New Superintendent to be named on February 8th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have so much of a problem with McKnight as I do with the process. Absolutely zero communication. No idea on who the other candidates were. Were there even other candidates?

I am against this decision due to lack of transparency.

There have been so many local news articles about the process, including at least one that was posted on this thread. Of course they wouldn't announce who the other candidates were. If you applied for a new job, would you want everyone at you current job to know? The other candidates were just that - job candidates who currently have a job and don't want everyone where they work to know that they're in the running for a new job.

The updates shouldn’t only be coming from journalists. The search firm was paid over $50,000 of our public funds. There should be more transparency coming from the source. The only input/involvement anyone had was a short survey with implicit bias within. I am actually a fan of Dr. McKnight. But I agree with the PP about it seeming like another sneaky, secretive thing with MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She was unanimously voted in.

I hope every single one of the BOE gets unanimously voted out. This is unreal.

+10000000000000000000000000

Agreed absolutely. It’s a disgrace that they literally appointed Joftus for the sole purpose of voting in McKnight without objection. Appalling really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They just want to make history and nobody really cares about the students!

Students are history!

The fact that their own announcement email first highlighted the "history" they were making and then added her qualifications in a subsequent paragraph, almost as an afterthought, shows what their priorities were. Competence sacrificed at the altar of "History"

Incase no ines noticed, we've "made history" at every level of local government. Really.
Now can we get back to business please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have so much of a problem with McKnight as I do with the process. Absolutely zero communication. No idea on who the other candidates were. Were there even other candidates?

I am against this decision due to lack of transparency.

This is Brenda Wolff in action. You can vote her out in June.

How many times should I try to repeat the same motion until I get my desired outcome?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight named. Expected but horrible choice.

. Please explain why she is a horrible choice with facts.

She's focused on everything EXCEPT academics and education. I'm truly wondering if that's not part of her job? I'm not asking sarcastically. Is her job the "other stuff?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:mcps is going down

This is factually true. Enrollment is dropping. Look for declining enrollment to accelerate while she is in charge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight named. Expected but horrible choice.

. Please explain why she is a horrible choice with facts.

She's focused on everything EXCEPT academics and education. I'm truly wondering if that's not part of her job? I'm not asking sarcastically. Is her job the "other stuff?"

The missed learning after the pandemic was never addressed except some summer programs which I heard were abysmal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:mcps is going down

This is factually true. Enrollment is dropping. Look for declining enrollment to accelerate while she is in charge.

And long after.
It will take a very long time regain trust.

[Anonymous]

Can her supporters tell me right now what she’s accountable for now that she’s been appointed? I would really like to know ahead of time what I can expect from her to be able to judge her performance fairly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight named. Expected but horrible choice.

. Please explain why she is a horrible choice with facts.

She's focused on everything EXCEPT academics and education. I'm truly wondering if that's not part of her job? I'm not asking sarcastically. Is her job the "other stuff?"

Give examples please. What "other stuff" is she focused on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight named. Expected but horrible choice.

. Please explain why she is a horrible choice with facts.

She's focused on everything EXCEPT academics and education. I'm truly wondering if that's not part of her job? I'm not asking sarcastically. Is her job the "other stuff?"

The missed learning after the pandemic was never addressed except some summer programs which I heard were abysmal.

After the pandemic?? You must be visiting us from the future!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have so much of a problem with McKnight as I do with the process. Absolutely zero communication. No idea on who the other candidates were. Were there even other candidates?

I am against this decision due to lack of transparency.

This is Brenda Wolff in action. You can vote her out in June.

No, you can't, unless two residents of District 5 file to run against her by Feb. 22nd. If there end up being two or fewer candidates, the seat will not appear on the June primary ballot and the one or two candidate(s) automatically advance to the general election. There are currently zero candidates for the District 5 seat.

[Anonymous]

Re: Process, from MCPS

Four finalists met with a Community Panel comprising a group of citizens drawn from a broad-based section of Montgomery County that represents students, post-secondary institutions, parents, multicultural and civic organizations, employee unions, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and county agencies. The full list of participating organizations is below:

1977 II Action Group
AASAAG – African American Student Achievement Action Group
APASAAG – Asian Pacific American Student Achievement Action Group
Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence
CAPA-MC Chinese American Parents Association of Montgomery County
*Department of Health and Human Services
*Identity Inc.
LEAAP-League of Educators for Asian American Progress
LSAAG – Latino Student Achievement Action Group
MCAAP/MCBOA-Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals
MCCPTA-Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations
MCEA-Montgomery County Education Association
Montgomery College
Montgomery County Department of Recreation
Montgomery County Planning Board
Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils
NAACP-National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
*SEAC – Special Education Advisory Committee
SEIU-Services Employees International Union
The Universities @ Shady Grove

* Unable to Attend

During the process, the Board remained committed to maintaining the confidentiality of candidates in order to find the best leader for our school system. Based on the interviews, input from the Community Panel and the information gathered by the Board, the preferred candidate was identified.

That sounds reasonable on its face... And still somehow I'm left feeling like this was a rubber stamp. I don't have anything to compare it to, however -- no idea how this is done well (or poorly.) elsewhere.

Though I have some thoughts about that list and who did and did not give feedback -- inclusion and access is important, so why no special needs parents/students? -- but I do appreciate the idea that various stakeholders were included and represented in the process.

And yet I'm inclined to disbelieve that the groups on the community panel were able to give meaningful feedback, that the result wasn't known in advance. Saying this entirely without evidence, so take this only as an indication of faith in the BOE. The process might have been entirely above board but -- it doesn't feeeeeeel that way. I'm not at all convinced...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the hyper-privileged parents from MCPS who think the school system should cater to them are very difficult to deal with since no matter what the super does it will never be sufficient.

Disingenuous nonsense

Huh? The local school system shouldn't cater to its parents? Is this sarcasm?

Not really. It seems many of these parents believe the universe revolves around them and feel their needs eclipse those of the 99%. They'd only be happy with a system of haves and have nots.

[Anonymous]

I'm waiting on the explanation as to why she's a horrible choice and she focuses on other stuff. Anyone?