KID Museum moving to Bethesda Metro?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Ah. So bocce was less than 0.001 of the proposal.

But please don't let facts get in the way of the false narrative of corruption and dereliction which these regular posters are pushing.

You do realize that there are many schools with very unsafe conditions and that money would have been better spent on repairs. Or, more social workers and counselors if the mental health needs that MCPS said are so great.

Now, did they actually fill and create all those positions or did they waste it on bocce where we have no idea where the kits are.

Same could be said for the new astro turf field at BCC that cost millions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Ah. So bocce was less than 0.001 of the proposal.

But please don't let facts get in the way of the false narrative of corruption and dereliction which these regular posters are pushing.

You do realize that there are many schools with very unsafe conditions and that money would have been better spent on repairs. Or, more social workers and counselors if the mental health needs that MCPS said are so great.

Now, did they actually fill and create all those positions or did they waste it on bocce where we have no idea where the kits are.

Same could be said for the new astro turf field at BCC that cost millions.

It is a huge waste for all the schools to get astro turf given it only benefits a select few/group and not all schools have it.

MCPS just sent their newest update about hiring more administrators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Ah. So bocce was less than 0.001 of the proposal.

But please don't let facts get in the way of the false narrative of corruption and dereliction which these regular posters are pushing.

You do realize that there are many schools with very unsafe conditions and that money would have been better spent on repairs. Or, more social workers and counselors if the mental health needs that MCPS said are so great.

Now, did they actually fill and create all those positions or did they waste it on bocce where we have no idea where the kits are.

Same could be said for the new astro turf field at BCC that cost millions.

It is a huge waste for all the schools to get astro turf given it only benefits a select few/group and not all schools have it.

MCPS just sent their newest update about hiring more administrators.

I agree and things like this are far more common than the silly things the poster keeps complaining about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Ah. So bocce was less than 0.001 of the proposal.

But please don't let facts get in the way of the false narrative of corruption and dereliction which these regular posters are pushing.

You do realize that there are many schools with very unsafe conditions and that money would have been better spent on repairs. Or, more social workers and counselors if the mental health needs that MCPS said are so great.

Now, did they actually fill and create all those positions or did they waste it on bocce where we have no idea where the kits are.

Same could be said for the new astro turf field at BCC that cost millions.

It is a huge waste for all the schools to get astro turf given it only benefits a select few/group and not all schools have it.

MCPS just sent their newest update about hiring more administrators.

I agree and things like this are far more common than the silly things the poster keeps complaining about.

Some of us think that BOTH are a waste of money. I agree that the turf fields are a waste of funds. And I also agree that the $2.5 Kid Museum money is not the best use of resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Given the half-a**ed analysis, you must work for the Central Office? Try again.

Page 28, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement Through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $527,400—In order to expand and enhance engagement opportunities for middle school
students, with particular emphasis on students with disabilities and targeted focus groups, program
offerings in the middle school interscholastic athletics program will expand to include bocce and
an additional sport to be offered during the course of the school year. Examples of possible sport
offerings include futsal, flag football, and tennis. Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities

Description Cost
Bocce—Stipends (3 years x 1 x $1,215 per
school x 40 sites)
$145,800
Additional Support—Stipends (3 years x 2 x
$1,215 per school x 40 sites)
$291,600

Page 35, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement Through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $453,000—Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school
level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities. The
additional sport offering will be identified through a collaborative process of stakeholders across
the middle school athletics program, with the focus of increasing participation opportunities for
targeted populations, including African American and Hispanic students. Contractual services
necessary for both programs are listed below.

Description Cost
Bocce—Officials (3 years x $175 per school
x 40 sites)
$21,000
Additional Support—Officials (3 years x
$350 per school x 40 sites)
$42,000
Additional Support—Transportation (3 years
x 5 x $650 per school x 40 sites)
$390,000
Total Cost $453,000

Page 40, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $197,000—Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school
level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities.

Description Cost
Bocce—Balls (3 years x 1 x $145 per school
x 40 sites)
$17,400
Bocce—Startup costs—Courts (3 years x 2 x
$350 per school x 40 sites)
$28,000
Bocce—Startup costs—Balls (3 years x 2 x
$145 per school x 40 sites)
$11,600
Additional Support—Equipment (3 years x
$500 per school x 40 sites)
$60,000
Additional Support—Startup costs—
Uniforms ($1,000 per school x 40 sites)
$40,000
Additional Support—Startup costs—
Equipment (3 years x 2 x $1,215 per school x
40 sites)
$40,000
Total Cost $197,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Given the half-a**ed analysis, you must work for the Central Office? Try again.

Page 28, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement Through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $527,400—In order to expand and enhance engagement opportunities for middle school
students, with particular emphasis on students with disabilities and targeted focus groups, program
offerings in the middle school interscholastic athletics program will expand to include bocce and
an additional sport to be offered during the course of the school year. Examples of possible sport
offerings include futsal, flag football, and tennis. Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities

Description Cost
Bocce—Stipends (3 years x 1 x $1,215 per
school x 40 sites)
$145,800
Additional Support—Stipends (3 years x 2 x
$1,215 per school x 40 sites)
$291,600

Page 35, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement Through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $453,000—Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school
level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities. The
additional sport offering will be identified through a collaborative process of stakeholders across
the middle school athletics program, with the focus of increasing participation opportunities for
targeted populations, including African American and Hispanic students. Contractual services
necessary for both programs are listed below.

Description Cost
Bocce—Officials (3 years x $175 per school
x 40 sites)
$21,000
Additional Support—Officials (3 years x
$350 per school x 40 sites)
$42,000
Additional Support—Transportation (3 years
x 5 x $650 per school x 40 sites)
$390,000
Total Cost $453,000

Page 40, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $197,000—Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school
level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities.

Description Cost
Bocce—Balls (3 years x 1 x $145 per school
x 40 sites)
$17,400
Bocce—Startup costs—Courts (3 years x 2 x
$350 per school x 40 sites)
$28,000
Bocce—Startup costs—Balls (3 years x 2 x
$145 per school x 40 sites)
$11,600
Additional Support—Equipment (3 years x
$500 per school x 40 sites)
$60,000
Additional Support—Startup costs—
Uniforms ($1,000 per school x 40 sites)
$40,000
Additional Support—Startup costs—
Equipment (3 years x 2 x $1,215 per school x
40 sites)
$40,000
Total Cost $197,000

Wow, why do they need three line items?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Ah. So bocce was less than 0.001 of the proposal.

But please don't let facts get in the way of the false narrative of corruption and dereliction which these regular posters are pushing.

But please don't let (actual) facts get in the way of MCPS corruption and dereliction. If you do want to say it's a non-issue - just slip me a mil under the table and we can call it even!

[Anonymous]

Who knew supporting special ed kids' desire to participate with their peers would be such a hot button issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who knew supporting special ed kids' desire to participate with their peers would be such a hot button issue?

Who knew clueless people would be so prevalent during a pandemic? Sure, kill off the special Ed kids but they will die happy playing bocce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who knew supporting special ed kids' desire to participate with their peers would be such a hot button issue?

Who knew clueless people would be so prevalent during a pandemic? Sure, kill off the special Ed kids but they will die happy playing bocce.

A modest proposal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who knew supporting special ed kids' desire to participate with their peers would be such a hot button issue?

"Oh the poor widows and orphans won't be allowed to play bocce ball!"

Special ed kids (or any other kid, for that matter) can ALWAYS play bocce ball just about anytime they want to. All you need is:

A two-minute video on the rules. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkZTlXKOnbc

A bocce ball set for $40. https://www.amazon.com/GoSports-Backyard-Pallino-Measuring-Choose/dp/B00T0GYEGG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?dchild=1&keywords=bocce+ball&qid=1596226326&sr=8-5&linkCode=sl1&tag=benofgintea-20&linkId=3e7da3113c72783ce7ee4aa4f34dc112&language=en_US

A lawn, or a sand volleyball court, or even an astroturfed football field!

Now, why couldn't the geniuses at MCPS Central Office figure that out and spend hundreds of thousands? Hmm.

[Anonymous]

I want to see the list of Companies / individuals awarded these contracts. I think that will tell the story?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who knew supporting special ed kids' desire to participate with their peers would be such a hot button issue?

"Oh the poor widows and orphans won't be allowed to play bocce ball!"

Special ed kids (or any other kid, for that matter) can ALWAYS play bocce ball just about anytime they want to. All you need is:

A two-minute video on the rules. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkZTlXKOnbc

A bocce ball set for $40. https://www.amazon.com/GoSports-Backyard-Pallino-Measuring-Choose/dp/B00T0GYEGG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?dchild=1&keywords=bocce+ball&qid=1596226326&sr=8-5&linkCode=sl1&tag=benofgintea-20&linkId=3e7da3113c72783ce7ee4aa4f34dc112&language=en_US

A lawn, or a sand volleyball court, or even an astroturfed football field!

Now, why couldn't the geniuses at MCPS Central Office figure that out and spend hundreds of thousands? Hmm.

If you google, MCPS already had bocce ball at several of the high schools and for SN... so this seems like a huge waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to see the list of Companies / individuals awarded these contracts. I think that will tell the story?

Of course. Someone is making tons of money. Whether for turf fields or bocce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are scrambling to use Covid funds, as it’s a lot of temporarily available money. The challenge is that the money will not be there in a few years. Maybe the central admin thought getting bocce equipment is a good use of funds because they’d be start up costs as opposed to something they’d need to sustain. That doesn’t mean it’s the best use, but that might be the reasoning.

There are lots of ways to spend that money responsibly. This was not one.

OK, well they actually did propose to spend the ESSER III funds in lots of ways. According to the grant application linked earlier, only $223,800 was specified for bocce. The overall total amount of the grant was $252.2 million:


• The requested funds will be used to provide for:
o Position salaries;
o Non-position salaries;
o Stipends;
o Associated employee benefits;
o Contractual services;
o Special education compensatory services;
o Instructional materials and technology support and resources.

• The requested grant funds will support a total of 271 additional positions. The positions to be
added include: 113 teachers; 32 paraeducators; 50 social workers; 40 counselors; and a range of
other positions.

Given the half-a**ed analysis, you must work for the Central Office? Try again.

Page 28, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement Through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $527,400—In order to expand and enhance engagement opportunities for middle school
students, with particular emphasis on students with disabilities and targeted focus groups, program
offerings in the middle school interscholastic athletics program will expand to include bocce and
an additional sport to be offered during the course of the school year. Examples of possible sport
offerings include futsal, flag football, and tennis. Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities

Description Cost
Bocce—Stipends (3 years x 1 x $1,215 per
school x 40 sites)
$145,800
Additional Support—Stipends (3 years x 2 x
$1,215 per school x 40 sites)
$291,600

Page 35, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement Through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $453,000—Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school
level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities. The
additional sport offering will be identified through a collaborative process of stakeholders across
the middle school athletics program, with the focus of increasing participation opportunities for
targeted populations, including African American and Hispanic students. Contractual services
necessary for both programs are listed below.

Description Cost
Bocce—Officials (3 years x $175 per school
x 40 sites)
$21,000
Additional Support—Officials (3 years x
$350 per school x 40 sites)
$42,000
Additional Support—Transportation (3 years
x 5 x $650 per school x 40 sites)
$390,000
Total Cost $453,000

Page 40, Supporting Social-Emotional Engagement through Sports for Special Education and Focus
Groups: $197,000—Bocce will be offered as the first corollary sport offering at the middle school
level, providing opportunities for all students, in particular students with disabilities.

Description Cost
Bocce—Balls (3 years x 1 x $145 per school
x 40 sites)
$17,400
Bocce—Startup costs—Courts (3 years x 2 x
$350 per school x 40 sites)
$28,000
Bocce—Startup costs—Balls (3 years x 2 x
$145 per school x 40 sites)
$11,600
Additional Support—Equipment (3 years x
$500 per school x 40 sites)
$60,000
Additional Support—Startup costs—
Uniforms ($1,000 per school x 40 sites)
$40,000
Additional Support—Startup costs—
Equipment (3 years x 2 x $1,215 per school x
40 sites)
$40,000
Total Cost $197,000

Can you summarize this? Your post is making me fall asleep.