The OIG finds that Biedleman violated MCPS policies and code of conduct

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things are a mess in MCPS right now. McKnight told principals at a meeting earlier this week that there's nothing she could do to alleviate the poor morale among staff right now. She blamed the scandal and events going on in the world as reasons why her school staff are miserable. There continues to be no self-reflection.

Schools are drowning right now with added responsibilities due to low staffing but central office "instructional specialist" positions seem to be multiplying like Gremlins who got wet after midnight.

Is Monifa responsible for anything? She can't alleviate poor staff morale? She is the one setting the toxic tone that has crashed morale. What is wrong with the BOE? When are they going to take the steps to move a school district in the right direction. The ship is sinking.

If the BOE fired McKnight today, would staff morale suddenly improve?

1000% yes.in every level of the organization, yes.

I imagine it would depend on who they named as her replacement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things are a mess in MCPS right now. McKnight told principals at a meeting earlier this week that there's nothing she could do to alleviate the poor morale among staff right now. She blamed the scandal and events going on in the world as reasons why her school staff are miserable. There continues to be no self-reflection.

Schools are drowning right now with added responsibilities due to low staffing but central office "instructional specialist" positions seem to be multiplying like Gremlins who got wet after midnight.

Is Monifa responsible for anything? She can't alleviate poor staff morale? She is the one setting the toxic tone that has crashed morale. What is wrong with the BOE? When are they going to take the steps to move a school district in the right direction. The ship is sinking.

If the BOE fired McKnight today, would staff morale suddenly improve?

1000% yes.in every level of the organization, yes.

I imagine it would depend on who they named as her replacement.

And really who would even want this job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

Is that who guy is? I thought it was incredibly strange when she visited the school and there was a quiet, young guy following her around. Someone told me it was her assistant. I was like, “for what?”. It looked more like an entourage. I had never seen a superintendent with an assistant in any county school system before. How many other assistants do we have for these upper admin roles?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

Is that who guy is? I thought it was incredibly strange when she visited the school and there was a quiet, young guy following her around. Someone told me it was her assistant. I was like, “for what?”. It looked more like an entourage. I had never seen a superintendent with an assistant in any county school system before. How many other assistants do we have for these upper admin roles?

He works for the Chief of Staff office, and his title is Assistant to Chief of Staff.

[Anonymous]

Eric Guerci is his name and she also has retired admin Linda Ferrell quietly pulling strings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, so the OIG finds that MCPS violated its own policies on numerous occasions but then turns it right back over to…..MCPS? They are the ones who tried to sweep it under the rug!

The OIG doesn't have authority to do more.

MCPS doesn’t have OIG, in any real or normal sense of the word.

Correct. MCPS does not have an OIG. The county and state have them.

Unlike Fairfax, where FCPS also has its own OIG.

Given the size of MCPS budget, I'm surprised it doesn't warrant their own OIG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eric Guerci is his name and she also has retired admin Linda Ferrell quietly pulling strings.

Wait Linda Ferrell? The same one who used to work for MCPS and was Biedlemans supervising principal mentor when he was first hired at Farquhar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eric Guerci is his name and she also has retired admin Linda Ferrell quietly pulling strings.

What does that mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eric Guerci is his name and she also has retired admin Linda Ferrell quietly pulling strings.

Ooh! Sounds Machiavellian!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

Which SMOB is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things are a mess in MCPS right now. McKnight told principals at a meeting earlier this week that there's nothing she could do to alleviate the poor morale among staff right now. She blamed the scandal and events going on in the world as reasons why her school staff are miserable. There continues to be no self-reflection.

Schools are drowning right now with added responsibilities due to low staffing but central office "instructional specialist" positions seem to be multiplying like Gremlins who got wet after midnight.

Is Monifa responsible for anything? She can't alleviate poor staff morale? She is the one setting the toxic tone that has crashed morale. What is wrong with the BOE? When are they going to take the steps to move a school district in the right direction. The ship is sinking.

If the BOE fired McKnight today, would staff morale suddenly improve?

1000% yes.in every level of the organization, yes.

I imagine it would depend on who they named as her replacement.

And really who would even want this job?

At $340,000 per year, yes, someone will go for the job. And there is talent out there - if only we had a BOE capable of proper hiring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

Which SMOB is it?

What happened to the crisis communication firm we shelled out for? Can't they help with a systemwide communication? Or is this hot mess of a deflection letter the best they could write?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

Is that who guy is? I thought it was incredibly strange when she visited the school and there was a quiet, young guy following her around. Someone told me it was her assistant. I was like, “for what?”. It looked more like an entourage. I had never seen a superintendent with an assistant in any county school system before. How many other assistants do we have for these upper admin roles?

Monifa travels in an entourage. She is all about the trappings of power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Monifa really is incredibly and stupidly defensive and tone deaf in her communications. I don't know if Chris Cram is advising her and she's overruling him, but there's no way she should have brought up literacy goals in this email addressing the Beidleman situation. This should have been only about her appreciation for the investigation and her dedication to holding those accountable in a transparent, expeditious way, hopefully in a bid to demonstrate her seriousness about turning around the broken and toxic culture at MCPS. But she's not capable of that so instead we got more of "Stop talking about our problems, look at THIS [insert small PR-friendly victory] instead" garbage.

That's because she has a 22 year old writing all of her correspondence. Her side kick is one of the former student BOE members that she has on the payroll as her personal assistant, ego fluffer, and speech/letter writer. Just like all of her other friends she brought back to support her and deflect any responsibility from the fact the system is a disaster because of her and only her.

Is that who guy is? I thought it was incredibly strange when she visited the school and there was a quiet, young guy following her around. Someone told me it was her assistant. I was like, “for what?”. It looked more like an entourage. I had never seen a superintendent with an assistant in any county school system before. How many other assistants do we have for these upper admin roles?

Monifa travels in an entourage. She is all about the trappings of power.

Yes, she does. I’ve witnessed this. She’s also very charming and charismatic when you speak with her. I met her at a county council hearing and I agree that last email was awful, but she presents herself well in-person. I can see how she got to the top, but I think it’s time for her to step-down now.