Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well given our school’s budget was frozen, announced shortly after McKnight left and likely due to her settlement, McKnight’s destruction will last for a while. The school asked for donations for science projects and my child reported that teachers have to buy their own paper. Pathetic. Shame on the board.

The budget freeze had absolutely nothing to do with McKnight leaving.

Budgeting - just one more thing McKnight did not oversee well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The search is done. The interim will be the permanent and we will have McKnight 2.0.

Even if she wanted the permanent job (which we don't know), and even if the board wanted her to get the permanent job (which we don't know), they would still go through the process of hiring the search firm who would conduct the national search. So in no sense is the search "done."

Oh bless your heart the same way they did a "national search" when they hired Smith and McKnight? It's all fake to put on a show to the community. They know who they want before they do a single interview. That's why they use search firms, so they can have the search firm reach out to the preferred candidate and prep them. If they use HYA I can tell you 100% they have already selected Felder. Her former boss and current chief of staff both work for HYA.

Well, this is interesting: they did not in fact go with HYA this time to conduct the superintendent search. Instead, the board just approved the hiring of Greenwood Asher & Associates.

Here is the resolution they adopted today:

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/D3XQDB67DB5B/$file/ADOPTED_BOE%20Resolution%20re%20Search%20Firm%20Selection.pdf

Anonymous wrote:MCPS used to be well regarded. It’s now a complete mess.

What’s the likelihood new administration will be able to right the course? What will it take?

Considering moving out of state because it’s been such a nightmare- especially with one kid in special Ed.

You should definitely move! The fewer complainers the better.

They said Greenwood Asher had recently conducted a search for Montgomery College, and MCPS was able to bridge/piggyback off of that existing contract.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The search is done. The interim will be the permanent and we will have McKnight 2.0.

Even if she wanted the permanent job (which we don't know), and even if the board wanted her to get the permanent job (which we don't know), they would still go through the process of hiring the search firm who would conduct the national search. So in no sense is the search "done."

Oh bless your heart the same way they did a "national search" when they hired Smith and McKnight? It's all fake to put on a show to the community. They know who they want before they do a single interview. That's why they use search firms, so they can have the search firm reach out to the preferred candidate and prep them. If they use HYA I can tell you 100% they have already selected Felder. Her former boss and current chief of staff both work for HYA.

Well, this is interesting: they did not in fact go with HYA this time to conduct the superintendent search. Instead, the board just approved the hiring of Greenwood Asher & Associates.

Anonymous wrote:It seems ridiculous to think that I might pay thousands a year for private school so my kid can use the bathroom during the day. It’s ridiculous but a bathroom is sort of essential. My other kid is developing some issues from having to hold it for so long.
I think my two biggest complaints as a parent or older kids is:
— bathrooms being locked
— about a third to half of the teachers just seem like they are in a terrible mood because they are drowning in work which makes it hard for the kids to talk to them about feedback, making up missed work, etc. I think it used to be 10-25% of teachers but the number seems creeping up every year.

Teachers are swamped and morale is low in large part because of policies that the rank-and-file educators disagree with but are ignored by The Powers That Be who set policy. The ridiculous 50% rule, the end of Final Exams in HS, the overemphasis on standardized testing, Restorative Justice practices that are theoretically positive but terribly implemented, the budget freeze, which is NOT supposed to limit principals’ ability to buy necessary supplies but is being implemented in a haphazard way so that principals are, in fact, refusing to purchase basic things like copier paper or ink, are absolutely killing morale. It used to be rare for teachers to leave mid-year, in part because there are financial implications, but veteran educators are just at the breaking point. Most of all, the overall decline in respect for teachers is driving people out. It’s a difficult job. Generally, people do it because they want to help kids. Of course, as in a profession, there are people who aren’t good at it, but most really want to make a difference. But more and more is added to their plates and nothing is taken off. It is overwhelming.

The state of Maryland and Federal Department of Education passed a bunch a bunch of rules starting in 2019 that has made it much more difficult to hold students accountable. As much as I dislike McKnight and her leadership/communication style, she is not fully to blame.

We need to fix the laws/rules that have created this mess.

It seems ridiculous to think that I might pay thousands a year for private school so my kid can use the bathroom during the day. It’s ridiculous but a bathroom is sort of essential. My other kid is developing some issues from having to hold it for so long.
I think my two biggest complaints as a parent or older kids is:
— bathrooms being locked
— about a third to half of the teachers just seem like they are in a terrible mood because they are drowning in work which makes it hard for the kids to talk to them about feedback, making up missed work, etc. I think it used to be 10-25% of teachers but the number seems creeping up every year.

She was part of the problem but getting rid of her won't fix all the issues.
Personally I'm thrilled she is gone. I really couldn't stand her.
My kid is out June 2025 and I might have to pull my younger child and go private. I'm not sure how much longer MCPS will remain a decent place overall.

Whether McKnight is gone or not is irrelevant to MCPS status. The board and educational community embraces these fads which aren't going away and are the problem.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well given our school’s budget was frozen, announced shortly after McKnight left and likely due to her settlement, McKnight’s destruction will last for a while. The school asked for donations for science projects and my child reported that teachers have to buy their own paper. Pathetic. Shame on the board.

The budget freeze had absolutely nothing to do with McKnight leaving.

Yes, it has to do with McKnight's inability to develop and manage a budget.

No, it had to do with the Employee Benefit fund of which they are advised by AON. AON advised of a need to increase dollars to the fund by 8-9%, which they did. However, what they are seeing is a 13-15% increase, and because of this are projecting a $40M deficit come end of FY. The freeze was put in place to be able to address the deficit as much as possible without or before going to the county council AND to keep from having to reject employee use of some benefits.

What folks need to prepare themselves for is the fact that employee prices for benefits will be going up and what is covered will go down when the next insurance contract is decided.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well given our school’s budget was frozen, announced shortly after McKnight left and likely due to her settlement, McKnight’s destruction will last for a while. The school asked for donations for science projects and my child reported that teachers have to buy their own paper. Pathetic. Shame on the board.

The budget freeze had absolutely nothing to do with McKnight leaving.

Yes, it has to do with McKnight's inability to develop and manage a budget.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well given our school’s budget was frozen, announced shortly after McKnight left and likely due to her settlement, McKnight’s destruction will last for a while. The school asked for donations for science projects and my child reported that teachers have to buy their own paper. Pathetic. Shame on the board.

I wasn't crazy about McKnight's single-minded focus on equity and further bloating of the Central Office, but what exactly did she destroy? As far as I can tell, she just continued the misguided direction the county was headed before she took over.

Your defense of McKnight is, she didn't rock the boat and packed on the bloat?

We all make choices. She signed off on memos that should have, in my opinion, landed her and a few others in jail. My guess is the board knew this and cut losses. In other words, her severance package was worth making the OIG investigation(s) go away. And no, it had nothing to do with the sex scandals.

Those are some pretty hefty accusations. Can you elaborate on this with any evidence?

Not really because it's all based on supposition and anonymous gossip.

Anonymous wrote:Well given our school’s budget was frozen, announced shortly after McKnight left and likely due to her settlement, McKnight’s destruction will last for a while. The school asked for donations for science projects and my child reported that teachers have to buy their own paper. Pathetic. Shame on the board.

The budget freeze had absolutely nothing to do with McKnight leaving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So they still haven't even hired the superintendent search firm...it's been a month since McKnight left.

In the past, the board has hired a firm to conduct the search and plans to do so again, Silvestre said. The board is “navigating the procurement process to see what [they] could do in the quickest amount of time” and looking at which firms are available, she said.

https://moco360.media/2024/03/05/school-board-looks-to-improve-search-process-for-new-mcps-superintendent/

Interesting article. I don't know that I want focus groups from the consulting firm. That seems a faux process. What I want is a superintendent with a track record on academic achievement and operational competence. If the firm (which, no doubt, will be Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates) can find candidates with that track record, then that is a good place to start.

Seriously. I thought Silvestre's focus on community input was odd. Aside from the MCEA, who else within the MCPS community was upset about McKnight's selection as supe?

DCUM was upset.

Um, it's DCUM. We were born upset.