Students tell MCPS board they need clearer grading timelines, mental-health supports and clarity on boundary options

Grace Rivera Oven, the newly elected board president, opened a Montgomery County Public Schools student leadership forum by thanking student leaders and introducing the evening's rotation format for focused conversations on topics including boundary changes, grading and reporting, facilities and educational technology, college and career readiness, and mental health and school safety. "I am Grace Rivera Oven. I'm the new elected president," she said as she welcomed attendees.

Students at eight tables rotated through 25-minute sessions with MCPS staff and shared specific concerns and experiences. A recurring issue was grading and feedback timelines. "Not only do students have a 10 day deadline to turn in work, but also, teachers also have a 10 day deadline to grade them," Isaac, an eighth grader at Parkland, told the group. Nicky Porter, chief academic officer, acknowledged the concerns: "We got an earful about grading and reporting, and students are being held accountable. Now you all are asking us to hold teachers accountable for turning, feedback and returning work in a timely manner. So we're gonna make sure we get that message out to our schools." The staff response indicated MCPS will communicate students' requests to schools rather than announcing an immediate policy change at the forum.

Boundary changes also drew attention. Antonio, a seventh grader at Herbert Hoover Middle School, said one option in the boundary study could move him to another high school: "...in one of the options, they're planning on moving me to another high school." Students voiced anxiety about how options under consideration could affect program access and peer continuity.

Students raised facility and safety concerns tied to vaping and other behaviors. Do Yang, a tenth grader at Blair, described maintenance work needed when students flush vaping devices down toilets: "So those service, personnels have to break down the toilets." Several students urged stronger anti-vaping and drug education measures alongside repairs.

Other topics included access to career and high‑school program options, supports for immigrant students, and a desire for richer history curriculum that shows broader context. Carla Silvestre, a board member who said she had been listening at a table, summarized curriculum feedback: students want "to understand the entire history of a people, not just specific times when maybe we were being oppressed. The before and the after."

Organizers closed the session by asking attendees to complete an SSL feedback form via a QR code or paper copies from Miss Dean. No formal actions or votes were taken at the forum; staff committed to relaying student feedback to schools and administrators for follow-up.

The forum was an opportunity for direct student-to-staff exchange; MCPS staff committed to communicating student concerns to school leaders for potential follow-up and clarification.