Putting Students First Community Engagement Events

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:She’s just building her image, OP. She wants to be seen as close to the families she serves. A photo of her talking to families, a little buzz and press coverage, and she’s in clover.
Unless the meetings turn contentious, and the media stories are about how communities are unhappy with her…

Sounds like she is close to families and is putting students first. Why are you so threatened by her?

Because I don’t like her. I didn’t like her predecessors either. I feel MCPS spends way too much money marketing themselves, creating ridiculous equity programs or socio-emotional support initiatives, changing curriculum every few years and paying boatloads to lawyers to fend off complaints from families of children with special needs. That money could be used to far greater effect on actual, rigorous instruction, for example, teaching phonetic-based reading, which has been shown to be very successful method for all reader types, particularly dyslexic children.

No amount of glad-handing and photo ops will compensate for misuse of funds.

I am grateful and happy with some of the teachers and programs in MCPS. But I feel they exist in despite of, not thanks to, top leadership.

So you hate the idea of equity and especially can't stand a minority running MCPS.

Funny how all you can do is scream race when someone does not share your thinking and raises valid points.

And all you can do is spread hate and complain.

If she was competent and did a good job, do you really think I would complain? Do you think the stacks of CFPs and DOE OCR open case files are because she's awesome? How about the qualified teacher, staff, bus driver gap?

Sorry but if you want a cheerleader, go join the NFL. Her job is to EDUCATE, not travel around the country trying to find teachers because she screwed up.

I hope her replacement reaches out to teachers that left and hears their concerns. Maybe some of them will come back then, and we won't have this revolving door anymore.

This. Treat the ones well that you have so they stay and if they are happy more will come. She has recruiters to recruit.

9 other states asked for NG help. Whoop dee doo. It just means MC was in the bottom 20% worst planning nationwide, and worst in the NCR. Still not sure why teachers should feel proud of that?

To get back on topic, I think McKnight is focusing on teaching by recruiting top-notch teachers. You can't teach if you don't have teachers!

She went to ONE school with a tiny education department. Now, if she went to Towson and tried to show those graduates why MCPS is the place to go over other Maryland jurisdictions, then I might applaud the effort. This was just a photo op.

We are so short teachers, especially those in special education. What is she doing about it?

But an HBCU isn't good enough for you?

Who cares if she’s at a HBCU? Our school is primarily Hispanic, so how does it help our kids?

You can't be serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren’t any of these meeting virtual for parents not comfortable in a large indoor group setting?

As someone who was traveling out of state and not wearing a mask (and as someone who contracted COVID during winter break) Dr. McKnight doesn’t consider that some families still are trying to prevent bringing COVID home to family members.

COVID rates are on the rise in Montgomery County and the numbers are going to jump when maskless students and staff return from spring break. Holding large indoor maskless meetings right after spring break is not a good idea. At a minimum, have a virtual option available so parents can participate safely. Education was online for 18 months so MCPS should have the technology.

Agree, my only real beef with McKnight is how she ignored the science and went out of her way to appease the open at any cost crowd putting many at risk for political gain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren’t any of these meeting virtual for parents not comfortable in a large indoor group setting?

As someone who was traveling out of state and not wearing a mask (and as someone who contracted COVID during winter break) Dr. McKnight doesn’t consider that some families still are trying to prevent bringing COVID home to family members.

COVID rates are on the rise in Montgomery County and the numbers are going to jump when maskless students and staff return from spring break. Holding large indoor maskless meetings right after spring break is not a good idea. At a minimum, have a virtual option available so parents can participate safely. Education was online for 18 months so MCPS should have the technology.

Agree, my only real beef with McKnight is how she ignored the science and went out of her way to appease the open at any cost crowd putting many at risk for political gain.

Saying science man’s nothing. The open at any cost will say she followed science. It was more about hogan than anything.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s just building her image, OP. She wants to be seen as close to the families she serves. A photo of her talking to families, a little buzz and press coverage, and she’s in clover.
Unless the meetings turn contentious, and the media stories are about how communities are unhappy with her…

Sounds like she is close to families and is putting students first. Why are you so threatened by her?

Because I don’t like her. I didn’t like her predecessors either. I feel MCPS spends way too much money marketing themselves, creating ridiculous equity programs or socio-emotional support initiatives, changing curriculum every few years and paying boatloads to lawyers to fend off complaints from families of children with special needs. That money could be used to far greater effect on actual, rigorous instruction, for example, teaching phonetic-based reading, which has been shown to be very successful method for all reader types, particularly dyslexic children.

No amount of glad-handing and photo ops will compensate for misuse of funds.

I am grateful and happy with some of the teachers and programs in MCPS. But I feel they exist in despite of, not thanks to, top leadership.

So you hate the idea of equity and especially can't stand a minority running MCPS.

Funny how all you can do is scream race when someone does not share your thinking and raises valid points.

And all you can do is spread hate and complain.

If she was competent and did a good job, do you really think I would complain? Do you think the stacks of CFPs and DOE OCR open case files are because she's awesome? How about the qualified teacher, staff, bus driver gap?

Sorry but if you want a cheerleader, go join the NFL. Her job is to EDUCATE, not travel around the country trying to find teachers because she screwed up.

I hope her replacement reaches out to teachers that left and hears their concerns. Maybe some of them will come back then, and we won't have this revolving door anymore.

This. Treat the ones well that you have so they stay and if they are happy more will come. She has recruiters to recruit.

9 other states asked for NG help. Whoop dee doo. It just means MC was in the bottom 20% worst planning nationwide, and worst in the NCR. Still not sure why teachers should feel proud of that?

To get back on topic, I think McKnight is focusing on teaching by recruiting top-notch teachers. You can't teach if you don't have teachers!

She went to ONE school with a tiny education department. Now, if she went to Towson and tried to show those graduates why MCPS is the place to go over other Maryland jurisdictions, then I might applaud the effort. This was just a photo op.

We are so short teachers, especially those in special education. What is she doing about it?

But an HBCU isn't good enough for you?

Who cares if she’s at a HBCU? Our school is primarily Hispanic, so how does it help our kids?

You can't be serious.

How does that help our primarily Hispanic school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren’t any of these meeting virtual for parents not comfortable in a large indoor group setting?

As someone who was traveling out of state and not wearing a mask (and as someone who contracted COVID during winter break) Dr. McKnight doesn’t consider that some families still are trying to prevent bringing COVID home to family members.

COVID rates are on the rise in Montgomery County and the numbers are going to jump when maskless students and staff return from spring break. Holding large indoor maskless meetings right after spring break is not a good idea. At a minimum, have a virtual option available so parents can participate safely. Education was online for 18 months so MCPS should have the technology.

And, have one for families who choose virtual due to Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren’t any of these meeting virtual for parents not comfortable in a large indoor group setting?

As someone who was traveling out of state and not wearing a mask (and as someone who contracted COVID during winter break) Dr. McKnight doesn’t consider that some families still are trying to prevent bringing COVID home to family members.

COVID rates are on the rise in Montgomery County and the numbers are going to jump when maskless students and staff return from spring break. Holding large indoor maskless meetings right after spring break is not a good idea. At a minimum, have a virtual option available so parents can participate safely. Education was online for 18 months so MCPS should have the technology.

And, have one for families who choose virtual due to Covid.

To make the meetings more accessible, all should be video streamed with a method that parents at home can submit questions. It’s not rocket science. Our PTA meeting still is not having in person meetings and we rarely saw more than 30 parents participate in person before COVID. The PTA membership has far greater participation now that meetings are virtual. No one has to worry about sitters and other issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren’t any of these meeting virtual for parents not comfortable in a large indoor group setting?

As someone who was traveling out of state and not wearing a mask (and as someone who contracted COVID during winter break) Dr. McKnight doesn’t consider that some families still are trying to prevent bringing COVID home to family members.

COVID rates are on the rise in Montgomery County and the numbers are going to jump when maskless students and staff return from spring break. Holding large indoor maskless meetings right after spring break is not a good idea. At a minimum, have a virtual option available so parents can participate safely. Education was online for 18 months so MCPS should have the technology.

And, have one for families who choose virtual due to Covid.

To make the meetings more accessible, all should be video streamed with a method that parents at home can submit questions. It’s not rocket science. Our PTA meeting still is not having in person meetings and we rarely saw more than 30 parents participate in person before COVID. The PTA membership has far greater participation now that meetings are virtual. No one has to worry about sitters and other issues.

Agree, virtual PTA meetings are great as more people can attend and participate.

[Anonymous]

Lot of BS stuff about social emotional learning and nothing about how they are going to close the achievement gap and the learning loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

I love that she does this! We're so lucky to have such a great leader!

What a strange definition of "great leader" you have.

A "great leader" who published the stoplight chart, then by Friday recanted when the schools popped Red, had to put 31 schools remote that weren't even having covid outbreaks because the drivers were sick and she had no Plan B so MCPS had to appeal to the National Guard who told MCPS to pound sand, then changed the reporting metric, then cut out daily reporting altogether March 1st because there was another spike; all the while infecting over 2100+ staff and teachers and 9%+ of the entire student body of MCPS - but now MCPS hides the actual daily numbers so that no one has an accurate count of who got sick on a particular day, making it difficult for the Public to analyze covid trends in time to pull their kids from school?

Or does "great leader" refer to the money management skills with the $160M electric bus fiasco, multi-million covid ESSER fiasco, or renovation bias? Maybe it's because MCPS hit the top-20 open discrimination cases at the DoE OCR this summer? Or the way she turned a merit-based Magnet program into a lottery? I know it was "great leadership" to keep anxious parents waiting outside while their kids were held until the press conference she was late to because of being stuck in traffic?

I guess if you're comparing "great leadership" to Putin and Kim Jong-Il.. maybe?

Its not the national guard's job to drive buses and its shocking one would even ask or demand that.

Why is that "shocking"? Other school districts did it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/15/1037307027/massachusetts-calls-national-guard-school-bus-driver-shortage-baker

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/states-call-in-the-national-guard-to-mitigate-school-staffing-shortages

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren’t any of these meeting virtual for parents not comfortable in a large indoor group setting?

As someone who was traveling out of state and not wearing a mask (and as someone who contracted COVID during winter break) Dr. McKnight doesn’t consider that some families still are trying to prevent bringing COVID home to family members.

COVID rates are on the rise in Montgomery County and the numbers are going to jump when maskless students and staff return from spring break. Holding large indoor maskless meetings right after spring break is not a good idea. At a minimum, have a virtual option available so parents can participate safely. Education was online for 18 months so MCPS should have the technology.

Agree, my only real beef with McKnight is how she ignored the science and went out of her way to appease the open at any cost crowd putting many at risk for political gain.

Ignoring which science?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

I love that she does this! We're so lucky to have such a great leader!

What a strange definition of "great leader" you have.

A "great leader" who published the stoplight chart, then by Friday recanted when the schools popped Red, had to put 31 schools remote that weren't even having covid outbreaks because the drivers were sick and she had no Plan B so MCPS had to appeal to the National Guard who told MCPS to pound sand, then changed the reporting metric, then cut out daily reporting altogether March 1st because there was another spike; all the while infecting over 2100+ staff and teachers and 9%+ of the entire student body of MCPS - but now MCPS hides the actual daily numbers so that no one has an accurate count of who got sick on a particular day, making it difficult for the Public to analyze covid trends in time to pull their kids from school?

Or does "great leader" refer to the money management skills with the $160M electric bus fiasco, multi-million covid ESSER fiasco, or renovation bias? Maybe it's because MCPS hit the top-20 open discrimination cases at the DoE OCR this summer? Or the way she turned a merit-based Magnet program into a lottery? I know it was "great leadership" to keep anxious parents waiting outside while their kids were held until the press conference she was late to because of being stuck in traffic?

I guess if you're comparing "great leadership" to Putin and Kim Jong-Il.. maybe?

Its not the national guard's job to drive buses and its shocking one would even ask or demand that.

Why is that "shocking"? Other school districts did it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/15/1037307027/massachusetts-calls-national-guard-school-bus-driver-shortage-baker

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/states-call-in-the-national-guard-to-mitigate-school-staffing-shortages

The national guard should not be driving buses. Drive your own kids. Anyone with a car/higher income should be required to provide their own transportation. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lot of BS stuff about social emotional learning and nothing about how they are going to close the achievement gap and the learning loss.

So much easier to talk about the BS stuff and appease the public. Much harder to actually educate our kids well. That’s why MCPS focuses on the BS. All about the optics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lot of BS stuff about social emotional learning and nothing about how they are going to close the achievement gap and the learning loss.

So much easier to talk about the BS stuff and appease the public. Much harder to actually educate our kids well. That’s why MCPS focuses on the BS. All about the optics.

+1000 this. And, if they start to hold kids accountable in terms of grades, classwork and homework, parents will have a fit like they did before and MCPS wants to appease those parents. I'm shocked at our PTA meetings when we have discussions with the principal and the homework topic for older kids comes up and parents don't feel their kids should get homework (they get very little).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

I love that she does this! We're so lucky to have such a great leader!

What a strange definition of "great leader" you have.

A "great leader" who published the stoplight chart, then by Friday recanted when the schools popped Red, had to put 31 schools remote that weren't even having covid outbreaks because the drivers were sick and she had no Plan B so MCPS had to appeal to the National Guard who told MCPS to pound sand, then changed the reporting metric, then cut out daily reporting altogether March 1st because there was another spike; all the while infecting over 2100+ staff and teachers and 9%+ of the entire student body of MCPS - but now MCPS hides the actual daily numbers so that no one has an accurate count of who got sick on a particular day, making it difficult for the Public to analyze covid trends in time to pull their kids from school?

Or does "great leader" refer to the money management skills with the $160M electric bus fiasco, multi-million covid ESSER fiasco, or renovation bias? Maybe it's because MCPS hit the top-20 open discrimination cases at the DoE OCR this summer? Or the way she turned a merit-based Magnet program into a lottery? I know it was "great leadership" to keep anxious parents waiting outside while their kids were held until the press conference she was late to because of being stuck in traffic?

I guess if you're comparing "great leadership" to Putin and Kim Jong-Il.. maybe?

Its not the national guard's job to drive buses and its shocking one would even ask or demand that.

Why is that "shocking"? Other school districts did it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/15/1037307027/massachusetts-calls-national-guard-school-bus-driver-shortage-baker

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/states-call-in-the-national-guard-to-mitigate-school-staffing-shortages

The national guard should not be driving buses. Drive your own kids. Anyone with a car/higher income should be required to provide their own transportation. Problem solved.

Well, clearly, some states disagree with you, including the National Guard there.

I grew up going to school with no school buses. If I have to drive my kids, I'm ok with that. But, here's the thing, MCPS decided to put our neighborhood in a cluster where my kids have to be driven instead of being able to walk to their closest school. So, if MCPS wants to get rid of buses and require people to find their own transportation, they need to redraw boundaries such that kids are zoned for their closest school. And that will mean diversity in some of the schools will tank. Can't have it both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dr. McKnight is holding three in person community engagement forums following Spring Break. I’m surprised that there’s not an online option but I guess meeting with a few hundred parents will check off a box for community engagement.

I am not understanding how this implies MCPS is putting students first. Wasn’t that part of her 100 days slogan? How were students put first for this school year?

https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/all-together-now-putting-our-students-first/

I love that she does this! We're so lucky to have such a great leader!

What a strange definition of "great leader" you have.

A "great leader" who published the stoplight chart, then by Friday recanted when the schools popped Red, had to put 31 schools remote that weren't even having covid outbreaks because the drivers were sick and she had no Plan B so MCPS had to appeal to the National Guard who told MCPS to pound sand, then changed the reporting metric, then cut out daily reporting altogether March 1st because there was another spike; all the while infecting over 2100+ staff and teachers and 9%+ of the entire student body of MCPS - but now MCPS hides the actual daily numbers so that no one has an accurate count of who got sick on a particular day, making it difficult for the Public to analyze covid trends in time to pull their kids from school?

Or does "great leader" refer to the money management skills with the $160M electric bus fiasco, multi-million covid ESSER fiasco, or renovation bias? Maybe it's because MCPS hit the top-20 open discrimination cases at the DoE OCR this summer? Or the way she turned a merit-based Magnet program into a lottery? I know it was "great leadership" to keep anxious parents waiting outside while their kids were held until the press conference she was late to because of being stuck in traffic?

I guess if you're comparing "great leadership" to Putin and Kim Jong-Il.. maybe?

Its not the national guard's job to drive buses and its shocking one would even ask or demand that.

Why is that "shocking"? Other school districts did it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/15/1037307027/massachusetts-calls-national-guard-school-bus-driver-shortage-baker

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/states-call-in-the-national-guard-to-mitigate-school-staffing-shortages

The national guard should not be driving buses. Drive your own kids. Anyone with a car/higher income should be required to provide their own transportation. Problem solved.

Well, clearly, some states disagree with you, including the National Guard there.

I grew up going to school with no school buses. If I have to drive my kids, I'm ok with that. But, here's the thing, MCPS decided to put our neighborhood in a cluster where my kids have to be driven instead of being able to walk to their closest school. So, if MCPS wants to get rid of buses and require people to find their own transportation, they need to redraw boundaries such that kids are zoned for their closest school. And that will mean diversity in some of the schools will tank. Can't have it both ways.

So, drove them.