Another HoCo parent who very seriously disagrees with the lawsuit and the intent. The SMOB has a very critical role in presenting and representing the student body opinion to the BoE. The majority of the BoE do not know what the actual conditions in the school are nor the effects of many of their decisions have on the students themselves. The students have a right to have voting representation on the Board that makes decisions that impact their daily lives and education.

There are many liberals who felt that they were not adequately represented in our federal government over the last four years any many conservatives who feel that they are not adequately represented by the incoming administration. This is what you are essentially doing to your students. You are telling them that they have to accept the rule of a board of education that does not visit the schools that they preside over or actually know the impact of their decisions on students except in a macro-management manner and that the don't need to have the input of the student body that is the largest and most impacted stakeholder in decisions from the board of education. The formative twelve years of a child's life are very important and they have a right to have a voice in how their education is managed.

I think it is horrible to try to take away the student body representation's voice in management decisions. A better way would be to add a new board member to make 9 votes so that there are no ties rather than to take away the student representative.

I wonder how the parents would feel if the board removed the right to vote from the board member representing their district? Would you feel like you had lost your voice in the school district? That's exactly how the students' feel and frankly they are more impacted by every decision by the school board than any of the parents are.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I hadn't heard about this lawsuit.

In AACo the SMOB can vote on everything including the budget, and I have been consistently totally impressed with our SMOB members. They are always thoughtful, intelligent people who typically are far more engaged in the process than some of the other board members.

I sure hope these ridiculous adults who brought the suit don't succeed.

In AA Co, Drake Smith seemed far more qualified than Eric Grannon, who barely showed up to BOE meeting in the past six months and contributed absolutely zero to any reopening discussions. What a waste of a board seat! At least he's gone now. But some of the folks who are left are a joke as well.

The SMOB absolutely has the right to vote.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-1228-howard-school-board-student-20201223-y75cld47qzez3hhwav47f3hkzm-story.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I hadn't heard about this lawsuit.

In AACo the SMOB can vote on everything including the budget, and I have been consistently totally impressed with our SMOB members. They are always thoughtful, intelligent people who typically are far more engaged in the process than some of the other board members.

I sure hope these ridiculous adults who brought the suit don't succeed.

If I were betting, my guess would be that it leads to legislation giving full voting rights to the HoCo and other SMOBs in on other counties.

I hope so. This lawsuit has proven many full-ass grown adults are less "intellectually developed" than the young adults who put so much effort and care into their work on the board.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I hadn't heard about this lawsuit.

In AACo the SMOB can vote on everything including the budget, and I have been consistently totally impressed with our SMOB members. They are always thoughtful, intelligent people who typically are far more engaged in the process than some of the other board members.

I sure hope these ridiculous adults who brought the suit don't succeed.

If I were betting, my guess would be that it leads to legislation giving full voting rights to the HoCo and other SMOBs in on other counties.

Wow. I hadn't heard about this lawsuit.

In AACo the SMOB can vote on everything including the budget, and I have been consistently totally impressed with our SMOB members. They are always thoughtful, intelligent people who typically are far more engaged in the process than some of the other board members.

I sure hope these ridiculous adults who brought the suit don't succeed.

Anonymous wrote:HCPSS SMOB can’t vote on the budget.
This suit is butthurt parents who think the virus isn’t a real problem bring pissed that they aren’t getting their way. The suit is wrong, the position is not unconstitutional, and their reasoning for bringing suit has nothing to do with actually thinking the position is unconstitutional-they stated the suit is because they don’t like how he has voted.

+1000. What is disturbing is these parents who think they can sue to cater to their own personal needs...not the first suit, but this will be thrown out as well as the other one.

HoCo resident who does not support this lawsuit. The SMOB isn't tying things up. Any of the other members of the BOE could change their vote and the deadlock would be broken. The problem is having 8 voting members with no procedure to break the tie.

That said, an argument can be made based on the statute prohibiting the SMOB from voting on certain matters, including personnel decisions, redistricting, and collective bargaining, that this unprecedented decision about the delivery method for education during a pandemic would fall into the areas for which a SMOB vote is not permitted. However, the appropriate channel to pursue this interpretation would be through legislative action. This lawsuit comes off as an unjustified personal attack on this SMOB, minimizing both the role of the SMOB generally as a voice for students and the competence of the current SMOB. It is such a mistake and so insulting (and embarrassing).

As to reopening decisions, there is a lack of understanding on all sides stemming from poor leadership and poor communication. There is a lack of clarity in many BOE motions. Instead of giving the impression that the Board is making difficult but informed decisions to protect students and staff under the existing circumstances, the tie votes come off as a refusal to consider a return to school at any time in the future regardless of changing conditions. There's no plan for students not included in small groups to return until the pandemic ends, the same as there was during the summer. Many parents would feel better if a majority of the board voted to keep schools closed for the year rather than having a yearlong closure because there was an an unbreakable tie on every motion to explore ways to reopen. Remaining closed should not be the default resulting from tie votes.

As a result of the non-action associated with the tie votes, the board looks petulant, dysfunctional, and unresponsive to stakeholder concerns, not to mention at odds with Dr. M. and his staff. This is not the SMOB's fault, although he shares blame with all of the other parties for not working to build consensus or better articulating the basis for votes. I respect him enough as an active, capable board member to say that he is part of the problem.

People are losing faith in the Board because its decisions are not being made through a transparent, accessible process that informs the community about what decisions are being made and why. This ill-advised lawsuit reflects how disconnected the board has become from community members who feel they have no voice in the education their children are receiving. Without capitulating to any particular parent demands, BOE could do better assuring parents concerned about the impact of long term distance learning that their voices have been heard and their perspectives considered.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if they can't figure out the "Raise Your Hand' feature on Zoom, they shouldnt be allowed to serve.

I'm only half kidding.

It's so embarrassing when they literally raise their hands on camera

And how many hours has a typical board member spent in a school building in the last 4 years? A quick visit doesn't count. They typically hear what the mcps staff want them to hear.

SMOBs are embedded spies for the BoE!

True.

Most of the BOE members are completely out of touch.

For that matter, when was the last time Jack Smith stepped foot in an MCPS classroom?

Is this the MCPS forum? Is this about MoCo? Why can't y'all discuss your business without involving MCPS?

This thread was on the MCPS forum, but then Jeff moved it.

Ok. Got ya

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if they can't figure out the "Raise Your Hand' feature on Zoom, they shouldnt be allowed to serve.

I'm only half kidding.

It's so embarrassing when they literally raise their hands on camera

And how many hours has a typical board member spent in a school building in the last 4 years? A quick visit doesn't count. They typically hear what the mcps staff want them to hear.

SMOBs are embedded spies for the BoE!

True.

Most of the BOE members are completely out of touch.

For that matter, when was the last time Jack Smith stepped foot in an MCPS classroom?

Is this the MCPS forum? Is this about MoCo? Why can't y'all discuss your business without involving MCPS?

This thread was on the MCPS forum, but then Jeff moved it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if they can't figure out the "Raise Your Hand' feature on Zoom, they shouldnt be allowed to serve.

I'm only half kidding.

It's so embarrassing when they literally raise their hands on camera

And how many hours has a typical board member spent in a school building in the last 4 years? A quick visit doesn't count. They typically hear what the mcps staff want them to hear.

SMOBs are embedded spies for the BoE!

True.

Most of the BOE members are completely out of touch.

For that matter, when was the last time Jack Smith stepped foot in an MCPS classroom?

Is this the MCPS forum? Is this about MoCo? Why can't y'all discuss your business without involving MCPS?

Anonymous wrote:Op here. What’s factually incorrect? Students vote now on School Boards in Maryland and their votes have meaning for society. Okay so sorry for not realizing only in wacky MoCo do they get to vote on a 3 billion dollar budget when they make 11 bucks an hour in the summer as a lifeguard. (All noble work - just don’t think mature enough to realize they are being played by talented adults). I also agree with you on the one 80 year old member of MoCo board - but she keeps winning the Apple Ballot/Downcounty vote fair and square - and she can legally vote in our society.

That was the party line of the anti-boundary-analysis people during the pre-covid kerfuffle about the boundary analysis. Those kids, they don't know what they're talking about, they don't understand that adults are just using them as puppets! " " was the only appropriate response to that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if they can't figure out the "Raise Your Hand' feature on Zoom, they shouldnt be allowed to serve.

I'm only half kidding.

It's so embarrassing when they literally raise their hands on camera

And how many hours has a typical board member spent in a school building in the last 4 years? A quick visit doesn't count. They typically hear what the mcps staff want them to hear.

SMOBs are embedded spies for the BoE!

True.

Most of the BOE members are completely out of touch.

For that matter, when was the last time Jack Smith stepped foot in an MCPS classroom?

Probably last March, the same as my kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if they can't figure out the "Raise Your Hand' feature on Zoom, they shouldnt be allowed to serve.

I'm only half kidding.

It's so embarrassing when they literally raise their hands on camera

And how many hours has a typical board member spent in a school building in the last 4 years? A quick visit doesn't count. They typically hear what the mcps staff want them to hear.

SMOBs are embedded spies for the BoE!

True.

Most of the BOE members are completely out of touch.

For that matter, when was the last time Jack Smith stepped foot in an MCPS classroom?

Anonymous wrote:I think if they can't figure out the "Raise Your Hand' feature on Zoom, they shouldnt be allowed to serve.

I'm only half kidding.

It's so embarrassing when they literally raise their hands on camera

And how many hours has a typical board member spent in a school building in the last 4 years? A quick visit doesn't count. They typically hear what the mcps staff want them to hear.

SMOBs are embedded spies for the BoE!