Although the "Campaign for Board of Education" is over, the campaign for fiscal responsibility, accountabilty, and a continuum of services in MCPS endures! I want to thank all ten thousand of you who voted for me!
Special thanks to the dedicated pollworkers, flyer distributors, sign displayers, folks who donated money, and everyone who called to offer encouragement and support. We went from zero to ten thousand votes in a short period of time, and while it didn't carry the day, I think we brought some visibility to our issues. Now let's take that energy and collectively move forward on the things that we think are important: restoring a full continuum of special education programs and services, ensuring that MCPS deals fairly and forthrightly with the community, and prioritizing school and child-centered services over administrative overhead.
Shout-out to the Young Activist Club at Piney Branch ES: don't be discouraged! Keep up the good work, and let us all know how we can help you in your continued advocacy to help our environment with your Dishwasher project.
Gratefully,
Lyda Astrove
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Takoma Voice: My Dream Superintendent
From the online Takoma Voice: School Scene, by Sue Katz Miller, September 9, 2010:
My Dream Superintendent: Top Ten Qualities
Read more of Sue Katz Miller's column by clicking HERE.
Sue Katz Miller's ideal superintendent is one who will collaborate with the community, be responsive and transparent, and who will recognize that the "one size fits all" classroom doesn't really fit all. Let's work together to find this superintendent in an open, public process.
My Dream Superintendent: Top Ten Qualities
What should the search process look like? What kind of Superintendent are we seeking? These two questions are closely linked. The biggest frustration many parents have with MCPS is the lack of two-way communication. So we need to seek out a Superintendent who is going to restore parents to their role as full partners in education, dismantle the fortress that surrounds the inner-workings of the Rockville bureaucracy, release data to the public, and recognize that the Board of Education is elected to represent the taxpayers in a system of checks and balances.
Read more of Sue Katz Miller's column by clicking HERE.
Sue Katz Miller's ideal superintendent is one who will collaborate with the community, be responsive and transparent, and who will recognize that the "one size fits all" classroom doesn't really fit all. Let's work together to find this superintendent in an open, public process.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Approve the Dishwasher Pilot Project! UPDATE!
Below is my article written on July 17, urging that the Dishwasher Pilot Project be approved. I've been wondering why the incumbent in my race opposes the Dishwasher Pilot Project, and now I know why. In a questionnaire, Ms. Brandman made the following statement: "Despite several attempts, however, we have not been able to reach a meeting of the minds on the actual costs and risks associated with their plan to install a used dishwasher. I am simply not willing to take a risk that children could be harmed."
Personally, I've had a used dishwasher in my house for 10 years now, and no children or adults have been harmed by using it. The statement of Ms. Brandman, above, is an insult to the Young Activist Club and their sponsors, and shows us to what abusurdities the incumbent will go to maintain the status quo. I reiterate my support for the Dishwasher Pilot Project, and think that the Board of Education should be encouraging innovative ideas like this one.
*************
Youngsters today are definitely more aware of environmental issues than their parents and grandparents before them, who may have only hazy memories of the very first Earth Day in 1970. How many of us have had our kids remind us to recycle a can or turn out the lights when leaving a room?
The Piney Branch Elementary School Young Activist Club is taking environmental advocacy to a whole new level. With assistance and support from their local community, they have raised funds for a pilot project at their school to eliminate the use of polystryene meal trays, and replace that use with a dishwasher and reusable trays.
The current Board of Education continues to refuse to allow this pilot project to go forward. Why? The Young Activist Club and their advisors have addressed every possible concern, raised the money, and are ready to move forward.
If elected, the young environmentalists at Piney Branch Elementary School have my vote to approve the dishwasher pilot project. It's just the right thing to do.
Personally, I've had a used dishwasher in my house for 10 years now, and no children or adults have been harmed by using it. The statement of Ms. Brandman, above, is an insult to the Young Activist Club and their sponsors, and shows us to what abusurdities the incumbent will go to maintain the status quo. I reiterate my support for the Dishwasher Pilot Project, and think that the Board of Education should be encouraging innovative ideas like this one.
*************
Youngsters today are definitely more aware of environmental issues than their parents and grandparents before them, who may have only hazy memories of the very first Earth Day in 1970. How many of us have had our kids remind us to recycle a can or turn out the lights when leaving a room?
The Piney Branch Elementary School Young Activist Club is taking environmental advocacy to a whole new level. With assistance and support from their local community, they have raised funds for a pilot project at their school to eliminate the use of polystryene meal trays, and replace that use with a dishwasher and reusable trays.
The current Board of Education continues to refuse to allow this pilot project to go forward. Why? The Young Activist Club and their advisors have addressed every possible concern, raised the money, and are ready to move forward.
If elected, the young environmentalists at Piney Branch Elementary School have my vote to approve the dishwasher pilot project. It's just the right thing to do.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Edison HS At Risk: The Importance of Vocational Education
Edison High School of Technology is Montgomery County Public Schools' well-regarded career and technology education program. Students who are accepted into one of the nineteen career-oriented programs spend a half-day at their home high schools, and the other half of their day working towards certifications in areas as varied as carpentry, plumbing, interior design, digital graphics, auto body repair, and more. Both students who foresee college in their future and those who anticipate entering the workforce after high school benefit from the highly-skilled and dedicated staff who help the students achieve success.
Why, then is MCPS trying to fundamentally change a program that is working? Theresa Defino, a Edison parent, said she learned at Back To School night at Edison this week that pending MCPS receipt of a grant, a plan to merge Edison with Wheaton High School would be going forward, and word on the grant was expected on September 15. She said she and other parents were "stunned" and they'd never heard a word about this.
In June, the Washington Examiner reported that word was leaking out to parents about the proposed changes. But since June, the Board of Education has not discussed the proposed changes in public, and parents wonder what exactly the changes to the program will be that are being discussed behind closed doors.
No more surprises. Any proposed changes to this vital, necessary vocational program should be presented to the public well in advance of any Board of Education discussion or vote. At this point, it isn't even clear whether the BOE will get a vote on the proposal. The public has the right to have the future of Edison High School of Technology discussed thoroughly in a public forum with input from parents, staff, students, and community employers. And the fact that MCPS applied for a grant to change the program? MCPS must make the grant application public as soon as possible, so that the community knows what MCPS has been planning all along.
Why, then is MCPS trying to fundamentally change a program that is working? Theresa Defino, a Edison parent, said she learned at Back To School night at Edison this week that pending MCPS receipt of a grant, a plan to merge Edison with Wheaton High School would be going forward, and word on the grant was expected on September 15. She said she and other parents were "stunned" and they'd never heard a word about this.
In June, the Washington Examiner reported that word was leaking out to parents about the proposed changes. But since June, the Board of Education has not discussed the proposed changes in public, and parents wonder what exactly the changes to the program will be that are being discussed behind closed doors.
No more surprises. Any proposed changes to this vital, necessary vocational program should be presented to the public well in advance of any Board of Education discussion or vote. At this point, it isn't even clear whether the BOE will get a vote on the proposal. The public has the right to have the future of Edison High School of Technology discussed thoroughly in a public forum with input from parents, staff, students, and community employers. And the fact that MCPS applied for a grant to change the program? MCPS must make the grant application public as soon as possible, so that the community knows what MCPS has been planning all along.
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