Schoolyard fight brewing over furloughs in Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Will there be an education armageddon in Montgomery County if schools have to accept furloughs? Maybe not, but there could be a lawsuit. School Superintendent Dr. Jerry Weast says he's balking over furloughs because of the impact it would have on the education process.

"My major concern is the children."

But Councilmember Phil Andrews doesn't buy it. "It's not about the kids -- it's about protecting staff."

Weast says it's about a number of things. He insists that furlough days would hit teacher preparation and school operations. "We only have seven non-instructional days," Weast says. "You take five {days} away from our teachers -- you're going to have a lot of big glitches."

And Weast says the county's spending plan is below a state funding formula. If that's the case, it would be the second year in a row the school system risked a multi-million dollar fine. This time the fine could be as much as $51 million.

"If the school system did something to cause the county to have to pay a $51 million fine, I suspect there would be a lot of hullabaloo over that."

Weast says the schools are already losing roughly 400 positions, taking on 2,800 more students and have agreed to a budget cut of $137 million from the school system's request. Any more cuts this late would do what he calls "irreparable harm."

County Council President Nancy Floreen says taking furloughs is about fundamental fairness. "I'm taking a furlough, my staff is taking a furlough, bus drivers are being furloughed, the people who give shots to the children in the schools are going to be furloughed. We are in this together." Floreen also takes issue with the school system's take on state law regarding school funding. "They're wrong on their law. I don't think this is the time to talk about law, I think it's time to talk about service."

Weast says he's talking about the same thing.

"We're all trying to do the best we can. I just don't want to show up in the fall and not be able to deliver to the children what we promised them we'd deliver." SOURCE: WTOP

Montgomery County Public Schools begin lawsuit to sue Montgomery County government

Montgomery County Public Schools begin lawsuit process to sue Montgomery County government. Montgomery Schools Draft Suit

Isiah Leggett and Nancy Floreen push furloughs for all County employees

FLASH: Montgomery County Considers Furloughs, with Nancy Floreen saying "everything is on the table." Energy tax is likely, along with mandatory time off, cutting services, and much more! County Council expects to furlough all employees, like police, park and planning, fire fighters, and the board of education.

SOURCE: News Channel 8

Vovak offers Knapp job of Mont. County Chief Admin. Officer

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND - Last night at the Democrat Spring Ball, Daniel "The Whig Man" Vovak, a Bethesda Republican, offered the job of Montgomery County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to Councilman Mike Knapp (D-2 Upcounty). Should Vovak be elected as County Executive, the county charter allows him to appoint the job to a qualified person.

"Republicans need to work with Democrats, not against them," says Vovak. "Connie Morella set the example for electable Republicans in Montgomery County, and I will follow that example. Although Knapp has outgrown his job as a district councilman, with the new job as chief administrative officer, he will have the authority to implement many fiscal changes that he wants to do, but currently is overruled in doing."

Vovak approached Knapp when he was in an intense discussion with Delegate Brian Feldman (D-15). Feldman was openly asking riveting questions about Knapp's future, which includes a possible primary challenge to County Executive Isiah Leggett. Knapp's decision is the last major puzzle piece needed for Montgomery County elections. Knapp has four options: 1) Enter the private sector, 2) Face Leggett in a contentious primary for county executive, 3) Run for re-election in District 2, or 4) Accept Vovak's offer as chief administrative officer.

Knapp, a Blue-Dog Democrat, already faces Sharon Dooley in a primary. Should Knapp withdraw from the contest, he has indicated he will endorse Delegate Craig Rice (D-15 Germantown) for his current job. The winner will face Robin Ficker, a Republican running for Councilman in District 2. The top-paid job in Montgomery County at $266,000 per year, the CAO reports to the county executive, supervising all departments and offices of the executive branch and also advising the county executive on administrative matters. In addition, the CAO coordinates management review and decision-making on policies, programs, plans, budgets, legislation, regulations, and similar matters.


"Although I hold no resentment again Tim Firestine [the current CAO], I will stop Council's current spending binge," says Vovak. "Every elected official in Montgomery County is a Democrat, which is a monopoly killing our county fiscally. Leggett and Firestine have watched our county government have a $1 billion gap, which is an abomination. I don't know if Mike [Knapp] will accept my offer, but I would love to have him on my team, changing county government" says Vovak.

Educational Facilities Officer positions to be cut

In his 2011 fiscal budget, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) proposed police officer reductions as a means to alleviate the $779 million county deficit. Reductions in police officer positions are expected to save $2 million, according to county spokesman Patrick Lacefield. Forty total police officer positions will be eliminated, and 16 of 33 officers in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be cut, according to a Montgomery County news release.

All 25 MCPS high schools have one serving Educational Facilities Officer (EFO). This individual plays a role in fostering relationships between students, addressing school security issues and collaborating with MCPS and the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). Several middle schools, such as Martin Luther King Middle School in the Germantown District and Argyle Middle School in the Wheaton District, also have EFOs. The MCPD and the County Council have not yet decided which EFO positions will be cut. "At this time, we don't have any specific information," Assistant Principal Myriam Rogers said.

Due to the prevalence of at-risk teenage behaviors as well as MCPS's burgeoning gang problem, EFOs are becoming more involved in protecting the school community. On April 28, 2009, Springbrook High School students Anthony Torrence and Yonata Getachew attempted to detonate a bomb and set off a fire with the intent to harm staff members and deface school property. They were stopped when Torrence revealed the pair's plans to EFO Rodney Barnes.

The elimination of EFO positions may have an adverse effect on MCPS schools. "It would have some impact on developing relationships with students," Blair's EFO Officer Darryl Marshall explained. "Some students come to talk to the EFOs, so we are there to deal with certain issues." Like Rogers, Marshall has not heard which officers will be cut. "They have not come to us about what schools will be selected or affected," he said. SOURCE: Silver Chips

Leggett's proposed police merger draws opposition

County Executive Ike Leggett is recommending merging the county's park police force, which has about 90 officers, its own dispatch unit, and is responsible for policing 10 percent of county land, into the larger county police department. Leggett said the move would save the county $2 million for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. But the move is facing stiff opposition from the Montgomery side of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which oversees the police force.

"This proposal is not about saving money," said Royce Hanson, county planning board chairman, in a letter to the County Council. "This is another attempt by [Leggett] to wrest power over the park system and park land."

Park officials stressed that the park police is a specialized unit best equipped to handle park-specific issues, like controlling the deer population, backwoods patrolling, and deterring gang activity in parks. Without those officers, park officials said, the county's well-used parks will suffer.

"Safety in parks will suffer, I can guarantee you that," said Montgomery Park Police Chief Darien Manley. He said a similar consolidation in Baltimore had led to a drop in safety in the city's parks. SOURCE: Washington Examiner