Reply to New curriculum selection process delayed

Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

Reply to "New curriculum selection process delayed— new RFP must be issues now"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/potential-conflict-of-interest-derails-curriculum-rollout-in-md-school-system/2018/05/25/d28c96c2-5e9f-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html?utm_term=.1e96b4f5ab8c

WP’s article on the Discovery issue [/quote]

I have to say when you read this something isn’t right about blaming Lang and fliekas primarily. Looks like smith is throwing them under the bus. One of the comments after the article, which mirrors the reporting:

8 hours ago
“I'm glad the Post pointed out that Jim and Erick did everything right in this process, rather than making them the villains MCPS has tried to make them. Jim and Erick are two of the most principled educators I've ever worked with, and for years now they've worked to do what's best for kids and to add diversity to the curriculum in a work environment where leaders often engage in assigning blame rather than looking for solutions. As a teacher who ended my career in Central Services, I had an up-close seat to observe the politics without having to be involved in them. I can't count the times that I watched staff in the curriculum office try to work within the system to do what was best for kids and to provide resources for teachers in an atmosphere where that clearly wasn't the top priority among administrators who often seemed more concerned about the MCPS brand.”

[/quote]

I thought this wapo article bent over backwards to portray them as having done little wrong.  It also repeats the fiction that Discovery “discovered” they were involved in the bidding process when clearly discovery having bid on the project would know that the head of the curriculum office was involved In the process.  I also thought it minimizes how pissed parents are about the delays.  This thread is a gazillion posts long now.  [/quote]

a gazillion and one pages now

I read it another way.  I think there were too many holes with regard to the dates. We know Discovery poaches.  Let's face it; all corporations do this.

My issue with the situation centers on public monies and private corporations.  As a public employee, you have a duty to those paying your salary.  So your moves are open to public scrutiny - whether the moves are legit or not.  To be fair, sometimes in a large bureaucracy, even the right measures "get lost."  But in a case like this, any of the "poaching" should have been done after July 1/after official retirement.

In late March, the 2.0 audit results were shared (to jog one's memory - http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2018/MCPS-Launches-Effort-To-Find-New-Curriculum-After-Report-Finds-Flaws-in-Existing-Materials/).

This was when Lang was approached by Discovery for a possible position. While bids were due early/mid-May, obviously the information was sent out [b]at least[/b] a month prior to the bid closing date of May 11.  April, which was when Lang was offered the DE position, was the overlapping month. Fliakas' job with DE appeared after Lang's, although he failed to provide a time frame to [i]WP[/i]. So in his defense, perhaps a position sprouted up after Lang's talks with DE???

Lang and Fliakas are the 4th and 5th former (soon-to-be) MCPS employees to be hired by DE. Right now the team has 8 members mainly consisting of math and science folks.

People do what they need to do. And a nice retirement bolstered by a FT career at DE is a great gig. So they'll be more than fine during this second phase of their careers - even if they're leaving  MCPS under these negative circumstances.

I don't question their motives; perhaps they've outgrown their jobs.

I simply question their "timing." [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics