How much does MCPS pay for school administrators to travel out of state?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

It's racist? Are you dumb?? I'm speaking on what I've SEEN. I've written several replies as to why she took the trip. If you don't wanna listen, just say it. Many Black students in MCPS have a similar trip above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

She didn’t meet with one single student. She used her MCPS expense account to go home. It worked perfectly because she has people falling all over themselves to justify her vacation. Let’s see how many teachers she actually recruits in the next 4 years. Wanna bet? It’s going to be zero.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

I had a black principal tell me she did not like my child’s hair and I needed to cut it. It was regularly trimmed. Other races had similar styles and hair in their face. She also targeted some of the white kids with harsher punishments or only punished the white kids when a group of kids were involved. It’s everywhere.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

She didn’t meet with one single student. She used her MCPS expense account to go home. It worked perfectly because she has people falling all over themselves to justify her vacation. Let’s see how many teachers she actually recruits in the next 4 years. Wanna bet? It’s going to be zero.

Maybe she met with them and didn't want to post it, or will do it at a later time, or was on an extremely tight schedule. It's not a vacation, and the number won't be zero because it's adding to programs they have already. I'm not gonna argue with people who only spin things the way they want to on this forum. I believe in her abilities and fervently wish for her success because it'll in turn ensure the success of all our kids in this county, and you should be doing the same as well.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

I had a black principal tell me she did not like my child’s hair and I needed to cut it. It was regularly trimmed. Other races had similar styles and hair in their face. She also targeted some of the white kids with harsher punishments or only punished the white kids when a group of kids were involved. It’s everywhere.

Again -- very sorry about that. Bias is everywhere, but in this situation, I was speaking about how it especially affects the outcomes of Black and Brown students and how this trip will help her hire a workforce that can combat that. It's about the long-term strategic game and picking up best practices from all places, not a problem that will be solved overnight. If she's traveling down South, she's still working, connected to her schedule, etc. Managers and higher-up C-Suite leaders (pre-COVID) would travel all the time, and it's ramping back up. Y'all are blowing things way out of proportion, as usual.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

She didn’t meet with one single student. She used her MCPS expense account to go home. It worked perfectly because she has people falling all over themselves to justify her vacation. Let’s see how many teachers she actually recruits in the next 4 years. Wanna bet? It’s going to be zero.

There's also a privacy issue to posting it. The students technically aren't staff in the system -- yet. Let's not jump to conclusions and miss the forest for the trees here, or whatever the expression is.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

The ESOL problem does happen to white children too. You can be from a white family that speaks more than just English at home. For you to complain racism at any error even when a white parent had a recent similar experience, then you are clearly living in your own bubble.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

I had a black principal tell me she did not like my child’s hair and I needed to cut it. It was regularly trimmed. Other races had similar styles and hair in their face. She also targeted some of the white kids with harsher punishments or only punished the white kids when a group of kids were involved. It’s everywhere.

Again -- very sorry about that. Bias is everywhere, but in this situation, I was speaking about how it especially affects the outcomes of Black and Brown students and how this trip will help her hire a workforce that can combat that. It's about the long-term strategic game and picking up best practices from all places, not a problem that will be solved overnight. If she's traveling down South, she's still working, connected to her schedule, etc. Managers and higher-up C-Suite leaders (pre-COVID) would travel all the time, and it's ramping back up. Y'all are blowing things way out of proportion, as usual.

It was a vacation with tax payer money. A Zoom meeting is far cheeper. Also there are plenty of HBCUs closer to the school district.

[Anonymous]

If Dr. McKnight truly wanted to hire more teachers, she would increase the pay for teachers. The beginning wage is unlivable in Montgomery County. No college student is going to be charmed into moving far away from family just to not be able to afford living in the district they teach.

[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:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

The ESOL problem does happen to white children too. You can be from a white family that speaks more than just English at home. For you to complain racism at any error even when a white parent had a recent similar experience, then you are clearly living in your own bubble.

But not at the level it does to non-White children. I am not saying it can't happen to y'all at all, I am again speaking from personal experience on why it's a microaggression and why it always means more to the well-being of one specific group from a historical context. Part of racism/microaggressions involve taking a BIPOC person's experience and centering yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Dr. McKnight truly wanted to hire more teachers, she would increase the pay for teachers. The beginning wage is unlivable in Montgomery County. No college student is going to be charmed into moving far away from family just to not be able to afford living in the district they teach.

Now we're getting somewhere! You're absolutely correct. All of these problems are a part of a cycle in terms of retaining talent - you can focus on one part of the cycle, and then move to the other. I'm sure she is also working on that as well - these are beginning efforts and she mentioned it in a full-length WUSA9 interview after being appointed. But she needs to bring the talent in first, then focus on the pay. Or who's to say we can't do both. That being said, her efforts shouldn't be discounted.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

I had a black principal tell me she did not like my child’s hair and I needed to cut it. It was regularly trimmed. Other races had similar styles and hair in their face. She also targeted some of the white kids with harsher punishments or only punished the white kids when a group of kids were involved. It’s everywhere.

Again -- very sorry about that. Bias is everywhere, but in this situation, I was speaking about how it especially affects the outcomes of Black and Brown students and how this trip will help her hire a workforce that can combat that. It's about the long-term strategic game and picking up best practices from all places, not a problem that will be solved overnight. If she's traveling down South, she's still working, connected to her schedule, etc. Managers and higher-up C-Suite leaders (pre-COVID) would travel all the time, and it's ramping back up. Y'all are blowing things way out of proportion, as usual.

It was a vacation with tax payer money. A Zoom meeting is far cheeper. Also there are plenty of HBCUs closer to the school district.

cheaper**

This is one meeting. Who's to say she isn't focusing on the local HBCUs simultaneously? We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Not everything needs to be publicized, and as I asserted earlier, students at DC area HBCUs are going to be more likely to go on to graduate/professional school options right after graduating. They're highly sought after from the private and public sectors, and therefore less likely to take up teaching because for example, they have loans to pay down. Hence, she needs to be creative with her limited resources and her discretion to target other HBCUs that are more teaching focused. Showing the human interaction and meeting with the head of that entire university sends a message to the potential talent pool of students there that she's serious way more than Zoom. And who's to say that she wasn't in need of time to work and still return to her roots when everything is in flux and she just got a new position? More power to her. We have way more serious things to worry about right now. Bottomline: McKnight + Alma Mater = solid in my book.

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Anonymous wrote:Dog Whistle calling out our African-American Superintendent for visiting her HBCU alma mater and proposing a collaboration with the HBCU ???

Agreed.

Yup. Get a life. You don't actually care about the travel budget.

Teachers care. Especially the under paid minority teachers who keep leaving mcps.

You don’t really support minority teachers either.

I would think McKnight visiting her HBCU alma mater would be part of an effort to recruit more minority teachers.

Yet she didn’t meet with one single student and got a paid trip home on taxpayers. Fooling you is so easy.

You're acting as though she was taking a vacation and relaxing on a Hilton Head beach, daiquiri in hand and sunglasses on. No! It's for the long-term benefit of our district.

How does this benefit MCPS? If it were a MD state school, I can understand that, but how many kids are going to her HBCU alma mater and how would they help MCPS from a distance?

I'm more than happy to shed color on this. For years , kids from all backgrounds have craved having Black teachers in the classroom. A big reason why these racist incidents have taken place in MCPS is that these mostly White teachers from Jersey and PA, while well-meaning, but may not be able to relate to the kids in terms of creating that culture of respect or working with people who've had diverse experiences or adverse childhood situations. In these incidents, there's almost zero accountability and sometimes even the White teachers join in gaslighting the Black students or being more prone to call security on them for things that can honestly be de-escalated. Sometimes, they even go out of their way to make the BIPOC teachers uncomfortable, leading to a retention issue. The teachers should look like the changing population in the system, case closed.

Before questioning me, I went to East County schools for K-8 and a W for 9-12. I know MCPS processes and secrets inside out. One time, solely because of my little sister's name (she speaks perfect English and we are from an English-speaking country in West Africa), they recommended her for ESOL when she's in adavanced reading. I guarantee you no Black teacher would be quick to underestimate and label her in a away that will last for the rest of her life. It's no secret that we have to advocate for minority students way more.

When Black teachers are in the classroom, the Blacks students stand straigher, and the majority students break stereotypes about who can lead, who is truly worthy in society. Since we lack Black teachers, we are then going to lack Black administrators and beyond -- it's an funnel effect and every subgroup needs specific alleviating measures as they enter and progress through their careers. Black administrators are more likely to get Title I schools in this county or be pushed out or not get as much credit whereas their White peers can fail and immediately get that second chance. It's about a culture of respect and it's a much needed initiative, in my opinion.

You do realize your statement is pretty racist too. And, your comments have no justification as to why she took the trip.

+1 Just because a wrong happened to your sister and your family is from an English speaking West African country, doesn’t mean that wrong happened to your sister because she is black. The same thing happened to my son who was born here in Rockville. English is my first language, but not my spouse‘s. We speak dual languages in our house and my child has never been below grade level in language arts. However, he was flagged for ESOL and he is white. My son was quickly dismissed when they actually saw where he was performing and that he did not have deficits with English.

And that's exactly why racism is more dangerous now. People try to excuse it, skirt around it, and be genteel about it - "oh, we're post-racial". BS. The point of the matter is that they would have NEVER asked a White kid those questions. My parents are diplomats and the Argentine, Chilean, Canadian kids are not being put in those same situations. When some of these teachers see Black and Brown kids, they always try to downplay their abilities or operate knowing that their parents won't push back as much because they're busy working, etc. Sometimes the kids even internalize those mentalities and stereotypes because they're trained that the teacher is always right, which affects their confidence. In MCPS, once your levels are given in ES, they're very hard to shake because we have a history in this school system of academic tracking that still goes on to this day, where the gatekeepers (counselors) can be quite condescending. There are systematic efforts in MCPS to over-label certain kids for ESOL, just as there has been a historical systematic effort to flag Black kids, especially Black males, for special education at very high rates. Look. Both. Of. These. Concepts. Up.

I'm sorry that happened to your child, yet at the same time, we need to be conscious of experiences when it comes to racism/microaggressions, not say that the person was well-intentioned so there's no way it's racist. Bottom line: very few White kids would be treated like that. It's something called "implicit bias", very dangerous, and I encourage y'all to look it up. That ESOL title would affect how people view her for advanced math, magnet, and many other opportunities. Thank God she had the resources and support system around her, because many Black students end up lacking that. When BIPOC share their experiences, they need to be believed.

Going back to Dr. McKnight: as a rising business leader, I understand the crucial nature of not just human capital, but retention. As a BIPOC in the workplace, I know what does and doesn't work, and her trip is a full-proof way to show her seriousness towards these efforts. Make up all the rumors that you want. She has 4 years, and she's using them quite wisely in my book.

I had a black principal tell me she did not like my child’s hair and I needed to cut it. It was regularly trimmed. Other races had similar styles and hair in their face. She also targeted some of the white kids with harsher punishments or only punished the white kids when a group of kids were involved. It’s everywhere.

Again -- very sorry about that. Bias is everywhere, but in this situation, I was speaking about how it especially affects the outcomes of Black and Brown students and how this trip will help her hire a workforce that can combat that. It's about the long-term strategic game and picking up best practices from all places, not a problem that will be solved overnight. If she's traveling down South, she's still working, connected to her schedule, etc. Managers and higher-up C-Suite leaders (pre-COVID) would travel all the time, and it's ramping back up. Y'all are blowing things way out of proportion, as usual.

This trip in no way helps black and brown kids. What would help are smaller classes sizes, more individual attention, better curriculum, doing dyslexia screenings on every child who is not reading by mid 1st grade, text books, more structure, more discipline, higher expectations, parental involvement, however this things would benefit all kids, not just those of a specific race. All our kids regardless of their skin color deserve better.

Her going to visit her college helps no one but her.