School safety - What is MCPS actually doing and considering doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/education/montgomery-county-residents-concerned-alternative-education-program-location-neighborhood/65-0df11dc4-9ea8-46ad-be19-daeba7d9a8ed

NIMBY folks getting in the way of MCPS trying to separate out the kids that need an alternative program. Can’t have your cake and eat it too FV folks. You already mostly send your kids to private schools and you have no sidewalks in your neighborhood to discourage outsiders driving or walking around.

Yeah, I do concede that MCPS was not transparent and probably should have been, but the Ewing kids need to go somewhere and that is an MCPS holding school, so not much grounds for the FV community to push back here.

Except there was no BOE vote on this proposal and there is no money to convert an elementary school into a Level 2 educational facility for middle and high school students. Seth Adams is long gone. The days of him making decisions without BOE authority should have ended when he left. It is still a public school system and the public is still part of the process on school use decisions.

Those are all fantastic points. I agree that's the way things SHOULD work, but I guess they don't HAVE to, hence why the BOE/MCPS skipped those steps? If not, someone can sue them....

[Anonymous]

How often does BOE go against MCPS?
Once, twice, ever? Not really.
They’re all in the same bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often does BOE go against MCPS?
Once, twice, ever? Not really.
They’re all in the same bed.

The only time I can recall them going against MCPS is when they voted to push McKnight out after the Beidleman saga.

[Anonymous]

Violence what violence? No one knows what you are talking about about. Get the PAR panel to fire some new teachers who are leaking facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How often does BOE go against MCPS?
Once, twice, ever? Not really.
They’re all in the same bed.

The only time I can recall them going against MCPS is when they voted to push McKnight out after the Beidleman saga.

They were equally to blame as it was under their watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/education/montgomery-county-residents-concerned-alternative-education-program-location-neighborhood/65-0df11dc4-9ea8-46ad-be19-daeba7d9a8ed

NIMBY folks getting in the way of MCPS trying to separate out the kids that need an alternative program. Can’t have your cake and eat it too FV folks. You already mostly send your kids to private schools and you have no sidewalks in your neighborhood to discourage outsiders driving or walking around.

Yeah, I do concede that MCPS was not transparent and probably should have been, but the Ewing kids need to go somewhere and that is an MCPS holding school, so not much grounds for the FV community to push back here.

Except there was no BOE vote on this proposal and there is no money to convert an elementary school into a Level 2 educational facility for middle and high school students. Seth Adams is long gone. The days of him making decisions without BOE authority should have ended when he left. It is still a public school system and the public is still part of the process on school use decisions.

Those are all fantastic points. I agree that's the way things SHOULD work, but I guess they don't HAVE to, hence why the BOE/MCPS skipped those steps? If not, someone can sue them....

They seem to be set up to fail as many students as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Answering your questions:

1. What is the County doing, or considering, to protect elementary school kids from a mass violence incident, aside from locking the doors after kids arrive in the morning? Nothing substantive or meaningful. There's a lot of talk of exploring things, and stating safety is the number one priority but not a lot of concrete action. Chief Safety Office Marcus Jones has gone MIA. Superintendent Taylor did add 45 security assistants to the budget, which survived the approval process. It's hard to say how much of an impact the additional bodies will have as MCPS hasn't shared any strategic plans or procedures concerning the additional safety staff.

2. Are there any County efforts underway to place security guards (police or non-police) at elementary schools on a daily basis - esp. during recess / getting on and off buses, when the kids are most exposed? More security guards: Yes. 45 more to be exact. In terms of police, there's supposedly an evaluation of the current Community Engagement Officer (CEO) model that has been mandated by the board.

3. How are parents bringing this up at the county level, and what has the county's response been? Parents have protested at the board and in the news about safety and security concerns. MCPS says they care and will do better but never does. MCPS has a goal of performing care and concern and doing nothing in response to parent outrage and outcry on safety issues.

4. Is there precedent for a PTA to fundraise for a specific school to have someone patrolling the school during the school day, like there is at some DC public schools (I've heard, at least)? Not through the PTA, but in 2021 at Seneca Valley High School, there was reports of a Dads on Duty initiative to improve safety at the school: https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1000233

It's not clear if this initiative is still functional or produced meaningful results in safety at the school.

5. How might I, as a prospective MCPS parent, think about my ability to advocate and organize for this type of security at an individual elementary school level? Organize with your local PTA, organize with the MCCPTA and write and complain to the BOE and Dr. Taylor himself.

How does Taylor care about concerned parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Answering your questions:

1. What is the County doing, or considering, to protect elementary school kids from a mass violence incident, aside from locking the doors after kids arrive in the morning? Nothing substantive or meaningful. There's a lot of talk of exploring things, and stating safety is the number one priority but not a lot of concrete action. Chief Safety Office Marcus Jones has gone MIA. Superintendent Taylor did add 45 security assistants to the budget, which survived the approval process. It's hard to say how much of an impact the additional bodies will have as MCPS hasn't shared any strategic plans or procedures concerning the additional safety staff.

2. Are there any County efforts underway to place security guards (police or non-police) at elementary schools on a daily basis - esp. during recess / getting on and off buses, when the kids are most exposed? More security guards: Yes. 45 more to be exact. In terms of police, there's supposedly an evaluation of the current Community Engagement Officer (CEO) model that has been mandated by the board.

3. How are parents bringing this up at the county level, and what has the county's response been? Parents have protested at the board and in the news about safety and security concerns. MCPS says they care and will do better but never does. MCPS has a goal of performing care and concern and doing nothing in response to parent outrage and outcry on safety issues.

4. Is there precedent for a PTA to fundraise for a specific school to have someone patrolling the school during the school day, like there is at some DC public schools (I've heard, at least)? Not through the PTA, but in 2021 at Seneca Valley High School, there was reports of a Dads on Duty initiative to improve safety at the school: https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1000233

It's not clear if this initiative is still functional or produced meaningful results in safety at the school.

5. How might I, as a prospective MCPS parent, think about my ability to advocate and organize for this type of security at an individual elementary school level? Organize with your local PTA, organize with the MCCPTA and write and complain to the BOE and Dr. Taylor himself.

How does Taylor care about concerned parents?

Easy: He doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Answering your questions:

1. What is the County doing, or considering, to protect elementary school kids from a mass violence incident, aside from locking the doors after kids arrive in the morning? Nothing substantive or meaningful. There's a lot of talk of exploring things, and stating safety is the number one priority but not a lot of concrete action. Chief Safety Office Marcus Jones has gone MIA. Superintendent Taylor did add 45 security assistants to the budget, which survived the approval process. It's hard to say how much of an impact the additional bodies will have as MCPS hasn't shared any strategic plans or procedures concerning the additional safety staff.

2. Are there any County efforts underway to place security guards (police or non-police) at elementary schools on a daily basis - esp. during recess / getting on and off buses, when the kids are most exposed? More security guards: Yes. 45 more to be exact. In terms of police, there's supposedly an evaluation of the current Community Engagement Officer (CEO) model that has been mandated by the board.

3. How are parents bringing this up at the county level, and what has the county's response been? Parents have protested at the board and in the news about safety and security concerns. MCPS says they care and will do better but never does. MCPS has a goal of performing care and concern and doing nothing in response to parent outrage and outcry on safety issues.

4. Is there precedent for a PTA to fundraise for a specific school to have someone patrolling the school during the school day, like there is at some DC public schools (I've heard, at least)? Not through the PTA, but in 2021 at Seneca Valley High School, there was reports of a Dads on Duty initiative to improve safety at the school: https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1000233

It's not clear if this initiative is still functional or produced meaningful results in safety at the school.

5. How might I, as a prospective MCPS parent, think about my ability to advocate and organize for this type of security at an individual elementary school level? Organize with your local PTA, organize with the MCCPTA and write and complain to the BOE and Dr. Taylor himself.

How does Taylor care about concerned parents?

Easy: He doesn't.

Exactly.