This is why I find the Parents' Coalition of MC so frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The current topic on the Coalition's site is child molestation in the classroom. If you read the document on there with the case of the MCPS elementary teacher who for years was inappropriately touching students and being told to stop the behavior, it does make you wonder why he wasn't fired long ago. This is the type of information that I appreciate being brought forward.

This is exactly what is so frustrating about them (ie: Janice). They cover a topic of concern in more detail than anyone else, yet when people comment on their site in general agreement Janice berates them as PR people for MCPS who are paid (with no evidence of this). The bias against MCPS comes through so clearly with the vile hatred it's really sad. Sad because it casts some doubt on the reasonableness of the individuals running the site and sad because the site could be so much more without the vitrol towards those who write comments.

Seriously, think about it. Most of the comments there are anonymous. Every see anyone who agrees with Janice criticized for being anonymous? Nope, just those who disagree. Heck anonymous posts (not comments) are welcome as well as long as they agree.

[Anonymous]

I really really don't get the whining.

She digs up dirt. Sometimes it serves the public interest, sometimes it is boring dirt, and sometimes it just stirs the pot. So, take the useful information you can glean from her blog and ignore the rest. But it is just a blog. It is not the washingtonpost, the new york times, the wall street journal - heck it ain't even the bethesda patch. And don't bother commenting if your feelings will be hurt with a caustic response - janice thinks in caustic - just her nature. expecting something else is well kinda illogical. I have found useful information on her website that helped me enormously in a battle with MCPS. I have also read postings that seemed boring and of no value. So, i ignore what i do not find useful.

Perfectly respectful bland blogs are also rarely read and have little influence. She has no obligation to provide pro and cons on issues she see as only one way. Again - take what you like from the site and ignore the rest. If you like nothing about it - vote with your feet and never read it.

It is just a blog - it won't knock on your door if you never read it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The current topic on the Coalition's site is child molestation in the classroom. If you read the document on there with the case of the MCPS elementary teacher who for years was inappropriately touching students and being told to stop the behavior, it does make you wonder why he wasn't fired long ago. This is the type of information that I appreciate being brought forward.

If you would read the paper you wouldn't need the Parents Coalition site. The Post has been following this case forever.

[Anonymous]

What? The Post just ran a very bland article on the boards that made NO mention of any controversy. We know too little about the company behind the Boards and the curriculum / lesson plans behind it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What? The Post just ran a very bland article on the boards that made NO mention of any controversy. We know too little about the company behind the Boards and the curriculum / lesson plans behind it.

You missed the point. The Post has been covering this teacher who was fired. Just today they reported that his claim about running an athletes promotion company was false.

[Anonymous]

The Post has terrible coverage of MCPS. I think they just take the MCPS line, then go out to a bus stop to see if a few parents can provide an alternate view.

I agree that JS goes overboard sometimes, but she really digs up great information using internal documents. Feel free to ignore her views, but pay attention to the facts.

MCPS is not transparent at all and they just pay lip service to parents. Look at the facts: C2.0 is too easy for many kids and is written by a nationally controversial private company trying to sell the product elsewhere; class sizes have increased; teachers get raises while the rest of the county get's furloughed and many taxpayers have pay freezes; tons of money on promethean boards and school bus cameras; county spends hundreds of thousands in legal fees to deny special needs services and mainstream kids.

Who do you think runs MCPS? Every election voters put in Apple Ballot/Union candidates on the board. This is what we get. MCPS has good teachers and provides a decent education for many, so maybe that works for folks. I personally think the interests are not aligned for special needs kids or top 10% gifted kids. I also think they waste a lot of money. I bet they could do just as well on less money.

[Anonymous]

So you're correlating an increase in raises to an increase in class sizes.

Honey, go elsewhere and see what you find. I am a teacher and consultant. You pay teachers nothing, you get nothing in return, as the best and brightest will flock toward the higher-paying counties.

So before you start spouting off "facts," examine quality. You said it yourself - "MCPS has good teachers and provides a decent education for many. . . " Do you SERIOUSLY THINK some other county can compare? They don't. I've seen it.

Anonymous wrote:The Post has terrible coverage of MCPS. I think they just take the MCPS line, then go out to a bus stop to see if a few parents can provide an alternate view.

I agree that JS goes overboard sometimes, but she really digs up great information using internal documents. Feel free to ignore her views, but pay attention to the facts.

MCPS is not transparent at all and they just pay lip service to parents. Look at the facts: C2.0 is too easy for many kids and is written by a nationally controversial private company trying to sell the product elsewhere; class sizes have increased; teachers get raises while the rest of the county get's furloughed and many taxpayers have pay freezes; tons of money on promethean boards and school bus cameras; county spends hundreds of thousands in legal fees to deny special needs services and mainstream kids.

Who do you think runs MCPS? Every election voters put in Apple Ballot/Union candidates on the board. This is what we get. MCPS has good teachers and provides a decent education for many, so maybe that works for folks. I personally think the interests are not aligned for special needs kids or top 10% gifted kids. I also think they waste a lot of money. I bet they could do just as well on less money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who do you think runs MCPS? Every election voters put in Apple Ballot/Union candidates on the board. This is what we get. MCPS has good teachers and provides a decent education for many, so maybe that works for folks. I personally think the interests are not aligned for special needs kids or top 10% gifted kids. I also think they waste a lot of money. I bet they could do just as well on less money.

Hey, I know. How about having some members of the PC run for Board of Ed? Oh wait, tried that already. Voters not interested in people with tin foil hats on the Baord.

[Anonymous]

In county with good schools not wants to say anything bad about the schools. People will go to great lengths to discredit anyone who speaks out against the status quo. Fight the issues not the people. There is no perfect schools or school system. We can use improvement and criticism. I personally think that the amount on money being spent on Promthean boards across the counties, states, and country is disgraceful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? The Post just ran a very bland article on the boards that made NO mention of any controversy. We know too little about the company behind the Boards and the curriculum / lesson plans behind it.

You missed the point. The Post has been covering this teacher who was fired. Just today they reported that his claim about running an athletes promotion company was false.

Some of us don't always read the Post. I knew nothing about said teacher, nor do I expect that the Post would have provided the actual documents about the case involving the teacher.

[Anonymous]

As I understand the FCC "grant" money it is actually rebate money that comes as a result of technology purchases. The rebate money is not in any way restricted as to how it can be used. The rebate money goes to the county but MCPS "claims" they should have direct control of it since it was their purchases that resulted in the rebate. As I understand it, as much as MCPS would it to be "their" money it really is up to the county council how it is spent and could just as easily be spent on additional firefighter training, library book acquisitions, park maintenance or whatever.

In other words, MCSP is claiming control of some slush fund money and implying it can only be used for technology purchases but really the slush fund is under the control of the county council outside of the MCPS budget.