Who is Mike Durso?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they paddled kids 40 years ago this old dude should bring it back.

He ran a charter school. He can open up some charter schools in Montgomery County.

The far-right GOP posters who clearly don't live here will love that.

He also ran traditional public schools, including at least one DC High School.

He is still in favor of charter schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stockton is gone and that’s a good thing because he was implicated in the Jackson Lewis report. I wonder if he left before or after the IG interviewed him for her second report.

We should all be happy to see that McKnight is cleaning house. The best outcome for MCPS is that she fixes the problems and rebuilds trust. Firing another superintendent would be a bad look for the school system after they fired Starr and after Smith had a short tenure.

Assuming, as you do, that it's a good thing that Stockton is gone, remember that McKnight HIRED Stockton, as she did with many of the people now cleaned out of the house. And she promoted people that are also now cleaned out of the house. How did all these individuals protect a pro-Beidleman culture absent the influence on the work culture by the superintendent? And I don't let Smith off the hook on this either. He was part of that particular problem.

McKnight can't fix the problems when she is the problem.

Also, Smith was in place for four years, and chose to voluntarily leave after a few months into his second contract because of a sick grandchild in Maine, where he moved to be supportive. It's a worse look to keep someone like McKnight who is not competent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stockton is gone and that’s a good thing because he was implicated in the Jackson Lewis report. I wonder if he left before or after the IG interviewed him for her second report.

We should all be happy to see that McKnight is cleaning house. The best outcome for MCPS is that she fixes the problems and rebuilds trust. Firing another superintendent would be a bad look for the school system after they fired Starr and after Smith had a short tenure.

She's been cleaning house since day one. The problem is many of the disgruntled anti-MCPS posters are against everything.

Durso and Navarro are the insiders. That is not cleaning the house. That is reinforcing the house with the same people.

The Beidleman scandal broke to the public in August. McKnight did nothing.

+1 McKnight personally promoted a serial sex pest to a principal position, and then protected the person who had dismissed *multiple* victim complaints. That's not cleaning house at all. I mean, not at all. It literally took a Washington Post expose for any housecleaning to begin.

They haven't even fired the serial sex pest so I would say it was housecleaning. Maybe they took out a little trash but everything in there is still really dirty.

Making these ridiculous claims is why nobody takes you seriously.

+1. It’s clear that some people don’t understand how public contracts and Human Resources works. Particular when there is now an IG investigation going on. I’m sure she’s consulting with counsel on the matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stockton is gone and that’s a good thing because he was implicated in the Jackson Lewis report. I wonder if he left before or after the IG interviewed him for her second report.

We should all be happy to see that McKnight is cleaning house. The best outcome for MCPS is that she fixes the problems and rebuilds trust. Firing another superintendent would be a bad look for the school system after they fired Starr and after Smith had a short tenure.

She's been cleaning house since day one. The problem is many of the disgruntled anti-MCPS posters are against everything.

Durso and Navarro are the insiders. That is not cleaning the house. That is reinforcing the house with the same people.

The Beidleman scandal broke to the public in August. McKnight did nothing.

+1 McKnight personally promoted a serial sex pest to a principal position, and then protected the person who had dismissed *multiple* victim complaints. That's not cleaning house at all. I mean, not at all. It literally took a Washington Post expose for any housecleaning to begin.

They haven't even fired the serial sex pest so I would say it was housecleaning. Maybe they took out a little trash but everything in there is still really dirty.

Making these ridiculous claims is why nobody takes you seriously.

+1. It’s clear that some people don’t understand how public contracts and Human Resources works. Particular when there is now an IG investigation going on. I’m sure she’s consulting with counsel on the matter.

Did McKnight consult with counsel when she gave a promotion and a pay raise to the staffer who originally cleared Biedelman of any wrongdoing?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/10/07/khalid-walker-beidleman-mcps-job/

"Montgomery County Public Schools in recent weeks has twice moved [], the investigator who closed an inquiry into misconduct allegations against former Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman, into new jobs — most recently on Friday, hours after The Washington Post sent questions asking why he had received a raise and a new position"

[Anonymous]

The IG investigation found he violated policies so what are they waiting for. The notion there is a legal basis to keep on the payroll strains credility

[Anonymous]

Also the IG has no legal authority over MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The IG investigation found he violated policies so what are they waiting for. The notion there is a legal basis to keep on the payroll strains credility

There were so many different investigations with conflicting conclusions it's hard to know which one is right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The IG investigation found he violated policies so what are they waiting for. The notion there is a legal basis to keep on the payroll strains credility

There were so many different investigations with conflicting conclusions it's hard to know which one is right.

Not in this case. You must be on the wrong thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The IG investigation found he violated policies so what are they waiting for. The notion there is a legal basis to keep on the payroll strains credility

The legal basis is that the first MCPS investigation cleared him. It’s a really messy HR problem, entirely of MCPS’s own making.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The IG investigation found he violated policies so what are they waiting for. The notion there is a legal basis to keep on the payroll strains credility

The legal basis is that the first MCPS investigation cleared him. It’s a really messy HR problem, entirely of MCPS’s own making.

Sometimes doing the right thing is hard and MCPS has long history of avoiding doing hard things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He is a truly wonderful, competent, capable educator who genuinely cares about students, staff, and the community as a whole. Many years ago, he was an assistant principal at FKA Wilson HS. He had the respect and the affection of the students— a rare skill that speaks well of him. The more I’ve worked in education, the more I respect “Durso” as I’ve learned more about his career. So, yeah, my opinions are based on very dated first hand experiences, and less dated secondhand information, but as a Montgomery County resident, I’m happy to have my tax dollars spent to hire people with his expertise and experience.

Shut up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He is a truly wonderful, competent, capable educator who genuinely cares about students, staff, and the community as a whole. Many years ago, he was an assistant principal at FKA Wilson HS. He had the respect and the affection of the students— a rare skill that speaks well of him. The more I’ve worked in education, the more I respect “Durso” as I’ve learned more about his career. So, yeah, my opinions are based on very dated first hand experiences, and less dated secondhand information, but as a Montgomery County resident, I’m happy to have my tax dollars spent to hire people with his expertise and experience.

Shut up

Don't like hearing differing opinions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The IG investigation found he violated policies so what are they waiting for. The notion there is a legal basis to keep on the payroll strains credility

The legal basis is that the first MCPS investigation cleared him. It’s a really messy HR problem, entirely of MCPS’s own making.

Joel, stop posting.

[Anonymous]

You know who else has contracts. Teachers. We are forced to break them for the benefit of the students and admin who abuse and neglect our wellbeing because they know that we have can be easily manipulated through guilt tripping scape goating and gaslighting. Due to themis dynamic we are few and far between. Thanks for nuthin

[Anonymous]

I don’t know who is more annoying, the aggrieved, fired teacher who pops up periodically, or the Beidleman troll/defender who likes to gaslight people. It’s a close call.