MOCO BOE update: Beidleman Report summary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight did not show up to A&S today. She called in sick….

Did the new acting deputy superintendent step in?

What happened at that meeting? Did anyone address what’s been going on? The principals union had asked for an open conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better off with Steven Austin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better off with Steven Austin.

This. That is not the direction that the unhappy parents posting here that I know want MCPS and the Board of Ed to go. The posters who I know are liberal, left-leaning people who simply want competency, honesty and accountability. They don’t want steve Austin-types on the Board. They don’t want book banning and they respect others’ choice of pronouns. They embrace all sorts of different families and think it’s wonderful that we’re all different and can learn from one another. They’re pro-diversity, pro-inclusivity. They want candidates of any race, religion, etc. who know what they’re doing, and they would like to see more emphasis on academics. I know many demoralized MCPS employees who feel powerless, so they post here as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McKnight did not show up to A&S today. She called in sick….

Wow…

[Anonymous]

Good summary of the Biedleman investigation thus far:

https://moco360.media/2023/10/17/mcps-catch-up-what-we-know-about-the-beidleman-investigation/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS Releases “A Framework for Change”
https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/10/17/mcps-releases-a-framework-for-change/

Okay, some of these are pretty good assuming MCPS actually follows through. That's a big assumption, however, given that several of the "action points" listed were already meant to be MCPS policy, but were systematically not enforced. Specifically, there was already a process for receiving anonymous reports via SafeSchools and LightHouse, but MCPS had a policy of not reviewing those.

I would really love for the IG report to look at whether Dr. McKnight was aware of that policy.

This will be enforced as much as the code of conduct is enforced. Frustrating.

+1 How many opportunities did MCPS have to enforce the Code of Conduct in the Biedleman case? 18+ for Biedleman himself. Additional opportunities for those who altered documents.

MCPS had Regulations and Policies that it ignored because they simply chose to. Do I believe MCPS will change? Not until the Board of Education and Superintendent change and people in charge start addressing employee misconduct with termination. Send a clear message such behavior will not be allowed.

This issue has been repeated over and over again with staff demonstrating child predatory behaviors including grooming activities. The lack of enforcement of the Code of Conduct with these types of individuals makes MCPS a magnet for child predators. Just Google John Vigna and the MCPS response over and over when he was caught with young girls on his lap.

Folks need to stop. MCPS has child predators because it is a school system and a large one at that, period. Just like youth sports, and community programs. The BOE and Superintendent have changed. There are three new members on the BOE and the Super is on year 2 of the job. Enforcement of any policy is people dependent. So either you give type for the new framework to be adopted, folks educated, and others to be held accountable or you don’t.

As other have mention these are not at will employees. The have contracts and unions and there is a process by which this must be handled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better off with Steven Austin.

What did you expect? Half the posts in this thread are from failed BoE candidates with an axe to grind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS Releases “A Framework for Change”
https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/10/17/mcps-releases-a-framework-for-change/

Okay, some of these are pretty good assuming MCPS actually follows through. That's a big assumption, however, given that several of the "action points" listed were already meant to be MCPS policy, but were systematically not enforced. Specifically, there was already a process for receiving anonymous reports via SafeSchools and LightHouse, but MCPS had a policy of not reviewing those.

I would really love for the IG report to look at whether Dr. McKnight was aware of that policy.

This will be enforced as much as the code of conduct is enforced. Frustrating.

+1 How many opportunities did MCPS have to enforce the Code of Conduct in the Biedleman case? 18+ for Biedleman himself. Additional opportunities for those who altered documents.

MCPS had Regulations and Policies that it ignored because they simply chose to. Do I believe MCPS will change? Not until the Board of Education and Superintendent change and people in charge start addressing employee misconduct with termination. Send a clear message such behavior will not be allowed.

This issue has been repeated over and over again with staff demonstrating child predatory behaviors including grooming activities. The lack of enforcement of the Code of Conduct with these types of individuals makes MCPS a magnet for child predators. Just Google John Vigna and the MCPS response over and over when he was caught with young girls on his lap.

Folks need to stop. MCPS has child predators because it is a school system and a large one at that, period. Just like youth sports, and community programs. The BOE and Superintendent have changed. There are three new members on the BOE and the Super is on year 2 of the job. Enforcement of any policy is people dependent. So either you give type for the new framework to be adopted, folks educated, and others to be held accountable or you don’t.

As other have mention these are not at will employees. The have contracts and unions and there is a process by which this must be handled.

This thread is not the problem. The people who need to "stop" are the people who have repeatedly enabled predators. The only reason this was brought to light is the WaPo investigation. Stop pretending people don't have good reason to have lost trust in MCPS CO. They are not trustworthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good summary of the Biedleman investigation thus far:

https://moco360.media/2023/10/17/mcps-catch-up-what-we-know-about-the-beidleman-investigation/

TLDR: Jackson Lewis investigators found that no official involved in the principal’s promotion “violated any MCPS policy or engaged in any intentional misconduct” ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better off with Steven Austin.

This. That is not the direction that the unhappy parents posting here that I know want MCPS and the Board of Ed to go. The posters who I know are liberal, left-leaning people who simply want competency, honesty and accountability. They don’t want steve Austin-types on the Board. They don’t want book banning and they respect others’ choice of pronouns. They embrace all sorts of different families and think it’s wonderful that we’re all different and can learn from one another. They’re pro-diversity, pro-inclusivity. They want candidates of any race, religion, etc. who know what they’re doing, and they would like to see more emphasis on academics. I know many demoralized MCPS employees who feel powerless, so they post here as well.

+1 The people I know who are the most upset are those who actually believe in public education and good governance and who are disappointed that cronyism and corruption seem so rampant in MCPS. Culture warrior candidates like Austin do not give me confidence that they will take things like sexual abuse and sexual harassment seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good summary of the Biedleman investigation thus far:

https://moco360.media/2023/10/17/mcps-catch-up-what-we-know-about-the-beidleman-investigation/

TLDR: Jackson Lewis investigators found that no official involved in the principal’s promotion “violated any MCPS policy or engaged in any intentional misconduct” ...

It also said they were aware of the allegations against him and promoted him anyway. There's a difference between "intentional misconduct" and "catastrophic failure of judgement that should cost you your job." This is maybe not the former (we'll see) but absolutely the latter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better off with Steven Austin.

Go ahead and keep electing useless people like Karla Silvestre, Shebra L. Evans, Lynne Harris, Brenda Wolff... and see if the system changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better off with Steven Austin.

Go ahead and keep electing useless people like Karla Silvestre, Shebra L. Evans, Lynne Harris, Brenda Wolff... and see if the system changes.

Those are great leaders. You really need to educate yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone ignoring how broken MCPS is:

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcea-on-redacted-beidleman-report-mcpss-central-office-culture-is-corrupt-and-corrosive/

MCEA burned their credibility supporting BOE candidates that didn’t support them back. They honestly would have been better off endorsing and getting folks like Steven Austin and Ester Wells on the BOE who would share their belief that it is corrupt and would actually hold MCPS accountable. Karla Silvestre standing arm-in-arm with McKnight through this scandal is a big red flag.

No one would have been better with Steve Austin or Ester Wells. Both are extremists