MoCo OIG Blasts Taylor and MCPS for lies over backlog and non-compliance with background and CPS checks

[Anonymous]

Taylor said some of the communications issues related to the background screening were related to the district having “a handful of people who don’t want to share bad news.”

This is not limited to a "handful of people." It is the posture of the entire system, including the schools, to not want to share bad news. That needs to change.

[Anonymous]

To the 20:38 poster -- job duties too much in a large district for one person. This past year started off in trying to "rebuild" (whatever that means anymore it always seems like there is rebuilding going in the district). Several news making lawsuits, boundary studies and that's just getting started. This.
District divided up (maybe diagonally??)
Role of associate Supers should be transparent. County and State entities need to do their part.

[Anonymous]

Has any Superintendent after Weast served out their entire term?

[Anonymous]

Starr got out.
Smith got out when he could.
Maybe McKnight got lucky too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has any Superintendent after Weast served out their entire term?

Smith served one full term and was renewed for a second, then announced his retirement a year later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New interview with Taylor:

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/08/06/mcps-integrity-honesty-gap/

d

Taylor immediately hired back Essie McGuire. McGuire had a proven decades old track record of covering up for MCPS.
He knew what he was doing.

[Anonymous]

22:47 so he needed an insider as he was not ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:47 so he needed an insider as he was not ?

That's the calculation he made, and I don't think it was a wise one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:47 so he needed an insider as he was not ?

That's the calculation he made, and I don't think it was a wise one.

Who then if not her?

[Anonymous]

Will there be another shakeup at CO before school year starts?

[Anonymous]

MCPS has an "update" on this issue:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/news/mcps-news/2025/08/update-on-background-checks-process-improvements/

Earlier this week, Superintendent Thomas Taylor shared an important community message and frequently asked questions about our work to strengthen background screening processes for every adult who works with or around children in Montgomery County Public Schools. Our top priority remains unchanged: ensuring every student’s safety.

We are significantly ramping up our efforts through our action plan shared with you and more in close collaboration with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. These additional efforts will improve how background checks are completed, prioritize screenings for new hires, and ensure that all staff, contractors, and volunteers are appropriately cleared to work with students.

In the coming days, we will provide more details about exactly how this work will be carried out. Key elements of the effort include:

A system-wide effort to reverify background checks and enroll staff in a continuous monitoring system.
On-site services at schools and central locations to make the process faster and more convenient.
A clear focus on clearing new employees quickly to support the start of the school year.
Continued assurance that no adult will be allowed unsupervised access to students without all required background and child protective services clearances.
A commitment to keep current employees in their roles while completing this process. All staff currently working have had criminal background checks.

More updates will be shared with you and our staff soon.

The update makes it seem like they will clear the backlog before the school year, though they'll be able to accomplish that remains to be heard and seen.

[Anonymous]

^^optics Spotlight is on them once again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has any Superintendent after Weast served out their entire term?

Smith served one term, but resigned months after the beginning of his second term, to move to Maine with his family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New interview with Taylor:

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/08/06/mcps-integrity-honesty-gap/

d

Taylor immediately hired back Essie McGuire. McGuire had a proven decades old track record of covering up for MCPS.
He knew what he was doing.

Taylor thought he knew what he was doing. But yet, the complex required processes, i.e., payroll and security checks, are not getting done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Starr got out.
Smith got out when he could.
Maybe McKnight got lucky too?

Starr was fired.