Dr. Felder told not to apply for permanent superintendent role according to sources

[Anonymous]

When will the new superintendent be announced? Next BOE meeting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When will the new superintendent be announced? Next BOE meeting?

Probably? Or there might be a Friday late afternoon news drop where it's announced. That's how the board has been releasing news so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Exactly. Gotta love Evan Glass' fake on-camera shock and outrage about the cuts that he had known about for weeks. I don't think I'll be voting for him when he runs for county exec. And of course, there is Will Jawando, the chair of the council's education committee, who expressed concern and surprise at the cuts as well. What a couple of dopes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Exactly. Gotta love Evan Glass' fake on-camera shock and outrage about the cuts that he had known about for weeks. I don't think I'll be voting for him when he runs for county exec. And of course, there is Will Jawando, the chair of the council's education committee, who expressed concern and surprise at the cuts as well. What a couple of dopes.

What about Jennifer Martin from the MCEA who was also caught off guard and offended? Everybody else is faking but MCPS is telling the truth? You're gonna need to come up with a better angle than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

Felder's letter to the council about the potential class size increase if the budget wasn't fully funded was sent in April.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

Felder's letter to the council about the potential class size increase if the budget wasn't fully funded was sent in April.

Again, for your reading pleasure from Jennifer Martin from the MCEA:

We were shocked to learn of MCPS’s plan for layoffs and the cancellation of new contracts. This is just the latest example of the hard-hearted, disrespectful approach top leaders take with the dedicated frontline workers who give their all to students every day.

MCEA President Jennifer Martin said, “When faced with budget cuts, MCPS’s first move is to abandon loyal workers and the commitments the system has made to new hires. People’s lives are being upended because of executive leadership’s lack of competence and compassion. MCPS’s reputation as an employer will be shattered. And, most importantly, because of reductions in classroom staffing, students will suffer.”

The situation makes clear that MCPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull has failed in his role as the leader in charge of finance and budgeting in MCPS. Rather than provide timely and detailed information, he has delayed and demurred when the union and council have made requests. President Martin asked, “Why is it that Mr. Hull did not inform the County Council weeks ago of the impact the budget cuts they were considering? How is it that, after making repeated requests over many months, we’re still waiting for a detailed accounting of the items listed under contractual services?”

The council and the union were both caught off guard by the cuts and both believe MCPS failed in its communications and collaboration with them. Stop trying to spin this. MCPS failed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

How was MCEA caught off guard? Nonsense. There was a thread named Cuts on DCUM that began on April 19. And they knew before that. The council and MCEA knew way earlier than they want to admit because they want the BOE to take the fall on all of this.

[Anonymous]

This is from the council's own staff report (page 8):

Expenditure adjustments
The Interim Superintendent, Dr. Monique Felder, wrote two letters to the E&C Committee on
April 29, 2024, detailing two areas of expenditure changes (see circles 27-30):
• Special education: The Interim Superintendent states that the Office of Special Education
now estimates that an additional $5 million is needed in FY25 above the level represented
in the Board of Education’s budget to meet the requirements of students’ Individualized
Education Plans (IEPs).
• Possible budget changes: The Interim Superintendent communicated possible areas
where the budget could be adjusted below the level requested by the Board if needed to
meet affordability levels set by the Council’s appropriation level. The letter identifies the
following as possible approaches:
o Class Size: The letter estimates that an increase in class size of one student would
achieve savings of $10.5 million; excluding Title I schools from this increase would
result in savings of $7.3 million.
o Staff Development Teachers: The letter proposes a reduction of the current
allocation of staff development teachers from a full position at every school to a 0.5
position at each school. MCPS estimates this would achieve a savings of
$8.2 million; $6.1 million if Title I schools are exempted.

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17381&meta_id=178364

[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:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

Felder's letter to the council about the potential class size increase if the budget wasn't fully funded was sent in April.

Again, for your reading pleasure from Jennifer Martin from the MCEA:

We were shocked to learn of MCPS’s plan for layoffs and the cancellation of new contracts. This is just the latest example of the hard-hearted, disrespectful approach top leaders take with the dedicated frontline workers who give their all to students every day.

MCEA President Jennifer Martin said, “When faced with budget cuts, MCPS’s first move is to abandon loyal workers and the commitments the system has made to new hires. People’s lives are being upended because of executive leadership’s lack of competence and compassion. MCPS’s reputation as an employer will be shattered. And, most importantly, because of reductions in classroom staffing, students will suffer.”

The situation makes clear that MCPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull has failed in his role as the leader in charge of finance and budgeting in MCPS. Rather than provide timely and detailed information, he has delayed and demurred when the union and council have made requests. President Martin asked, “Why is it that Mr. Hull did not inform the County Council weeks ago of the impact the budget cuts they were considering? How is it that, after making repeated requests over many months, we’re still waiting for a detailed accounting of the items listed under contractual services?”

The council and the union were both caught off guard by the cuts and both believe MCPS failed in its communications and collaboration with them. Stop trying to spin this. MCPS failed.

Stopped being duped by politicians. Because anyone involved deeply in the budget saw this coming from long away.

[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:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

Felder's letter to the council about the potential class size increase if the budget wasn't fully funded was sent in April.

Again, for your reading pleasure from Jennifer Martin from the MCEA:

We were shocked to learn of MCPS’s plan for layoffs and the cancellation of new contracts. This is just the latest example of the hard-hearted, disrespectful approach top leaders take with the dedicated frontline workers who give their all to students every day.

MCEA President Jennifer Martin said, “When faced with budget cuts, MCPS’s first move is to abandon loyal workers and the commitments the system has made to new hires. People’s lives are being upended because of executive leadership’s lack of competence and compassion. MCPS’s reputation as an employer will be shattered. And, most importantly, because of reductions in classroom staffing, students will suffer.”

The situation makes clear that MCPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull has failed in his role as the leader in charge of finance and budgeting in MCPS. Rather than provide timely and detailed information, he has delayed and demurred when the union and council have made requests. President Martin asked, “Why is it that Mr. Hull did not inform the County Council weeks ago of the impact the budget cuts they were considering? How is it that, after making repeated requests over many months, we’re still waiting for a detailed accounting of the items listed under contractual services?”

The council and the union were both caught off guard by the cuts and both believe MCPS failed in its communications and collaboration with them. Stop trying to spin this. MCPS failed.

Stopped being duped by politicians. Because anyone involved deeply in the budget saw this coming from long away.

The politicians include MCPS officials who quickly backtracked on their bluff about how cuts and layoffs were necessary once the backlash grew too big.

Clearly the threat to cut teachers and rescind contracts was a stupid attempt to pressure the council for more money at the last minute that failed. If it wasn’t, they would have moved forward with it.

[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:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

Felder's letter to the council about the potential class size increase if the budget wasn't fully funded was sent in April.

Again, for your reading pleasure from Jennifer Martin from the MCEA:

We were shocked to learn of MCPS’s plan for layoffs and the cancellation of new contracts. This is just the latest example of the hard-hearted, disrespectful approach top leaders take with the dedicated frontline workers who give their all to students every day.

MCEA President Jennifer Martin said, “When faced with budget cuts, MCPS’s first move is to abandon loyal workers and the commitments the system has made to new hires. People’s lives are being upended because of executive leadership’s lack of competence and compassion. MCPS’s reputation as an employer will be shattered. And, most importantly, because of reductions in classroom staffing, students will suffer.”

The situation makes clear that MCPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull has failed in his role as the leader in charge of finance and budgeting in MCPS. Rather than provide timely and detailed information, he has delayed and demurred when the union and council have made requests. President Martin asked, “Why is it that Mr. Hull did not inform the County Council weeks ago of the impact the budget cuts they were considering? How is it that, after making repeated requests over many months, we’re still waiting for a detailed accounting of the items listed under contractual services?”

The council and the union were both caught off guard by the cuts and both believe MCPS failed in its communications and collaboration with them. Stop trying to spin this. MCPS failed.

Stopped being duped by politicians. Because anyone involved deeply in the budget saw this coming from long away.

The politicians include MCPS officials who quickly backtracked on their bluff about how cuts and layoffs were necessary once the backlash grew too big.

Clearly the threat to cut teachers and rescind contracts was a stupid attempt to pressure the council for more money at the last minute that failed. If it wasn’t, they would have moved forward with it.

Ummm what are you talking about. They have made the cuts. They’ve cut programs, positions, and plans. Why are you hell bent on making MCPS seem like monsters but the Council and MCEA are somehow lambs lead to slaughter? If anything you should be asking how the Council and MCEA could be caught off guard if they were doing their job?

[Anonymous]

I don’t follow MCPS leadership very closely but McKnight’s emails were very off putting. Felder if I judge for her communication skills seems better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Felder is held in high regard with all of the unions because she earned our respect. She doing a great job as interim and we are losing a partner who truly collaborates and cares.

- A longtime mcea member

I see nothing to applaud about her tenure. MCPS was a mess when she stepped into the role and it’s remained one since she assumed the interim position.

Exactly what did you expect a 4 month interim Super to do?

Clean up shop, set priorities and hold people accountable for their failures and mistakes. Also be transparent and communicate better than her predecessor.

Felder is a short term Super. Her job is to calm things following McKnights departure, attend to the Beidleman situation as it continues to play out, get through budget in a difficult year, and steer things until the end of the school year (or an official Super is named), while setting transition plans for the official Super. And that alone was immense considering she was coming from outside of CO so drinking from a fire hose and having to play catchup.

Just because you had unrealistic expectations is not anyone’ else’s fault.

Do you think Felder has succeeded in "calming things" in MCPS? I don't think so and can't see how you do by any visible measure.

Part of the "calming things" you're talking about that people expected was her getting rid of McKnight's corrupt cronies and known MCPS abusers and bullies. That WAS part of her mandate as interim super.

As for your assertion that improved communications was an unrealistic expectation for an interim superintendent, we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I think being a strong, effective communicator is a must for anyone who occupies the superintendent role, interim, acting or permanent.

We’d first have to define what strong communication is because MCPS communicates all the time and folks don’t read, listen, or attend. Want examples? 1)Someone on the board this week asked why MCPS didn’t announce a survey that they sent 4 emails about, told schools to remind about, and even included in their weekly news. 2)We have a County Council claiming they didn’t know teachers could be impacted by the budget when we’ve been talking about it here since March and CO has been saying for a year how difficult this budget was going to be. 3)People are complaining about a budget for which every chapter was discussed in a BOE meeting, has been readily available for review online, CO held several community sessions to discuss and hear feedback, there is an entire webpage dedicated to asking questions or providing feedback.

What do you want them to do, tap you on the shoulder and say, “oh by the way there may be problems on the horizon?”

You're doing a lot of unnecessary and unsolicited work to defend MCPS and it's not clear what your motive is, other than you're a central office employee and ally of Dr. Felder who feels maligned by criticisms of MCPS.

Strong communication means:
- Communication that builds consensus and provides clarity across MCPS's stakeholder groups
- Communication that is clear, not misleading and easy to understand
- Communication that is connected to meaningful action and next steps
BONUS: Communication that inspires and moves people to invest in our school system

The last one is a bonus because it would be nice if an interim supe could inspire people with their words, but that is more of a fair expectation of a permanent supe. The first three bullets, however, are within the realm of fair expectations for an interim who needs to hold the fort.

You trying to blame the council for the visceral and negative response to teacher cuts is pathetic. MCEA AND the Council both said they were caught off guard at the last minute with the threat of teacher cuts by Felder and MCPS. And it's clear that the threat of the cuts was a political tactic on the part of MCPS to attempt to extort more money from the council, since magically, cuts are no longer needed and MCPS is AGGRESSIVELY walking back the +1 student per classroom messaging, going to pains that it won't happen in every school and every class.

The blame for the budget fiasco rests with Felder, MCPS and the BOE. Felder is only partially responsible since she stepped in midway through the process. But nonetheless, as the leader in charge at the time, she has to shoulder some of it.

Ask yourself, how is it that the County Council is caught off guard? DCUM has been talking about this since March, teachers have been talking about it since then, and yet you believe the council that is responsible for approving the entire budget were somehow left out cold with no idea this was a possibility?

Because they sent a letter the day before the budget was to be finalized? MCEA said they were equally caught off guard. What are you not comprehending?

How was MCEA caught off guard? Nonsense. There was a thread named Cuts on DCUM that began on April 19. And they knew before that. The council and MCEA knew way earlier than they want to admit because they want the BOE to take the fall on all of this.

There were multiple rounds of cuts. The first round was before the April thread. The second round was in the last 2 weeks.