Not hyperbole: locked bathrooms and 8 uses of narcan in MCPS. Drug and alcohol use out of control

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

It seems like a concerted fearmongering effort. This stuff was happening even at my W HS 30+ years ago. I wasn't personally interested but it was still going on even back then.

Were kids dropping dead from overdoses at your high school 30 years ago? I don't understand how people can make this argument in this day and age.

If you aren't going to part of the solution, just go away and be quiet.

1992 graduate from an MCPS HS here and absolutely no one dropped dead at my school resulting from a drug OD. This is very concerning and MCPS can certainly do more but they don't have the appetite to do it. Why? Because it would require more security. The bottom line is, there isn't enough security at the high schools. You need security assigned to monitor bathrooms and all doors to the building. I know for a fact that at our HS, which doesn't have open lunch, kids just walk out of the building during lunch and come back high. Another thing is that if you're caught doing drugs or are under the influence, there needs to be significant consequences. Another thing that MCPS doesn't want to do.

It was happening then too but it was kept quiet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

Teacher here. People are frustrated because MCPS has no consequences for anything anymore.
Maybe if you are involved in a fight, you might get suspended for 3 days.
Coming to class high - perfectly fine.
Cursing out teachers - no big deal
Skipping classes - no big deal

Most kids don’t do these things but the ones who do negatively impact the entire community

BINGO!

MCPS doesn't have a rule problem. They have an enforcement problem. The rules and policies mean nothing without a mechanism, and a willingness, to enforce them.

And that is the problem, because everyone is in favor of enforcing the rules against other people's kids but not in favor of enforcing them against their own kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

Teacher here. People are frustrated because MCPS has no consequences for anything anymore.
Maybe if you are involved in a fight, you might get suspended for 3 days.
Coming to class high - perfectly fine.
Cursing out teachers - no big deal
Skipping classes - no big deal

Most kids don’t do these things but the ones who do negatively impact the entire community

BINGO!

MCPS doesn't have a rule problem. They have an enforcement problem. The rules and policies mean nothing without a mechanism, and a willingness, to enforce them.

And that is the problem, because everyone is in favor of enforcing the rules against other people's kids but not in favor of enforcing them against their own kids.

No, not true. I am an RM parent. I would be thrilled if MCPS would enforce the rules equally. Whether it’s my kid caught smoking weed in the bathroom at RM or someone else’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

Agreed. Our schools are too big and understaffed. THAT is the problem.

Our county leaders have allowed unchecked overdevelopment, without pushing for the appropriate infrastructure. Our schools can’t keep up with the influx of students. Problems follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

It seems like a concerted fearmongering effort. This stuff was happening even at my W HS 30+ years ago. I wasn't personally interested but it was still going on even back then.

Were kids dropping dead from overdoses at your high school 30 years ago? I don't understand how people can make this argument in this day and age.

If you aren't going to part of the solution, just go away and be quiet.

1992 graduate from an MCPS HS here and absolutely no one dropped dead at my school resulting from a drug OD. This is very concerning and MCPS can certainly do more but they don't have the appetite to do it. Why? Because it would require more security. The bottom line is, there isn't enough security at the high schools. You need security assigned to monitor bathrooms and all doors to the building. I know for a fact that at our HS, which doesn't have open lunch, kids just walk out of the building during lunch and come back high. Another thing is that if you're caught doing drugs or are under the influence, there needs to be significant consequences. Another thing that MCPS doesn't want to do.

It was happening then too but it was kept quiet.

Right. Just stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

Teacher here. People are frustrated because MCPS has no consequences for anything anymore.
Maybe if you are involved in a fight, you might get suspended for 3 days.
Coming to class high - perfectly fine.
Cursing out teachers - no big deal
Skipping classes - no big deal

Most kids don’t do these things but the ones who do negatively impact the entire community

BINGO!

MCPS doesn't have a rule problem. They have an enforcement problem. The rules and policies mean nothing without a mechanism, and a willingness, to enforce them.

And that is the problem, because everyone is in favor of enforcing the rules against other people's kids but not in favor of enforcing them against their own kids.

No, not true. I am an RM parent. I would be thrilled if MCPS would enforce the rules equally. Whether it’s my kid caught smoking weed in the bathroom at RM or someone else’s.

I'm an RM parent too. Trust me, there are some parents (of the white, UMC non-IB kids even!) who don't want the rules enforced against their kids. Their kids are too coddled to to have a strict teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

Teacher here. People are frustrated because MCPS has no consequences for anything anymore.
Maybe if you are involved in a fight, you might get suspended for 3 days.
Coming to class high - perfectly fine.
Cursing out teachers - no big deal
Skipping classes - no big deal

Most kids don’t do these things but the ones who do negatively impact the entire community

BINGO!

MCPS doesn't have a rule problem. They have an enforcement problem. The rules and policies mean nothing without a mechanism, and a willingness, to enforce them.

And that is the problem, because everyone is in favor of enforcing the rules against other people's kids but not in favor of enforcing them against their own kids.

MCPS cannot enforce anything as parents don't want them to. And, where are the parents in all this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

Too bad you can’t tell fentanyl laced pills from non fentanyl laced pills on sight alone. Further, you were called into the office because the teacher caught you. What about all the times you or others weren’t caught??? This is why educating kids, families and the communities is one of the biggest things that MCPS can do and is doing. This is why them working with MCPD is so important so they can trace the source. Schools are understaffed and overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound completely deranged.

You sound completely out of touch with the current realities and the state of MCPS.

Students now ODing everywhere on hard drugs like opioids.

Ridiculous. Why am I paying taxes for this crap show?

I don't deny what is happening but how is your solution to blame MCPS? Do I think they are partially to blame given how long we were shut down? Absolutely but the fact that you are spinning this as a "what are they doing about this" is strange

It seems like a concerted fearmongering effort. This stuff was happening even at my W HS 30+ years ago. I wasn't personally interested but it was still going on even back then.

Were kids dropping dead from overdoses at your high school 30 years ago? I don't understand how people can make this argument in this day and age.

If you aren't going to part of the solution, just go away and be quiet.

1992 graduate from an MCPS HS here and absolutely no one dropped dead at my school resulting from a drug OD. This is very concerning and MCPS can certainly do more but they don't have the appetite to do it. Why? Because it would require more security. The bottom line is, there isn't enough security at the high schools. You need security assigned to monitor bathrooms and all doors to the building. I know for a fact that at our HS, which doesn't have open lunch, kids just walk out of the building during lunch and come back high. Another thing is that if you're caught doing drugs or are under the influence, there needs to be significant consequences. Another thing that MCPS doesn't want to do.

It was happening then too but it was kept quiet.

Right. Just stop.

I went around the same time and there were lots of drug/alcohol issues and many of the same things in terms of violence. We didn't have any gun issues but we had bomb threats. The difference is social media and it's talked about. We also had our fair share of sneezy teachers who you knew to stay away from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

Agreed. Our schools are too big and understaffed. THAT is the problem.

Our county leaders have allowed unchecked overdevelopment, without pushing for the appropriate infrastructure. Our schools can’t keep up with the influx of students. Problems follow.

This is a huge problem because they keep putting more kids in the same schools. The county and MCPS gave away so much land that they should have built new schools on. They should limit HS to 1500-2000 students max.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

Too bad you can’t tell fentanyl laced pills from non fentanyl laced pills on sight alone. Further, you were called into the office because the teacher caught you. What about all the times you or others weren’t caught??? This is why educating kids, families and the communities is one of the biggest things that MCPS can do and is doing. This is why them working with MCPD is so important so they can trace the source. Schools are understaffed and overcrowded.

Why are your kids taking pills from other kids is the bigger issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is Ed Clarke, MCPS's Chief Safety Officer?

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/directory_Boxoffice.aspx?processlevel=40337

He has not uttered a peep or public statement in the midst of this fentanyl and student discipline crisis. Why does he hold this position if he chooses to remain silent?

+1 There’s now 11 overdoses IN MCPS schools which has been described as a crisis by local media outlets. This is a school safety issue and there should be measures to stop the sale and use of drugs in school.

They are not getting the drugs at school.

But they are using at school. And that's why we're advocating needs to be interrupted and prevented.

You mean like locking bathrooms, educating kids on “One pill can Kill”, holding community events, and partnering on the MoCo goes Purple public health campaign?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

Agreed. Our schools are too big and understaffed. THAT is the problem.

Our county leaders have allowed unchecked overdevelopment, without pushing for the appropriate infrastructure. Our schools can’t keep up with the influx of students. Problems follow.

This is a huge problem because they keep putting more kids in the same schools. The county and MCPS gave away so much land that they should have built new schools on. They should limit HS to 1500-2000 students max.

Our DCC high school is at 1700 kids and we have all of these problems with substance abuse and violence. That magical range you're proposing means and does nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in a Bethesda-area high school and middle school. We received alerts to talk to our kids about fentanyl-laced pills, especially the ones that look like candies - just one pill can kill you. MCPS has drug and substance abuse awareness programs for students every year, which are very informative. I have personally warned my children never to take pill-shaped items from someone else in or out of school without verifying with me. My son has ADHD meds that he sometimes has to carry on his person, in the original prescription bottle, and he knows exactly what the markings are and how many he has.

I know you created this thread to blame MCPS for everything, but I'm addressing the readers: MCPS can't detect pills. Metal detectors don't work in this situation. Strip and body cavity searching is not in the cards. What do you want MCPS to do that they are not already doing?

Fentanyl is a societal problem, and needs to be addressed at the national level. Drugs streaming across the border are as urgent a conversation as gun control, and indeed are linked to guns and trafficking.

Talk to your kids. Listen to them. Build trust from a young age.

You should expect more out of life than this. When i was in high school, I was called to the office because a teacher in the hallway saw me give my friend Tylenol for a headache. Of course I showed them the pills and the matter was cleared up immediately, but if I had refused, I would have been held in the office until my parents arrived.

Our schools are unmanageable Not because of any other reason than that they are too large and underfunded. There are too many students in the hallways for teachers to over see who is doing what. There aren't enough security guards for the THOUSANDS of students in each building. This isn't the board of educations mistake. This is the mistake of the county government who would rather cram as many bodies into as few schools as possible than to build another school. Another school means less housing which means less tax dollars for them.

Every problem leads back to the source- the schools are too big and understaffed.

Agreed. Our schools are too big and understaffed. THAT is the problem.

Our county leaders have allowed unchecked overdevelopment, without pushing for the appropriate infrastructure. Our schools can’t keep up with the influx of students. Problems follow.

This is a huge problem because they keep putting more kids in the same schools. The county and MCPS gave away so much land that they should have built new schools on. They should limit HS to 1500-2000 students max.

Our DCC high school is at 1700 kids and we have all of these problems with substance abuse and violence. That magical range you're proposing means and does nothing.

Its still far more manageable than schools with twice as many.