Back in January of 2022, 94% of the almost 7,000 members of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) who voted supported a no-confidence resolution against then-Interim Superintendent Monifa McKnight and the Board of Education (BOE).
Apparently, their feelings have not changed much.
Wednesday, the Montgomery County Inspector General’s office issued a report on its investigation concerning how Montgomery County Public Schools handles misconduct allegations. OIG determined that the school district “does not have a comprehensive protocol addressing the receipt, evaluation, tracking and disposition of complaints.”
The review noted “numerous issues” dealing with employee misconduct related complaints and investigations, “many” of which were previously brought to MCPS’ attention.
Meanwhile, the BOE has asked Superintendent McKnight to step down, according to McKnight.
MCEA members expressed strong dissatisfaction again.
“We are continually disheartened and disgusted by the continuing revelations of corruption, malfeasance, and unsafe working conditions in MCPS,” said Danillya Wilson, MCEA Secretary and Vice President-Elect. “At a time when we should be working together to demand a budget that meets the actual needs of our students, we are constantly sidetracked with additional stories of MCPS’s mismanagement.”
The OIG report “makes clear that the superintendent and other top executives, either due to incompetence or willful avoidance of duty, allowed credible allegations of sexual harassment and bullying to go unaddressed,” she wrote in a news release.
She also wrote, “This failure to put systems in place and follow them with fidelity–even after receiving multiple warnings about shoddy processes–indicates a callous disregard for the safety and wellbeing of staff and further erodes our confidence in senior leaders entrusted with oversight of this work.”
MCEA called for the Board of Education to “put a swift end to the chaos” by appointing people who will competently handle staffing shortages in special education and other areas, unfilled substitute teaching positions, unpaid class coverage and concerns over a lack of COVID leave.
“There’s ample evidence that changes in top leadership are needed if we are to restore trust in the system,” MCEA wrote in the release.
“Every day that the current controversy continues, the system is failing to support the 14,000 educators who strive to give our students the excellent learning opportunities they need and deserve. MCEA calls on the board to choose leaders who can restore trust in the system and who will support the critical work we do with students each day,” said MCEA President Jennifer Martin.
