Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 12:18     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
The same article: "High school graduation rates for the district had been improving, and the number of seniors graduating with “industry-recognized and industry aligned” credentials had jumped 40 percent in 2023 over 2022. At the end of the 2022 school year, statewide data determined that Orange County Schools was the No. 1 district for percentage of students exceeding growth for North Carolina. There were also marked gains in closing achievement gaps among students, including an 83 percent increase among Black students selecting Honors, AP or IB coursework. Among Hispanic students, the number was up 26 percent."

And a board member admitted that historically it has rarely been near six million dollars. So selective excerpts really doesn't work here. There is also no context to the extra spending, which could be pandemic-related. Context, context, context.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:52     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Dr. Felder is a no nonsense person. I expect a lot of house cleaning. Hopefully she can right the ship!
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:28     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:In looking at the news reports, bottom line she was actually forced out as a casualty of the culture wars in North Carolina, actually. It appears that test scores did dramatically improve and parents were extremely happy with her performance but her alignment with diversity efforts meant that she had to go, from their perspective. It all sounds rather racist, of course, but as I have lived in North Carolina it wouldn't surprise me at all. I do think we should give her an opportunity to perform and judge her actions going forward, now. McKnight has provided a rather low bar here, so we shall see.


At that board meeting, members of the HIL Group presented its financial review update of Orange County Schools, and expressed concern about the drop in Orange County Schools’ fund balance, which sat at more than $6 million in 2020, but is now around $2.7 million. The HIL Group’s review was not an official audit of the district, although recent audits of OCS had shown no irregularities in spending.

The review showed that, even though enrollment is declining in Orange County — as it is across the state — but most other school districts are increasing their fund balance, and that even as the number of students declined, since 2020, Orange County Schools has added 76 employees, including six central service positions since 2018.

“The spending level and use of fund balance is at a non-sustainable level,” the HIL Group’s Hank Hurd said of Orange County Schools’ finances.

All of the spending was approved by the board, although the exact amount spent cannot always be presented to the board at the time of the funding request.

The HIL Group recommended several changes needed to be made, including the board taking tighter control over central office and administration, urging district leadership to develop consistent extra-duty compensation planning and communicating what duties qualify for additional pay, and employing zero-balance budgeting.


SOURCE: https://www.newsoforange.com/community/article_85364898-3386-11ee-b3ed-fb509847a3dc.html

Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:28     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
I suspect the pool of eligible candidates willing to step in, in the middle of this unholy mess, had to be really small, as most people you would pull from are tarred with the same feather, so you can't get them from the existing staff directory. It had to be someone familiar with MCPS processes and available at the drop of a hat. That's, what, maybe what can be counted on one hand, really. Maybe only one or two people, really.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:24     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
In looking at the news reports, bottom line she was actually forced out as a casualty of the culture wars in North Carolina, actually. It appears that test scores did dramatically improve and parents were extremely happy with her performance but her alignment with diversity efforts meant that she had to go, from their perspective. It all sounds rather racist, of course, but as I have lived in North Carolina it wouldn't surprise me at all. I do think we should give her an opportunity to perform and judge her actions going forward, now. McKnight has provided a rather low bar here, so we shall see.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:21     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monica Felder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Weird how quickly they hired her and she sounds shady too.


I'm sure her name was on a short list as soon as all the JB smoke started appearing and the BOE was thinking about an exit strategy from McKnight. But yes very strange interim hire so quickly from outside the district. She was basically fired from her post in NC this summer and had ethics questioned from a bribe/kickback situation in 2019. Does the BOE not have the internet?


I think the BOE either:

1. Didn't dig deep cause they can't or don't want to because the candidate pool is not deep

2. Worry about giving a victory to moderate-rightwing voices that say they're doing a bad job with stewarding the district, so they hired someone who's like McKnight, but isn't her

Either is fine. My only issue with the second rationale is that makes sense if you pick someone who has McKnight's profile (black, female, equity focused) but doesn't have McKnight's baggage (fired by school board, questions about transparency/accountability). But Felder doesn't pass that threshold, so why hire her with all of those clouds hanging over her?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:14     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monica Felder
Anonymous wrote:Weird how quickly they hired her and she sounds shady too.


I'm sure her name was on a short list as soon as all the JB smoke started appearing and the BOE was thinking about an exit strategy from McKnight. But yes very strange interim hire so quickly from outside the district. She was basically fired from her post in NC this summer and had ethics questioned from a bribe/kickback situation in 2019. Does the BOE not have the internet?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 11:01     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Her best qualifications right now are that she is a known quantity, and she actually agreed to take the position and that is fine.

All the folks on here that think 100s of people are lining up to apply to be supe of MCPS are delusional (even fewer want to be interim). Nobody wants this job. We know this from two previous searches.

Hopefully folks will give Dr. Felder a chance to lead MCPS while a candidate search is conducted. Personal attacks and the ridiculous vitriol on this forum don't help us in a candidate search!
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 10:53     Subject: Re:New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:Good to get an actual real-life anecdote vs judgment based on her race and gender and the fact that she values equity. Folks can value equity and all of the other things. People act like it's binary and it's very telling that the naysayers choose equity as the bogeyman vs all of the other things.


100%
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 10:30     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where was she a principal in MCPS?


Watkins Mill Elementary


When was she at Watkins Mill?


Early 2000s


She was the principal at WMES when my wife started her teaching career. My wife said she was tough and demanding but fair, and treated her fairly. My wife did well there. No complaints. hoping she can keep the ship righted while they find a Superintendant, I think she can if anyone can.


That was before she got on the Shawn Joseph and Jerry weast train.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 10:29     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It seems like race and gender are key filter criteria for this position. If true, it's very sad for our kids. Leaving a lot of talent off the table.


Why do you think that? If the interim was a white male, would you say the same? Because that is all they have seemed to pick in the past and you were fine with it. Sure, you picked apart Jack Smith but not once did you say he was there because of his race or gender. Interesting when they don't pick the norm, which is a white male, it is somehow about race and gender. It was about race and gender before too - you just don't want to recognize it. And you're dumb.


And you’re just as dumb.

DP here - If the new Super was a white male with questionable court cases who was fired from his last Super job, people would most definitely be asking questions here.



No
Joshua Starr covered up sex abuse in Stanford and no one cared.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 10:23     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It seems like race and gender are key filter criteria for this position. If true, it's very sad for our kids. Leaving a lot of talent off the table.


Why do you think that? If the interim was a white male, would you say the same? Because that is all they have seemed to pick in the past and you were fine with it. Sure, you picked apart Jack Smith but not once did you say he was there because of his race or gender. Interesting when they don't pick the norm, which is a white male, it is somehow about race and gender. It was about race and gender before too - you just don't want to recognize it. And you're dumb.


And you’re just as dumb.

DP here - If the new Super was a white male with questionable court cases who was fired from his last Super job, people would most definitely be asking questions here.

Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 09:35     Subject: Re:New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Good to get an actual real-life anecdote vs judgment based on her race and gender and the fact that she values equity. Folks can value equity and all of the other things. People act like it's binary and it's very telling that the naysayers choose equity as the bogeyman vs all of the other things.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 09:25     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where was she a principal in MCPS?


Watkins Mill Elementary


When was she at Watkins Mill?


Early 2000s


She was the principal at WMES when my wife started her teaching career. My wife said she was tough and demanding but fair, and treated her fairly. My wife did well there. No complaints. hoping she can keep the ship righted while they find a Superintendant, I think she can if anyone can.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2024 09:15     Subject: New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where was she a principal in MCPS?


Watkins Mill Elementary


When was she at Watkins Mill?


Early 2000s