COUNCIL MEMBER MEL FRANKLIN is Hosting Special District 9 Community Advisory Meeting - The State of Our Public Schools with New PGCPS CEO Dr. Kevin Maxwell
Thursday, November 7, 7PM at Frederick Douglass High School - 8000 Croom Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. Please join PGCPS parents and student, your neighbors, and Dr. Maxwell as we discuss his vision for raising academic achievement in our public schools, esp. in South County. Dr. Maxwell, appointed by the County Executive under the state's new school reform law, has recently announced a 6-month plan for immediate school improvements and is leading the implementation of a new national curriculum in our schools, the Common Core standards. Please make sure your voice is heard on November 7th. (read the plan here http://www1.pgcps.org/entryplan/)

Please share this with District 9 residents and ask them to attend this meeting.

Agreed, thanks for that informative post 15:15 PP.

Thanks for posting the information about the language immersion initiatives in the county.
-12:52

See below quote from the October 20 Washington Post article regarding Dr. Maxwell's six-month plan and Spanish Immersion:

“Maxwell said he would like to see whether some specialty programs could be expanded or whether there is room to create ones. He said, for example, that he has had meetings with his staff about arts programs, French immersion, and environmental literacy and education. Maxwell said he has a “big interest” in a Spanish immersion and an International Baccalaureate program for elementary school students. Neither program exists in the county.”

Maxwell offers six-month plan for Prince George’s schools
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/maxwell-offers-six-month-plan-for-prince-georges-schools/2013/10/20/03fabd06-31e1-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html

More can be done to voice support for the addition of Spanish Immersion to PGCPS including:

• Submit comments by October 31 to PGCPS re development of the FY 2015 budget to http://www1.pgcps.org/budget/interior15.aspx

• Sign the Spanish Immersion petition hosted by My Bilingual Child at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-spanish-immersion-in-pgcps/

• Like us on Facebook at www.facebook/mybilingualchild

• Join our Yahoo Group at mybilingualchild-subscribe@yahoo.com

• Learn more at http://mybilingualchild.weebly.com.

Prince George’s schools’ CEO says Spanish immersion program to come next year
http://www.gazette.net/article/20131017/NEWS/131019242/1124/prince-george-x2019-s-schools-x2019-ceo-says-spanish-immersion&template=gazette

Prince George’s parents push for Spanish immersion program at budget hearing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/prince-georges-parents-push-for-spanish-immersion-program-at-budget-hearing/2013/10/17/9a8a55cc-3742-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

Parents push for Prince George’s Spanish immersion instruction
http://www.gazette.net/article/20130909/NEWS/130909425/parents-push-for-prince-george-x2019-s-spanish-immersion-instruction&template=gazette

It mimics the larger problems that PG county face; no outreach to the hispanic community, residency cheaters who send their kids elsewhere, school board members who should be voted out, uneven distriubtion of resources across the county, private school attendance, the lists goes on.

PG County needs to stop sticking their head in the sand about their educational issues. We do not need more upscale retail and restaurants, we need excellent schools. That is, unless you are preparing the children for low-paying jobs in those upscale retail/restaurants in the county.

Signed,

A PG resident who will do just a little more this weekend to help our cause.

The lack of engagement on this board is very depressing.

New PG resident here, with a one year old. Hoping there is hope!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/maxwell-offers-six-month-plan-for-prince-georges-schools/2013/10/20/03fabd06-31e1-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html

This is basically the gist of the article:

“Something that I would like to see is even implementation of curriculum,” Maxwell said. “I see some inconsistencies.”
Maxwell plans to review the district’s specialty programs, oversee an audit of resources and positions, and carry out an assessment of professional development efforts. He recently formed a transition team to identify the school system’s strengths and weaknesses.

Thoughts? Has anyone noted any changes in the school system recently? Have you talked to Dr. Maxwell or heard him speak? Is there hope?