Can someone tell me more about the MCPS Foundation?

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to understand a little more about this because I keep seeing the Dine with Dignity advertisements.

I see that Jack Smith is on the Board and Patricia O'Neill is the Vice Chairperson. Was looking for financial information, but didn't see details on the website. There appear to have partnered with Starbucks, so they must be fairly well funded!
Anyone have any experience with it, or work with this charity?

https://www.mcpsfoundation.org/pages/about-us/about-us---board-of-directors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to understand a little more about this because I keep seeing the Dine with Dignity advertisements.

I see that Jack Smith is on the Board and Patricia O'Neill is the Vice Chairperson. Was looking for financial information, but didn't see details on the website. There appear to have partnered with Starbucks, so they must be fairly well funded!
Anyone have any experience with it, or work with this charity?

https://www.mcpsfoundation.org/pages/about-us/about-us---board-of-directors

I just asked the barista at Starbucks about it, and he said that Dine with Dignity helps students who are just above the FARMS cutoff to get lunch at school. I was kind of hoping that it was a program to improve the quality of the food in schools. First world problem, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like they are trying to expand the FARMS program without putting additional kids under the FARMS label maybe.

[Anonymous]

I would be happy to donate to an entity paying for meals for kids but I’m not giving one thin dime to any organization in which Pat ONeill is in any way involved.
Let’s see the financials of this foundation. Exactly where the money goes.
I’ve donated to the organization that provides “smart sacks” of food for kids to have on the weekend. Why can’t they outsource this program to a reputable nonprofit instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to donate to an entity paying for meals for kids but I’m not giving one thin dime to any organization in which Pat ONeill is in any way involved.
Let’s see the financials of this foundation. Exactly where the money goes.
I’ve donated to the organization that provides “smart sacks” of food for kids to have on the weekend. Why can’t they outsource this program to a reputable nonprofit instead?

Got to Guidestar and look up the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation. You can see their 990s to learn more about their financials. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/52-1804509 (NOTE: You'll need to register). You can also simply ask the MCPS Foundation for their latest 990.

The Foundation isn't huge, but they do a lot of good work. I have no idea what your issue with Pat O'Neill is, but she doesn't get paid a dime to be on the BOD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to donate to an entity paying for meals for kids but I’m not giving one thin dime to any organization in which Pat ONeill is in any way involved.
Let’s see the financials of this foundation. Exactly where the money goes.
I’ve donated to the organization that provides “smart sacks” of food for kids to have on the weekend. Why can’t they outsource this program to a reputable nonprofit instead?

You can write a check directly to your school's cafeteria to cover costs for children at your school. I would imagine any school would accept checks for this purpose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to donate to an entity paying for meals for kids but I’m not giving one thin dime to any organization in which Pat ONeill is in any way involved.
Let’s see the financials of this foundation. Exactly where the money goes.
I’ve donated to the organization that provides “smart sacks” of food for kids to have on the weekend. Why can’t they outsource this program to a reputable nonprofit instead?

You can write a check directly to your school's cafeteria to cover costs for children at your school. I would imagine any school would accept checks for this purpose.

I agree that this is a good way to go about it. Write the check directly to the school cafeteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to donate to an entity paying for meals for kids but I’m not giving one thin dime to any organization in which Pat ONeill is in any way involved.
Let’s see the financials of this foundation. Exactly where the money goes.
I’ve donated to the organization that provides “smart sacks” of food for kids to have on the weekend. Why can’t they outsource this program to a reputable nonprofit instead?

Got to Guidestar and look up the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation. You can see their 990s to learn more about their financials. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/52-1804509 (NOTE: You'll need to register). You can also simply ask the MCPS Foundation for their latest 990.

The Foundation isn't huge, but they do a lot of good work. I have no idea what your issue with Pat O'Neill is, but she doesn't get paid a dime to be on the BOD.

She’s getting plenty in many ways - don’t be dishonest.

[Anonymous]

In case anyone has forgotten :

http://wjla.com/news/education/mcps-reimburses-boe-members-for-pricey-meals-taxi-fares-and-more-104758

Again: paying for meals for kids is a good thing. The MCPS foundation is the wrong entity to donate money to for that purpose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In case anyone has forgotten :

http://wjla.com/news/education/mcps-reimburses-boe-members-for-pricey-meals-taxi-fares-and-more-104758

Again: paying for meals for kids is a good thing. The MCPS foundation is the wrong entity to donate money to for that purpose.

Ugh. So gross.

We were just starting with MCPS in 2013, so I never saw this article.

[Anonymous]

Peanuts. These are people who do an almost full time public service Board level job for about $40,000 per year. The policies should be clear, and people should follow them, but I find none of that horrifying or particularly extravagant. Would it be better to have a colleague drive if you can’t? Yes. Is $3000 going to make any difference spread among the entire MCPS system? Nope. I think the curriculum 2.0 criticisms are more significant.

And this really doesn’t explain the Pat O’Neill hatred. She’s barely even mentioned in the article and she paid for the spouse ticket before it was brought up by the news people - it sounds like she was following the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Peanuts. These are people who do an almost full time public service Board level job for about $40,000 per year. The policies should be clear, and people should follow them, but I find none of that horrifying or particularly extravagant. Would it be better to have a colleague drive if you can’t? Yes. Is $3000 going to make any difference spread among the entire MCPS system? Nope. I think the curriculum 2.0 criticisms are more significant.

And this really doesn’t explain the Pat O’Neill hatred. She’s barely even mentioned in the article and she paid for the spouse ticket before it was brought up by the news people - it sounds like she was following the rules.

Actually $25,000 per year, except for the board president, who gets $29,000.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/delegate-wants-to-create-salary-commission-for-montgomery-county-school-board-members/

[Anonymous]

You don’t see the hypocrisy of charging the taxpayers for a surf and turf dinner and then turning around and asking for donations to feed hungry kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t see the hypocrisy of charging the taxpayers for a surf and turf dinner and then turning around and asking for donations to feed hungry kids?

So this one time in 2013, 9 BoE-associated people got reimbursed for a dinner at a restaurant during the annual Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) conference in Ocean City - $509/9 = $57 per person.

In Oct. 2013, members Chris Barclay, Shirley Brandman, Phil Kauffman, Justin Kim, Pat O'Neill, and Rebecca Smondrowski enjoyed a gourmet dinner with Superintendent Joshua Starr, BOE chief of staff Roland Ikheloa, and staff assistant Laura Steinberg. The meal was at Fager's Island restaurant during the annual Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) conference in Ocean City. An itemized bill obtained by ABC7 lists $15 seafood appetizers, and lavish entrees like the $42 surf and turf, $39 lobster tail and $33 sea bass. The entire dinner-for-nine cost taxpayers $509.

And so therefore it's hypocritical in 2018 to ask for donations to feed hungry kids?

[Anonymous]

Now this here's some real money

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-official-embezzled-67-million-from-county-federal-prosecutors-say/2018/11/16/5378861c-e85a-11e8-bbdb-72fdbf9d4fed_story.html?utm_term=.2d35f4a64229