Inaction to address the safety issues in schools including sexual assault is a loud and clear message that what has happened to student victims in MCPS doesn't matter. I wonder how Dr. Smith, Dr. Zuckerman, and Dr. Hollingshead can look themselves in the mirror every day that they know they have left children in harm's way because of their cover up and inaction.

I would support the Feds stepping in at whatever cost it takes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

This X100. The other safety issue is failure to report student incidents that occur in school. Some principals in rougher schools are obsessed with improving the school's reputation and pressure teachers and staff to handle things 'internally' to not mess up the numbers. The central office also pressures schools to under report. This can range from physical, violent threats and assaults by students against not only other students but teachers too! This creates a dangerous situation for students and teachers.

I could tell my child's incident wasn't on the data disclosed about the school from Central Office because no incidences of that type was listed for the 2017-2018 school year. You are completely correct that something is off and they try to make everything appear to be puppy dogs and unicorns for their reputation. The data MCPS presents is skewed and problems don't get fixed.

+100

We have absolutely had incidents at our school - assault against other students, threats towards other students, threats towards teachers. NONE of them show up for our school. NONE. Agree that the principal at our school wants to just handle things 'internally' and doesn't accurately report incidents.

The problem of not reporting the data is an ethical violation on behalf of the principal. Not reporting is covering up a problem that exists. If it appears a problem doesn't exist, then there is no incentive for the principal to do something to correct the problem.

Not sure how active your PTA is, but could you tell the PTA president about the problem and have the PTA president connect with the MCCPTA to help investigate why the numbers do not reflect known incidences?

Thank you for that suggestion. We are at a lower income school, and the PTA is not super active. I may try to do this anyway, and just see what happens.

You could also ask the PTA President for the email contact info for the MCCPTA President and the chairs of the MCCPTA Health and Saftey Committee. That way you can give them the info directly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland should be proactive and deeply investigate MCPS. Governor Hogan wanted funding for an investigator to look into complaints and issues so they can be fixed and the responsible employees fired and if necessary, criminally prosecuted. I would hope he will ask again in January. Vote for candidates in November that vocally support the Governor on this issue.

What falsehood. Hogan is no friend of public school system. He is in the pockets of business interests.

Which increases tax revenue which in turn goes towards the schools, whose county budgets are going up faster each year in the past 10 years than they ever had. Montgomery County is by far the worst and has the most demands to the state while they do so very little to help themselves. But let me guess, you rather Hogan increase sales tax, state taxes, real estate tax, etc... instead of help the state and local businesses which in turn help the economy which in turn helps keep our taxes from not sky rocketing, in a state that has been in massive debt thru the past democratic governors. What do YOU want? Do you know the state only supplies about 20% of funding and the county supplies about 70%. Are you upset with your crappy Democratic officials in office at our county level? How about the MCPS board who sucks and the bloated overhead that continues to get paid in “administration.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/economic-gloom-and-doom-in-marylands-largest-jurisdiction/2018/04/27/7592721a-496a-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6ad0a7d81444

I just don’t get how simple minded liberals are. It’s like you think there is free money everywhere that we can just give out to the huge rising costs of public school funding due to all the poor illegal immigrants you all welcome here with open arms. O’Malley left so much debt, there is no way to even recover in years. Baltimore is a shit show. Right now EVERY citizen and illegal immigrant would have to write a check for $15,000 for our state to get out of debt. Would you want that job Hogan took to try and do some things right? He is a businessman. Not a politician. Which is great. Politicians are PC garbage that talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. Montgomery County is going down the democratic tubes right now and all of you sit and point fingers at the grove Dr instead. Because he is a republican. Aren’t you upset that O’Malley screwed the schools over with his backdoor fake promise about casinos and school funding. Hmmmm, where did all that money go?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-casino-education-20170121-story.html

Hogan is trying his best once again to fix the Democratic issues.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-casino-schools-20180214-story.html

Also, Ehrlich and Hogan both have spent more on school funding than O’Malley which sharply decreased spending more and more over his 2 terms.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0910-hogan-education-20180905-story.html


Pretty sure Hogan is also doing student debt relief too and making Maryland community colleges more affordable or even free. Wow, that guy just sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

This X100. The other safety issue is failure to report student incidents that occur in school. Some principals in rougher schools are obsessed with improving the school's reputation and pressure teachers and staff to handle things 'internally' to not mess up the numbers. The central office also pressures schools to under report. This can range from physical, violent threats and assaults by students against not only other students but teachers too! This creates a dangerous situation for students and teachers.

I could tell my child's incident wasn't on the data disclosed about the school from Central Office because no incidences of that type was listed for the 2017-2018 school year. You are completely correct that something is off and they try to make everything appear to be puppy dogs and unicorns for their reputation. The data MCPS presents is skewed and problems don't get fixed.

+100

We have absolutely had incidents at our school - assault against other students, threats towards other students, threats towards teachers. NONE of them show up for our school. NONE. Agree that the principal at our school wants to just handle things 'internally' and doesn't accurately report incidents.

The problem of not reporting the data is an ethical violation on behalf of the principal. Not reporting is covering up a problem that exists. If it appears a problem doesn't exist, then there is no incentive for the principal to do something to correct the problem.

Not sure how active your PTA is, but could you tell the PTA president about the problem and have the PTA president connect with the MCCPTA to help investigate why the numbers do not reflect known incidences?

Thank you for that suggestion. We are at a lower income school, and the PTA is not super active. I may try to do this anyway, and just see what happens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

This X100. The other safety issue is failure to report student incidents that occur in school. Some principals in rougher schools are obsessed with improving the school's reputation and pressure teachers and staff to handle things 'internally' to not mess up the numbers. The central office also pressures schools to under report. This can range from physical, violent threats and assaults by students against not only other students but teachers too! This creates a dangerous situation for students and teachers.

I could tell my child's incident wasn't on the data disclosed about the school from Central Office because no incidences of that type was listed for the 2017-2018 school year. You are completely correct that something is off and they try to make everything appear to be puppy dogs and unicorns for their reputation. The data MCPS presents is skewed and problems don't get fixed.

+100

We have absolutely had incidents at our school - assault against other students, threats towards other students, threats towards teachers. NONE of them show up for our school. NONE. Agree that the principal at our school wants to just handle things 'internally' and doesn't accurately report incidents.

The problem of not reporting the data is an ethical violation on behalf of the principal. Not reporting is covering up a problem that exists. If it appears a problem doesn't exist, then there is no incentive for the principal to do something to correct the problem.

Not sure how active your PTA is, but could you tell the PTA president about the problem and have the PTA president connect with the MCCPTA to help investigate why the numbers do not reflect known incidences?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

This X100. The other safety issue is failure to report student incidents that occur in school. Some principals in rougher schools are obsessed with improving the school's reputation and pressure teachers and staff to handle things 'internally' to not mess up the numbers. The central office also pressures schools to under report. This can range from physical, violent threats and assaults by students against not only other students but teachers too! This creates a dangerous situation for students and teachers.

I could tell my child's incident wasn't on the data disclosed about the school from Central Office because no incidences of that type was listed for the 2017-2018 school year. You are completely correct that something is off and they try to make everything appear to be puppy dogs and unicorns for their reputation. The data MCPS presents is skewed and problems don't get fixed.

+100

We have absolutely had incidents at our school - assault against other students, threats towards other students, threats towards teachers. NONE of them show up for our school. NONE. Agree that the principal at our school wants to just handle things 'internally' and doesn't accurately report incidents.

Anonymous wrote:

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

This X100. The other safety issue is failure to report student incidents that occur in school. Some principals in rougher schools are obsessed with improving the school's reputation and pressure teachers and staff to handle things 'internally' to not mess up the numbers. The central office also pressures schools to under report. This can range from physical, violent threats and assaults by students against not only other students but teachers too! This creates a dangerous situation for students and teachers.

I could tell my child's incident wasn't on the data disclosed about the school from Central Office because no incidences of that type was listed for the 2017-2018 school year. You are completely correct that something is off and they try to make everything appear to be puppy dogs and unicorns for their reputation. The data MCPS presents is skewed and problems don't get fixed.

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

This X100. The other safety issue is failure to report student incidents that occur in school. Some principals in rougher schools are obsessed with improving the school's reputation and pressure teachers and staff to handle things 'internally' to not mess up the numbers. The central office also pressures schools to under report. This can range from physical, violent threats and assaults by students against not only other students but teachers too! This creates a dangerous situation for students and teachers.

Anonymous wrote:Short answer. No.

We need more money and better policies around protecting our students. Not less.

What kind of backwards thinking is this?

I am currently considering filing a joint complaint with the US Justice Department and US Department of Education for civil rights violations in connection to their failure to protect my child, retaliation for reporting child abuse, and their lack of response which equated to indifference of the problem. United with other families sith similar experiences at multiple schools in Montgomery County, there's probably enough to warrant a financial sanction. Something needs to be done and I am a believer that the Federal Government power to withhold funds is the wake up call MCPS needs. Currently they are big on spin but doing very little to protect children.

Short answer. No.

We need more money and better policies around protecting our students. Not less.

What kind of backwards thinking is this?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland should be proactive and deeply investigate MCPS. Governor Hogan wanted funding for an investigator to look into complaints and issues so they can be fixed and the responsible employees fired and if necessary, criminally prosecuted. I would hope he will ask again in January. Vote for candidates in November that vocally support the Governor on this issue.

What falsehood. Hogan is no friend of public school system. He is in the pockets of business interests.

Yes, he is. Shortening the school year because of Ocean City?
I hope he gets voted out.

He did not shorten the school year. It it exactly the same length it has been for years.

It's the same number of days. It's not the same length. You can't lengthen summer break without shortening the school year. That's basic math.

Basic math also says that 182 is less than 184

Sorry this is so hard for you Don.

Length of the School Year
The Annotate Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.
Code of Maryland Regulation 13A.

03.02.12 defines the high school year as 180 days with a minimum requirement of 1,170 hours during a ten-month period.

Hysterical! That is like saying if you earn 17 dollars an hour and minimum wage is $15 an hour, and your salary is reduced to the $15 minimum, it has not changed because the minimum has not changed. Only on DCUM. My kids school year was reduced 2 days a year.

No it's not minimum wage. It is a number of days and in the past MCPS has been under the 180 requirement and asked for a waiver. Your little tiny limited experience means you are clueless about this topic.

Dear trolls:

Can you please start your own thread to discuss the school calendar debate? Your debate is ridiculous and the changing of the school calendar has nothing to do with the topic of this thread which is child sexual abuse. BTW - I don't care how many days my child goes or doesn't go to school as long as they are safe from child predators when they go there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland should be proactive and deeply investigate MCPS. Governor Hogan wanted funding for an investigator to look into complaints and issues so they can be fixed and the responsible employees fired and if necessary, criminally prosecuted. I would hope he will ask again in January. Vote for candidates in November that vocally support the Governor on this issue.

What falsehood. Hogan is no friend of public school system. He is in the pockets of business interests.

Yes, he is. Shortening the school year because of Ocean City?
I hope he gets voted out.

He did not shorten the school year. It it exactly the same length it has been for years.

It's the same number of days. It's not the same length. You can't lengthen summer break without shortening the school year. That's basic math.

Basic math also says that 182 is less than 184

Sorry this is so hard for you Don.

Length of the School Year
The Annotate Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.
Code of Maryland Regulation 13A.

03.02.12 defines the high school year as 180 days with a minimum requirement of 1,170 hours during a ten-month period.

Hysterical! That is like saying if you earn 17 dollars an hour and minimum wage is $15 an hour, and your salary is reduced to the $15 minimum, it has not changed because the minimum has not changed. Only on DCUM. My kids school year was reduced 2 days a year.

No it's not minimum wage. It is a number of days and in the past MCPS has been under the 180 requirement and asked for a waiver. Your little tiny limited experience means you are clueless about this topic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland should be proactive and deeply investigate MCPS. Governor Hogan wanted funding for an investigator to look into complaints and issues so they can be fixed and the responsible employees fired and if necessary, criminally prosecuted. I would hope he will ask again in January. Vote for candidates in November that vocally support the Governor on this issue.

What falsehood. Hogan is no friend of public school system. He is in the pockets of business interests.

Yes, he is. Shortening the school year because of Ocean City?
I hope he gets voted out.

He did not shorten the school year. It it exactly the same length it has been for years.

It's the same number of days. It's not the same length. You can't lengthen summer break without shortening the school year. That's basic math.

Basic math also says that 182 is less than 184

Sorry this is so hard for you Don.

Length of the School Year
The Annotate Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.
Code of Maryland Regulation 13A.

03.02.12 defines the high school year as 180 days with a minimum requirement of 1,170 hours during a ten-month period.

Hysterical! That is like saying if you earn 17 dollars an hour and minimum wage is $15 an hour, and your salary is reduced to the $15 minimum, it has not changed because the minimum has not changed. Only on DCUM. My kids school year was reduced 2 days a year.

Risking Federal funds is on the grounds that MCPS is not addressing the sexual abuse problems in their schools - not the school calendar.

Students currently are left like chum to sharks till the police have enough evidence to arrest. If an employee is caught violating the MCPS Code of Conduct, unless the police can make the arrest the employee remains in a position to work with children.

There is case after case where progressive discipline was applied by MCPS for YEARS till the police made an arrest.

Do you want your child to have a teacher that had a history of putting children on his lap during movie time? Just ask the parents at Cloverly Elementary how bad this problem is.

Anonymous wrote:

Sorry this is so hard for you Don.

Length of the School Year
The Annotate Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.
Code of Maryland Regulation 13A.03.02.12 defines the high school year as 180 days with a minimum requirement of 1,170 hours during a ten-month period.

The whole point of Hogan's executive order was to force all local school boards to set a longer summer break. But the year still only has 365 days (or 366 in leap years), executive order or not. So let x = length of school year and y = length of summer break. Then x + y = 365. If you add 2 weeks to y, then x has to be 2 weeks shorter.