MCPS Hires Nancy Navarro to Clean Up Its Messes and Fix Its Relationship Problems

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote: I hope county council sees what a sham this is and laughs in their faces. Why does McKnight always need to hire someone else to do her job? How much is this costing the system?

The county council loves Navarro.

The county council put an mcps administrator and boe chief of staff on their payroll when those two needed jobs.
It is part of the club to keep each other employed.

I agree that the Council is unlikely to do anything about this (mostly because they have no authority over MCPS hiring, but also because they probably don't want to). As far as hiring MCPS people, if you're referring to the two people I think you're referring to, one had worked for the Council for decades before working as an MCPS administrator for a brief period and went back to the same job they were doing before, and the other was hired by Navarro herself. It's not corruption to hire people with experience in the County. That being said, the job the BOE is giving Navarro is highly suspect and is reminiscent of the whole Craig Rice debacle which the Council actually did speak out against and I think they would have blocked it if he hadn't stepped down from consideration.

The County Council funds MCPS and has total control.

PP uses the word “brief” to describe working for MCPS fir 4 yearso as a top administrator in charge of 1/3 of MCPS including HR when Beidleman allegations started coming in. Now she advises the Council on education issues. Issues she created and covered up.

The other BOE chief of staff is still at the Council and also was privy to Beidleman allegations when at BOE. He now works for Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles.

Neither have recused themselves from Beidleman review.

Lots of people have county experience but only a handful have been in closed session BOE meetings. Both of these people have and it is unethical for them to now be at the Council.

And another Councilmember employs the daughter-in-law of a current BOE member.

In a county of a million people how is it there is such a tiny pool of people that can work for the Council?

The notion she was involved with the Biedleman situation is total speculation. What is true is she has decades of experience working for the Council and, rightly or wrongly, is highly respected by the people who work with her. Nobody was doing her a favor by hiring her. The Council was lucky she came back.

Marlene’s retirement continues the brain drain the council staff has seen over the last few years, in which a large number of very experienced people have left. Compounded by term limits, the institutional knowledge in the building is in a state of decay. Over time, this shifts the balance of power to the executive branch, which far outnumbers the legislative branch and controls the day-to-day working of government. It also increases the chances that the council will repeat mistakes of the past, mistakes that could be avoided with a proper appreciation of history.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/29/council-executive-director-announces-retirement/#:~:text=He%20or%20she%20is%20the%20council%E2%80%99s%20chief%20adviser,other%20bodies%3B%20and%20oversees%20the%20central%20council%20staff.

As to the former BOE Chief of Staff, the fact that two councilmembers have hired him as their chief of staff suggests maybe he's actually good in that role. Unlike the position being offered to Navarro, the chief of staff roles are pretty important and challenging roles (whether you are willing to accept that or not). If a Chief of Staff is ineffective they will be replaced as they do not have union protections.

No speculation about McQuire knowing about Biedleman. She was in closed BOE meetings discussing HR and and she was in charge of HR. Citing the wrong job description doesn’t change reality.

McGuire was not in charge of HR, McKnight was.

Wrong

I linked a document above confirming this. What do you have that says differently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I hope county council sees what a sham this is and laughs in their faces. Why does McKnight always need to hire someone else to do her job? How much is this costing the system?

The county council loves Navarro.

The county council put an mcps administrator and boe chief of staff on their payroll when those two needed jobs.
It is part of the club to keep each other employed.

I agree that the Council is unlikely to do anything about this (mostly because they have no authority over MCPS hiring, but also because they probably don't want to). As far as hiring MCPS people, if you're referring to the two people I think you're referring to, one had worked for the Council for decades before working as an MCPS administrator for a brief period and went back to the same job they were doing before, and the other was hired by Navarro herself. It's not corruption to hire people with experience in the County. That being said, the job the BOE is giving Navarro is highly suspect and is reminiscent of the whole Craig Rice debacle which the Council actually did speak out against and I think they would have blocked it if he hadn't stepped down from consideration.

The County Council funds MCPS and has total control.

PP uses the word “brief” to describe working for MCPS fir 4 yearso as a top administrator in charge of 1/3 of MCPS including HR when Beidleman allegations started coming in. Now she advises the Council on education issues. Issues she created and covered up.

The other BOE chief of staff is still at the Council and also was privy to Beidleman allegations when at BOE. He now works for Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles.

Neither have recused themselves from Beidleman review.

Lots of people have county experience but only a handful have been in closed session BOE meetings. Both of these people have and it is unethical for them to now be at the Council.

And another Councilmember employs the daughter-in-law of a current BOE member.

In a county of a million people how is it there is such a tiny pool of people that can work for the Council?

The notion she was involved with the Biedleman situation is total speculation. What is true is she has decades of experience working for the Council and, rightly or wrongly, is highly respected by the people who work with her. Nobody was doing her a favor by hiring her. The Council was lucky she came back.

Marlene’s retirement continues the brain drain the council staff has seen over the last few years, in which a large number of very experienced people have left. Compounded by term limits, the institutional knowledge in the building is in a state of decay. Over time, this shifts the balance of power to the executive branch, which far outnumbers the legislative branch and controls the day-to-day working of government. It also increases the chances that the council will repeat mistakes of the past, mistakes that could be avoided with a proper appreciation of history.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/29/council-executive-director-announces-retirement/#:~:text=He%20or%20she%20is%20the%20council%E2%80%99s%20chief%20adviser,other%20bodies%3B%20and%20oversees%20the%20central%20council%20staff.

As to the former BOE Chief of Staff, the fact that two councilmembers have hired him as their chief of staff suggests maybe he's actually good in that role. Unlike the position being offered to Navarro, the chief of staff roles are pretty important and challenging roles (whether you are willing to accept that or not). If a Chief of Staff is ineffective they will be replaced as they do not have union protections.

Oh yes, he is good at what he does. He expertly used his MCPS credit card for personal expenses including new tires for his car.

Not really expertly. If he was a true expert he would have waited until he was being investigated to reimburse the expenses. Instead he realized he used the wrong card and then reimbursed the school system which is a terrible strategy for stealing money.

He waited months. Free money from MCPS.

And he signed off on Christopher Barclay’s expenses.
Easy money for all.

Your story keeps changing

No change. First mention that he signed off on Barclay fake expenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&preview=1&id=13349

Superintendent Monifa McKnight today announced that former Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro is joining the Montgomery County Public Schools leadership team as Senior Advisor for External Affairs in the Office of the Superintendent.

Navarro served 13 years on County Council, where she represented District 4 and served as Council President multiple times. Navarro is also a former elected member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, where she served as both President and Vice President.

Navarro’s new role will focus on advancing the priorities of the Board of Education and the school system’s key priorities by fostering positive relationships with external partners, engaging in outreach to community stakeholders and collaborating with our Community of Practice as they recommend essential corrective actions across the system.

“Nancy brings exceptional skill and a record of policymaking in Montgomery County on issues that we are now confronting,” Dr. McKnight said. “I look forward to working with her to deepen our relationships across the district that will help us instill respect and compassion in the citizens of tomorrow, achieve excellence for all of MCPS students, and provide a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

While I think someone in MCPS needs to do this work, given that she was entrenched in the school board before, I'm not sure if she's part of the problem or the solution. But she probably can't make things worse than they already are. And she's a Hispanic woman and MCPS desperately needs more Hispanic representation in its leadership ranks so....

Navarro made sure Carderock ES could have a terrazzo tile entrance. Keeping inequity alive.

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/boe/meetings/minutes/2008/062308.min.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&preview=1&id=13349

Superintendent Monifa McKnight today announced that former Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro is joining the Montgomery County Public Schools leadership team as Senior Advisor for External Affairs in the Office of the Superintendent.

Navarro served 13 years on County Council, where she represented District 4 and served as Council President multiple times. Navarro is also a former elected member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, where she served as both President and Vice President.

Navarro’s new role will focus on advancing the priorities of the Board of Education and the school system’s key priorities by fostering positive relationships with external partners, engaging in outreach to community stakeholders and collaborating with our Community of Practice as they recommend essential corrective actions across the system.

“Nancy brings exceptional skill and a record of policymaking in Montgomery County on issues that we are now confronting,” Dr. McKnight said. “I look forward to working with her to deepen our relationships across the district that will help us instill respect and compassion in the citizens of tomorrow, achieve excellence for all of MCPS students, and provide a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

While I think someone in MCPS needs to do this work, given that she was entrenched in the school board before, I'm not sure if she's part of the problem or the solution. But she probably can't make things worse than they already are. And she's a Hispanic woman and MCPS desperately needs more Hispanic representation in its leadership ranks so....

Is she one of the councilmembers who could care less about academics and only cares about equity?

DP. It's "couldn't care less about academics."

Is there a Poe's Law equivalent for missed sarcasm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&preview=1&id=13349

Superintendent Monifa McKnight today announced that former Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro is joining the Montgomery County Public Schools leadership team as Senior Advisor for External Affairs in the Office of the Superintendent.

Navarro served 13 years on County Council, where she represented District 4 and served as Council President multiple times. Navarro is also a former elected member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, where she served as both President and Vice President.

Navarro’s new role will focus on advancing the priorities of the Board of Education and the school system’s key priorities by fostering positive relationships with external partners, engaging in outreach to community stakeholders and collaborating with our Community of Practice as they recommend essential corrective actions across the system.

“Nancy brings exceptional skill and a record of policymaking in Montgomery County on issues that we are now confronting,” Dr. McKnight said. “I look forward to working with her to deepen our relationships across the district that will help us instill respect and compassion in the citizens of tomorrow, achieve excellence for all of MCPS students, and provide a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

While I think someone in MCPS needs to do this work, given that she was entrenched in the school board before, I'm not sure if she's part of the problem or the solution. But she probably can't make things worse than they already are. And she's a Hispanic woman and MCPS desperately needs more Hispanic representation in its leadership ranks so....

Is she one of the councilmembers who could care less about academics and only cares about equity?

DP. It's "couldn't care less about academics."

Is there a Poe's Law equivalent for missed sarcasm?

Damn you, Poe's Law!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So she presided over the decline of MCPS as school board member, vice-president and president from 2004 to 2009, and then she served on the County Council for 13 years. She will help the Superintendent to strengthen and protect the MCPS focus on equity.

Well, she is a communist.

Words have lost all meaning.

I mean, she's a Marxist and she's Venezuelan which is socialist (some would say communist) So it makes sense.

Good grief! Can we leave her heritage out of this? While Venezuela may be a socialist or communist country, that doesn’t mean that every individual there embraces those philosophies, much less those who leave. The fact that she lives here and not in Venezuela would seem to indicate she prefers this country to that one.

Not seeing race is racist. And you didn't address that she's a Marxist which is a close cousin to communist.

I have no idea of her political leanings. I’m certainly not prepared to label her as being either pro or con Marxism or communism. Frankly, I’m conservative, so virtually all of Montgomery County (including, quite possibly you) is more liberal than I am, but that doesn’t necessarily make them Marxist or communist.

Do you have any evidence that she is Marxist other than her heritage? Venezuelan, incidentally, is not a race. I’ll admit, I wasn’t previously aware of her heritage, the only indication that I have that she’s Venezuelan is your claim here. However, even if she or her family came from Venezuela at some point, that seems totally irrelevant, as does her race.

I’m not happy with this appointment because I didn’t like the policies of the BOE during her tenure. On the other hand, if she had been a card-carrying Communist, I wouldn’t have cared, as long as she kept her politics out of the classroom, but would have supported her if she implemented a strong, content-rich curriculum, flexible ability-grouping, a rigorous grading system (including finals), and sufficient special needs supports and general disciplinary plans to maintain order.

This plan sounds good to me. Will you run for the school board? Has anyone run on this platform recently?

Anyone who runs on that platform will be branded a racist.

[Anonymous]

Navarro is a total disaster. She was often MIA on the Council and frequently engaged in bullying behavior. This is corruption, pure and simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's actually a nice hire. Who knew mcps could look competent?

Thanks Senora Nancy! Nice try

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I hope county council sees what a sham this is and laughs in their faces. Why does McKnight always need to hire someone else to do her job? How much is this costing the system?

The county council loves Navarro.

The county council put an mcps administrator and boe chief of staff on their payroll when those two needed jobs.
It is part of the club to keep each other employed.

I agree that the Council is unlikely to do anything about this (mostly because they have no authority over MCPS hiring, but also because they probably don't want to). As far as hiring MCPS people, if you're referring to the two people I think you're referring to, one had worked for the Council for decades before working as an MCPS administrator for a brief period and went back to the same job they were doing before, and the other was hired by Navarro herself. It's not corruption to hire people with experience in the County. That being said, the job the BOE is giving Navarro is highly suspect and is reminiscent of the whole Craig Rice debacle which the Council actually did speak out against and I think they would have blocked it if he hadn't stepped down from consideration.

The County Council funds MCPS and has total control.

PP uses the word “brief” to describe working for MCPS fir 4 yearso as a top administrator in charge of 1/3 of MCPS including HR when Beidleman allegations started coming in. Now she advises the Council on education issues. Issues she created and covered up.

The other BOE chief of staff is still at the Council and also was privy to Beidleman allegations when at BOE. He now works for Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles.

Neither have recused themselves from Beidleman review.

Lots of people have county experience but only a handful have been in closed session BOE meetings. Both of these people have and it is unethical for them to now be at the Council.

And another Councilmember employs the daughter-in-law of a current BOE member.

In a county of a million people how is it there is such a tiny pool of people that can work for the Council?

The notion she was involved with the Biedleman situation is total speculation. What is true is she has decades of experience working for the Council and, rightly or wrongly, is highly respected by the people who work with her. Nobody was doing her a favor by hiring her. The Council was lucky she came back.

Marlene’s retirement continues the brain drain the council staff has seen over the last few years, in which a large number of very experienced people have left. Compounded by term limits, the institutional knowledge in the building is in a state of decay. Over time, this shifts the balance of power to the executive branch, which far outnumbers the legislative branch and controls the day-to-day working of government. It also increases the chances that the council will repeat mistakes of the past, mistakes that could be avoided with a proper appreciation of history.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/29/council-executive-director-announces-retirement/#:~:text=He%20or%20she%20is%20the%20council%E2%80%99s%20chief%20adviser,other%20bodies%3B%20and%20oversees%20the%20central%20council%20staff.

As to the former BOE Chief of Staff, the fact that two councilmembers have hired him as their chief of staff suggests maybe he's actually good in that role. Unlike the position being offered to Navarro, the chief of staff roles are pretty important and challenging roles (whether you are willing to accept that or not). If a Chief of Staff is ineffective they will be replaced as they do not have union protections.

Oh yes, he is good at what he does. He expertly used his MCPS credit card for personal expenses including new tires for his car.

Not really expertly. If he was a true expert he would have waited until he was being investigated to reimburse the expenses. Instead he realized he used the wrong card and then reimbursed the school system which is a terrible strategy for stealing money.

He did wait until he was investigated. Why do you want to lie?

I'm not lying. Why are you lying?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-school-officials-made-additional-reimbursements-for-spending/2014/07/03/be6f35aa-02d2-11e4-8fd0-3a663dfa68ac_story.html

Oh you are lying.The credit card documents were obtained months before. But no worries. MCPS administrators are reading challenged. It isn’t your fault you can’t read a calendar, it’s the way you were trained.

I have never worked for MCPS. I just don't see any basis for what you are saying. It looks like the tire charge was in May 2013 and was reimbursed a few months later. The Parents Coalition public records request regarding the Barclay expenses was in 2014.

How it it remotely ok to use a work card for personal use?

[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: I hope county council sees what a sham this is and laughs in their faces. Why does McKnight always need to hire someone else to do her job? How much is this costing the system?

The county council loves Navarro.

The county council put an mcps administrator and boe chief of staff on their payroll when those two needed jobs.
It is part of the club to keep each other employed.

I agree that the Council is unlikely to do anything about this (mostly because they have no authority over MCPS hiring, but also because they probably don't want to). As far as hiring MCPS people, if you're referring to the two people I think you're referring to, one had worked for the Council for decades before working as an MCPS administrator for a brief period and went back to the same job they were doing before, and the other was hired by Navarro herself. It's not corruption to hire people with experience in the County. That being said, the job the BOE is giving Navarro is highly suspect and is reminiscent of the whole Craig Rice debacle which the Council actually did speak out against and I think they would have blocked it if he hadn't stepped down from consideration.

The County Council funds MCPS and has total control.

PP uses the word “brief” to describe working for MCPS fir 4 yearso as a top administrator in charge of 1/3 of MCPS including HR when Beidleman allegations started coming in. Now she advises the Council on education issues. Issues she created and covered up.

The other BOE chief of staff is still at the Council and also was privy to Beidleman allegations when at BOE. He now works for Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles.

Neither have recused themselves from Beidleman review.

Lots of people have county experience but only a handful have been in closed session BOE meetings. Both of these people have and it is unethical for them to now be at the Council.

And another Councilmember employs the daughter-in-law of a current BOE member.

In a county of a million people how is it there is such a tiny pool of people that can work for the Council?

The notion she was involved with the Biedleman situation is total speculation. What is true is she has decades of experience working for the Council and, rightly or wrongly, is highly respected by the people who work with her. Nobody was doing her a favor by hiring her. The Council was lucky she came back.

Marlene’s retirement continues the brain drain the council staff has seen over the last few years, in which a large number of very experienced people have left. Compounded by term limits, the institutional knowledge in the building is in a state of decay. Over time, this shifts the balance of power to the executive branch, which far outnumbers the legislative branch and controls the day-to-day working of government. It also increases the chances that the council will repeat mistakes of the past, mistakes that could be avoided with a proper appreciation of history.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/08/29/council-executive-director-announces-retirement/#:~:text=He%20or%20she%20is%20the%20council%E2%80%99s%20chief%20adviser,other%20bodies%3B%20and%20oversees%20the%20central%20council%20staff.

As to the former BOE Chief of Staff, the fact that two councilmembers have hired him as their chief of staff suggests maybe he's actually good in that role. Unlike the position being offered to Navarro, the chief of staff roles are pretty important and challenging roles (whether you are willing to accept that or not). If a Chief of Staff is ineffective they will be replaced as they do not have union protections.

Oh yes, he is good at what he does. He expertly used his MCPS credit card for personal expenses including new tires for his car.

Not really expertly. If he was a true expert he would have waited until he was being investigated to reimburse the expenses. Instead he realized he used the wrong card and then reimbursed the school system which is a terrible strategy for stealing money.

He did wait until he was investigated. Why do you want to lie?

I'm not lying. Why are you lying?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-school-officials-made-additional-reimbursements-for-spending/2014/07/03/be6f35aa-02d2-11e4-8fd0-3a663dfa68ac_story.html

Oh you are lying.The credit card documents were obtained months before. But no worries. MCPS administrators are reading challenged. It isn’t your fault you can’t read a calendar, it’s the way you were trained.

I have never worked for MCPS. I just don't see any basis for what you are saying. It looks like the tire charge was in May 2013 and was reimbursed a few months later. The Parents Coalition public records request regarding the Barclay expenses was in 2014.

How it it remotely ok to use a work card for personal use?

who are you talking to?

[Anonymous]

I think we've gotten off track here. Can we get back to talking about ways we believe this overpaid equitymonger is going to make MCPS even worse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nancy Navarro spent 13 years (I think) on the County Council, where she accomplished nothing except getting re-elected. So whoever is going to do this work at MCPS, I don't think it will be her.

Navarro spearheaded obtaining $60 million in extra county funding to rebuild Lee MS, now Odessa Shannon MS, after visiting the old school and discovering what a shambles the facility was - full of mold, rot, and vermin - so please give her credit for doing this after the years of neglect that school community suffered by superintendent after superintendent.

That aside, and nothing personal to Ms. Navarro on this, but the last thing we need is yet another layer of expensive central office leadership - this is all that McKnight knows how to do - spend ever increasing amounts of money on a coterie of high-priced support leadership in her office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nancy Navarro spent 13 years (I think) on the County Council, where she accomplished nothing except getting re-elected. So whoever is going to do this work at MCPS, I don't think it will be her.

Navarro spearheaded obtaining $60 million in extra county funding to rebuild Lee MS, now Odessa Shannon MS, after visiting the old school and discovering what a shambles the facility was - full of mold, rot, and vermin - so please give her credit for doing this after the years of neglect that school community suffered by superintendent after superintendent.

That aside, and nothing personal to Ms. Navarro on this, but the last thing we need is yet another layer of expensive central office leadership - this is all that McKnight knows how to do - spend ever increasing amounts of money on a coterie of high-priced support leadership in her office.

That and destroy any remaining academic content in the name of equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 unfilled positions at my school that have a direct impact on student well-being and achievement. No subs, ever. Yet mcps continues to funnel money into central positions that I repeat, DO NOT support or impact students. It’s such a disgrace and beyond disappointing.

The situation at my school is not as bad. But we have 1st year teachers already planning to leave teaching. The disrespect and lack of support for teachers is terrible. Meanwhile central office spends it time virtue signaling and promoting itself to higher positions.

McKnight is giving Navarro salary and benefits of $359,000, a car, a credit card and an expense account.

I don't even have pencils for my classroom - none to be had in the school, probably due to a combination staff incompetence and lack of funding. who knows? It makes my blood boil to see school dollars being squandered on high-priced advisors with likely vaguely conceived job descriptions. Our tax dollars at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I hope county council sees what a sham this is and laughs in their faces. Why does McKnight always need to hire someone else to do her job? How much is this costing the system?

The council would laugh, except they are asked to fund this ever increasing number of high-priced central office staff. I hope the council says no to the budget increase the school district is asking for next year.