Mental Health Forum Set for May 31

MCPS is hosting a mental health forum for families and students from 6:15–8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31 at Seneca Valley High School.

The event will include a chance for parents to share information with MCPS staff, and to learn about mental health resources and services the school district has available to students.

There will also be a resource fair, and breakout sessions on a range of topics including signs of suicide and suicide prevention, anxiety and depression in students, restorative justice, trauma and its impact on the brain, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness and meditation.

MCPS staff, including counselors, psychologists, pupil personnel workers, social workers and ESOL transition counselors, will be on hand and available to talk with families about issues and challenges students may be experiencing.

This event is being held in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, which will also share resources available to help families. Other county organizations expected to be present include Linkages to Learning, Our Minds Matter, MCCPTA and the Jewish Social Service Agency.

Seneca Valley is located at 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown. 

MCPS Hosts Pride Town Hall on May 21

On Saturday., May 21, MCPS will host its annual Pride Town Hall from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Walter Johnson High School. Students, staff, youth service providers, families, and community members are welcome to attend and participate in workshops and a resource fair. 

The registration link is available here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/lgbtq/.

Virtual Forum on School Safety and Security for Latino Families Set for May 25

Parents are invited to a virtual conversation about comprehensive MCPS well-being, safety and security initiatives on Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. During this virtual event, parents will engage in conversations on creating safe and equitable schools for all students. 

Participants will also learn more about the Community Engagement Officer program enhancements and resources available to support student’s mental health and social well-being. This virtual event will be in Spanish. 

Parents can register in advance here.

BOE Approves Superintendent’s Four-Year Contract

By a unanimous vote, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved Dr. Monifa B. McKnight’s employment contract as superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) on Tuesday, May 10. Dr. McKnight, who has served MCPS in various capacities for two decades, started as a classroom teacher and currently serves as the district’s interim superintendent.

“Dr. McKnight is an exceptionally skilled leader who will build on our district’s legacy of excellence, and help us ensure that we are an innovative and equitable school system that provides a world-class education to all of our students,” said Brenda Wolff, president of the Board of Education. “Dr. McKnight brings a deep understanding of what students and staff need to take MCPS to the next level.”

The Board conditionally appointed Dr. McKnight as superintendent on Feb. 8, 2022, pending agreement on terms of an employment contract and approval by the state superintendent of schools, as required by Maryland law. The Board and Dr. McKnight completed negotiations on the terms of a four-year employment contract within the last month, and the state superintendent approved Dr. McKnight for the superintendency on Feb. 9. Dr. McKnight’s past experience in MCPS as teacher, principal, deputy superintendent and, most recently, as interim superintendent has deeply immersed her in the work of the system and leaves her well-prepared to take on the challenges.

“I am looking forward to the work ahead as the next superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools and to collaborating with students, parents, staff and community leaders to expand opportunity so that our students are college, career and community ready,” said Dr. McKnight. “My priorities center on building and rebuilding trust, supporting mental health and wellness and returning the district’s focus on equitable teaching and learning for all students so that our school system’s potential.”

Since the Board conditionally appointed her, Dr. McKnight has spent time listening to the community’s input around these priorities through a series of engagement sessions, “All Together Now: Putting Our Students First.” Hundreds of community members have gathered to discuss schools’ strengths, opportunities for growth and how to better serve the students. Additional opportunities for engagement are being planned.

Under the terms of the four-year contract, Dr. McKnight will earn a salary of $320,000 per year, and also will receive $48,000 in deferred compensation, as well as a matching contribution toward her retirement plan. She will also receive other benefits, including health, disability and life insurance; moving expenses; and the use of a vehicle.

Dr. McKnight’s Biography

Dr. Monifa B. McKnight currently serves as the interim superintendent for MCPS. Prior to this role, she served as MCPS’ deputy superintendent. She also served as the Chief School Management and Instructional Leadership Officer for the Howard County Public School System.

Prior to working in Howard County, Dr. McKnight served as the Director for Secondary Leadership Development Programs in MCPS. She also served as a Campus Principal Ambassador Fellow for the U.S. Department of Education in 2016 under Secretary of Education John King.

Dr. McKnight was honored as the 2015 Maryland Middle School Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals and as the 2015 Maryland State Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. She received this honor during her fifth year as the principal of Ridgeview Middle School in Gaithersburg.

Her prior experience includes: classroom teacher, English resource teacher, staff development teacher and assistant principal. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Bowie State University and a doctorate of education in educational leadership and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park.

BOE Seeks Applicants to Fill Positions on Ethics Panel

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking to fill one vacancy on its five-member Ethics Panel (Panel). The vacancies are for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2022. Members serve without compensation.

As noted in Board Policy, BBB, Ethics, among the Panel’s responsibilities are: (1) approving financial disclosure forms; (2) interpreting the Board of Education’s Ethics Policy and issuing advisory opinions concerning its application; and (3) conducting hearings on complaints filed regarding an alleged violation.

Panel members may not be incumbent members of the Board of Education, school officials, employees, or persons employed by a business entity subject to the authority of the Board of Education, or spouses of such individuals. The Panel meets once a year to review financial disclosure forms and as needed to review complaints and requests for advisory opinions.

Applicants must submit a letter of interest along with a resumé or other documentation to support the application by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022, for the appointment to be made at a June Board of Education meeting. (Applicants are not required to attend this meeting; notifications of the Board of Education’s appointments will be sent to all applicants.) Please send a letter of interest and resumé by mail to Ms. Robyn Seabrook, Montgomery County Board of Education, 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 123, Rockville, Maryland 20850; by email to Robyn_N_Seabrook@mcpsmd.org or fax to 301-279-3860. For further information, please call 240-740-3030.

The Shift to Structured Literacy in Elementary Schools

In response to gaps in elementary literacy skills, MCPS is launching a shift to structured literacy beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. This shift will be supported with new instructional materials, widespread professional development and support to schools, and a new literacy assessment for Kindergarten through Grade 2.

Structured literacy centers on the systematic and cumulative teaching of the five components of reading—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, as well as writing. This shift is supported by research on improving how MCPS teaches reading and writing. Instruction will be differentiated for individual student needs.   

In Kindergarten through Grade 2, the Measures of Academic Progress–Reading Fluency (MAP–RF) assessment will be replaced by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment. This change will provide teachers with reliable, predictive information about student progress on specific skills that allow for targeted instruction.  

Training on the structured literacy approach and the DIBELS assessment for teachers, school-based reading specialists and administrators began during the 2021-2022 school year, and will continue this summer and throughout the 2022-2023 school year. 

Special Education Parents Asked to Complete Survey

Special education parents: the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and MCPS want to hear from you.

MSDE has mailed the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey to all parents/guardians of students with an IEP in Montgomery County. The information provided will help guide the state’s efforts in improving special education and related services in public schools.

Parents/guardians have two options:

• Complete the hard copy of the survey for their child’s grade and mail it back in the postage-paid envelope received from MSDE by Friday, May 27.
• Complete the survey online here.
  

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Parents are asked to complete a separate survey for each child receiving services.

MSDE Special Ed Parent Survey FAQs (English and Spanish)

Court of Appeals Hosting Essay Contest; Submissions Due May 27

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is seeking submissions for its 2022 essay contest.

High school students are invited to share their thoughts on the question: “Is the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause sufficient to secure the rights of all citizens, or is the ERA necessary to promote gender equality?” Fifty years ago, on March 22, 1972, Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the states for ratification, but only 35 of the 38 required states voted to ratify by the deadline.

Essays are limited to 1,000 words and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 27. Cash prizes will be provided for first place, $2,000; second place, $1,500; and third place, $1,000.

Winners will be announced in August, and the winning essays will be presented at the court’s Essay Awards Program in September. More information is available here.

Celebrate Reading at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 21

The 2022 Gaithersburg Book Festival is May 21. Join this annual celebration of books, authors and literary excellence at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Attendance and parking are free. Visit the website.