Reply to MCAAP Not Pleased with MCPS or McKnight and BOE's Leadership

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[quote=Anonymous]The MCEA has more withering words for MCPS.

Source: https://montgomeryperspective.com/2023/10/16/mcea-mcps-has-severely-damaged-its-reputation-as-an-employer/

[QUOTE]

Dear Colleagues,

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) is pleased to see the Montgomery County Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight acting now to replace leadership who were negligent in their duties to protect employees from abuse, who failed to take seriously scores of complaints from staff, parents, and students, and who chose to protect and promote a principal whose character and behavior were highly suspect. But this must be only the first step in creating a new culture in Montgomery County Public Schools. Through systemic dysfunction and a series of unforced errors, MCPS has further eroded the morale of already overburdened educators and severely damaged its reputation as an employer.

The release of the report by Jackson Lewis on MCPS’s profoundly flawed investigation and ill-considered promotion of Joel Beidleman confirms what MCEA members have long known: MCPS leadership has an established pattern of ignoring instances of bullying and abuse by principals and instead provides cover and excuses for school leaders who commit such offenses. Even worse, the bad behavior of those in MCPS management’s ranks is often sanctioned and rewarded rather than addressed.

Even though we already knew the basic outline of events in handling the Beidleman case, we on the front lines are further outraged to learn the details of the malfeasance uncovered by Jackson Lewis. Although the report has been redacted to the point that it looks like a bureaucrat’s “mad lib” game, it’s clear that scores of complaints – including from union representatives—were routinely and summarily disregarded.

Moreover, when an investigation was finally made, and a conclusion was drawn that there was substance to the complaint, a superior overruled that finding and ordered a rewrite absolving Mr. Beidleman of wrongdoing. The direction to change the report came after the board of education approved the promotion. No effort was made by top leadership who knew of the investigation to probe into the nature of the complaint or the investigation’s findings, and the promotion of Mr. Beidleman moved forward to the board.

Finally, facts in the Jackson Lewis redacted report imply that there was deliberate falsification of records with the intent to mislead, changing the dates in the Beidleman investigation timeline to show the case to have been decided in his favor before his promotion rather than afterward, as was the actual case. Despite all the blank spaces in the redacted report, it’s appallingly apparent that MCPS’s central office culture is corrupt and corrosive.

We’ve continued to ask MCPS’s top leadership to include us as they develop new policies and processes regarding harassment, bullying, and other complaints. So far, they have failed to do so. The following changes are needed:

1.     The union should have the right to grieve decisions made through the administrative complaint process or any other processes that are designed to address concerns about workplace climate or working conditions.

2.     The union should also have the right to grieve when any such complaints are ignored or dismissed without investigation.

3.     MCEA should be able to grieve any breach of policy or procedure affecting our members’ working conditions or workplace climate.

If MCEA had had the right to grieve violations and decisions in this situation along the way, MCPS would have been forced to address the problems years ago. Instead, after being spurned by management, MCEA members had no choice but to reach out to the press in their search for justice.

Educators, students, parents, and communities across the county deserve to know their concerns will be heard and addressed. If it’s true that those leaders involved in this debacle feel “genuine remorse” and “have learned from this situation,” as Jackson Lewis reports, then it’s high time they meet our demands to ensure accountability. All staff in MCPS must feel respected, safe, and empowered to be their best. Our students deserve no less.

In solidarity,

Jennifer Martin

President[/QUOTE]

So yeah, tell me again how I'm misrepresenting the MCEA and MCAAP's words and feelings about McKnight and the BOE.  :roll:  :roll:  :roll:

[/quote]

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