Board wants Monifa to step down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight is leaving. Whether today, a year from now or when her contract is up, is to be seen. All the BOE can do is try to save some face or claw back the narrative. That way they’ll still be able to get some quality candidates for the next search. Something that is already going to be hard given the past history of dealing with Supers, the size of the district, and what folks in industry have heard about it.

It sounds like McKnight's main beef with the board, according to the Fox 5 exclusive she sat down for, is that she's being asked to resign before her term is over, which she says is unlike what has happened to her male predecessors.

SOURCE: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/mcps-superintendent-dr-monifa-mcknight-breaks-silence-amidst-boards-request-for-her-resignation

She is the first woman to be the superintendent of MCPS and feels she is being treated differently than the men who have come before her because they were able to finish their term despite any high-profile incidents that came to light.

So it sounds like she's fine with not having her contract renewed, but not ok with being pushed out prematurely. This aligns with some of the chatter that was going around that she only viewed the MCPS superintendent role as a stepping stone in a larger political career ambition. She never cared to do a good job. She just cares about how it looks.

Bingo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight is leaving. Whether today, a year from now or when her contract is up, is to be seen. All the BOE can do is try to save some face or claw back the narrative. That way they’ll still be able to get some quality candidates for the next search. Something that is already going to be hard given the past history of dealing with Supers, the size of the district, and what folks in industry have heard about it.

It sounds like McKnight's main beef with the board, according to the Fox 5 exclusive she sat down for, is that she's being asked to resign before her term is over, which she says is unlike what has happened to her male predecessors.

SOURCE: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/mcps-superintendent-dr-monifa-mcknight-breaks-silence-amidst-boards-request-for-her-resignation

She is the first woman to be the superintendent of MCPS and feels she is being treated differently than the men who have come before her because they were able to finish their term despite any high-profile incidents that came to light.

So it sounds like she's fine with not having her contract renewed, but not ok with being pushed out prematurely. This aligns with some of the chatter that was going around that she only viewed the MCPS superintendent role as a stepping stone in a larger political career ambition. She never cared to do a good job. She just cares about how it looks.

That last part is conjecture. And even if it’s not she has every right to be concerned about how it looks and what is done. It’s a job. She doesn’t have to martyr herself for the benefit of MCPS. If they have justification to fire her that’s one thing, if they don’t or are trying to figure out how to sell it then she’s right, follow the contract or the same process used in the past where folks finish out their contract.

And it’s starting to seem they don’t actually have good legal fitting upon which to fire her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight is leaving. Whether today, a year from now or when her contract is up, is to be seen. All the BOE can do is try to save some face or claw back the narrative. That way they’ll still be able to get some quality candidates for the next search. Something that is already going to be hard given the past history of dealing with Supers, the size of the district, and what folks in industry have heard about it.

It sounds like McKnight's main beef with the board, according to the Fox 5 exclusive she sat down for, is that she's being asked to resign before her term is over, which she says is unlike what has happened to her male predecessors.

SOURCE: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/mcps-superintendent-dr-monifa-mcknight-breaks-silence-amidst-boards-request-for-her-resignation

She is the first woman to be the superintendent of MCPS and feels she is being treated differently than the men who have come before her because they were able to finish their term despite any high-profile incidents that came to light.

So it sounds like she's fine with not having her contract renewed, but not ok with being pushed out prematurely. This aligns with some of the chatter that was going around that she only viewed the MCPS superintendent role as a stepping stone in a larger political career ambition. She never cared to do a good job. She just cares about how it looks.

That last part is conjecture. And even if it’s not she has every right to be concerned about how it looks and what is done. It’s a job. She doesn’t have to martyr herself for the benefit of MCPS. If they have justification to fire her that’s one thing, if they don’t or are trying to figure out how to sell it then she’s right, follow the contract or the same process used in the past where folks finish out their contract.

And it’s starting to seem they don’t actually have good legal fitting upon which to fire her.

Why is it starting to seem like that? McKnight is the one who decided to go public for her own perceived benefit, and the board is under no obligation to engage in a she said/they said debate with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty obvious from that start that she wasn’t up to the job

I really, really liked her in the beginning. But even without this scandal she's made MCPS into a joke.

MCPS has been a joke long before her, don’t kid yourself. No final exams, no LCs for unex abesences, 50% rule, grade inflation, retaking of test. List goes on and on. It’s been declining probably for 15 years now.

What is it about being able to retake maybe one or two tests per quarter that makes everyone so upset? Most classes have no retakes. Math offers 1 or 2.
Did you know Fairfax is letting students retake every test that they don’t get an A on the first time? Every math test. I thought it was a joke when my friends told me. I told her if my kid gets a C on a math test, the C stands.
Talk about hyperinflation of grades!

1. I don't know if this varies by school, but at my kid's high school there is no limit on the number of retakes for tests. I have never seen a class that didn't allow for retakes, so not sure where you're getting the assertion that most classes don't offer them. They do and I know this cause I had two kids in the high school level for the last 3 years.

2. That Fairfax policy sounds like a bad idea. I hope MCPS doesn't copy it.

[Anonymous]

If Dr. McKnight was indeed aware of Mr. Beidleman’s issues well before he was promoted and did not inform the board of this, and then continued to work hard to further protect him with revising and backdating investigative reports through subordinates and then punishing those who attempted to do the right thing, then the Board is more than justified in asking her to resign. And when that second report drops, and presumably soon, and if it’s very much damning, then this will explode. Someone needs to clean house and I don’t think McKnight is the person to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McKnight is leaving. Whether today, a year from now or when her contract is up, is to be seen. All the BOE can do is try to save some face or claw back the narrative. That way they’ll still be able to get some quality candidates for the next search. Something that is already going to be hard given the past history of dealing with Supers, the size of the district, and what folks in industry have heard about it.

It sounds like McKnight's main beef with the board, according to the Fox 5 exclusive she sat down for, is that she's being asked to resign before her term is over, which she says is unlike what has happened to her male predecessors.

SOURCE: https://www.fox5dc.com/news/mcps-superintendent-dr-monifa-mcknight-breaks-silence-amidst-boards-request-for-her-resignation

She is the first woman to be the superintendent of MCPS and feels she is being treated differently than the men who have come before her because they were able to finish their term despite any high-profile incidents that came to light.

So it sounds like she's fine with not having her contract renewed, but not ok with being pushed out prematurely. This aligns with some of the chatter that was going around that she only viewed the MCPS superintendent role as a stepping stone in a larger political career ambition. She never cared to do a good job. She just cares about how it looks.

That last part is conjecture. And even if it’s not she has every right to be concerned about how it looks and what is done. It’s a job. She doesn’t have to martyr herself for the benefit of MCPS. If they have justification to fire her that’s one thing, if they don’t or are trying to figure out how to sell it then she’s right, follow the contract or the same process used in the past where folks finish out their contract.

And it’s starting to seem they don’t actually have good legal fitting upon which to fire her.

We don't know what information that will be released in the next OIG report that is likely influencing the board to make its move.

But even without knowing what's in that report, we know based on the Jackson Lewis report and the first OIG report that Dr. McKnight lied to the public and the board about a number of things related to the Beidleman scandal. A superintendent who openly and continuously lies and denies facts is a real non-starter.

Secondly, the same way McKnight cares about political perception, so does the board. Three of them are up for re-election. If they didn't make a move to hold McKnight accountable for the steady stream of bad news coming out of MCPS, who in their right mind would vote for their re-election?

[Anonymous]

The OIG report is out
"Our review found numerous issues with the manner in which MCPS and DCI handle and
investigate complaints of employee misconduct. Of note, many of the same deficiencies we
found were previously identified by other entities and reported to MCPS. Although informed of
the concerns, MCPS failed to implement appropriate corrective actions."
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oig/igproduct.html

[Anonymous]

We also have a situation here where people are seemingly ignoring the fact that McKnight was actively protecting a predator, and that, right there, is enough to ask for her to leave. It doesn’t matter if you’re left or right, bottom line, her being loyal to Beidleman and not to the staff and students of this district is straight-up disgusting. (Never mind making an argument that this is a racial witch hunt, when that has nothing to do with what Beidleman actually did. Or what McKnight did. It’s just smoke.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We also have a situation here where people are seemingly ignoring the fact that McKnight was actively protecting a predator, and that, right there, is enough to ask for her to leave. It doesn’t matter if you’re left or right, bottom line, her being loyal to Beidleman and not to the staff and students of this district is straight-up disgusting. (Never mind making an argument that this is a racial witch hunt, when that has nothing to do with what Beidleman actually did. Or what McKnight did. It’s just smoke.)

This

[Anonymous]

Of the expectation of mcps is corruption itself, I think she has met what is expected.

[Anonymous]

If she were smart she’d point out the school board never objected to McKnight and Mcps hosting omega psi phi

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://x.com/allisonpapson/status/1749993072153256430?s=46&t=VdI4RenOrHVV8qT8bniHxg


Interview w Dr. McKnight and her attorney

Her lawyer is unimpressive, just like she is. Good grief.

Is the “Moni” in Monifa pronounced like Monique ( that’s how they pronounced it in the news report ) or Mo like Monica?

I’ve always read it like Monica.

[Anonymous]

What is the ETA of the IG next report? Before the BOE meeting in early Feb?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she were smart she’d point out the school board never objected to McKnight and Mcps hosting omega psi phi

What is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the ETA of the IG next report? Before the BOE meeting in early Feb?

It is out

See post above for link