Anonymous
05/13/2026 19:23
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did folks see that Sheila Berlinger, head of elementary math, pushed this through and then immediately left to become a consultant?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheila-berlinger-70034810_from-33-years-in-mcps-to-new-ventures-in-activity-7452325636167127043-zzk5
Needs to get in on that no-bid contract $$$ from CO
Ugh
Saw her at the BOE session last week. What a terrible liar. I hope her business fails.
Sheila is also promoting her Etsy store on linkedin. Gross.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 19:15
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Good grief.
Sheila Berlinger was nothing like the higher-ups who, ahem, paint a less-than-forthright picture (by omission or otherwise) to bend MCPS implementations to their academic philosophy when they want to keep the latter from public awareness. She also wasn't at the level where the aims of the system were set -- that's 2 pay grades up for most of it -- and, like most, had to do things to comply with management directives/effect those philosophies (along with any federal/state mandates, etc.). Anyone in an admin position pretty much has to do the same, and we have plenty of government workers, here, who can attest to that.
If anything, she was brashly honest, though that brashness might rub some the wrong way, especially when confronted with information they don't like. And if you listened/looked carefully at the few BOE meetings where they let her present, you'd see the discomfort of some of those superiors as she answered a question in a way that might expose the intents more than those superiors desired. Certainly, there were elements of those philosophies with which she agreed, but she'd not hold back on a pretty full explanation of the "why," if asked and given time (even if she would be appropriately reticent about specifics of the "who").
FWIW, I don't think they got the new approach to acceleration right, yet (not that I have great confidence they will), and they should have had more of a discussion/greater detail already set & available. Nearly all the questions asked should have been unnecessary. With Sheila leaving, getting it right (or better, at least hopefully) may take some time, and I doubt we'll get a more favorable outcome with her gone.
Really? At the Board meeting, she seemed like a big supporter of shoving the accelerated kids into a mixed-level classroom and pretending elementary math teachers will be able to adequately serve both. Do you think she was just pretending to support it?
Anonymous
05/13/2026 17:50
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Good grief.
Sheila Berlinger was nothing like the higher-ups who, ahem, paint a less-than-forthright picture (by omission or otherwise) to bend MCPS implementations to their academic philosophy when they want to keep the latter from public awareness. She also wasn't at the level where the aims of the system were set -- that's 2 pay grades up for most of it -- and, like most, had to do things to comply with management directives/effect those philosophies (along with any federal/state mandates, etc.). Anyone in an admin position pretty much has to do the same, and we have plenty of government workers, here, who can attest to that.
If anything, she was brashly honest, though that brashness might rub some the wrong way, especially when confronted with information they don't like. And if you listened/looked carefully at the few BOE meetings where they let her present, you'd see the discomfort of some of those superiors as she answered a question in a way that might expose the intents more than those superiors desired. Certainly, there were elements of those philosophies with which she agreed, but she'd not hold back on a pretty full explanation of the "why," if asked and given time (even if she would be appropriately reticent about specifics of the "who").
FWIW, I don't think they got the new approach to acceleration right, yet (not that I have great confidence they will), and they should have had more of a discussion/greater detail already set & available. Nearly all the questions asked should have been unnecessary. With Sheila leaving, getting it right (or better, at least hopefully) may take some time, and I doubt we'll get a more favorable outcome with her gone.
I’m sure this is an accurate description of what that job entails. Absolutely true about the higher ups. I don’t think it’s crazy for someone to notice the awkward timing of her departure? People are quite upset about this development. Can you share what positions we can direct our concerns to besides Taylor and Porter?
Anonymous
05/13/2026 16:22
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Good grief.
Sheila Berlinger was nothing like the higher-ups who, ahem, paint a less-than-forthright picture (by omission or otherwise) to bend MCPS implementations to their academic philosophy when they want to keep the latter from public awareness. She also wasn't at the level where the aims of the system were set -- that's 2 pay grades up for most of it -- and, like most, had to do things to comply with management directives/effect those philosophies (along with any federal/state mandates, etc.). Anyone in an admin position pretty much has to do the same, and we have plenty of government workers, here, who can attest to that.
If anything, she was brashly honest, though that brashness might rub some the wrong way, especially when confronted with information they don't like. And if you listened/looked carefully at the few BOE meetings where they let her present, you'd see the discomfort of some of those superiors as she answered a question in a way that might expose the intents more than those superiors desired. Certainly, there were elements of those philosophies with which she agreed, but she'd not hold back on a pretty full explanation of the "why," if asked and given time (even if she would be appropriately reticent about specifics of the "who").
FWIW, I don't think they got the new approach to acceleration right, yet (not that I have great confidence they will), and they should have had more of a discussion/greater detail already set & available. Nearly all the questions asked should have been unnecessary. With Sheila leaving, getting it right (or better, at least hopefully) may take some time, and I doubt we'll get a more favorable outcome with her gone.
Sheila Berlinger was nothing like the higher-ups who, ahem, paint a less-than-forthright picture (by omission or otherwise) to bend MCPS implementations to their academic philosophy when they want to keep the latter from public awareness. She also wasn't at the level where the aims of the system were set -- that's 2 pay grades up for most of it -- and, like most, had to do things to comply with management directives/effect those philosophies (along with any federal/state mandates, etc.). Anyone in an admin position pretty much has to do the same, and we have plenty of government workers, here, who can attest to that.
If anything, she was brashly honest, though that brashness might rub some the wrong way, especially when confronted with information they don't like. And if you listened/looked carefully at the few BOE meetings where they let her present, you'd see the discomfort of some of those superiors as she answered a question in a way that might expose the intents more than those superiors desired. Certainly, there were elements of those philosophies with which she agreed, but she'd not hold back on a pretty full explanation of the "why," if asked and given time (even if she would be appropriately reticent about specifics of the "who").
FWIW, I don't think they got the new approach to acceleration right, yet (not that I have great confidence they will), and they should have had more of a discussion/greater detail already set & available. Nearly all the questions asked should have been unnecessary. With Sheila leaving, getting it right (or better, at least hopefully) may take some time, and I doubt we'll get a more favorable outcome with her gone.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 15:34
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did folks see that Sheila Berlinger, head of elementary math, pushed this through and then immediately left to become a consultant?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheila-berlinger-70034810_from-33-years-in-mcps-to-new-ventures-in-activity-7452325636167127043-zzk5
Wow. She was a disaster in BOE meetings so I'm not sad to see her go but I know that MCPS always finds a way of replacing bad leaders with even worse ones.
Agreed - I have learned in this school system that it can always get worse, even when you think you have hit rock-bottom.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 12:50
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:I think it's telling that she's leaving now. Probably knows it's going to be a disaster, and doesn't want to have to deal with the fallout from angry math teachers.
Yep.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 12:43
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:I have been seeing that state guidance indicated those with a MCAP score of 4 should be accelerated. When will those scores be available for those in 3rd grade? Wouldn't we need them now to be able to advocate for class placement? I think they still have some testing dates coming up though.
It’s pretty hard to get a 4 on mcaps. I just pulled up my kid’s most recent report. He did get a 4, and it said only 3 percent of kids in the state did. The school average was just barely a low 3 and it’s a pretty well performing school. This kid has never gotten a MAP score below 99th percentile in his entire life.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 12:39
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Great job America. This is why we have to hire h1bs from other countries to do our tech work.
But they can't write or speak English properly.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 12:22
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
I think it's telling that she's leaving now. Probably knows it's going to be a disaster, and doesn't want to have to deal with the fallout from angry math teachers.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 12:17
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did folks see that Sheila Berlinger, head of elementary math, pushed this through and then immediately left to become a consultant?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheila-berlinger-70034810_from-33-years-in-mcps-to-new-ventures-in-activity-7452325636167127043-zzk5
Needs to get in on that no-bid contract $$$ from CO
Ugh
Saw her at the BOE session last week. What a terrible liar. I hope her business fails.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 12:15
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:I have been seeing that state guidance indicated those with a MCAP score of 4 should be accelerated. When will those scores be available for those in 3rd grade? Wouldn't we need them now to be able to advocate for class placement? I think they still have some testing dates coming up though.
This is what the state gives out when (see page 2): https://support.mdassessments.com/resources/training/Spring%20Reporting%20Calendar_260306.pdf
The schools should get the scores on 6/17 but the official ISR (Individual Student Report-- the thing that gets sent to parents) doesn't get sent to MCPS until 9/14, and then there's a lag time between that and when MCPS sends it to parents.
But the automatic acceleration requirement does not kick in until the 2027-2028 school year anyway. (And MCPS will probably claim that within-class cluster-grouped acceleration is still adequate acceleration.)
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:57
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Did folks see that Sheila Berlinger, head of elementary math, pushed this through and then immediately left to become a consultant?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheila-berlinger-70034810_from-33-years-in-mcps-to-new-ventures-in-activity-7452325636167127043-zzk5
Needs to get in on that no-bid contract $$$ from CO
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:56
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did folks see that Sheila Berlinger, head of elementary math, pushed this through and then immediately left to become a consultant?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheila-berlinger-70034810_from-33-years-in-mcps-to-new-ventures-in-activity-7452325636167127043-zzk5
She must have got pushed out for incompetence or as the fall gal.
Who would hire her for consulting?
The next competent educational consultant will be the first.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:56
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:I have been seeing that state guidance indicated those with a MCAP score of 4 should be accelerated. When will those scores be available for those in 3rd grade? Wouldn't we need them now to be able to advocate for class placement? I think they still have some testing dates coming up though.
It's crazy. The reason the MCAP scores aren't 4 is that the schools don't teach!
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:55
Subject: MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment
Anonymous wrote:Did folks see that Sheila Berlinger, head of elementary math, pushed this through and then immediately left to become a consultant?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sheila-berlinger-70034810_from-33-years-in-mcps-to-new-ventures-in-activity-7452325636167127043-zzk5
Wow. She was a disaster in BOE meetings so I'm not sad to see her go but I know that MCPS always finds a way of replacing bad leaders with even worse ones.