MoCo school board to choose new math, English curriculum
The Montgomery County Board of Education has a full schedule for its first meeting of 2019.
At the board’s meeting that begins at noon Tuesday, members are expected to choose a new English and math curriculum, after a study by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy determined the school system’s self-designed curriculum did not meet federal Common Core standards adopted by the State Board of Education.
Also on the agenda is discussion about possible changes to the school district’s student transfer policy. Changes could include revamping protocol for what qualifies as a “unique hardship,” how mental health issues should factor into transfer decisions and how overcrowding should be addressed.
The current policy outlines specific circumstances in which a student is allowed to transfer schools. For a transfer to be approved, the applicant must prove a unique hardship, which is defined as “problems that are not common to large numbers of families” such as day-care needs or course preferences.
Board members propose districtwide boundary study, class size review committee
County school board members have proposed establishing a districtwide boundary study and class size review committee, both intended to ease crowding.
Student board member Ananya Tadikonda, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, proposed the boundary assessment study in response to an increase in enrollment and student diversity that she believes challenges the school district’s ability to provide equitable facilities throughout the county.
Tadikonda suggests hiring an independent consultant to study whether boundaries of neighboring school clusters countywide could be altered to even the distribution of students among schools. The consultant would be tasked with providing a report by June 4.
Similarly, District 3 member Pat O’Neill, who has spoken out in support of reducing class sizes, has proposed the school board establish a “Class Size Review Committee” to examine the budgetary implications of “any class size modifications,” review policies of similarly sized districts and examine the historical context of class size guidelines in Montgomery County.
The committee, which would be comprised of “stakeholders representing a broad range of community and institutional interests,” would provide its findings to the school board by June 11.
Maryland students to compete in regional poetry competitions
Nearly 40 high school students from across Maryland will participate in regional poetry competitions for the chance to compete on a national stage.
Montgomery County students will compete in the Poetry Out Loud regional contest on Jan. 19 in Annapolis.
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation.
Three finalists will advance to the state finals in March where they will be judged on articulation, evidence of understanding and physical presence, with one state winner to be named who will compete in the national competition in April in Washington.
The state winner will receive $1,200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the national contest.
