Superintendent Recommends $2.1 Billion Operating Budget

Superintendent Jerry Weast is recommending a $2.1 billion Fiscal Year 2010 Operating Budget for MCPS that closes a $176 million gap without seeking any new local taxpayer funding and without any across-the-board increase in class size. The superintendent’s FY 2010 budget is balanced, in large part, by a combination of current year savings that will be carried over to Fiscal Year 2010, major budget reductions for the next year and the elimination of cost-of-living pay raises for all employees.

The recommended budget includes an increase of just over $40 million, or 2 percent, over the current year budget. The $40 million will come from two sources—$20 million from a hiring and spending freeze in place since September 2008 and an expected $20 million from the state of Maryland. This $40 million is in line with the 2 percent increase in student enrollment and it’s the lowest increase in at least 20 years.

In developing the budget, priorities included seeking no new county taxpayer money, preserving the school system’s exceptional workforce and maintaining progress on key initiatives such as early success, middle school reform and a rigorous high school program.

The public has the opportunity to comment on the budget recommendations at hearings scheduled for Jan. 14 and Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Carver Educational Services Center (CESC), 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Individuals who want to speak should call the Board of Education offices at 301-279-3617. The Board has public worksessions on Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. in the Board room at CESC. Adoption of the budget is scheduled for Feb. 9.

Watch the Superintendent’s FY 2010 Budget Message

FY 2010 Operating Budget

Keep in Touch with “ASK MCPS” Events

The Department of Family and Community Partnerships (DFCP) invites parents and community members to drop by its offices for coffee and conversation with staff. These events are great opportunities to ask questions, find out about programs and school system services and take home tips on helping children succeed. Bilingual staff members will be on hand to help answer questions. Parents also can get assistance activating and using their Edline accounts.

Upcoming drop-in coffee dates are—

• Jan. 30, 9 a.m. to noon
• Feb. 26, 3 to 7 p.m.

DFCP offices are located at 451 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Suite 508.

More information:

• 301-279-3100
• Department of Family and Community Partnerships

ASK MCPS events are sponsored by the Office of Communications and Family Outreach.

Our Schools Today

On this month’s show: Finding and Applying for College Scholarships and Financial Aid. Watch in six languages.

Cybersafety Website, Video Offer Resources for Parents

In collaboration with the Montgomery County Police Department and the State’s Attorney’s Office, MCPS has launched an effort to provide parents and students with information about Internet safety. A new video features MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast, Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger and State’s Attorney John McCarthy talking about this partnership and emphasizing the important role of parents in protecting children when they’re using the Internet.

A cybersafety website offers helpful tips for parents, explains cyberbullying, suggests parental control tools and provides warning signs that a child may have received inappropriate computer communication. The site also lists popular Internet sites among kids, safe surfing sites for students, educational videos and commonly used e-mail and chat acronyms.

The Parent Academy also is offering several free workshops for parents to learn more about cybersafety. They are scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. as follows—

• Feb. 11, Eastern Middle School, Silver Spring
• March 12, Julius West Middle School, Rockville
• April 1, Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School, Damascus
• April 20, White Oak Middle School, Silver Spring
• May 13, Kingsview Middle School, Germantown

Register for Cybersafety workshop:

• 301-279-3100
• Parent Academy

MCPS Schools, Offices to Be Closed on Inauguration Day

Last month, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted to designate Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, as a holiday in MCPS. All schools and offices will be closed. The Board also noted that Inauguration Day will be designated as a school system holiday in all future years when Inauguration Day occurs.

School Calendar

Board of Education Elects Brandman President for First Term

Shirley Brandman was unanimously elected president of the Board, and Patricia O’Neill was unanimously elected vice president, at the Board of Education meeting on Dec. 9. Both new officers will serve for a one-year term.

Board of Education

Register for Upcoming Advanced Placement Exams

The Advanced Placement (AP) exam testing window is scheduled for May 4–15, and registration for the tests is going on now through March. The cost of each AP test is $86. Students register for the exams through their high school. Funds are available from MCPS, the Maryland State Department of Education and the College Board for students who need assistance paying the required fees. For more information, students should contact their school counseling office or the school's AP coordinator.

In 2008, MCPS students set new records for the number of AP exams taken and the number that earned a score of 3 or higher. Read more about MCPS student performance.

AP Testing

Parents of Middle School Students Invited to College Readiness Events

Parents are invited to attend a college orientation program that will focus on college awareness, readiness and financial preparation. The program is geared toward parents of middle school students, but is open to any MCPS parent who wishes to attend. Speakers will include representatives from MCPS School Counseling Services, Morgan State University, Montgomery College and the College Savings Plans of Maryland.

Parents can choose to attend one of the following sessions:

• Jan. 13, Silver Spring International Middle School, 7–8:30 p.m.
• March 31, Loiederman Middle School, 6:30–8 p.m.
• April 21, Baker Middle School, 9:30–11 a.m.
• April 23, Sligo Middle School, 6:30–8 p.m.

For more information, e-mail Genevieve Floyd, MCPS/Montgomery College/USM Partnership Coordinator, at Genevieve_L_Floyd@mcpsmd.org.

Winter Session of Parent Academy Starts Jan. 12

Starting Jan. 12, the Parent Academy is launching its winter session of free parent workshops.

“I would recommend them,” says parent Ute Frommann, who has attended about 10 Parent Academy workshops. “They have been very useful.” The speakers “were open to questions and very patient.”

Among the workshops to choose from—

• Understanding the Special Education Process
• How Parents at Your School Share in Decision Making
• Helping Your Child Develop Good Study and Organizational Skills
• Understanding the High School Assessments and the Bridge Plan
• Preparing Strategically for College and Careers

There are several ways to register. Call 301-517-5940 or 301-279-3100, or download a registration form from the website and fax it to 301-279-3815. Forms also can be mailed to the Department of Family and Community Partnerships, 451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 508, Rockville, MD 20850.

The full schedule of workshops for January and February

Technology Workshops Open to Parents of Special Education Students

Free workshops are being offered by the Department of Special Education to help parents of students with learning disabilities support their children at home using technology. They are open to parents of students in Grades 3 through 12 who are actively working on reading and writing in school.

Two winter workshops are scheduled:

• Tues., Feb. 10—Helping Students Revise and Edit. This workshop will teach parents how to use Microsoft Word so they can help their children revise and edit writing assignments at home.
• Thurs., March 19—Using PowerPoint to Prepare Oral Presentations. Parents will learn the basics of PowerPoint to help students prepare for oral presentations.

Trainings will be taught by the High Incidence Accessible Technology (HIAT) team. They will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Center for Technology Innovation, 4 Choke Cherry Road in Rockville.

Registration is required and space is limited.

To register or for more information:

• 301-517-5940
• Parent Academy

College Goal Sunday Offers Help with Financial Aid Forms

Is your child applying to college and are you baffled by the financial aid forms? College Goal Sunday 2009 can help.

Collegebound students and their parents are invited to this one-day program offering free assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—the form required by colleges, universities and private career schools to qualify for federal grants and loans, as well as many state and private scholarships.

This event is Sun., Feb. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Charlene R. Nunley Student Services Center on the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. Spanish interpreters will be available. The snow date is Feb. 15 (same time and location).

At least one week before the event, parents and students should register for a PIN number (both parent and student need to register for a PIN).

Parents and students should bring these PIN numbers to the event, along with completed 2007 or 2008 IRS 1040 tax forms, a W-2 form and other 2008 income and benefits information.

More information on College Goal Sunday:

• College Goal Sunday
• Wendy.Maldonado@montgomerycollege.edu

The program is sponsored by the Delaware-D.C.-Maryland Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. College Goal Sunday is funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education.

Get information about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Nominate A Parent for Contributions to Public Education

Do you know a parent or guardian who has worked hard, creatively and effectively to improve public education? Be sure to nominate him or her for the annual Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award, which honors Maryland parents who have made outstanding contributions to public education. Comcast created the award with the Maryland State Department of Education to highlight the positive impact parents have on public schools and to encourage parents to get involved.

Nominees must be a parent/legal guardian of a child in a Maryland public school and demonstrate involvement in one of five areas—communication, volunteering, learning, decision making and/or community collaboration. The deadline for submissions is Fri., Jan. 16.

Nomination forms and information

Comment Sought on Strategic Planning Policy

The Board of Education has requested community comment regarding its Policy AEB, Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement. This policy establishes the commitment to strategic planning for continuous improvement to ensure success for every student, provide an effective instructional program, strengthen productive partnerships for education, create a positive work environment in a self-renewing organization, and provide high-quality business services that are essential to the educational success of students.

Copies of the draft policy are available through the Public Information Office at 301-279-3853 or on the MCPS website.

Individuals who wish to provide comments should respond in writing by Fri., Jan. 23, 2009. Send responses to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 122, Rockville, Maryland 20850. The responses will be shared with the Board of Education.

Read draft Strategic Planning Policy(PDF)

High School Assessment Exams Being Offered in January

The High School Assessment (HSA) exams are being given Jan. 12–15. Passing the HSAs is required in order to earn a diploma. Students must either pass each of the four HSA tests (Algebra/Data Analysis, Biology, English, and Government), earn a combined score of 1602 or higher on all four tests, or complete the required project(s) for the HSA Bridge Plan for Academic Validation (Bridge Plan) to meet the graduation requirement.

Find out more about the Bridge Plan.

The HSAs also will be offered April 20—23 (seniors only) and May 18—21.

Get ready for the tests with practice questions.

Registration for Evening High School, Saturday High School Begins Jan. 29

Grade 12 students who will be taking Evening High School or Saturday High School classes in the second semester can start registering on Thurs., Jan. 29. Registration will take place at Montgomery Blair High School, 51 University Boulevard East in Silver Spring.

Evening High School and Saturday High School classes provide opportunities for students to earn original course credit or to recover credit they previously failed to earn. The class fee is $55, but reduced tuition is available for eligible students.

Weekday classes will begin on Feb. 4, and Saturday classes will begin on Feb. 7.

Specific registration times, applications for reduced tuition and more information about Evening High School

Registration for Science Fair Due by Feb. 13

Students enrolled in Grades 6 through 12 can register for the Montgomery County Science Fair, to be held March 20–22 in the Reckord Armory Building on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.

Students can participate individually or in groups (of two or three). A workshop at Parkland Middle School on Wed., Jan. 14, will answer questions on rules and provide tips on presenting projects to the judges. The workshop runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Parkland is located at 4610 West Frankfort Drive in Rockville.

Students must register for the fair online by 6 p.m. on Fri., Feb. 13. Required registration forms can be found on www.ScienceMONTGOMERY.org. Send the forms, along with a nonrefundable $10 entry fee per student, to ScienceMONTGOMERY, 4117 Barnsley Lane, Olney MD 20832.

Every student who enters the contest will receive a certificate and T-shirt. First-, second- and third-place winners will receive cash prizes; more than $45,000 in prizes will be awarded during the fair. The awards ceremony will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on March 22 in the Gaithersburg High School auditorium. Several projects of students in Grades 9–12 will be selected to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Reno, Nev., in May.

E-mail questions to scimont@aol.com.

College Fair to Showcase Historically Black Colleges and Universities

High school juniors and seniors and their parents are invited to a college fair featuring representatives from 75 historically black colleges and universities. The fair will be held Wed., Feb. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Albert Einstein High School, located at 11135 Newport Mill Road in Kensington.

At least 10 of the schools will be making on-the-spot admissions and scholarship offers to seniors. Interested students should contact the resource counselor or college/career information coordinator at their school for more information.

The event is sponsored by MCPS and the Washington Inter-Alumni Council, in conjunction with the United Negro College Fund.

E-mail secondary counselor specialist Nancy Carlson with questions.

Edison High School Accepting Applications for 2009–2010 School Year

Thomas Edison High School of Technology is accepting applications for the 2009–2010 school year. Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to apply in one of 19 subject areas, including biotechnology, automotive technology, electricity, network operations, carpentry, professional restaurant management and interior design. Students attend Edison for three class periods every day. Transportation is provided.

Download application from Edison website or get one in your high school counseling office.

Testing for Highly Gifted Centers Takes Place this Month

Testing for Grade 3 students who applied to the Center Programs for the Highly Gifted (HGC) for the 2009–2010 school year will take place throughout January. Parents were mailed the date/location for their child’s testing. Parents will be notified whether their child is accepted into the program in April.

More information

• 301-592-2040
• Center Programs for the Highly Gifted

Student Consortia Notification, Magnet Application Assignment Letters Coming this Month

By late January, parents of current Grade 8 students who live within the Northeast and Downcounty consortia will be mailed a high school assignment for the 2009–2010 school year.

The school assignment letter will include details on evening registration meetings to be held at all consortia high schools at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Feb. 12. (Snow date: Feb. 18)

In early February, parents of Grade 5 students who applied to the Middle School Magnet Consortium will receive notification letters in the mail. Parents of Grade 5 and Grade 8 students who applied to secondary magnet programs also will be mailed notification letters in early February. (Secondary magnet programs include those at Roberto Clemente, Eastern and Takoma Park middle schools and those at Montgomery Blair, Poolesville and Richard Montgomery high schools.)

Special Programs

Students to Sell Refurbished Cars, Computers Feb. 21

Students in the MCPS Automotive Body and Technology and Network Operations programs will be selling student-refurbished cars and computers from 9 to 11 a.m. on Sat., Feb. 21, at Damascus High School. (Snow date: Feb. 28). The items for sale are donated by corporations and individuals. They are refurbished, reconditioned and tested by students as part of their classroom studies.

For information on the cars, call Mike Snyder at 301-929-2164. For information on the computers, call John Brewer at 301-929-6975.

Pricing information will be available in early February at www.autocareers.org and www.itfcareers.org. Proceeds will benefit the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades and Information Technology foundations.

Capital Budget, Two Boundary Changes Approved

The Board of Education recently approved a FY 2010 Capital Budget appropriation request totaling $200.7 million and an amended FY 2009–2014 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) request totaling $1.3 billion. Two resolutions for boundary recommendations—one for schools in the Clarksburg area and one for Potomac—also were approved.

Capital Budget and Capital Improvements Program

Applications for Student Member of the Board Due Jan. 22

Applications are being accepted for students interested in serving as the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) during their junior or senior year.

The student member provides an informed student viewpoint on educational issues. The SMOB may author legislation, participate in discussions on all topics and has voting rights on certain issues.

Although the SMOB is not paid a salary, the student will earn social studies credit, 250 hours of Student Service Learning and a $5,000 college scholarship. To be eligible, applicants need to be a current sophomore or junior, a resident of Montgomery County and regularly enrolled in a Montgomery County public high school. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Thurs., Jan. 22.

Learn more about the position and download an application

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification Available

High school students taking software courses can sign up to take Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exams. MOS is a globally recognized program that provides a standard measure for proficiency in software application skills; those who pass are certified as proficient users of Microsoft Office products. Exams are available for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.

Students enrolled in Software Applications by Design (available in all high schools and in some middle schools) or Advanced Software Applications by Design (available in many high schools) are being prepared to take these exams.

The timed certification exams are being offered in January, March and May at three MCPS high schools. The cost is $100 for MCPS students and employees and $120 for non-MCPS individuals. This MOS informational flyer has more information (PDF).

If you have questions, call Sandra Navidi, coordinator of Business Management and Information Technologies, at 240-632-6942.