Montgomery County Public Schools

Montgomery County Public Schools Warn Families Of Virtual Kidnapping Scam

... reporting they are receiving these terrifying phone calls. The school district said there have been a handful of complaints from parents in different schools around the county. The school district has sent out emails warning parents about this scam and to immediately notify their school and police if they receive one of these calls. In this virtual kidnapping scam, the criminals search online to find out information on a family and then call claiming they have abducted their son or daughter. “The parents have said they received this call [hearing] an ominous voice, often from an international phone number,” said Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Derek Turner. “The caller usually says they have their child and they will hurt the child if a certain amount of money isn't provided to the caller over a wire service. Some parents have said they have heard kids screaming in the background, which you can only imagine exacerbates the fear.”. Turner said they do not believe the school community itself is the target of these calls, but they are just going after families in Montgomery County. The FBI said it is seeing an increase in these virtual kidnapping calls. Police ...

Leggett Proposes .44 Billion Montgomery County Budget

... a tax rate of $1 per $100 in assessed property value—2.54 cents below the current rate. Despite the small decrease, most taxpayers will pay slightly more in taxes next year because of rising assessment values, according to Leggett. The county executive’s office estimated the median increase, based on the rate paid by an owner of a $400,000 home, to be about $20 for the year. Leggett said in an interview Monday that he believed county residents would not support a tax increase either this year or next after last year’s spike. Because of this, he crafted a budget that sticks to the charter limit, which only allows the county to raise taxes based on the rate of inflation plus the value of new construction unless a larger increase is approved by all nine members of the County Council. “We are maintaining a very focused budget that responds to our fundamental needs in the county—education, public safety and help for the most vulnerable,” Leggett said. “It’s a sustainable budget that lays the foundation for us moving forward in the future in a cautious way.”. ...

Md. School Bus Driver Charged With Sex Offenses

... Office on this matter. Pursuant to our memorandum of understanding with these agencies and MCPS policies and regulations, the Special Victims Investigations Division of the Montgomery County Police Department requested us not to share any details broadly with the community until now to avoid prejudicing the ongoing investigation. Mr. Rodriguez was immediately placed on administrative leave once MCPS became aware of the allegations. The allegations presented in the charging document are disturbing and completely unacceptable. They represent a serious breach of trust, responsibility, integrity and the law. This behavior does not reflect the principles and values of MCPS on our community, and it will not be tolerated. As always, we are committed to the well-being of all our students. A support team of school psychologists, counselors and pupil personnel workers from MCPS will join with our staff on Monday, March 6 and will be available, as needed, to provide counseling and support to students. Ensuring a safe learning environment for our students is our top priority. If you or your child have any information that may be ...

Program To Stop Summer Slide Helped Hispanic, Underprivileged Students, Study Shows

... County public school students from losing academic ground to the “summer slide” has shown promising results in its first year, officials said Thursday. The group of educators and county representatives gave a progress report on the BELL summer learning program, which reinforced reading and math lessons for 1,045 students at eight participating county schools last year. A Montgomery County Public Schools evaluation found that BELL students outperformed their peers in third-grade math and reading and fourth-grade math. Hispanic and Latino students, students for whom English is not the first language and recipients of free- and reduced-priced meals also showed gains with the program, the data indicated. “The issue of the summer slide is absolutely real, it’s absolutely critical and it’s one we have to address as quickly as possible,” County Council member Nancy Navarro said Thursday, according to an episode of MCPS Moments. Navarro championed the program and helped secure $750,750 in county funding to cover half the cost. The nonprofit Rales Foundation and other ...

Harriet Tubman Possible Name For New Bethesda Middle School

... There's now a petition on __link__ encouraging the Montgomery County Board of Education to name the second Bethesda Chevy Chase Middle School after Maryland-born Harriet Tubman. "This recommendation appropriately recognizes Ms. Tubman’s historic role in freeing enslaved Marylanders, as well the need for more diversity in Montgomery County school names," the creator of the petition, Joe Zogby, wrote on the petition's website. "Moreover, of all of the proposed names on the list, Harriet Tubman best reflects the Board’s policy on naming school facilities.". The petition description went on to address how Zogby believes there's a lack of diversity in existing Montgomery County Public School names. He's says it's important for Montgomery County students to see the "wonderful diversity" of the county, state and nation. Zogby continued to say that although Montgomery County is 19 percent African American, only one of the 46 schools named for individuals is named for an ...

Alexandria City Public Schools To Close For 'a Day Without Women' Due To Teacher Absence

... not be required to make up the instructional day. The district says with the lack of snowy weather, there are enough days in the school calendar to close on Wednesday without affecting "the number of teaching days required by the state.". Still, outside Mt. Vernon Community School on Monday, some parents were caught off guard. “I can imagine how big of an inconvenience it is for people who don't have child care and have to go in to work and don't have the options to stay home,” Scott says. “So, I can image some parents are feeling pretty overwhelmed right now.”. Some activities, like the Campagna Center Early Childhood and After School Programs, as well as all rec programs, will continue as usual. "All Campagna Center Early Childhood Programs (Head Start, Early Head Start) and Campagna Kids After School programs will operate on the normal schedule. Campagna Kids Before School Program will be closed (Samuel Tucker and Polk Elementary School sites). "All Rec programs at schools will continue to operate as usual. "All ACPS ...

Refreeze Begins After Snow, Sleet Cover Dc Area

... primarily by ice in Charles County, Maryland. (Published Tuesday, March 14, 2017). The D. C. area accumulated a range of about 2 to 4 inches of snow with the storm. Reagan National Airport recorded 1.7 inches. Dulles International Airport got 5.6 inches while other areas of Loudoun County, Virginia, got about 2 to 8 inches. Frederick County, Maryland, got 5 to 10 inches. The heavy, wet snow led to thousands of power outages across the region. The Latest Storm Team 4 Forecast. The storm led many large school districts and universities to cancel Tuesday classes; D. C. Public Schools opened two hours late. Federal workers were on a 3-hour delay and had the option for unscheduled leave or telework, the federal Office of Personnel Management announced early Tuesday. (For an always-updated list of closures, go here.). Smithsonian museums opened at noon ...

Could B-cc’s Neighbor Help With High School’s Space Problem

... we need to explore.”. Montgomery County Planning Director Gwen Wright also pointed to the parking lot for Our Lady of Lourdes on Pearl Street as a possible location for high school ball fields. River Road Property in Bethesda Purchased By Self-Storage Firm. A self-storage firm bought 1.5 acres on River Road in Bethesda for about $11 million, according to the Montgomery Newsletter. The report states that 1784 Capital Holdings, based in Arizona, purchased the 5204 River Road property out of bankruptcy. An auto body shop currently stands on the site. The company is expected to submit a development plan for the site in coming weeks. Housing Officials To Ramp Up Apartment Inspections. The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs is intensifying its outreach on tenants’ rights issues. The department is adding information to its tenant rights website and launching broader apartment inspections, ...

Prospective Teachers Wanted For Montgomery County Public School Job Fair

... world languages and elementary. The general teacher summary description is. "Under direction of the school principal, plans and provides for appropriate learning experiences for students. Provides an atmosphere and environment conducive to the intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of individuals to ensure Success for Every Student. Supervises students in a variety of school related settings. Monitors and evaluates student outcomes. Communicates and interacts with students, parents, staff and community. Develops, selects and modifies instructional plans and materials to meet the needs of all students. Maintains appropriate records and follows required procedures and practices. Monitors appropriate use and care of equipment, materials and facilities.". Prospective teachers should understand the MCPS curriculum, policies and effective instructional ...

Second Crash Involving School Bus In Two Weeks Occurs At Christiansburg Intersection

... mg school bus crash 030917. An unidentified driver was removed from a car that was wedged under the rear of the bus in Christiansburg Thursday. MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times. mg school bus crash 030917. The interchange of North Franklin Street and the Christiansburg bypass was blocked as rescuers work the scene of an accident involving a Montgomery County Public School bus Thursday afternoon. MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times. mg school bus crash 030917. Rescuers work the scene of an accident that involved a Montgomery County Public School bus that was rear-ended at a railroad crossing on North Franklin Street in Christiansburg Thursday afternoon. Posted: Thursday, March 9, 2017 2:04 pm. Second crash involving school bus in two weeks occurs at Christiansburg intersection By Travis Williams __link__ 381-1643 __link__. A Montgomery County school bus was involved in a midday collision in Christiansburg Thursday. A sedan crashed into the back of a bus transporting eight high school students ...