Board of Education Sets Calendar for 2020-2021 School Year

The Board of Education has adopted the school year calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. The traditional school year will begin on Monday, August 31, 2020, and the last day is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The calendar includes 182 days of instruction; a 10-day spring break; closures for planning and professional development; and an operational closure that coincides with Rosh Hashanah.

See the calendar for all closures and early release days.

The calendar was developed to comply with closings required by state law, guidance from the state superintendent of schools regarding emergency make-up days, and early release days that are contractually required by the Montgomery County Education Association.

More information

The Board also adopted an Innovative School Year for Arcola and Roscoe Nix elementary schools. School will begin on Monday, July 6, 2020 for these schools.

Contest Challenges Students to Use Technology to Enhance Communication

MCPS is launching the fourth year of its student contest, United We Learn. This year’s contest, United We Learn: Innovative Communication Challenge, encourages students to think about how communication affects their daily lives, and how technology can be used to enhance communication. Middle and high school students are challenged to conceptualize an Amazon Alexa Skill (or series of skills) that shares information of importance about the school district, addresses communication barriers, strengthens the home-school connection and positively impacts the MCPS community. Alexa skills use voice to access and share information. The contest will take place in two phases, and MCPS will publish the winning skill(s) and make it available for use.

Elementary school students are challenged to design a webpage that shares information of importance about their school, addresses communication barriers, strengthens the home-school connection and positively impacts the MCPS community. The contest will take place in two phases and the winning proposals will be developed into webpages by MCPS Web Services on the students’ elementary schools’ websites. Winners will have the opportunity to participate in the development process.

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20.

To learn more about the contest, visit this webpage.

Watch this video for more info.

Special Education Advisory Committee Meeting Set for Dec. 9

The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) will meet from 7–9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, in the Carver Educational Services Center auditorium, 850 Hungerford Dr. in Rockville. Superintendent Jack Smith is expected to attend.

SEAC is comprised of parents/guardians, MCPS staff and representatives of Montgomery County community groups that advocate for students with special needs and advise the Office of Special Education. The meetings are open to the public.

Childcare is available. Spanish interpretation is also available.

Future meetings are scheduled for:

• January 23, 2020, Carver Educational Services Center, Room 134
• February 27, 2020 Carver Educational Services Center, Auditorium
• March 26, 2020, Carver Educational Services Center, Room 134
• April 23, 2020, Carver Educational Services Center, Room 134
• May 28, 2020, Carver Educational Services Center, Room 134

More information is available on the SEAC webpage.

Join Us for a Virtual Community Conversation on the FY 2021 Operating Budget

Superintendent of Schools Jack R. Smith will host a virtual community conversation to present his Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget Recommendation on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. As part of the presentation, Dr. Smith and MCPS staff will take questions from the community and answer them live. Questions may be submitted online or by text message to 724-427-5445. The December 18 presentation can be viewed live on Comcast Channel 34, Verizon FIOS Channel 36, and RCN Channel 88, as well as through the MCPS website.

Board of Education Seeking Comment on Three Policies

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking comment on three policies— Policy JEE, Student Transfers; Policy BOA, Legal Services, and Policy IGS, Educational Technology.

Visit this webpage to read the draft policies and to offer comment.

Comments on Policy JEE are due by Sunday, December 15, 2019. Comments on Policy BOA and Policy IGS are due by Sunday, January 12, 2020.

You can also read the draft policies and comment from the links below.

The Board is proposing amendments to Board Policy JEE, Student Transfers, and is seeking public comment on the amendments.

Read draft Board Policy JEE

Comment on draft Board Policy JEE here

Draft Policy BOA, Legal Services, reaffirms the right of the Board of Education to retain attorneys for advice and representation in legal matters and sets forth a comprehensive plan for the efficient and effective management of legal services.

Read draft Board Policy BOA

Comment on draft Board Policy BOA here

Draft Policy IGS, Educational Technology, reaffirms the Board’s commitment to equitable access and opportunity for all students and staff to use technology to communicate, collaborate, create and innovate safely and responsibly in support of teaching and learning.

Read draft Board Policy IGS

Comment on draft Board Policy IGS here

Board of Education Elects New Officers

Shebra L. Evans was selected by her colleagues on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, to serve as president of the Montgomery County Board of Education for the second time. Ms. Brenda Wolff was selected vice president. Both officers will serve a one-year term.

Ms. Evans, a resident of Silver Spring, was elected to her first four-year term in November 2016. For the past year, she served as president of the Board and a member of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee. Ms. Evans serves on the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s Board of Directors, and its Policies and Procedures Committee.

Ms. Evans received a degree in economics and finance from Tennessee State University. She has two children who attend MCPS schools.

Ms. Wolff, a resident of Silver Spring, was elected to her first four-year term in November 2018. She served on the Board’s Fiscal Management Committee, Committee on Special Populations, and Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Committee. She also serves as the Board’s representative to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s Legislative Committee.

Ms. Wolff served as an attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She also served as the Chief Regional Attorney in the Boston Office for Civil Rights and the Deputy Director and Acting Director in the Philadelphia Office for Civil Rights. Ms. Wolff has served on various Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) committees, including the African American Student Achievement Group.

Ms. Wolff graduated from Smith College with a degree in mathematics, and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

Dec. 10 Open House Set for Skilled Trades Professionals

The Office of Human Resources and Development (OHRD) is hosting an open house for skilled professionals interested in teaching their trades to MCPS students.

The open house will be held from 4–7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Thomas Edison High School of Technology, 12501 Dalewood Dr. in Silver Spring. The snow date is Thursday, Dec. 12.

OHRD is recruiting for skilled professionals in these specific areas: automotive technology; healthcare professions; cybersecurity; construction management; architecture; construction electricity; carpentry; heating; ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); plumbing; and law enforcement and leadership.

Attendees will learn about the system’s career readiness programs; tour the Edison facility and speak with current trades teachers and hiring staff.

Virtual Conversation on Curriculum Now Available Online

If you missed the Nov. 14 virtual conversation and presentation on the new curriculum, the entire presentation is available on the Curriculum Implementation webpage. The presentation discussed curriculum implementation, key highlights, and available resources and supports for parents. It focused on both the new elementary and new secondary curricula.

This webpage includes other information, such as a list of Cohort One schools, and video overviews of the StudySync, LearnZillion, Eureka Math and Benchmark Advance curricula.

Anti-Vaping PSA Contest Open to Secondary Students

Montgomery County students in Grades 6–12 are encouraged to create an original video public service announcement (PSA) as part of the county’s anti-vaping campaign. Co-sponsored by MCPS and Healthy Montgomery, the county’s community health improvement program, the goal of the contest is to promote awareness of the dangers of vaping (the use of e-cigarettes).

The submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 20.

Students can enter the contest on their own or as a group; however, students may only participate in one entry. The winning PSAs will be announced in February and cash prizes will be given to the first place, second place and third place entries.

Find out more about entry rules and submission instructions on the Healthy Montgomery website.

The anti-vaping, tobacco prevention campaign is a collaboration of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County Public Schools and Healthy Montgomery. The contest is made possible by the support of Trinity Health, Holy Cross Health and the Institute for Public Health Innovation through Trinity Health’s Transforming Communities Initiative.