Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Statement from the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Monifa B. McKnight
December 1, 2023
The investigative report about Dr. Joel Beidleman released today by the Montgomery County Inspector General clearly and professionally documents years of disturbing and egregious behavior. The report finds that this behavior indisputably violated both MCPS policies and the Employee Code of Conduct.
As I’ve said since this issue came to our attention this summer, I will take swift, decisive action based on investigative findings. Now that the OIG has referred this matter to me, I am moving forward without delay to ensure that wrongdoing is held to full account.
It is crucial that every MCPS employee, student, and parent know that any type of abusive behavior will not be tolerated. It’s why I’ve been working diligently with my team — joined by a diverse group of local and national experts, staff, and other critical stakeholders from across the MCPS community — in developing and implementing our aggressive and comprehensive action plan: To rebuild trust, ensure no one is failed by our system, and to make clear that harassment, bullying, intimidation, and retaliation have absolutely no place in the MCPS community. Ensuring a safe and positive work environment for our staff means a safe and positive environment for our students to learn, and that is our main focus and commitment.
What this post is missing is that the email she sent to staff went on to talk about reading scores. It’s like she thinks we’re too stupid to notice.
Time for her to leave
Here is the rest of the post. Way to change the subject Monica - as if these student performance stats are something to be proud of.
Our focus remains on a positive culture for teaching and learning.
Ensuring a safe and positive work environment for our staff means a safe and positive environment for our students to learn. That is our main focus and commitment. To that end, earlier today, we also shared a press release discussing the gains we have seen in early literacy at the beginning of this year.
For example:
The fall 2023 DIBELS assessment results indicate progress in students' foundational reading skills. A greater percentage of students scored at or above benchmark compared to fall 2022. Specifically, 49.9% of kindergarten students, 58.0% of Grade 1 students, and 60.4% of Grade 2 students achieved at or above benchmark status.
Improvement is happening with students at or above benchmark by racial group in 2022 versus 2023 as well and is as follows: 75.9% vs. 77.4% Asian, 56.4% vs. 61.5% Black or African American, 28.6% vs. 34.6% Hispanic/Latino, 64.7% vs. 69.9% Two or More Races, and 65.8% vs. 68.6% White.
It takes all of us—as teachers, administrators, and support professionals—to get early literacy right. And it benefits our upper elementary school, middle school, and high school colleagues when we do. Indeed, we should all celebrate these gains.
When we focus on this sort of progress in early literacy, we focus on our main objective —teaching and learning. And there is so much joy, connection and accomplishment to celebrate in the classrooms where teaching and learning occurs, as well as at our bus stops, warehouses, theater stages, dance floors, and educational athletic fields.
As we eagerly anticipate the holiday season, let's choose to lift each other up in the busy days ahead—let’s celebrate our successes, and continue to tell the stories of our collective successes.
I look forward to visiting your schools and offices soon.
Thank you for all you do every day.
In Partnership,
Dr. Monifa B. McKnight
Superintendent of Schools