Parent Advisory Council 2009-10
Introduction
The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Parent Advisory Council (PAC) provides input on ways to improve communication and parent engagement at the district and local school level and also provides parent advocacy trainings to support student learning. PAC members are parents who have at least one child in the school system and who reflect the diversity of the MCPS community. PAC meetings are facilitated by staff in the MCPS Office of Communications and Family Outreach.
Mission
The mission of the Parent Advisory Council is to provide feedback and advice to the school system on parent involvement efforts related to the research-based national PTA standards for family-school partnerships described in Board of Education Policy ABC, Parental Involvement. These six standards are 1) Welcoming All Families into the School Community, 2) Communicating Effectively, 3) Supporting Student Success, 4) Speaking Up for Every Child, 5) Sharing Power, and 6) Collaborating with the Community. The PAC is proactive and innovative in identifying and sharing ways to enhance the school system’s communication and parent engagement efforts and parent advocacy training.
News
- (9/23/09) Watch an episode of Take 10 featuring PAC member Kelly Eiskant.
- (9/23/09) New Parent Advisory Council members for the 2009-2010 school year will be announced Friday, September 25.
- (9/15/09) Parent Advisory Council members attended a town hall meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. View the webcast.
- (8/19/09) Nominations are now open for the 2009-10 Parent Advisory Council. Download the nomination packet.
Meet the Council
To learn more about a council member, click on their name.
Not Pictured
Elisia George
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the responsibilities of the Parent Advisory Council?
The Parent Advisory Council has many responsibilities, including:
- Working collaboratively as part of the Parent Academy to develop and conduct parent trainings that focus on parent advocacy skills and partnering with the school to help children succeed.
- Communicating with and getting feedback from other parents in the community.
- Examining various multimedia products and services developed by the school system to communicate with parents, and providing feedback on quality and clarity.
- Providing advice on innovative ways to communicate with parents about systemwide initiatives, programs, and activities.
- Providing feedback as requested to the Board of Education and MCPS offices and work groups on specific programs, activities, resources, and materials.
What is the structure of the Parent Advisory Council?
The PAC is composed of 30 parents who serve two-year terms. For the purposes of this Council, the term "parent" refers to the parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a Montgomery County public school. Of the 30 seats on the PAC, one seat will be reserved for a representative of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs and one for a representative of the NAACP Parents’ Council. Fifteen PAC members will complete their second terms during the 2009–2010 school year. Therefore, 15 new members will be selected in fall 2009. The Parent Advisory Council will select co-chairs at the first meeting on October 5, 2009.
How are members chosen to serve on the Parent Advisory Council?
To ensure broad representation, the nominations of potential members will be evaluated on a variety of factors, including geographic location of residence, child’s grade level, and areas of interest and experience related to MCPS programs and services including, but not limited to, special education, gifted and talented, and ESOL. The membership of the PAC will reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the student population.
When will the Parent Advisory Council meetings be held?
PAC will meet six times during the 2009–2010 school year. The meetings will be held at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville. Interpretation services will be provided as needed.
The meetings will last approximately 90 minutes, beginning at 6:30 p.m., on the following dates:
- Monday, October 5, 2009
- Wednesday, November 18, 2009
- Monday, January 11, 2010
- Wednesday, February 24, 2010
- Monday, April 12, 2010
- Wednesday, May 12, 2010
What will be expected of PAC members?
Each member will serve a two-year term. Members may not serve for more than two consecutive terms. PAC representatives will agree to have personal contact information posted on the DFCP website to allow area stakeholders to communicate and provide input. Council members will be expected to attend all scheduled meetings; prepare for each meeting as needed; work in a collaborative fashion with each other and with school system staff; express views and opinions openly, constructively, and respectfully; and help facilitate parent advocacy trainings. Although staff will develop an agenda for each meeting, Council representatives may submit discussion items for consideration.
What will be expected of Department of Communications staff?
Staff will develop an agenda for each meeting and send agenda materials to Council members sufficiently in advance of each meeting. A staff member will take minutes at all PAC meetings and disseminate them as appropriate. Staff will provide materials for review as needed.
Council Biographies
Vicmarie Arocho
Vicmarie Arocho is the mother of 2 children. Her daughter attends the Gifted Center at Pine Crest ES in Silver Spring. She is currently the Parent Community Coordinator at Montgomery Blair HS. She works part-time and is funded through a Maryland State Department of Education school improvement grant. She is bilingual and works closely with Spanish-speaking families who may not receive services from the ESOL department. Her responsibilities include: interpret at meetings for various staff; translate documents; participate in program development that supports students; and help organize and execute monthly informational meetings. Her husband is a Naval Officer stationed at Ft. Meade, currently deployed.
Bonnie Arze
Bonnie Arze is the mother of three children, with two attending the following elementarty schools: A fifth grader in the Center Program for the Highly Gifted at Clearspring and a second grader at Little Bennett. Bonnie is a PTA member at both schools. She is a physician currently working in the field of healthcare information systems. Bonnie is excited about the opportunity to contribute to the enhancement of communication connecting the school system and parents. She views this communication as critical to enabling busy parents to best support their children academically and to partner with teachers and educators.
Kelley Eiskant
Kelley Eiskant is the mother of 3 sons: a seventh-grader at Loiederman Middle School, a first-grader at Bel Pre Elementary, and a preschooler. She is a product of MCPS, having attended public schools from Head Start through high school. Her interests include family, reading and music. She is a Montgomery County Public Schools employee and works in the Special Education Department with the Infants and Toddlers Program. She has worked for MCPS since 1998, and joins her mother and brother as MCPS employees. Kelley is very excited and honored to be a part of the PAC.
Hugo Escobar
Hugo Escobar is father of two children in the Montgomery County Public School system. His son is in the 10th grade Humanities House Magnet Program at Poolesville High School and his daughter is in the 8th grade at Shady Grove Middle School. Hugo is convinced that his kids’ success at school is a result of the support, encouragement and active involvement he has practiced in as a parent. Hugo was the Shady Grove Middle School PTA Treasurer (2006-2008) and active participant of two Study Circles for parents, where he became aware of the difficulties and successes that minority families encounter in the system. Hugo was born in Bolivia and moved to Montgomery County in 1973. He worked at the Organization of American States for more than twenty years. From 1995 to 2002 he worked at Georgetown University as Associate Director of the CASS/OV, a program intended to help Caribbean and Central American youth study in the US. Hugo now works as an independent consultant. He is a USSF Licensed Coach.
David Griffith
David Griffith is the father of three children with one attending Matsunaga Elementary School. He is the Associate Executive Director of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) where he oversees the organization's strategic planning and member services. In addition, he coordinates all of NASBE's legislative and political activities that relate to federal education legislation, appropriations, and regulations. David previously served as an aide to Representatives Doug Walgren, Joe Kolter, and Robert Torricelli. In addition, he has worked on numerous political campaigns, was the Legislative and Grassroots Coordinator for the American Arts Alliance representing the nation's leading non-profit arts institutions, and traveled the country doing advance work for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay. Born and raised in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, he graduated from Villanova University. He is married to long-time Montgomery County resident and Rockville High graduate Lisa Greenspan Griffith. The family currently resides in Boyds.
Holly Searl Hurst
Holly Searl Hurst is the mother of two children attending the following schools: North Chevy Chase and Norwood School. Holly currently serves as Director of the Mid-Atlantic Teacher Institute at Norwood School and lecturer at George Washington University. In her varied roles as teacher, reading specialist, mentor and staff development teacher during two decades in education, Holly has consistently advocated for children. Outside of her profession, Holly enjoys serving as Secretary of the North Chevy Chase PTA, teaching Sunday school, and spending time with her family. She also loves to read, garden, and cook--in that order!
Sandeep Khanna
Sandeep Khanna is the father of two children ages 2 and 9. His daughter attends the Farmland Elementary School. Sandeep was appointed to the Advisory Board of Montclair Magnet School System while residing in New Jersey. He is an active PTA member at Farmland Elementary School. Sandeep currently serves as an elected Board member and Chair of Business Value Committee at the PMI (Project Management Institute) Metrics SIG (Specific Interest Group). Sandeep has earned the recognition of “Strategic Volunteer Leader” at PMI. He is currently working as General Manager at MphasiS, an EDS Company. He loves to be part of his children’s day-to-day life and is looking forward to bringing value to the Parent Advisory Council.
Chris McDermott
Chris McDermott is the mother of two children attending Little Bennett Elementary School. She has been active with the Little Bennett PTA since 2006, serving as President for two years and chairing a number of committees including Cultural Arts, Spirit Wear, Newsletter and Yearbook. She has previously served as a member of the School Improvement Process Team, a representative for the Clarksburg Cluster LBES and a member of the Clarksburg #8 Advisory Committee. Chris is a Montgomery County Public Schools substitute teacher with a professional background in administration and communications. She has volunteered as a Relay for Life Team Captain and an MCPS classroom volunteer. Her interests include children, photography, and gardening.
Juliet Mellow
Juliet Mellow is a parent of two Montgomery County Public Schools students. She worked until recently as an information and referral coordinator for the Autism Society of America, and also has interests in the area of special education law and advocacy. Both of her sons, ages 12 and 14, receive special education services in MCPS. She has been an active member of the PTSA in each school her sons have attended. Ms. Mellow served as chairperson of the special education committee at Cloverly Elementary School for several years and at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School for two years. She also has been involved in numerous fundraising activities, particularly the silent auctions held at Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School in 2007 and 2008.
Sharon Mosley-Ramsey
Sharon Mosley-Ramsey is a native of Jamaica, New York, and has lived in this area for 25 years. She is a graduate of North Carolina Central University and The University of Michigan. She is the mother of three boys, all students in MCPS schools. Mrs. Mosley-Ramsey first became active in the Montgomery County NAACP Parents' Councils as the representative for Farquhar Middle School. She considers her participation in the MCPS study circles as one of the most important opportunities to help students achieve that she has taken part in. She also helps to coordinate Sunday Scholars with other active parents in the Olney/Sandy Spring area. This community run program helps students to get ready for MSA's while also offering motivational speakers for parents. Mrs. Mosley-Ramsey also is a media specialist in MCPS for over 20 years.
Jill Ortman-Fouse
Jill Ortman-Fouse has been very active in her home school and on countywide school issues since her first child entered the Montgomery County Public School system. Jill co-founded and coordinated an ad hoc group to examine parity between schools in different areas of the county. She also assisted MCCPTA's Legislative Committee by lobbying state legislators, county council members, and the Board of Education on behalf of area schools. She was PTA president of her children's (ages 9 and 7) elementary school for the last two years, and has served on the school's Instructional Improvement Team for the last five years. She has led a number of fundraising and community outreach efforts for her children's school, and is serving as room parent coordinator this year. In her free time she enjoys reading and competing in triathlons.
Katrina Sharpe
Katrina Sharpe is the mother of one child who attends Summit Hall Elementary School. She is an event coordinator for the PTA. Katrina also is active on school committees and volunteers and helps with classroom activities. She is currently employed by Booz Allen Hamilton. Her interests include travel, cooking, scrapbooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends.
Richard Sieber
Richard Sieber is the father of two children attending Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. While his involvement with his own children both academically and activity-based has been extensive over the past 18 years, his work experience helps him keep a pulse on the education system. Currently employed by Digital Sports, Inc, a local Maryland based online media company, the company's mission is to inform, entertain, and inspire through high school sports and activities. Previously Richard was working with Editorial Projects in Education, a national publisher of Education Week newspaper and Teacher Magazine. Richard has always been involved with coaching kids athletic teams and it has taught him the importance of effective communication with children but also with parents. He is currently involved with his children's sports booster club at school.
Damika Somasundaram
Damika Somasundaram is married and has two teenage children in the Montgomery County Public Schools system, one attending Seneca Valley High School and one attending Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. Damika is a strong believer that parent involvement in teaching a child life skills and involvement in their education, contributes to their success. She led the Seneca Valley High School PTSA Grant Committee during the 2006-2007 school year. She is currently the GT Liaison for that school. Damika participates as a small group leader in the preteen ministry at her local church. She also is an American Red Cross volunteer at Bethesda Naval Medical Hospital. Damika is employed at the World Bank. Her interests include travel and reading. She takes pleasure in helping children reach their full potential in their academic and personal lives.
Doug Sunshine
Doug Sunshine is married and the father of 2 children. Mr. Sunshine resides in the Churchill cluster. One of his children attends Beverly Farms Elementary School. Mr. Sunshine works in the Federal Government sector as a strategy and management consultant. In the past, he has been the president of several homeowner community associations and a participant with the Maryland Business Roundtable’s Achievement Counts speaker series for the 9th grade. As a new MCPS parent, he looks forward to opportunities to provide feedback and improve the parent/school relationships and communications.
Archived Meeting Notes (2008-09)
For more information, please contact the Department of Family & Community Partnerships at (301) 279-3100.