Board of Education Presents 10th Annual Awards for Distinguished Service to Public Education

County Executive Douglas Duncan To Receive Pioneer Award

The Montgomery County Board of Education will honor 13 individuals and organizations in the county during its 10th annual Awards for Distinguished Service to Public Education. The awards ceremony will take place on October 19 at 6:00 p.m. at Johns Hopkins University (Building 3), 9605 Medical Center Drive, in Rockville.

The awards were established by the Board to recognize and show appreciation for exemplary contributions to public education and to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

Individual Pioneer
Douglas Duncan started in politics at an early age, going door to door with his mother during John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Since his election in 1994 as Montgomery County executive, Duncan has led the county through its transformation from a suburban community into a thriving urban center, helping improve educational excellence, strengthening environmental protections, fighting poverty and urban blight, and positioning the county as an international leader in biotechnology. Duncan has worked with the school system and County Council to significantly increase funding to provide full-day kindergarten, decrease class size, hire more teachers, and increase training.

Community Individual
Julie Bennett, a retired federal communications supervisor and high school English teacher, has volunteered at Seven Locks Elementary School in a variety of ways over the past six years. During the past year, she has donated one day each week to Seven Locks, typing lists, lessons and correspondence; duplicating and preparing instructional materials; and helping teachers check homework. She also works with individual students for remediation and enrichment.
Glenn Kikuchi has supported the Cedar Grove Elementary School community during the past year with his time, enthusiasm, and financial contributions. At Cedar Grove’s annual golf tournament, Kikuchi was both a participant and “Platinum Sponsor,” donating $1,000 to the Cedar Grove PTA. Each year, Kikuchi holds a “Cedar Grove Elementary School Night” at his McDonald’s restaurant in Germantown, with all proceeds supporting the Cedar Grove PTA. The community is invited, and diners are greeted and served by Cedar Grove staff.

Community Group
Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc., supports MCPS in promoting mutual understanding and appreciation of Chinese and American heritage. The Parents as Liaisons for Schools training program helps parents understand the MCPS curricula and educational philosophy, creates and cultivates parent resources in Asian communities, and encourages parents to be advocates for their children’s education. The Social Studies Curriculum Work Group provides resources on Asian American history.
Montgomery County Police Community Outreach Section develops and implements programs that help Montgomery County youth avoid high-risk behavior and involvement in gangs. Community outreach officers make more than 100 presentations a month to schools on various topics such as drug abuse, youth and the law, anger management, cultural diversity and sensitivity training, career orientation, programs for the African American community, and programs for community members whose second language is English.
Project Reboot has sought to close the digital divide for hundreds of lower income children and families in Montgomery County. Project Reboot receives donations of desktop and laptop computers, printers, and software from large corporations, small businesses and individuals. After volunteers clean, repair, and program the computers, they are sold for $5. During the past two years, the school-based staff of Linkages to Learning has referred some of the county’s neediest families to Project Reboot, bringing more than 100 computers to MCPS students and families.

Business
Matt Boratenski and the American Film Institute (AFI) have trained hundreds of MCPS teachers to use film as a method of engaging students in the classroom. Through the Educational Screenings program, the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center have brought more than 15,000 students and teachers to the Silver Theatre over the past three years for screenings that include lessons focusing on film production. This year, AFI and MCPS piloted the first Environmental Filmfest for environmental science students at Poolesville and Northwood high schools.
Choice Hotels International, Office of the General Counsel has developed a partnership with the Introduction to Justice, Law and Society classes at Montgomery Blair High School in the past three years. The attorneys, led by Blair alumna Leah Turner, have created a curriculum to teach the students about the civil justice system. Choice Hotels International sponsors a culminating activity that brings the students to its headquarters for a mock mediation, networking luncheon with Choice employees, and a range of other activities.

MCPS Staff
MCPS Green Building Program, under the management of Anja Caldwell, has established the MCPS Department of Facilities Management as a regional and national leader in healthy, high-performance school design. The program conducts green building pilots and reviews all school construction for energy efficiency and environmental design. Revision of construction design guidelines in the past three years incorporates best practices from the recognized LEED rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Darryl Norwood, the MCPS court liaison, works under the director of Student Services to research and analyze individual student records so that appropriate educational recommendations are made to the Juvenile Division of the Montgomery County Circuit Court. He responds to court orders that request interventions for identified adjudicated students, coordinates subpoenas for student records, and visits Department of Juvenile Services facilities throughout the state to check on students’ educational progress. Norwood has fostered important relationships between the school system and the juvenile court, and other agencies and individuals.
Diana Sayago, parent outreach coordinator at Eastern Middle School, consistently offers support to all families in the school community. In particular, she has worked to promote involvement of parents of the school’s large Latino student population. Last year, she helped organize the first-ever Spanish Study Circle to build parent leadership among Latino families in the Montgomery Blair Cluster. With Sayago’s support, this initiative has had a huge impact on the community, and most Study Circle participants are now involved in their schools.

School Service Volunteer
Bernice Albert has traveled to Forest Knolls Elementary School once a week for the past five years to help first grade students learn to read. The classes she assists are inclusive, with children who have a range of physical abilities. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in recent years, Albert continues to make the one-mile trip to Forest Knolls in her motorized scooter, serving as a role model for students.
Robert Paulsen has served as newsletter editor, Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) delegate, president and treasurer of the William Tyler Page Elementary School PTA. He also serves as the unofficial groundskeeper at the school. In 2005,
he established the Hedy & George Scholarship Fund, which provides college savings to second and fifth graders from lower income families, to honor his parents for their commitment to early education.