For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 27, 2023
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 9:30 a.m. to review initial report findings and processes for investigations of employee misconduct in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The joint EC and Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive an update on school bus and traffic safety.
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Mink.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Review: The EC Committee will discuss information related to investigations of employee misconduct in MCPS and review information related to current and future oversight measures. On Aug. 11, 2023, The Washington Post published an article detailing allegations of sexual harassment and bullying by an MCPS employee who had recently received a promotion within the school system. The Council is monitoring current and future oversight measures related to the issues raised by the allegations.
The discussion is expected to include any changes to MCPS processes and procedures that are able to be shared at this time, in addition to anticipated timelines and processes for ongoing work on process issues, including a corrective action plan requested by the Board of Education. The committee will also discuss the results of a staff climate survey conducted by MCPS in May 2023 and steps being taken to support schools where the survey results indicated poor school climate.
Expected attendees for this meeting include President of the Montgomery County Board of Education Karla Silvestre, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools Dr. Monifa McKnight and Montgomery County Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi.
Update: The joint EC and PS Committee will receive an update on school bus and traffic safety from MCPS and Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) representatives. The MCPS bus fleet includes more than 1,300 buses. Each school day, MCPS buses transport 103,000 students to more than 200 schools in Montgomery County and to special schools in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Pursuant to the Montgomery County Board of Education’s Student Transportation Policy, MCPS is responsible for conducting safety evaluations of bus stops and recommended walking routes.
Data, from a five-year period including 2016-2019 and 2022, shows that there were 121 pedestrians and 30 cyclists struck in County-designated school zones during this time. Of those crashes, 30 resulted in serious or fatal injuries. School aged non-motorists made up 43 of the pedestrian and bicycle crashes in County designated school zones.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 23-310