[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6395160,"mediaKeyId","2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3","parentId",2101627,"title","Parents and students press Montgomery County school board for faster action on elementary security, IDs and emergency comms","audioSeconds",774,"startMs",1578000,"endMs",2352000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3&start=1578&end=2352","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3/thumbnail_1578000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6395160/Maryland/Parents-and-students-press-Montgomery-County-school-board-for-faster-action-on-elementary-security-IDs-and-emergency-comms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395160-6f61ceb8680577f26a32acf135d55e18/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169306&Signature=YsMV~VDbDbJtr5pI3lQvuEfR0yp4T558JYuTb4ts4chqsGQauMjcsAG~fMpTPZGZcwz-vlJQNnI-OiW3HDBKcIRKJ1bjj8-4MggQq6ExPzfCXBJnzcORkx6AOl4PA6ynxViAfv21jlSm3KFEgiHe-02QGRNwhlX~1D2ArD89p3S0Ol~mX3KLVi73IZprIjK2wrdkRVuc53HOEkGWZfVBWFx7wK1sVJEw4zo-HWnSI9acdiI~vOUR6vIFulHahsnZgAO~Vtzf7MQTWzz-lmx~qjXMzoDmx62F8rIdO8zF6DTqAahXfKGLR1jP4~EUfxGCUFH7w1VtN6Hs6LcUJA-8ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County Public Schools","date","2025-01-10T00:41:25Z","article","At the Jan. 9 Montgomery County Board of Education business meeting, multiple parents, students and community advocates urged faster, more consistent safety upgrades in elementary schools after several recent incidents, including a December threat at 7 Locks Elementary that parents say has left young students frightened.

The meeting’s public-comment period was dominated by safety concerns and requests for specific measures. Philip Hill, a 7 Locks parent, said his third-grade daughter sat next to a classmate who threatened to “bring a gun in his bag and shoot everyone in the school” on Dec. 18; Hill said he asked for a bag search and class reassignment and that the school refused. “How is it that an 8‑year‑old can have a clearer sense of what constitutes a danger than an elementary school principal?” he asked.

Several speakers requested more consistent ID enforcement districtwide. Anova Malu, a Montgomery Blair High School junior who spoke as a student, proposed making IDs serve an extra everyday function to encourage wearing them, and suggested building systems that let students use school IDs to access supplies discreetly. Parent Victoria Hill called for standardized security assessments at all 136 elementary schools, saying some buildings lack cellphone reception, emergency call buttons and monitored camera systems.

School staff and district officials responded during the meeting. Adnan Mamoun, deputy chief of facilities for MCPS, said fencing work at Harriet Tubman Elementary is underway and that playground fences are being installed at four feet where appropriate; he noted the turf field is shared with the city of Gaithersburg and requires coordination for any additional enclosure. Chief of Safety and Security Marcus Jones and others described equipment work already in progress across the district — middle school camera upgrades funded by a state grant, scheduling for vape-sensor installations, and a vendor review for a possible districtwide crisis alert system — but also emphasized that technical fixes must be paired with consistent on-site practice and staffing.

Board members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff for follow-up. Board member Rita Montoya said she wanted more detail about the Harriet Tubman fencing timeline; Deputy Chief Mamoun replied the gates and playground fencing are being installed now and that city coordination continues for the turf field. Multiple board members urged staff to return with data-based recommendations on panic-button options, radio/phone coverage gaps and staff deployments.

District officials also described steps the system is already taking: expanded training for security assistants on de‑escalation and crowd management; a near-complete rollout of upgraded cameras at middle schools; and partnerships with Montgomery County Police Department for cluster-based community engagement officers (the Northwest High School cluster position remained open at the time of the meeting but was expected to be filled).

Why it matters: Parents said the immediate problem is not just policy but practice — inconsistent checks, unclear follow-up after threats and uneven infrastructure across schools. Several speakers appealed to the board for both short-term fixes (panic buttons, standardized parent notifications, targeted facility repairs such as fencing) and long-term investments (additional security assistants and improved cellular/critical-communications redundancy).

What’s next: Board members asked staff to produce more granular, school-level assessments and implementation plans and to return with recommendations. Chief Jones and safety staff said they will complete high-school assessments in the current round and move into middle-school assessments in the next semester; the board asked that elementary-school needs be prioritized in follow-up reports.

Context and limits: Speakers described incidents and local facility issues; board members repeatedly stressed that investigations and formal discipline follow defined district procedures. District officials said many services and pilot measures are in progress and that data collection is ongoing; specifics on vendors, costs and firm timelines were not available for every requested item at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education - Board Business Meeting - 1/9/25","oneSentenceSummary","At the Jan. 9 Montgomery County Board of Education meeting, parents, students and staff pressed the district for faster and more uniform elementary-school security measures after several campus incidents, including a December classroom threat at 7 Locks Elementary that parents say has left children afraid.","taxTitle","Montgomery County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",38270,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395141,"Votes at a glance: Jan. 9 Montgomery County Board of Education business meeting",5847,910000,6757000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3&start=910&end=6757","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3/thumbnail_910000.jpg","/articles/6395141/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-Jan-9-Montgomery-County-Board-of-Education-business-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395141-af881ac9c4681a6807143ab83f7858e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169306&Signature=DLnLcphrLrSB8UcmdE4TlPJuXB4~FEklxlVauMASG~3oc8HQdjBO1zgNFNU~wzyZ5T-FwKUfKh2TzzXqfjEXqoRZMujXF5tsg41o~DRMDe9CMrVPGGaegfUXm2cu5bgU8K7VBNXXPx5acUQzUND0Te143T8H0QuyihOTqpJA0f4F6gkGHyuj~WWwXncEJ3qmbW3hYN6ZVwEnMAfUWUpfA3aY9Z~DooWUo3XgbyXkjZJlorQeKkLqfH7Kj-o7-XVkrPTC8NztM8yWrvj91L5RZ2cT~ov~nAPkWfNwPnZ5eYhOUylYRzVZkJRIhEutb~sv3XqWlfcF-5u15FyTOM-aFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montgomery County Board of Education recorded several formal actions at its Jan. 9 business meeting. This summary lists the motions and outcomes noted in the official meeting record.

Agenda and procedural votes
• Approval of the meeting agenda — Motion to approve the Jan. 9 agenda was made and approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous among members present).

Appointments and personnel actions
• Appointment of Julie A. Morris as Director, Department of Planning, Design, and Construction, Office of Facilities Management and Operations — Motion: Move approval; second recorded; outcome: approved, recorded as unanimous.
• Appointment of Brooks P. Kemp as Principal, Bradley Hills Elementary School — Motion: Move approval; second recorded; outcome: approved, recorded as unanimous.

Resolutions and proclamations
• Resolution proclaiming February 2025 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month — Motion: Move approval; second recorded; outcome: approved, recorded as unanimous.
• Resolution recognizing National School Counseling Week (Feb. 3–7, 2025) — Motion: Move approval; second recorded; outcome: approved, recorded as unanimous.

Consent and administrative blocks
• Multiple consent items were moved en bloc during the meeting and approved by voice vote (board recorded the block approvals as unanimous among members present). Several items were pulled for discussion by individual members (for example, item 6.2) and handled separately; items discussed were then adopted as announced on the record.

Policy action
• Committee‑recommended draft of Board Policy GAA (workforce excellence): Board took tentative action to release the draft for public comment (21‑day comment period). Motion carried and was recorded by voice as unanimous among members present; this was tentative action to solicit feedback, not final adoption.

Other motions
• Multiple administrative motions were made to move remaining items en bloc later in the meeting (for example, motions to move items 12.1–12.4 as a block); the board recorded these en bloc motions as adopted unanimously by those present.

Meeting close
• Motion to adjourn was made and approved; meeting adjourned by unanimous voice vote.

Notes: The meeting transcript records the votes as voice votes with the clerk announcing “all in favor?” and “that’s unanimous” for most items. The record shows unanimous outcomes “with those present” rather than roll‑call tallies showing each member’s recorded vote. If the board requires numerical tallies, the clerk’s official minutes should be consulted for counts by member. This summary does not include every consent agenda line item (those are listed in the formal board docket).","The board approved multiple personnel items and proclamations and moved routine consent blocks; tentative action was taken to send draft policy GAA out for public comment. Most votes were adopted unanimously by those present.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":81,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395146,"Board takes tentative action to send rewritten workforce policy GAA out for public comment",56,6701000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3&start=6701&end=6757","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3/thumbnail_6701000.jpg","/articles/6395146/Maryland/Board-takes-tentative-action-to-send-rewritten-workforce-policy-GAA-out-for-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395146-4f9b4918882438ecffa0f2f31d89f5e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169306&Signature=Lme8A7KxjJs8pjHCQh6zbAzgl7fjQvqO2ncjSziTB8C0F~DQgrCZS9a927GcdtBChNTdRRIjGglN4vKPHalibMwqCbV~lH-bpFfkX~LId3TUnRDRitsNzMlR8LRAQTnNdqePjObxqjUo1GX0oLc6Sm~TcgNPXbQCowBDDgW1TWfv6H5Mh-F~R1BAcFLfvMOBzaemEBk-vbWYuaL28CUJT20R1UkIGGFubfGY8TqIFxJCFBeH9rb4CpabWRGkQDoG~nrXJOSN9DpIURbqGDG7FrvIRqlZR-E4UOcpRLpmiTv1kmnHuYbupqyrlFai0Y~ojoE42PaVg53Pk5QGVO0NnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Jan. 9 Board of Education meeting the policy committee’s recommended rewrite of board policy GAA — retitled in the draft as a workforce excellence policy — received tentative board action for release to public comment.

Leslie Turner Percival, legal director in the Office of General Counsel, said the committee’s charge was “to reenvision GAA” and to tighten its focus on a coherent employee life‑cycle: recruitment, onboarding, ongoing professional learning, performance improvement and career development. Sally Davis and Office of Human Resources and Development staff said the new draft emphasizes supervisors’ central role in daily professional growth and seeks to make professional learning more culturally responsive and equitable across employee categories.

Board members asked that the draft capture staff preferences reported in an employee climate survey (one effort cited was to ensure employees receive regular, actionable feedback) and raised questions about how exit interviews and other data streams would inform the policy’s implementation. The board then voted to take tentative action and to open a public comment period of 21 days.

Why it matters: The rewrite aims to make the district’s expectations and supports for employees clearer, elevate professional learning across all job categories (not just licensed staff), and embed equity considerations in hiring, evaluation and growth pathways.

What’s next: The draft policy will be posted for a 21‑day public comment period; staff and the policy committee will review public input and return the item for final board action after the comment window closes.

Limits: The board took tentative action to solicit comment; no final wording or adoption occurred at the Jan. 9 meeting.","The Board of Education voted Jan. 9 to take tentative action on committee‑recommended revisions to policy GAA (repurposed as a workforce excellence policy) and to release the draft for public comment; staff described the rewrite as an effort to link recruitment, onboarding, professional growth and performance supports.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395151,"Math performance flat districtwide; instructional coaches credited with localized gains",127,11619000,11746000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3&start=11619&end=11746","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3/thumbnail_11619000.jpg","/articles/6395151/Maryland/Math-performance-flat-districtwide-instructional-coaches-credited-with-localized-gains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395151-0fcf0d7395092b327f7260b831d36530/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169306&Signature=Z08BrF2VpNjwjZOUG6m2PQPnzlUQHWx-UrQhTKnhFkYDbaPsUd4jQ7LjKGv1kHQTq1hzYoRMN8i6WyVdhIXEEiC35TrdtBZYSlzaTY0jcmQp87dBBjtLRoPasMOmDyK3~qgGLEJaGH8OHFHW1PDeuFgmLQnZoo0iGGoUvuU8tPTF2vakDStAl749V6kK0glTkOsxxaFcAc0SipLiuflfjIQeknCPJx2U8sjuvVNe7GzrUByqGX3~MO~g36mM4DpPyrJTWakX6sH7juXO7TFKcM0ClcJ-m1ib8Otk1DUdudY5n749gVzTF-SDQva-bWZTYHsmZoL9Jl6xi8qU~u2Gdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Montgomery County Public Schools officials told the board on Jan. 9 that fall 2024 MAP mathematics data showed little overall movement districtwide and that kindergarten entrants scored lower on average than in prior years. At the same time, district leaders highlighted promising, localized gains in schools that had sustained, job‑embedded math coaching.

Carla Britt, a district math supervisor, and several instructional coaches described a model in which centrally assigned math coaches work side‑by‑side with grade‑level teams to improve planning, classroom routines, and immediate feedback loops between formative exit tickets and the next day’s instruction. Kylene Toomey, an elementary instructional math coach who described a multi‑year partnership with Strawberry Knoll Elementary, said that by looping with the same student cohort from first into second grade and maintaining grade‑level planning and implementation coaching “we are finding the student cohort experience allows us to continue to raise the bar for planning and instruction while also allowing us to track student progress over time.”

At the middle‑school level, a coach reported measured growth percentiles for Black or African American students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School that were substantially above the normative 50th percentile; the coach credited regular protected planning time, curriculum study that included language routines, and principal support for keeping planning time protected from coverage.

District leaders stressed the importance of content knowledge for elementary teachers, protected collaborative planning time, and job‑embedded coaching rather than one‑off workshops. They also flagged statewide changes: the Maryland State Department of Education plans to move from separate algebra/geometry sequences toward an integrated math sequence in coming years, which will require new implementation and professional learning.

Why it matters: Math gaps across grades and racial/ethnic groups are a persistent concern. MCPS officials argued that the combination of curriculum study, practice‑focused coaching and better alignment of planning to instruction produces measurable improvements at schools where the model is implemented consistently. Board members asked for clearer data disaggregation (including magnet vs. neighborhood students) and for plans to scale coaching where it is most needed.

What’s next: District staff said they will refresh the facilities‑linked capacity planning that underpins scheduling and will continue to expand coaching and specialist support in budget proposals; they will also provide further school‑level data (including sample sizes) and cluster‑based deployment plans for instructional math coaches.

Limitations: MAP tests change format and coverage at several grade breakpoints; district staff noted comparisons must account for test differences and cohort sequencing. The district’s math‑coach coverage is still limited (dozens of coaches assigned across hundreds of schools), and officials said scaling requires budgeted staff and cross‑functional deployment.","MCPS officials told the board MAP results for fall 2024 were largely flat districtwide, with kindergarten entrants showing lower starting scores; instructional math coaches and school‑level curriculum study were cited as the main drivers of improvements at selected schools.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6395156,"District reports double‑year gains in K–2 reading after investments in curriculum and interventions",79,7177000,7256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3&start=7177&end=7256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2101627-9eab9c71f8d1a1aaf835c05ca560deb3/thumbnail_7177000.jpg","/articles/6395156/Maryland/District-reports-doubleyear-gains-in-K2-reading-after-investments-in-curriculum-and-interventions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6395156-f2bafa04b8e955abc4b7c583209e6c9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169306&Signature=U7gH5FygvXMrTEUB3dDpCgXgCKnjkLVIaNUxVZWlm-bzEWW5EhGDidvZkK2uHLJ2TEXbh3WImZd7IBsnQ4vfRRdg1CtLPyoMSKLUhWhYk3RuaMsBBqcbWX2MFjBtbYNCszd5-TVSki8d3VMGcdofmE~Hpm~RQdV2qa8zvHArbtgUgjRt~jGvP71BOP-2OvIg1~JNCtqjuQKHoUzUZext~Eqgcr9ji5yFDcC8OMuO4yAij073tM0UtpCaLfq7-gxp2qW5NzR7oMOVahMbSYUwFLsBk52snmNwjBS8u4PxhrqS~uizG~w9lW8V3bGTr5g2~1qWAhSsr--4mwQfpdbQ1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Montgomery County Public Schools officials told the board on Jan. 9 that targeted investments in early literacy — a new knowledge‑building elementary curriculum, expanded foundational‑skills instruction and pay‑for professional learning — correspond with measurable gains in early-grade reading.

Malaika Brown, elementary English language arts supervisor, summarized three years of work in grades K–2 and said the district’s dynamic indicator (DIBELS) results show improvement for the cohort now in second grade. “From the fall of their kindergarten year to the fall of their grade‑2 year, the percentage of students at or above the benchmark increased by 18 percentage points,” Brown said, adding that the increase represents almost 1,600 additional second graders reading at grade level compared with two years ago.

Officials connected the gains to three changes: adoption and district training on the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum and aligned foundational‑skills programs (described in the meeting as “Really Great Reading”), expanded use of DIBELS for progress monitoring, and a pilot field test of the multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) and parent‑facing reporting tools.

Chief of Schools Peter Moran described the MTSS field test and family engagement components. He said five field‑test schools used Synergy‑generated parent reports and monthly data chats; caregiver surveys at test schools showed 70% of caregivers reported knowing how their child was doing in reading and 61% said they received conferences about intervention progress. “Schools that are implementing with fidelity and monitoring these interventions are seeing growth,” Moran said, citing specific elementary schools with double‑digit gains.

District officials also gave a rough ‘‘return‑on‑investment’’ estimate for the cohort: staff said roughly $1.84 million of literacy program investment corresponded to the cohort’s observed gain, which the presentation divided down to about $102,000 per percentage point across the full cohort (district staff emphasized this as a back‑of‑envelope figure to illustrate scale, not a causal proof).

Why it matters: Literacy by third grade is a widely used milestone tied to later academic success and to state promotion frameworks. Board members pressed for more detailed disaggregation and asked how to help families use district reports and at‑home activities. Staff said DIBELS home‑connect reports and CKLA parent letters are available (English and Spanish translations are being expanded) and that LETRS training capacity is being increased where budget allows.

What’s next: Staff said the district will continue progress monitoring, expand MTSS documentation and follow up on school‑level fidelity concerns raised in the quarter‑1 analysis; principals and directors were already working on targeted follow‑ups at schools that showed less growth. Officials also noted Maryland’s newly adopted pre‑K–3 literacy policy and said MCPS would continue aligning instruction and communications with state guidance.

Limitations: The district described the DIBELS snapshots as fall results (three administrations are planned: fall, winter and spring) and emphasized that some kindergarten variability is expected because not all incoming kindergartners have the same pre‑K experience. Officials also warned that the ROI figure presented is an illustrative metric and not a formal cost‑effectiveness study.","MCPS officials told the board the percentage of second graders meeting DIBELS benchmarks rose 18 percentage points over two years after investments in foundational-skill programs, professional learning and a multi‑tiered intervention field test; staff said gains are promising but called for continued monitoring and targeted supports.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents and students press Montgomery County school board for faster action on elementary security, IDs and emergency comms

Votes at a glance: Jan. 9 Montgomery County Board of Education business meeting

Board takes tentative action to send rewritten workforce policy GAA out for public comment

Math performance flat districtwide; instructional coaches credited with localized gains

District reports double‑year gains in K–2 reading after investments in curriculum and interventions