BoE--We voted for them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make it full time jobs with oversight and accountability and you'll get real candidates and time devoted to things and research and the work that needs doing.

LOL just announced that BOE staff refuse to work for her. She can’t have oversight when Taylor freezes out BOE members.

Taylor and central office staff freeze out any board members that ask real questions or seek accountability. I’m sure there are communications behind the scenes that would make interesting reading and county council hearings

Yet if the Board members worked together they could demand accountability. He can evade this if he is freezing out one or two; a majority of them though could hold him accountable, though. Why don’t the board members do this? I really just don’t think they understand what their job is.

[Anonymous]

The MCEA rep hs arrived in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

MCPS blocks MPIA requests with impunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make it full time jobs with oversight and accountability and you'll get real candidates and time devoted to things and research and the work that needs doing.

LOL just announced that BOE staff refuse to work for her. She can’t have oversight when Taylor freezes out BOE members.

Taylor and central office staff freeze out any board members that ask real questions or seek accountability. I’m sure there are communications behind the scenes that would make interesting reading and county council hearings

Yet if the Board members worked together they could demand accountability. He can evade this if he is freezing out one or two; a majority of them though could hold him accountable, though. Why don’t the board members do this? I really just don’t think they understand what their job is.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make it full time jobs with oversight and accountability and you'll get real candidates and time devoted to things and research and the work that needs doing.

LOL just announced that BOE staff refuse to work for her. She can’t have oversight when Taylor freezes out BOE members.

Taylor and central office staff freeze out any board members that ask real questions or seek accountability. I’m sure there are communications behind the scenes that would make interesting reading and county council hearings

Yet if the Board members worked together they could demand accountability. He can evade this if he is freezing out one or two; a majority of them though could hold him accountable, though. Why don’t the board members do this? I really just don’t think they understand what their job is.

The board members are equally behind this. It’s not in their interests. We can only hope the new members stand up to him and hold them all accountable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

There are 3 new members that could band together though. They aren't doing that. At least to make some noise- when Montoya is shut down someone else needs to pick up the thread. It's much easier to isolate 1 than 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

There are 3 new members that could band together though. They aren't doing that. At least to make some noise- when Montoya is shut down someone else needs to pick up the thread. It's much easier to isolate 1 than 3.

Stewart is a new member in name only. She’s an insider’s insider and doesn’t want to rock the boat because she likes being part of the in crowd. Now you’re down to two new members. It’s much easier to isolate 2 than 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

There are 3 new members that could band together though. They aren't doing that. At least to make some noise- when Montoya is shut down someone else needs to pick up the thread. It's much easier to isolate 1 than 3.

Stewart is a new member in name only. She’s an insider’s insider and doesn’t want to rock the boat because she likes being part of the in crowd. Now you’re down to two new members. It’s much easier to isolate 2 than 3.

Agreed. If Laura Stewart was less concerned about being liked and perceived as nice she would be a much more effective board member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

There are 3 new members that could band together though. They aren't doing that. At least to make some noise- when Montoya is shut down someone else needs to pick up the thread. It's much easier to isolate 1 than 3.

Stewart is a new member in name only. She’s an insider’s insider and doesn’t want to rock the boat because she likes being part of the in crowd. Now you’re down to two new members. It’s much easier to isolate 2 than 3.

I kind of get the sense that she's torn between the feeling that how MCPS does things is not okay, and the desire to be nice and get along with people. I don't think she's a lost cause, I think she really wants to do the right things and if she's confronted enough with the flaws of various MCPS decisions she can be pushed to go in the right direction and hold them accountable. But I think she needs a lot of pushing.

(I also doubt that Montoya has either the time or personality to be making the kind of alliances behind the scenes that are really needed here, unfortunately. Not that it excuses the other board members from doing the right thing on principle.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

There are 3 new members that could band together though. They aren't doing that. At least to make some noise- when Montoya is shut down someone else needs to pick up the thread. It's much easier to isolate 1 than 3.

Stewart is a new member in name only. She’s an insider’s insider and doesn’t want to rock the boat because she likes being part of the in crowd. Now you’re down to two new members. It’s much easier to isolate 2 than 3.

I kind of get the sense that she's torn between the feeling that how MCPS does things is not okay, and the desire to be nice and get along with people. I don't think she's a lost cause, I think she really wants to do the right things and if she's confronted enough with the flaws of various MCPS decisions she can be pushed to go in the right direction and hold them accountable. But I think she needs a lot of pushing.

(I also doubt that Montoya has either the time or personality to be making the kind of alliances behind the scenes that are really needed here, unfortunately. Not that it excuses the other board members from doing the right thing on principle.)

Agreed wholeheartedly. I think Stewart has a ton of potential because she does care deeply and is willing to do the homework, but she's easily cowed by men even when she is the one in an oversight role.

I want to take her to feminist camp for like 6 weeks, persuade her that she doesn't need men to like her, and then send her back into the Board to live up to her potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone was hopeful when all incumbents (Lynne Harris, Rebecca Smondrowski and Shebra Evans) were pushed out of the BOE.

But Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman have all been absolute flops who have failed to deliver on their campaign promises of increased transparency and accountability for MCPS. They almost immediately became part of the MCPS machine and have been chirpily toeing the party line and nauesatingly spending their time in BOE meetings thanking people for showing up to present or testify.

Agreed- it's disappointing. I thought we would finally see a shift but it's been more of the same.

Because the legacy board members are in the pocket of central office staff and provide no transparency. Maybe someone should make an MPIA request and see what’s really happening behind the scenes and who’s actually pushing for accountability

There are 3 new members that could band together though. They aren't doing that. At least to make some noise- when Montoya is shut down someone else needs to pick up the thread. It's much easier to isolate 1 than 3.

Stewart is a new member in name only. She’s an insider’s insider and doesn’t want to rock the boat because she likes being part of the in crowd. Now you’re down to two new members. It’s much easier to isolate 2 than 3.

I kind of get the sense that she's torn between the feeling that how MCPS does things is not okay, and the desire to be nice and get along with people. I don't think she's a lost cause, I think she really wants to do the right things and if she's confronted enough with the flaws of various MCPS decisions she can be pushed to go in the right direction and hold them accountable. But I think she needs a lot of pushing.

(I also doubt that Montoya has either the time or personality to be making the kind of alliances behind the scenes that are really needed here, unfortunately. Not that it excuses the other board members from doing the right thing on principle.)

Agreed wholeheartedly. I think Stewart has a ton of potential because she does care deeply and is willing to do the homework, but she's easily cowed by men even when she is the one in an oversight role.

I want to take her to feminist camp for like 6 weeks, persuade her that she doesn't need men to like her, and then send her back into the Board to live up to her potential.

Haha, you are so right. Except I don't think it's even just men, it's authority figures in general, and a tendency to look around her and go with the flow. Like if there were 3 other Board members regularly challenging MCPS on things I think she would start doing that too and do a great job. But right now that's not how the Board generally does things and she's not brave enough to swim against the tide like Montoya is. She engages in minor pushback (more than most of the Board, which is a low bar) and it's scary for her and she stops there. On the one hand, I'm sympathetic because as much as I'd like to believe I'd do things differently I would probably not be brave enough either-- but on the other hand, I am not the one who ran for the Board!

[Anonymous]

How about Silvestre? She looks bored and unconcerned about most issues. Can't imagine why she is running for county council because she doesn't care enough to meaningfully participate in the BOE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about Silvestre? She looks bored and unconcerned about most issues. Can't imagine why she is running for county council because she doesn't care enough to meaningfully participate in the BOE.

Silvestre does come off as incredibly cold and distant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Silvestre? She looks bored and unconcerned about most issues. Can't imagine why she is running for county council because she doesn't care enough to meaningfully participate in the BOE.

Silvestre does come off as incredibly cold and distant.

Gosh--who wouldn't want to be a BOE member and have MCPS parents write mean things about your personality while you slave away for $25K a year. /s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Silvestre? She looks bored and unconcerned about most issues. Can't imagine why she is running for county council because she doesn't care enough to meaningfully participate in the BOE.

Silvestre does come off as incredibly cold and distant.

Gosh--who wouldn't want to be a BOE member and have MCPS parents write mean things about your personality while you slave away for $25K a year. /s

I appreciate their service but it is 100% about their own political ambitions. I can only respect that so much when they have taken a really important job only to focus entirely on how to get the next job.