[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6359213,"mediaKeyId","2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b","parentId",2193121,"title","Community groups and council press MCPS on budget, staffing and accountability for equity work","audioSeconds",1498,"startMs",3582000,"endMs",5080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b&start=3582&end=5080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b/thumbnail_3582000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359213/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Community-groups-and-council-press-MCPS-on-budget-staffing-and-accountability-for-equity-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359213-0c2f6bf12d20171015c8ddf012a2024b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775294983&Signature=f1GC-uGYVBavH982BlxC4-4hZGwc6YB0K1lH~itPjykqtBfoaTJox2EId5c9InpRUXfj1W~Iz2T3J2S8cYpvYzURY4h-r6JeOL77u8tAOhtXuP5YlgxLQpJ26rOSFd2xBQvsgeMIS87lO~HAHOYR8QmHoGgurFgq52I0~cPcKd~poNGnGfFFggdCbbra2OH6uW5RLowYjopd~G-macUbT8NyQqpEamICGFl~he6CY0QcmuJPKT1zzg4~rIj1GUp3GOTI0yCpbak8OVMTswm2cWSs5mI3K~7ITHvXdLWDFsCwQKSansDoMe4lXJJZQnKVrubt4UreRes-7a88W5-bMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County, MD","date","2025-01-31T22:01:39Z","article","Community advocates and multiple council members used the Jan. 30 Education and Culture Committee meeting to press Montgomery County Public Schools for clearer budget commitments and sustained staffing for equity and restorative justice work.

Why it matters: Community groups said the district has engaged volunteers and advisory groups to develop recommendations but has not consistently turned those recommendations into funded, measurable actions that reach students most harmed by bias and disproportionate discipline.

Wylia Chase, director of operations and community engagement for the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, told the committee the proposed FY26 operating budget showed increases in security personnel but lacked visible investment in restorative practices and other interventions she and community groups have worked on with MCPS. \"Where is the investment in restorative practices?\" Chase asked, urging the council to require MCPS to demonstrate how resources will be sustained and how outcomes will be measured.

Council members pressed MCPS staff for specifics on accountability. Sean McGee, an area associate superintendent, described supervisory structures that include goal‑setting conferences, supervisory visits, walk‑throughs, and cross‑office student‑support teams the district uses to help schools not meeting expectations. He said the district will first try to provide additional supports; if those fail, the professional growth system for administrators can be used.

Councilmember May reported she had confirmed with Superintendent Taylor that several staff positions would be reallocated for next year to support implementation: eight restorative justice specialists and three equity instructional specialists would be placed into new professional learning specialist roles that are intended to support district‑wide implementation and school improvement plan work. MCPS staff present described the equity unit’s planned role in designing system‑level strategy, training and guidance for how principals may spend equity add‑on funds, but they acknowledged the need for clear accountability to ensure feedback is implemented.

Advocates and council members requested that the district clarify which training modules are mandatory, which are asynchronous, how attendance will be tracked, and what measurable outcomes will be tied to participation. Several council members also urged MCPS to publish rate‑based metrics (percents) as well as raw counts so the council and public can compare outcomes across schools and over time.

The committee did not take votes but directed MCPS to return with scheduled, detailed updates that tie strategic‑plan goals to school improvement actions, list staffing roles and funding sources, and provide clearer performance measures the council can use to evaluate the district’s progress.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Jan. 30, 2025 - EC Committee Worksession (FULL)","oneSentenceSummary","Community advocates and multiple council members used the Jan. 30 Education and Culture Committee meeting to press Montgomery County Public Schools for clearer budget commitments and sustained staffing for equity and restorative justice work.","taxTitle","Montgomery County, Maryland","taxId",3351,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359223,"Montgomery County schools embed anti‑racist audit into new strategic plan; officials vow clearer accountability",1037,738000,1775000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b&start=738&end=1775","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b/thumbnail_738000.jpg","/articles/6359223/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Montgomery-County-schools-embed-antiracist-audit-into-new-strategic-plan-officials-vow-clearer-accountability","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359223-49137d382fdba57cb1715a8534989f99/orig.mp4?Expires=1775294983&Signature=naGtFQvM3jk3egtE5ii8hawV8NVb2ia2KOEuIrdIoKp7mFfXb-QlilECc6wmrW47GlXV1~eHOvruNbD-sGbk-AM~fizmLDvIKk7ExH9-JZsz79AVpFYNMb~g-Hpys8CYrdUwL0Af-TVLnqXpGspQjlwO1fZTV~SbGJvvVRKckpvBWYTGWKqFDZ8Sx5DpDJNbua9VmxpsB3QTNiyHvvuWZA7huxkt3TOiEwrrhaLx2EF1M-Mhq82mk3x1C5QLAZMxkCkyopXPBDMRjz9CAdVqw1gnYuSup6SIrjmYjpuYw4MQgc5oontvtdr0grMyJ4c6roaKvBk8mtdTLz2Idh7ziw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council Vice President Giordano opened the Education and Culture Committee meeting Jan. 30 by reminding attendees that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) began an anti‑racist audit in 2020 and that the council and community expect action on its findings. Doug Prouty, the council’s senior budget and policy analyst, said the committee would hear how audit recommendations are being incorporated into the district’s new strategic plan and get updates on implementation progress.

Why it matters: The anti‑racist audit identified wide variation in how best practices are applied across schools. County and school officials said embedding the audit’s cross‑domain recommendations into MCPS’s strategic plan is intended to make implementation consistent rather than piecemeal.

MCPS presenters described a multi‑phase strategic‑planning process that they said is designed to translate audit findings into measurable goals and school‑level actions. Dr. Alston (role not specified in the transcript) told the committee the district used Phase 1 engagement feedback and a Phase 2 root‑cause analysis to draft goals and is now in Phase 3, developing measurable objectives. She said the board is expected to finalize the strategic plan in May.

MCPS officials highlighted new public and internal data dashboards on the MCPS website that display school‑level metrics such as graduation validation, chronic absenteeism, staffing, special education, and parent engagement. Officials said dashboards and internal monitoring tools will support data‑driven decisions and that “these dashboards have been a game changer” for staff who use them to track progress and communicate with families.

Community members and council members pressed MCPS on timeliness and transparency. Council members noted that the action‑plan tracker on MCPS’s website had received a sudden cluster of updates, and they urged regular, scheduled reporting so the public can see ongoing progress rather than sporadic updates tied to committee sessions. MCPS staff said they will adopt regular timelines and calendars for updates and align accountability structures around the strategic plan’s goals.

On training and implementation, MCPS described a significant expansion of professional learning and materials designed to support anti‑racist practice: mandatory professional learning for school‑based administrators on hate‑bias reporting, a culture‑responsive planning document for engagement, templates for inclusive communications, and multiple professional learning modules for central office staff. MCPS reported high attendance and satisfaction scores for several trainings and said 95% of leaders demonstrated growth on specified equity skills after participating.

Several council members and community advocates urged clearer metrics. They requested that MCPS report rates (percentages) alongside raw counts for outcomes such as suspensions and discipline, identify which trainings are mandatory versus optional, show who attended, and specify consequences or follow‑up when administrators fail to implement required practices.

What remains unresolved: Councilmember May said she had confirmed with Superintendent Taylor that certain equity and restorative positions would be reconfigured for next year: eight restorative justice specialists and three equity instructional specialists would be placed into new “professional learning specialist” roles to support implementation and school improvement planning. MCPS officials present described the intended role of a reconstituted equity unit (system strategy, training design, recommendations for use of equity funds) and said the new professional learning roles would support principals and schools, but they acknowledged some HR and implementation steps remain.

The district also flagged dependency on forthcoming state legislation. MCPS staff are monitoring proposed Maryland bills (House Bill 0192 and House Bill 0488) that would create state designations and reporting requirements for restorative practices; staff said they are evaluating whether district data systems and staffing align with these potential new requirements.

The committee asked MCPS to return with more detailed, scheduled reporting and clearer links between the strategic plan goals, school improvement plans and accountability measures. Doug Prouty said committee follow‑ups will continue before budget deliberations in April and in the summer.","Council Vice President Giordano opened the Education and Culture Committee meeting Jan. 30 by reminding attendees that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) began an anti‑racist audit in 2020 and that the council and community expect action on its findings.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359218,"Restorative justice credited with lowering suspensions at some Montgomery County schools; officials caution it’s one tool among many",1706,1774000,3480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b&start=1774&end=3480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2193121-188dfede25577825e19cf61d6c84417b/thumbnail_1774000.jpg","/articles/6359218/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Restorative-justice-credited-with-lowering-suspensions-at-some-Montgomery-County-schools-officials-caution-its-one-tool-among-many","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359218-b1a2a809a4cd7aa2421aa85cf3a04e9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775294983&Signature=D8Gb3FaoKAMBblYM8PgXfyKdSk38cymYbbpgONHLYv~OdKcirbx6WUFeB1ACDmMun7hfv4bmEtwxpXut0Ife2BEWHEEJWxQXsahzSgWVwtqOPBMoQi-jJp8mKHkaRcpBIwpFWuo8GcYRy7eXwjPGz7JedgNrrUJJBgVugJatxR6rSBlM383AbQqAtLFZrBnWGU3ufEfKebuK~MFgAvVmJAWyRPGFTylVgcFmSkswleA4MsyFAakQNoiBg6klULG~GBrnTuS~k4ZHFvR65oCJ2ZyGWQCYk7YHsPkAkaLeHl3PpVtteYc55e2DSQ3es3iYZhgktguN4Ewtt87eHj1WPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shauna Kaye Jornby, director of student engagement and behavioral health for Montgomery County Public Schools, briefed the Education and Culture Committee on Jan. 30 about district progress implementing restorative justice (RJ) practices since the committee’s November update.

Why it matters: MCPS officials said RJ strategies — circles, reintegration practices and school‑led dialogues — have helped some schools reduce suspensions, return students to class more quickly and lower recidivism, but that RJ alone has not closed discipline disproportionality across racial and special‑education groups.

Principal April Longest of Farmland Elementary described a proactive approach at her school of more than 860 students. \"Creating a strong sense of belonging and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do at Farmland,\" Longest said, summarizing a series of three town‑hall lessons for grades 3–5 that addressed identity, hateful and harmful words, and the application of the code of conduct with restorative practice. Longest said staff surveyed students, shared findings with parents and used scenario‑based classroom follow‑ups to teach problem solving and the speak‑up strategy.

Principal Craig Staten of Julius West Middle School told the committee his school used a restorative‑justice coordinator and expanded staff capacity to hold circles and reentry conversations after separations. Staten said the school’s suspensions peaked after the pandemic, at more than 100 in 2021, but that the number had dropped to 15 \"today\" for serious incidents such as fights. Staten said many incidents were resolved through dialogue and that the school saw lower recidivism among students who participated in restorative circles.

District‑level findings: MCPS staff presented systemwide RJ monitoring results and an internal evaluation framework that classifies schools as unreported, early, intermediate, mature or reactive. Staff said evaluations show movement toward more schools reaching the intermediate or mature levels but noted ongoing variability: coaches and specialists vary in experience, some schools struggle to engage parents, and a subset of schools remains reactive and requires formal action plans.

Data points shared by MCPS staff included an unduplicated suspension rate of roughly 1.4 (percent) across the district and evidence that schools with restorative specialists have shown reductions in suspensions for subjective categories such as disrespect and disruption. Staff cautioned that because RJ practices reduce suspensions across all student groups, disproportionality ratios between groups can remain similar even when absolute suspension numbers fall.

Challenges and next steps: MCPS presenters said coaches reported strong skills in community circles and relationship building, but less experience in high‑intensity formal restorative circles and reintegration practices. Officials emphasized reintegration planning for students who have been separated from school and said federal Secret Service research points to elevated risk in the days after separation, which underscores the safety imperative for reentry supports.

Legislative monitoring: MCPS staff flagged two state bills — House Bill 0192 (state designation of restorative‑practice schools) and House Bill 0488 (state reporting of restorative approaches) — that could take effect July 1, 2025. Staff said they are evaluating district data systems and staffing to meet possible new state reporting or designation requirements.

Community reaction: Community advocates, including Wylia Chase of the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, urged stronger budgetary investment in restorative practices and asked the council to ensure resources reach students most affected by bias and discipline disparities. Chase emphasized that many community volunteers and advisory‑group members are unpaid and want the district to act on recommendations they helped develop.

The committee asked MCPS to return with more detailed school‑level data (rates rather than raw counts), standardized measures of training attendance and outcomes, and a clear account of how RJ specialists and coaches will be funded and sustained.","Shauna Kaye Jornby, director of student engagement and behavioral health for Montgomery County Public Schools, briefed the Education and Culture Committee on Jan. 30 about district progress implementing restorative justice (RJ) practices since the committee’s November update.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Community groups and council press MCPS on budget, staffing and accountability for equity work

Montgomery County schools embed anti‑racist audit into new strategic plan; officials vow clearer accountability

Restorative justice credited with lowering suspensions at some Montgomery County schools; officials caution it’s one tool among many