Lynne Harris: "People complain about Montgomery County Public Schools until they go somewhere else"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that Harris dislikes the administrative obfuscation of MCPS but likes the social initiatives. I think most of the vocal opposition has been about the latter, and she may wish those to back off/get out, but that a number of other board members (Evans, particularly) have not been as supportive of open data interests, so she hasn't been able to make that the priority she initially ran on.

If she dislikes the administrative obfuscation then she should focus on tearing that down instead of slapping down valid criticism of a system that has objectively failed for at least the past year or two.

I mean, they just paid a massive settlement to fire the superintendent over the protest of the no-confidence vote of the MCEA. How can she defend the system with all of that mess still being fresh in our faces? It's an insane remark to make given what just happened and the scolding that she and the BOE got for poor oversight of the system by the County Executive and the County Council.

Where's the humility? Where's the accountability? Basically everyone else is the problem and MCPS and the BOE are just fine?

I suppose that she, like many, feels that folks who rail against the things she sees as important (like inclusive cirricula) should go pound sand. Not humble or the most politically astute to say so, though.

As far as accountability, I'd guess she'd place that more at the feet of her colleagues who haven't supported the calls for open data.

I dunno. She literally used the phrases of "operational excellence" and being "a good steward of funds" to describe MCPS presently, which I can't understand how she can utter those statements given all the facts that have been made public and again, the blistering criticism she and the BOE have gotten from CE Elrich and the Council for failing in precisely those two areas.

Either she's gaslighting us or she's arrogant enough to think she and the BOE are smarter than everyone else who's criticizing her, the BOE and the system.

Maybe? Maybe she's trying to push back on CE/CC criticism. Have they really dug through to identify budgetary impropriety, or are they just using current events to support a general "you stink at your jobs" to justify continued underfunding of MCPS requests? If she's taking that angle, I'd think she'd have to say they are a good steward.

[Anonymous]

I watched the video, and I thought her comments were fine. She's just praising the work of MCPS staff that doesn't get enough attention. Nothing wrong with that, especially with morale being so low. Lighten up, people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the area, but she is making a good point overall. All ps systems are terrible. And they are doing their best with real humans and it's not like another system is going to be any better. It's true.

I'm not surprised there would be some who would agree with her that MCPS is just fine, since that contingent makes itself known in many threads on this forum.

Which is fine if that's Harris's POV. But she can't also ask for people to vote for her a change agent who'll the right the ship since she literally thinks it's going in the right direction and that we're lucky things aren't worse than they are.

Which further substantiates why the MCEA refused to endorse any incumbents. Despite eroding the trust of teachers, parents, admin and staff, the incumbent BOE candidates think they've done a fine job and that they don't owe the public contrition or a change of behavior or mentality. This is important information for everyone to have when making their choice at the ballot box in May for the primary election and November for the general.

Bethany Mandel = Moms4Liberty

Information every voter should know. Do not vote for a liar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to it in context, she is merely thanking Seth Adams for presenting on the CIP budget to the Fiscal Management Committee. She is highlighting the amount of staff work that gets done behind the scenes. Hardly seems worthy of a DCUM controversy, but here we are.

Her comment was not limited to the work done for this meeting. She used that moment as a launching point for a soapbox moment to say, in general and overall, that people complain [about many things about] Montgomery County Public Schools, but that generally, it's a lot worse elsewhere. There's no mincing her words here.

You're trying to minimize it when her intention was to say people should stop complaining because things could be a lot worse, as they are in other school districts.

Harris's comment did come immediately after her expressing her gratitude that MCPS's CIP book contains so many helpful appendices, so yeah.

Do you work for Harris's campaign?

Immediately after thanking them for the appendices, she said, "Challenging times...." and then went on her rant. The challenging times she's talking about are the budget deficits and various delays coming from those delays. Some of those budget delays and hesitations are due to MISMANAGEMENT of the funds and increase MCPS was given last year. The County Executive has been clear he doesn't have confidence the BOE and MCPS are managing what it gets well. The Council said the same thing, hence Andrew Friedson supporting a transparency bill to get more visibility into the spending categories for the BOE and MCPS.

Some of these "challenging times" are due to the direct failures of MCPS and the BOE's oversight. She's defending her and the system's track record with these comments. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

If MCPS didn't have to spend $9.7 million settling this lawsuit: https://moco360.media/2023/09/29/mcps-to-pay-9-7-million-to-settle-damascus-football-brooming-sex-assault-case/#:~:text=Montgomery%20County%20Public%20Schools%20will,from%20an%20incident%20on%20Oct.

Or $4 million settling this lawsuit: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/former-gaithersburg-high-school-wrestler-awarded-4-million-in-damages-in-sexual-assault-case

Or $1.3 million settling with McKnight: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/03/15/revealed-mcknights-separation-agreement/

And an undisclosed settlement with Beidleman: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/03/25/did-mcps-settle-with-beidleman/

Or plugging a $40 million deficit in its EBP fund due to mismanagement by AON: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/60/1182968.page

Would our CIP budgets be short? Would we have to delay and phase projects?

I did not know that Beidleman may have received a settlement. I am troubled by the obfuscation that was reported in Montgomery Perspectives regarding this. If he did not receive a settlement, the school district would have said no money was awarded, yes? It's sickening to think he might have received a settlement (for what?).

[Anonymous]

What wrong with Baltimire City Schools either? Of course MCPS and BCPS are very similar. They have similar demographics and they are right next to each other, they have similar problems and similar successes. You can't nay say Baltimore without naysaying MCPS. It's like saying North Dakota is soooo much better than South Dakota. There's no difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the area, but she is making a good point overall. All ps systems are terrible. And they are doing their best with real humans and it's not like another system is going to be any better. It's true.

I'm not surprised there would be some who would agree with her that MCPS is just fine, since that contingent makes itself known in many threads on this forum.

Which is fine if that's Harris's POV. But she can't also ask for people to vote for her a change agent who'll the right the ship since she literally thinks it's going in the right direction and that we're lucky things aren't worse than they are.

Which further substantiates why the MCEA refused to endorse any incumbents. Despite eroding the trust of teachers, parents, admin and staff, the incumbent BOE candidates think they've done a fine job and that they don't owe the public contrition or a change of behavior or mentality. This is important information for everyone to have when making their choice at the ballot box in May for the primary election and November for the general.

Bethany Mandel = Moms4Liberty

Information every voter should know. Do not vote for a liar.

That's quite a leap to assume that Mandel posted this. It could be any poster concerned with the way things have gone lately with the BOE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What wrong with Baltimire City Schools either? Of course MCPS and BCPS are very similar. They have similar demographics and they are right next to each other, they have similar problems and similar successes. You can't nay say Baltimore without naysaying MCPS. It's like saying North Dakota is soooo much better than South Dakota. There's no difference.

You are nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the area, but she is making a good point overall. All ps systems are terrible. And they are doing their best with real humans and it's not like another system is going to be any better. It's true.

I'm not surprised there would be some who would agree with her that MCPS is just fine, since that contingent makes itself known in many threads on this forum.

Which is fine if that's Harris's POV. But she can't also ask for people to vote for her a change agent who'll the right the ship since she literally thinks it's going in the right direction and that we're lucky things aren't worse than they are.

Which further substantiates why the MCEA refused to endorse any incumbents. Despite eroding the trust of teachers, parents, admin and staff, the incumbent BOE candidates think they've done a fine job and that they don't owe the public contrition or a change of behavior or mentality. This is important information for everyone to have when making their choice at the ballot box in May for the primary election and November for the general.

Bethany Mandel = Moms4Liberty

Information every voter should know. Do not vote for a liar.

Who cares about Bethany Mandel? I don’t. She was never a viable option for me since she doesn’t have kids in the school system and homeschools instead.

But I do care about understanding where the incumbents stand on how it and the system performs, and these remarks let me know she’s not a good choice for me since she is an agent of the status quo. I think other voters deserve to know that as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm, unless they did a survey of people that left MCPS, she's just full of crap.

And as someone that left MCPS, our experience has been LIGHTYEARS better in our new school system

Let me guess, a small but wealthy district with fewer low-income students?

Probably but who cares. The idea that MCPS is this amazing nirvana that is better than everywhere else in the country is a big problem. Especially when data in our own state says that MCPS is not the "best" school system. These folks are in their MCPS superiority bubble and can't get out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched the video, and I thought her comments were fine. She's just praising the work of MCPS staff that doesn't get enough attention. Nothing wrong with that, especially with morale being so low. Lighten up, people.

Are you kidding me? The morale is low among staff because of failed leadership, poor oversight by the BOE and rampant mismanagement throughout MCPS. These are all things Harris and the board are directly responsible for.

The MCEA held an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in McKnight and the BOE voted her in as the permanent supe anyway. Only to then have fire her two years later and pay an arm and a leg in a settlement to make her go away.

Then, they name an interim supe in Dr. Felder who has dirt in her past and when the public questions the choice given the fresh scandals with corruption and mismanagement from McKnight, the BOE says they’re aware of her past and they don’t care and will be moving forward with Dr. Felder as interim supe anyway.

This board and its members have an established track record of ignoring criticism and dismissing feedback and doing what it wants regardless of what anyone thinks. They bear responsibility for the low morale of MCPS because their oversight failures and failed policies are a direct factor in the low morale among staff.

[Anonymous]

Baltimore and MCPS are both on the news alot. They are both beacons of hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watched the video, and I thought her comments were fine. She's just praising the work of MCPS staff that doesn't get enough attention. Nothing wrong with that, especially with morale being so low. Lighten up, people.

Are you kidding me? The morale is low among staff because of failed leadership, poor oversight by the BOE and rampant mismanagement throughout MCPS. These are all things Harris and the board are directly responsible for.

The MCEA held an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in McKnight and the BOE voted her in as the permanent supe anyway. Only to then have fire her two years later and pay an arm and a leg in a settlement to make her go away.

Then, they name an interim supe in Dr. Felder who has dirt in her past and when the public questions the choice given the fresh scandals with corruption and mismanagement from McKnight, the BOE says they’re aware of her past and they don’t care and will be moving forward with Dr. Felder as interim supe anyway.

This board and its members have an established track record of ignoring criticism and dismissing feedback and doing what it wants regardless of what anyone thinks. They bear responsibility for the low morale of MCPS because their oversight failures and failed policies are a direct factor in the low morale among staff.

So, who're you campaigning for?

[Anonymous]

[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watched the video, and I thought her comments were fine. She's just praising the work of MCPS staff that doesn't get enough attention. Nothing wrong with that, especially with morale being so low. Lighten up, people.

Are you kidding me? The morale is low among staff because of failed leadership, poor oversight by the BOE and rampant mismanagement throughout MCPS. These are all things Harris and the board are directly responsible for.

The MCEA held an overwhelming vote of no-confidence in McKnight and the BOE voted her in as the permanent supe anyway. Only to then have fire her two years later and pay an arm and a leg in a settlement to make her go away.

Then, they name an interim supe in Dr. Felder who has dirt in her past and when the public questions the choice given the fresh scandals with corruption and mismanagement from McKnight, the BOE says they’re aware of her past and they don’t care and will be moving forward with Dr. Felder as interim supe anyway.

This board and its members have an established track record of ignoring criticism and dismissing feedback and doing what it wants regardless of what anyone thinks. They bear responsibility for the low morale of MCPS because their oversight failures and failed policies are a direct factor in the low morale among staff.

So, who're you campaigning for?

No one. I have not decided who I will vote for yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the area, but she is making a good point overall. All ps systems are terrible. And they are doing their best with real humans and it's not like another system is going to be any better. It's true.

I'm not surprised there would be some who would agree with her that MCPS is just fine, since that contingent makes itself known in many threads on this forum.

Which is fine if that's Harris's POV. But she can't also ask for people to vote for her a change agent who'll the right the ship since she literally thinks it's going in the right direction and that we're lucky things aren't worse than they are.

Which further substantiates why the MCEA refused to endorse any incumbents. Despite eroding the trust of teachers, parents, admin and staff, the incumbent BOE candidates think they've done a fine job and that they don't owe the public contrition or a change of behavior or mentality. This is important information for everyone to have when making their choice at the ballot box in May for the primary election and November for the general.

Bethany Mandel = Moms4Liberty

Information every voter should know. Do not vote for a liar.

That's quite a leap to assume that Mandel posted this. It could be any poster concerned with the way things have gone lately with the BOE.

No I think this is just a post informing voters Mandel is lying. She is Moms4Liberty which is not on her website.

We don't want a candidate that 1 lies and 2 supports Moms4Liberty.

[Anonymous]

Generally she's right, OP, but recognizing this can take several years on the parents' part.

My friend is regretting not having stuck with MCPS. Like many people I know whose kids have undiagnosed learning disabilities, she thought a change of school environment would fix things. It didn't, because her kid needed intensive therapies and possibly meds she wasn't getting. She needed an IEP, or at minimum, a 504, and despite multiple teachers hinting there was a problem, my friend pulled her kid out instead of getting her an evaluation. Years later, after finally getting an evaluation, she regrets it. I have another friend who has a similar situation.

The only person I know who did the RIGHT thing in leaving MCPS has a child with a serious and complex special needs profile who did not do well in the private placement MCPS offered - sadly, he was physically restrained and misunderstood and given no chance to communicate at all. Ever since he's been homeschooled, he's blossomed and can now communicate.