifically said I like KID and that that's not my issue.

Ok Karen - I don't think you really part of MCPS. Kid Museum has not been harmed. As an educator, stick to teaching.

I can teach in MCPS and like KID Museum and also wish Scott Joftus had taken the unions’ concerns more seriously and also want more transparency about which schools are getting KID’s services and what those services cost. Those are not mutually exclusive viewpoints. The irony is that you keep slamming me for slamming KID, when that isn’t what I said at all. I don’t think Joftus is unethical. I don’t think KID is a waste of money. You’re arguing against yourself and not helping the organization, if that’s your goal. Calling people Karen is not going to help your cause either. Makes you sound misogynistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

They don't own real estate, except in people's heads.

They're a non-profit and file annual reports. You can find them on propublica.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda&source=hp&ei=58sdY-r4Aqef5NoPxPemsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYx3Z9_8Ut4LJ7CHG66Y1JqpUeFYOcClh&ved=0ahUKEwiqiLnE1oz6AhWnD1kFHcS7CRYQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

They don't own real estate, except in people's heads.

They're a non-profit and file annual reports. You can find them on propublica.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda&source=hp&ei=58sdY-r4Aqef5NoPxPemsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYx3Z9_8Ut4LJ7CHG66Y1JqpUeFYOcClh&ved=0ahUKEwiqiLnE1oz6AhWnD1kFHcS7CRYQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda

Technically true. They won't own. Looks like they will co-own? I. Summary of Transaction, Challenges and Unknowns.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2018/05/today-kid-museum-spokeswoman-is-emma.html?m=0

Not sure co-ownership of land works for a non-profit? If they have an asset and go out of business, how does that work? Do they get the money from the sale? Non-profits pay out salaries. There are a lot of charity CEO's who rake in over 500k.

The document also says the Council will provide matching funds from other sources? Is MCPS the "other sources"? And does that mean if MCPS provides 6m then the council will provide 6m? That's confusing in itself since the donations from prior years amounted to 1.4m, so I'm guessing 1.4m is their normal annual operating budget according to prior filings?

Does that mean that all Kid Museum would need to do is open then shutter their doors the next day, and sell their ~5m interest in the property?

Also, that $4.55m price bump from 4.9m to 9.65m from purchase to sale was only from 2016 to 2019. Double? $4.55m in three years? That's some nice cheese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

They don't own real estate, except in people's heads.

They're a non-profit and file annual reports. You can find them on propublica.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda&source=hp&ei=58sdY-r4Aqef5NoPxPemsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYx3Z9_8Ut4LJ7CHG66Y1JqpUeFYOcClh&ved=0ahUKEwiqiLnE1oz6AhWnD1kFHcS7CRYQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda

Technically true. They won't own. Looks like they will co-own? I. Summary of Transaction, Challenges and Unknowns.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2018/05/today-kid-museum-spokeswoman-is-emma.html?m=0

Not sure co-ownership of land works for a non-profit? If they have an asset and go out of business, how does that work? Do they get the money from the sale? Non-profits pay out salaries. There are a lot of charity CEO's who rake in over 500k.

The document also says the Council will provide matching funds from other sources? Is MCPS the "other sources"? And does that mean if MCPS provides 6m then the council will provide 6m? That's confusing in itself since the donations from prior years amounted to 1.4m, so I'm guessing 1.4m is their normal annual operating budget according to prior filings?

Does that mean that all Kid Museum would need to do is open then shutter their doors the next day, and sell their ~5m interest in the property?

Also, that $4.55m price bump from 4.9m to 9.65m from purchase to sale was only from 2016 to 2019. Double? $4.55m in three years? That's some nice cheese.

Pretty sure the reference to "co-owning" in that document refers to the county and the city of Rockville co-owning the property, not the museum.

[Anonymous]

Is Twinbrook still a deal? I thought they were going to the Bethesda metro station in the spot that keeps failing for everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

They don't own real estate, except in people's heads.

They're a non-profit and file annual reports. You can find them on propublica.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda&source=hp&ei=58sdY-r4Aqef5NoPxPemsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYx3Z9_8Ut4LJ7CHG66Y1JqpUeFYOcClh&ved=0ahUKEwiqiLnE1oz6AhWnD1kFHcS7CRYQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda

Technically true. They won't own. Looks like they will co-own? I. Summary of Transaction, Challenges and Unknowns.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2018/05/today-kid-museum-spokeswoman-is-emma.html?m=0

Not sure co-ownership of land works for a non-profit? If they have an asset and go out of business, how does that work? Do they get the money from the sale? Non-profits pay out salaries. There are a lot of charity CEO's who rake in over 500k.

The document also says the Council will provide matching funds from other sources? Is MCPS the "other sources"? And does that mean if MCPS provides 6m then the council will provide 6m? That's confusing in itself since the donations from prior years amounted to 1.4m, so I'm guessing 1.4m is their normal annual operating budget according to prior filings?

Does that mean that all Kid Museum would need to do is open then shutter their doors the next day, and sell their ~5m interest in the property?

Also, that $4.55m price bump from 4.9m to 9.65m from purchase to sale was only from 2016 to 2019. Double? $4.55m in three years? That's some nice cheese.

Pretty sure the reference to "co-owning" in that document refers to the county and the city of Rockville co-owning the property, not the museum.

That's how I read it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Twinbrook still a deal? I thought they were going to the Bethesda metro station in the spot that keeps failing for everything else.

This article discussing a plan to move there museum into space in Silver Spring (that obviously also doesn't seem to have to happened) says it "fell through" without other explanation: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2019/03/06/kid-museum-included-in-proposal-to-use-office-building-for-career-technology-high-school/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Twinbrook still a deal? I thought they were going to the Bethesda metro station in the spot that keeps failing for everything else.

This article discussing a plan to move there museum into space in Silver Spring (that obviously also doesn't seem to have to happened) says it "fell through" without other explanation: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2019/03/06/kid-museum-included-in-proposal-to-use-office-building-for-career-technology-high-school/

Demand outstripped Davis years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

They don't own real estate, except in people's heads.

They're a non-profit and file annual reports. You can find them on propublica.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda&source=hp&ei=58sdY-r4Aqef5NoPxPemsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYx3Z9_8Ut4LJ7CHG66Y1JqpUeFYOcClh&ved=0ahUKEwiqiLnE1oz6AhWnD1kFHcS7CRYQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda

Technically true. They won't own. Looks like they will co-own? I. Summary of Transaction, Challenges and Unknowns.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2018/05/today-kid-museum-spokeswoman-is-emma.html?m=0

Not sure co-ownership of land works for a non-profit? If they have an asset and go out of business, how does that work? Do they get the money from the sale? Non-profits pay out salaries. There are a lot of charity CEO's who rake in over 500k.

The document also says the Council will provide matching funds from other sources? Is MCPS the "other sources"? And does that mean if MCPS provides 6m then the council will provide 6m? That's confusing in itself since the donations from prior years amounted to 1.4m, so I'm guessing 1.4m is their normal annual operating budget according to prior filings?

Does that mean that all Kid Museum would need to do is open then shutter their doors the next day, and sell their ~5m interest in the property?

Also, that $4.55m price bump from 4.9m to 9.65m from purchase to sale was only from 2016 to 2019. Double? $4.55m in three years? That's some nice cheese.

Pretty sure the reference to "co-owning" in that document refers to the county and the city of Rockville co-owning the property, not the museum.

That makes even less sense. You're saying that the City of Rockville is giving them 5m, Montgomery County is giving 5m, and MCPS is giving 6m to them?

So how does that work? Does Kid Museum pay rent to Rockville or MC, or both? How much? And why Kid Museum? Why not some other non-profit? How did Kid Museum become the most critical investment over every other non-profit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It certainly looks like someone is making a tidy profit on the Kid Museum property. According to this document, the Kid Museum Twinbrook Metro property was acquired by Thompson Twinbrook, LLC for $4.9 million, and the seller is now asking for $9.65 million. MCPS Navarro was in the same group as Brewer, Lesser Lambert, Riley, Ossont, Dise. According to the document, the council staff recommended $5.93 million to acquire the property plus $1M to design it.

Twinbrook LLC seems to be a shell company for "20 ENTITIES OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS", so it's difficult to trace who's actually behind the curtain.

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_md/W17514605

https://opencorporates.com/officers/327141386

https://opengovus.com/virginia-business/L0169757

Is KID gong to move to twinbrook site? That was talked years ago before they moved to Bethesda Downtown where real estate is very very expansive. By the way, why does KID need to OWN a piece of real estate?

They don't own real estate, except in people's heads.

They're a non-profit and file annual reports. You can find them on propublica.

https://www.google.com/search?q=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda&source=hp&ei=58sdY-r4Aqef5NoPxPemsAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYx3Z9_8Ut4LJ7CHG66Y1JqpUeFYOcClh&ved=0ahUKEwiqiLnE1oz6AhWnD1kFHcS7CRYQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=propublica+990+%22kid+museum%22+bethesda

Technically true. They won't own. Looks like they will co-own? I. Summary of Transaction, Challenges and Unknowns.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2018/05/today-kid-museum-spokeswoman-is-emma.html?m=0

Not sure co-ownership of land works for a non-profit? If they have an asset and go out of business, how does that work? Do they get the money from the sale? Non-profits pay out salaries. There are a lot of charity CEO's who rake in over 500k.

The document also says the Council will provide matching funds from other sources? Is MCPS the "other sources"? And does that mean if MCPS provides 6m then the council will provide 6m? That's confusing in itself since the donations from prior years amounted to 1.4m, so I'm guessing 1.4m is their normal annual operating budget according to prior filings?

Does that mean that all Kid Museum would need to do is open then shutter their doors the next day, and sell their ~5m interest in the property?

Also, that $4.55m price bump from 4.9m to 9.65m from purchase to sale was only from 2016 to 2019. Double? $4.55m in three years? That's some nice cheese.

Pretty sure the reference to "co-owning" in that document refers to the county and the city of Rockville co-owning the property, not the museum.

That makes even less sense. You're saying that the City of Rockville is giving them 5m, Montgomery County is giving 5m, and MCPS is giving 6m to them?

So how does that work? Does Kid Museum pay rent to Rockville or MC, or both? How much? And why Kid Museum? Why not some other non-profit? How did Kid Museum become the most critical investment over every other non-profit?

I don't think you're reading the docs correctly.