s school year where instead of the Board of Education, just passing a resolution at a board meeting to celebrate something, we thought that we would actually bring folks in and celebrate with them. And so we have actually printed off those
fabulous resolutions, and we take this opportunity before board meetings to celebrate with the public. So we're thrilled that you are here to celebrate with us. Some very important milestones in our community and I am thrilled to kick things off. I am Thomas
Taylor,e have just a few recognitions that we will have today. And we have an opportunity to move these words from the page into practice. So today, we're proud to recognize the Mark man excellence and
Harmony Award winner Brandy Overton. And we celebrated her this morning at our annual Summer Leadership Academy. But it's exciting when the Board of Education can can celebrate her as well. We will also be recognizing winners and
participation in the 2026 Cappies of the National Capital Area Awards. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's kind of like the Tony Awards, but for high school theater in the D.C. area, and it's amazing. I got a chance to
go this year, and our kids absolutely thrived in that space. And last, and I got to tell you, is very timely for today, is that we get to reaffirm our commitment to recognizing and celebrating
with pride. LGBTQ Plus Pride Month. This is particularly poignant given that we are under federal investigation right now for alleged violations of title nine, and I'm proud to say that we stand
with our students, we stand with our families, and we stand firmly behind Maryland law, and we will defend all of that vigorously because we love our kids and we know that we want them to be safe and welcome in our schools. And so we gratefully celebrate Pride
Month in M.C.P.S. So to kick things off, we have Carla Silvestre, who will do our very first recognition. Good afternoon, everyone, and
welcome. I am honored to introduce the Markman Excellence Award. Each year, the Markman Excellence and Harmony Award is given to teachers who are dedicated to academic excellence, positive human relations, and community outreach. This award is given
to educators who embody the foundation of connecting students with the community at large, both inside and outside the classroom, fostering that sense of belonging that is essential to participating in society. This year, the recipient of the Markman
Excellence Award is no other than our fellow M.c.p.s teacher and most recently, the principal of Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Middle School, miss Brandy K Overton. We are delighted and proud to
honor her today as the recipient of this prestigious award, both for her hard work and time spent in the county, as well as her embodiment of the spirit of this award. As principal, she elevated the status of MLK junior. S Middle
School school rating from 2 to 3 stars for the first time since 2019 by the Maryland State Department of Education. In that school, she introduced what she called the DREAM dream teams, which was a total restructuring of the school's
instructional model that nurtured equity and student achievement, as well as prioritized data driven decisions by faculty and staff, ensuring that students were not only learning effectively, but learning with heart and empathy.
But it is also outside the classroom that Miss Overton also made MLK Junior Middle School the place to be. Under her direction, she expanded cultural programs and fostered student talent and creativity through the school's MLK s Got
Talent program. In addition, she assisted in organizing food drives and distribution services to families in need. Wow, that's a lot of great work. On behalf of the board, we want to thank Miss Overton for her inspiring leadership and her
exemplary direction, making MLK Junior Middle School a haven where students not only succeed academically but thrive creatively and socially. Miss Overton, we congratulate you on winning this award. Let's take
a picture together. All right. Here for me, please. Here we go.
One, two and three. Couple more. All right. Three. Sorry, sorry sorry, sorry. Three. One. Two. Got it. Thank you. Can we get miss? Yeah. Come on in. Family
right here. Yes. This is gorgeous. What's your name? Harper. Right here. Right there. One. Two. Three. Yeah. One more.
Right here. One. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Laura,
are you cappies? Yes. Good afternoon. Today we celebrate an extraordinary achievement by Montgomery County Public Schools theater programs at the 2026 copies of the National
Capital Area Gala, one of the region's highest honors for high school theater. Students from four M.C.P.S. schools were recognized for their outstanding artistic achievement, earning nominations and awards among some of the most talented young
performers and theater professionals in the region. At this time, we invite our honored guests, Phil Barnes, who is the coordinator for Instrumental Music and Theater. And you, yes, our fearless
leader. And I don't believe any of our guests. But just in case they're here. Oh, principal Mark Brown of Einstein High School. We also are honoring Quince Orchard High School,
Walt Whitman High School in Clarksburg High School, who all had were recognized at the 2026 copies of the National Capital Area Gala, and I was happy to attend the gala as the first Cappies ever went to. And it
was so exciting. So if you ever get a chance to go to Cappies, go for it. The cheering was amazing and the communities there, it's just was so nice to see a good group of kids and people come together cheering
on our students and other students that were there. These remarkable programs received an impressive 21 Cappie nominations and captured two prestigious awards showcasing extraordinary talent of M.C.P.S. students both on stage
and behind the scenes. We are especially proud to recognize Ryan Sawyer Robbins of Walt Whitman High School, recipient of the award for vocalist in a Male role, and Timo Silbermann of Quince Orchard High School, recipient of the Captain's
Award for comic, actor and Musical theater, is so much more than what audiences see. Under the spotlight is a place where students learn to collaborate, communicate, problem solve, and support one another. I myself learned that I was in theater in elementary
school middle school. I turned into a band geek in high school and learned perseverance as well. I played Linus in the Charlie Brown musical, Got the Flu, and performed with 101 degree fever. I don't recommend
that, but I don't know if you noticed, but it taught me to show up, right? Because showing up is so important. So we love to give these opportunities for young people to discover their strengths, build confidence, and develop skills that will serve them throughout their lives. And today, we not only
celebrate these awards and a nomination, but also to students, educators, and theater programs whose commitment to the arts continue to enrich our schools and bring pride to our entire community. And with that, let's give them applause. And we can take
pictures. Please run a little bit tighter. Yeah, there we go. There we go. One. Two. Three.
Three. Three. Yeah. All right, Madam President, thank you.
This. Good afternoon. Buenas tardes. Bienvenidos. Welcome to all. June is recognized as
Pride Month, a time to honor and celebrate the history, resilience, achievements, and contributions of the LGBTQ. A plus individuals and communities throughout our nation. At this time, we invite a very few very special guests
to join us at the front. So if you hear a name, please come up to the front. Please welcome our honored guests from the MoCA Pride Center, including Phillip Alexander Downey, Chief Executive Officer, and Michaela Richardson, chairperson of the
Board of Directors. Welcome. Thank you. That's right. The MoCA Pride Center serves as a vital resource and gathering place for the Lgbtqia, plus
individuals and allies throughout Montgomery County through advocacy, education, wellness programs, community partnerships, and support services. The center helps foster a more inclusive and affirming community for all.
Many residents also know the organization through pride in the Plaza Montgomery County Annual Pride celebration in downtown Silver Spring. This vibrant event brings together thousands of community members to celebrate authenticity, visibility, acceptance for all,
and joy. The leaders we recognize today, along with the many volunteers and partners organizations that support this work, help ensure that LGBTQ plus individuals and families have access to resources, support opportunities to thrive.
So let me say this every child is a gift and every child is a treasure. And here in Montgomery County and in Montgomery County Public Schools, we remain committed to
ensuring that every student feels seen, respected, supported, and valued. And to ensure that no child, no student feels unwelcome and
lonely, but to make sure that they feel the love of their village, of their community. That is our commitment today, and that is our commitment tomorrow. So today we celebrate not only Pride Month, but also the community leaders, the
advocates who continue to advance inclusion, understanding and opportunity for all. Thank you. Let's take
a picture. Step forward a little bit. All right. Here we
go. 123. Three. Three. Sunday. You know. All right this
concludes our celebrations and recognitions for today. We're going to get started with the Board of Education business
meeting momentarily.
Good afternoon everyone. If you please. Have a seat. Good afternoon and welcome all to the June 2526 Board Business meeting. Welcome to our board members, M.C.P.S. staff and members of our community who are joining us here today. And
to those who are watching this meeting via live stream, like my mom, Graciela. Hola, mommy. So please let us begin by standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. To the flag is in the back. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much. I will now ask my colleagues to please introduce
themselves to establish a quorum. I will start on my right. Good afternoon. Laura Stewart here from district four. Buenas tardes. Good afternoon. I'm Carla Silvestre, school board member at large. Good afternoon. Rita Montoya, board
member at large. Good afternoon. Natalie Zimmerman representing district two. Good afternoon. Anavar Malu, student member. Thank you. Before we begin this afternoon, our meeting, the board would like to acknowledge and recognize the outstanding
new artwork that has been added to the board room. You can see some on the wall by courtesy of the art teacher Melissa Matthews and the students from Blake High School. Their creativity, talent, and
artistic expression reflects the dedication of both the students and the staff who support inspire them. Each day, this artwork will remain displayed in the board room through the month of October, and we look forward to celebrating the student artists and their teachers on our board
business meeting of September the 24th. Next up, is there a motion to approve the Revised Agenda? Motion to approve. Second, there is a motion and a second. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. And it carries. Thank you. Next item
on the agenda is 5.1. And this is recommendations for appointments. Doctor Taylor. Thank you, Madam President. We have two administrative candidates for your consideration for appointment this evening. When I call your name, if you could please stand up and I say some nice things
about you before the board considers your appointment. And then we all applaud when you get approved. First for consideration is Mrs. Nadia K, excuse me, Nadia J. Klein Taylor for the position of principal at Argyle Middle School. Joining her today is
her friend Bridget Meyer. Miss Klein Taylor has been employed with M.C.P.S. for five years as a substitute teacher, assistant principal, principal intern and most recently as the principal at Potomac Elementary School. As a longtime advocate for excellence in middle schools,
she looks forward to combining her diverse experiences with the already rich culture of Argyle Middle School to invent the future of middle schools and beyond shout outs to her husband, Darren for his steadfast support and to Doctor Campbell, Doctor Murray, Craig
Staton and an dardarian for their unwavering confidence in her leadership. Is there a motion motion to approve? Second, there is a motion and a second. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. And that is unanimous.
Congratulations. Our second and last position for consideration and person for consideration is Miss Elizabeth J. Marino for the position of principal at Eastern Middle School. Joining
her today is her husband, Jose. Her children, Aiden, Luciana and Miguel, her mother Anna Maria and her mother in law Luz and her uncles George and Luis, who are representing her late father, Miguel. Miss Marino has
been employed with M.c.p.s. For 15 years as a substitute teacher, resource counselor, instructional specialist, assistant principal and most recently as a principal intern at Eastern Middle School. She looks forward to leading Eagle Nation and is honored to
support the students, staff and families of the community that has helped to shape her own journey. Shout outs to her parents who have sacrificed everything for this moment, her mentors and to her loved ones watching online from Guatemala,
Peru and across the United States. Is there a motion? Motion to approve? Second, a motion and a second. All those in favor, please raise your right hand. And that is unanimous. Congratulations,
Felicidades. Thank you, Madam President. This concludes administrative appointments for this evening. Thank you, Doctor Taylor. As we move on, we're
going to now go to association comments. I will ask any designated representatives here to provide comments to please come forward at this time.
Seeing none, I will move to our next item on the agenda, which is item number seven. The next item on the agenda is public comment. While the board encourages public input on policy, program and practices
and will consider the comments received, it is not the board's practice during this public comment meetings to respond to questions, to provide comments, or to take actions on the issues raised. This is a public meeting and the board expects the conduct of all speakers and
members of the audience to be within the bounds of proper etiquette. This more celebration out there sounds like the World Cup inappropriate personal remarks, route retorts, or other such behavior is out of order and
will not be tolerated. Those who demonstrate disruptive or disrespectful behavior during public comment may be asked to leave the room. In addition, public comment is not the proper avenue to address specific student or employee matters. Such matters should be
directed through the complaint or appeal process. Each speaker has two minutes to deliver comments. When your name is called, press the flat button and speak clearly into the microphone. A yellow light and single beep indicates that you have 30s. Remaining a red light
and repeating beep signals. The time has expired. Once you have finished speaking, press the same button to turn off the microphone. Following live testimony, audio and video testimony will be played and copies of the testimonies are
posted with the other materials for this meeting, which are on board docs. With that, I'm going to call the. If you hear your name, please come forward. The six folks. Vineeth Kumar
Shankar. Shanmukh Kumar, Sylvie Stoneberg, Ian Chen, Aditi Iyer,
and Helena Paulos. Okay. Thank you. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Jay and I'm a captain of team 1499, the
Falcons. Today once more I am here to represent the Mocha Robo Initiative, a student led coalition representing robotics teams across the county. Robotics is a transformative experience, but right now, a team success in M.C.P.S. is heavily dictated by zip code and external funding. In the past, my team has the
incredible privilege of competing at the World Championship. We got there because we fortunately had access to machine shops, dedicated build space and vital funding from external sources. However, many other teams in our county are not as fortunate. They are locked out of success,
not by a lack of talent, but by a lack of resources. We recognize and appreciate that the board is taking steps forward, such as implementing the new AI enrichment program in middle schools in partnership with UMD. However, to ensure these programs actually thrive and to address structural gaps, we need more than top down initiatives. We
are here today once more to ask for the establishment of a Montgomery County Robotics Committee. We need a direct line of communication with the Board of Education. This committee will create a mechanism for vital accountability, allowing us to provide direct feedback on how current projects are going and where they are falling short.
More importantly, it creates a collaborative space where we can work together on foreseeable concrete actionables such as establishing public or private facility partnerships, shared community machine shops and formalized mentorship programs. Let's work together to bridge the gap between passion and resources, and ensure that
every student in Montgomery County has equitable access to Stem and opportunities to build their future. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Kumar. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Sean Kumar and I'm also a
member of FRC team 4099. I'm here today to talk to you about a program that's given me a place where I can literally have a tremendous amount of fun, while simultaneously teaching me everything I need to know about engineering to join the workforce. When I first joined robotics, I only expected to build a robot. I didn't expect to see people managing finances,
designing robots, using advanced CAD software, and write complex autonomous programing algorithms. That's exactly the kind of career and workforce readiness that M.c.p.s is trying to achieve with all of its CTE programs that are being implemented throughout the county. Robotics mirrors the professional world perfectly, and it prepares us
for the future like nothing else can. But right now, the future of these programs across the county is at risk because of systemic roadblocks. Teams are struggling under a massive lack of funding, an acute shortage of mentors due to a lack of stipends and severe restrictions accessing school machinery. For our team, the lack of a permanent build space
has been a constant battle. Last year, without a consistent, reliable place to build, to build and test our robot, we couldn't reach our our full potential. But this year, because we finally secured a temporary build space, our productivity completely changed.
That space is the direct reason why we were able to perform at our highest level and qualify. As for the first World Championships, a build space isn't a luxury for us. It dictates whether we succeed or fail. We want to work with you to fix these inequities so that every student in Montgomery County can have these transformative experiences. In
our white paper we submitted last year, we've outlined clear solutions, including establishing a centralized practice facility and introducing competitive stipends for our incredibly hardworking mentors. To make this happen, we need a seat at the table. We urge establishing a specialized committee for a direct line of communication between robotics teams and the
Board of Education, so that we can actually create change. Let's work together to ensure M.c.p.s remains a leader in Stem and workforce preparation. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Stony Brook. I'm sorry, I
don't know how to turn it on. You push a button right in front of you. Just push a button. There you go. What am I? The simple answer is a student. I work and learn. It's basic. When you think about it, I do something everyone else does. They all do something I do. From this perspective, we're the same. Yet this is far from
the truth. Humans are beautifully complex. We have so many different interests, hopes and dreams. At Halliwell's Middle School, we keep our strong diversity in mind, which is why we created a unique program called Empower our once a week for 30 minutes. Yes, the name is misleading. We take a break from classes and do an
activity that is fulfilling. There are classes ranging from chess to exercise and even karaoke. Mr. Miller, our sixth grade administrator and program leader, shared this insight with me. From a student perspective, the benefits have been significant. Empower our has provided space for students to build relationships with peers and staff, explore
interests, and receive academic support, and develop important social and emotional skills. It's a beautiful program, and one of my dear friends said how it really complemented her experience at Holly Wells. Because school can be exhausting, so it's nice to have a break to do something fun. However, due to the M.C.P.S. budget cuts, we are losing Mr. Miller, so now there
will be no more. Empower our. This is heartbreaking information to his students because it is something that our Mustangs 2D Boddy cherishes. In fact, another friend mentioned that it made them excited for school on Mondays. Empower our. Does exactly as the name mentions and empower us. As someone who is active in the theater program, Empower
our. Played an essential role in getting us vocally ready for a musical Hadestown. It helped me build a sense of community and gave me the opportunity to strengthen connections with my eighth grade castmates, who I otherwise wouldn't see at all in my day. Personally, I also feel as though this is enjoyable. Enrichment in my day energizes me and helps me feel
awakened and ready to learn. In conclusion, Empower our helps positively fuel our middle school adventure at Halliwells by enhancing us academically and socially. Thank you for your time and I hope we can continue this wonderful program. Thank you Sylvie. Mr. Chen.
Good evening, board members. My name is Ian Chen and I'm a student journalist at Richard Montgomery High School. I'm here today leading a coalition of over 160 student journalists and teachers, a coalition with representation from every single high school in the
county. In March, Chief of Schools Doctor Peter Moran issued a memo to all high school principals. The memo instructs them to designate an administrator to review and approve every single piece of student publication before it is published. We believe this memo conflicts with state law.
Two weeks ago, we detailed our concerns specifically in an open letter sent to M.C.P.S. and the board. Here's what we are asking for. One revoke the memo. Two give us a specific date by which you'll formally respond to our concerns. We've
sent emails and haven't heard back, and we get it. You're very, very busy today. We're just asking you to commit to a timeline so we know this is being taken seriously. We've been endorsed by the Student Press Law Center, the Society of Professional Journalists,
and several other press freedom organizations. Our community petition has over 750 signatures, and the story has been covered by The Washington Post, CBS and NBC. And one quick point teachers are the ones who ensure student journalism is responsible.
They've been trained in journalism ethics. They stop stories that are illegal, irresponsible or poorly researched. That's their job. It's not the job of a principal whose own policy decisions we might be reporting on. Our teachers trust us. The law
trusts us. M.C.P.S. should too. Thank you, thank you. Miss are either a lot. How did. How did he say last name? Higher, higher. I got it right. Thank you. Good afternoon, members of
the board. My name is Aditya and I'm a student journalist from Richard Montgomery High School. In 2016, the Maryland New Voices Act was signed by Governor Larry Hogan. The law establishes that student journalists are the ones responsible for determining the content of school sponsored media. The act explicitly
states that the school system does not have editorial control over a publication, merely because it is produced as a part of a class, or supported financially by the school. In addition, the law prohibits censorship of the media before publication except a narrowly defined circumstances. These exceptions are content that is
libelous or slanderous, constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy, violates federal or state law, incites students to create a clear and present danger of an unlawful act, the violation of county board policies or material and substantial disruption of the school. The March 19th memo
includes a list of content that administrators are instructed to censor Outright. This list goes far beyond what is permitted by the law. To name just one example, the memo states that administrators must censor content that contains the ridicule of individuals or groups. A student publishing
nasty gossip about the class president is very different from a student sharply critiquing a new policy by the principal. Yet both could be. Yet both can be censored under the standard. Before the release of the memo. M.C.P.S. already had an existing framework regulation that
complied with the law and gave administrators the power to step in when the specific exceptions under the law occurred. We completely agree that illegal content has no place in our papers, but the law grants us the right to produce legitimate journalism without fear of censorship. This is why we are calling for a pullback of the memo and a
return to regulation. JF RA. Thank you. Thank you. Selena. You're next. Hello, Doctor Taylor and members of the Board of Education. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak today. My name is Selena Paulos and I'm a rising eighth grade student at Eastern Middle
School and one of many proud members of our school's Humanities and Communications magnet program. I've had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful students from across our county, but we all think one thing in particular why is our building falling apart? How can we have some students driving one hour to and from school and think that we can
learn in a building with water leaks in our ceiling tiles being faulty? How can we pride ourselves in being a magnet school? But our infrastructure isn't up to a high standard? How can our school be a place for higher learning? But our building is breaking down on the very students and staff that need it the most. This isn't just at eastern as well.
Many, many students across different middle and high schools face the same challenges. This should absolutely not be a common trend. This should never be the standard for our schools buildings here in Montgomery County. So this leaves us with one question. What can we do to fix this? I want to bring this to your attention, because Eastern Middle School, along
with many others, need your help. We need a better building. We need better infrastructure, and that needs to take priority. No student wants to learn in a building where they can't focus because their school is building, is falling apart as they listen to their teachers. Eastern Middle School was built in 1951. That is a 75 year gap
from 2026. Students from different years all faced the same building, but now ours is crumbling. That is absolutely too long, especially considering the fact that we have not had a renovation since the year of 1976. We need consistency. We need renovation and infrastructure repairs way
more often, and 1 in 50 years will not cut it. Students from Northwood High School had their building renovated as they testify for their school's renovation. So I ask you, when will we have ours? Members of the Board and Doctor Taylor, please take my words into consideration. Thank you for
your time. Thank you very much. I'm going to call the next speakers. Thank you all for your testimony. You may go back to your seats. If we could have
Arthur Moylan. Javiera Assad, Megan Low, Caroline Taylor,
Emily Moylan and Joe Shashaty. Can we start with Arthur Moylan? Hi, my name is Arthur Moylan and I just finished third grade
at Judith a Resnick Elementary School. I am here because my future high school, Magruder, is in bad shape. This concerns me because Magruder is falling apart. For example, the roof is leaking and that causes mold in the ceilings. Plus the ceiling fell in the auditorium. This
unsafe environment makes it hard to learn because you have to worry about things breaking when things break. It puts dance in the schedule, and that makes. That means kids miss out on learning and unsafe learning environment also makes it harder to hire and keep good
teachers. Good teachers are important to help kids learn. These problems are a big deal because at school, because they're supposed to learn. But at Magruder, kids, kids have a harder time learning because the school is not in good condition. When I get to high school, I want to go to a safe
Magruder, not a school in bad condition. So let's find a way to make Magruder safer because that's why I want recruiter fixed. Thanks. Are you Giovanna
Uvaria? Go ahead. Good afternoon, members of the board. I am Javeria Saad, a student journalist at Richard Montgomery. As mentioned before, the March 19th prior review memo includes a list of content that admin are instructed to censor, which strays beyond what is permitted by the law.
The vague language of the memo is concerning in terms of student rights, as it gives the power to censor important stories. There is a clear conflict of interest principals are reviewing reporting on their own schools and policy decisions. MCPs student journalists have had a history of producing impactful
reporting. In 2022, Whitman School newspaper released a story later picked up by The Washingtonian and Fox five DC, detailing allegations from students that past events had involved alcohol and drug use and sexual harassment. After the article was published, the event was canceled in 2019.
Blair's newspaper, The Silver Chips, reported on a major M.C.P.S. data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 6000 students. The student journalists explained how the cyber attack compromised sensitive information, helping families understand the scope of the incident. Had the memo
been in effect, these students these stories would not have occurred. These students might not have attempted this work, and even if they did, the articles would have likely been censored. Investigative work that might be interpreted as embarrassing or ridicule ultimately provide a justice
for the victims, which is exactly what journalism is for. Without the reporting of student journalists, there will be no one else to shed light on these issues with the power and responsibility that the memo affords them, the school admin has an incentive to censor stories, even if they are
necessary. Journalism. I urge the board to revoke the memo and return to the existing M.C.P.S. framework that complies with Maryland law. Thank you. Thank you, Megan Lowe. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Megan Lowe, and I am a member of FRC
team 4099. FRC and FTC have proven to be highly effective methods for getting students into tech start ups. For individuals, joining our local teams is relatively low cost. On team 4099, we provide workshops and professional level machinery to pass down
technical knowledge in robotics and Stem. This knowledge is utilized for designing, building and programing each season's robot. Apart from technical skills, the business aspect of tech startups involves sponsorships, grants and corporate connections. This
year, our business team earned thousands of dollars from organizations such as Gene Haas and BAE systems. Despite efforts to decrease costs and obtain grants, the money needed to build a new robot and provide summer camps in our community adds up quickly. For
example, to continue running our in-person robotics camps for elementary and middle school students, our team bought new Vex kits that cost us a significant portion of this year's funds. These camps, alongside our virtual summer programs and outreach events, allow us to spread interest and
knowledge in Stem. However, our reach can be furthered through increased support from M.C.P.S. Other FRC teams such as team 1629, receive local support from Garrett County, enabling them to provide Stem waypoint lessons for elementary school
students. Similarly, FRC team 422 is supported by their Board of Education in Richmond, Virginia. By partnering with nearby counties, they have started FL robotics teams in elementary schools, hosted community Stem events, and brought Stem to diverse
audiences by strengthening a direct line of communication between Moko, Robot, and M.c.p.s. We will be able to more easily support Stem education and increase its accessibility. Thank you, thank you. I don't believe it's.
Taylor is here. So, Miss Moylan. Hello. My name is Emily Moylan and I have two sons. You just heard from one of them. Arthur is a rising fourth grader at Reznick, and my youngest, Jude, will join him there as a kindergartner next fall. I'm here today because I'm concerned about the condition
of McGruder, the high school my children will attend in just a few short years. You already know about the ceiling collapse during the spring musical of 2025. And at your last board meeting, our cluster coordinator, Dan Silva, told you about the Hvac panel that fell to the gym floor just an hour after the girls volleyball
team was there on March 13th. How many near misses will the McGruder community experience before our luck runs out? McGruder needs a commitment from the board that McGruder is the next project after Damascus. Your own slides from the March 2nd work session listed high school priorities as Damascus.
McGruder Wooten. In that order, Damascus is getting funded and Wooten is being moved to the Crown location. McGruder must be next. There is concern in the McGruder community that we will be skipped over again. I am here today to ask you to commit to following your own
guidelines and criteria for allocating funding and planning renovations. No more boundary studies that exclude McGruder and allow for other schools to jump ahead. Based on the criteria of the studies, the current list M.c.p.s. Is using with FCI scores and FAA regulations needs to be
codified and immutable, even if maintenance is done. McGruder is the most depleted high school in the district. For too long, repairs at McGruder have been delayed with the double edged sword of promises and threats, promises of being the next school to be renovated, while also being told that if
any repairs are done to make the school safe and functional for the time being, it threatens our spot on the renovation list. This is unconscionable. The McGruder community should not be asked to continue to sacrifice their present for the hope of a better future, one that continues to be delayed and
excused. The McGruder community wants you on our team. Please come work with us to find a better way forward for our students safety and their future. Thank you, thank you, Mr. I'm here to talk about math
and programs, but also about engagement and policy. I worry that in the retreat to policy and in newly limiting the policy on policies, we are limiting the representative responsibility for which this board was elected. If we are to be going in this direction, you must, in short order, make these policies far more clearly
direct M.C.P.S. action to be responsive to community interests. Engagement still needs to be forthright and actionable. No more closed comment zooms were presenters claim. No more questions have been asked when participants know that there have been left unaddressed. That was how you almost missed an option. Don't
risk that. To further happenstance, the elementary mathematics plan holds promise, but equitable implementation is unclear and those questions have been avoided. Miss schedules and holistic education are threatened by the
new msde math requirements. M.c.p.s can either slash options. It shouldn't push back on MSD, it should, but not rely on having this work or pursue an eight period block schedule. This should be given heavy consideration that block
schedule high school programs. These also could benefit from block as it exists in our most successful current magnets. And again, please quickly put forth policy which ensures equivalent likelihood of accessing meaningful, meaningfully
similar programing and local school academic opportunity. This, like high stuff at every school, has to work for everybody. M.c.p.s. Appears to be falling into a continuation of a have have not dichotomy with relation to these programs
based on zip code and presumed cohort. That should not happen, by the way, on the consent agenda, maybe look at 8.23 Lincoln. Do we really not ever have a use for two acres four blocks from a metro? I'd rather not facilitate something that's a giveaway. I'm not saying it
is also helps us. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. I'm going to call the next speaker up, Theodore Kathleen, Michael's. Justin Robinson tower, and
Hannah Donner. Summer videos. Hello. If you could push your mic and introduce yourself,
please. I worked for years with M.c.p.s students as a social worker, both as director of an intensive therapy. Can you give us your name? Theodora. Thank you. I work for years with M.c.p.s. Students as a social worker, both as director of an intensive therapy program at Mark Twain, as well as at an
ADHD clinic. Later. Then I pivoted, working for the last decade and a half to advance safe technology. What all children deserve watching how the tsunami of cell phones and screens in the classroom have impacted children's learning and mental health has been like
watching a train wreck, a Greek tragedy, a horror film in slow motion, evidence based policy on screen time moving forward must include evaluation of electromagnetic fields. Children are exposed to multiple overlapping sources in the classroom, from cell phones
to laptops and Wi-Fi, as well as banks of charging Chromebooks, cell towers and high voltage power lines. Given the majority of the hundreds of scientific studies on cancer, genetic, reproductive, and neurological effects, given that they have reported effects,
the cumulative EMF from all outdoorrces and indoor need to be measured and reduced to mitigate health risks to children, teachers and staff. Kaiser Permanente research recently found that people carrying a cell phone against the body for 30,000 hours were 12 times more likely to develop
a tumor on that side of the colon. An engineering study simulating a classroom of Wi-Fi laptops found RF radiation exposure to a children's back increased up to 40 fold from other children's laptops surrounding them. And what of AirPods? A Yale study found
that the Bluetooth at levels 4000 times lower than FCC limits those antiquated, outdated 1996 limits, disrupted neurodevelopment and increased autism related genes. Expression in lab models of the fetal brain. M.C.P.S. cannot
continue to rely on FCC regulations that lack premarket safety testing, post-market surveillance, and were never designed to protect for the effects of 24 over seven chronic exposure. Our children deserve safe technology and please pass the screen time
resolution. Thank you. Go right ahead. Introduce yourself, please. Okay. Thank you. I'm Doctor Kathleen Michaels speaking on behalf of the members of One Montgomery Green, a nonprofit that has worked
with hundreds of students on citizen science projects such as assessing plastics and microplastics in their local waterways. I am here today to ask you on their behalf, to prioritize people over plastic, specifically, prioritize student health over plastic
fields. M.c.p.s. Has ignored experts and systematically disinvested in doing grass fields right over the past 20 years. We ask you to ask M.c.p.s. To reverse that inequity for the students now M.c.p.s. Budget says it can
install at least four grass fields for the price of one disposable plastic field, and would not need to replace the fields at the high cost for the repeated plastic field replacement, going back to modernized grass fields would create much more access to safe, healthy playing fields for all
county students and the community. The funds saved can be used for high infrastructure priorities such as roofing and Hvac, which you've heard a lot about. We ask for your leadership and commitment to ensuring that the county's investments reflect fiscal responsibility and dedication
to both educational excellence and a safe, healthy environment for our students. We know that you have already approved the CIP budget for 2027, but consider consistent with those priorities, we continue to strongly recommend that all the funds in the M.c.p.s. Athletic Fields and Play Spaces
initiative planned by M.c.p.s. For the installation and replacement of more than 30 acres of plastic artificial turf field carpeting be redirected towards state of the art, sustainable, durable natural grass turf systems, with the remaining funds applied to other critical school infrastructure needs
such as roofing and Hvac. Upgrading M.C.P.S. existing natural turf fields, installing state of the art grass instead of plastic is cost effective, healthier and safer for students, staff, community members and is immediately implementable and is the
environmentally responsible option. Thank you. Thank you, Doctor Michaels. I don't see Justin Rosenthal or Miss Hannah Donner. Correct. Okay. So I'm going to ask staff if we can go to our videos. We will start
with Mr. Ryan. Holly. Well, good afternoon and thank you for your time. My name is Ryan Holliwell. I'm a Rockville resident and the father of a rising third grader here in M.c.p.s. I'm here because I'm urging you to please support the proposed screen time audit.
I've never spoken at a school board meeting before. I've never even attended a school board meeting. And that should really make clear just how much this matters to me. Personally, I really felt compelled to speak out about this topic because of what's been happening. When I asked my kid what she's been up to in school,
and more often than I'd like, what I hear about is, is the screens she got to watch at school. I hear about the BTS music videos she got to watch on YouTube. In music, I hear about the pretend coding activity she does when she gets to go to the library once a
week. I hear about watching Wallace and Gromit movies on TV in art class. And you know, I may be old fashioned, but I just have to imagine there are more effective, more compelling ways to inspire kids and get them excited about learning than by popping them in front
of these TVs and these screens. What really worries me is that I am an extremely involved dad. I do the room parent thing. I volunteer at field trips and other events. I attend all the parent teacher conferences. I don't have the slightest guess
of how much screen time my kid is getting at the schools. It could be three minutes a day, it could be 30 minutes a day. It could be three hours a day. I just don't know. And so my question is, do you know exactly how much screen time my kid gets when she's at an
M.c.p.s school? If you aren't positive that you know the answer to that question, then I urge you to support this resolution. I think we owe it to our community, and we owe it to our kids to get the answers, just so that we can make some better informed choices. Thank
you for your time. Can we now go to Jason Max Stein? Hi, my name is Jason Max, and I'm the founder and publisher of Moderately Moco, a local news outlet that covers Montgomery County government schools and community issues. I'm here today to express my concern regarding the recently proposed
requirements that would allow school administrators to review and potentially alter student journalism before publication. As someone who works in local media, I understand that journalism is not always comfortable. Reporters often write stories that organizations would rather not see published. The purpose of journalism is not to make
institutions look good. It's to inform the public and hold institutions accountable. Over the past years, I've had the opportunity to work with and publish pieces from student journalists across Montgomery County. I have been consistently impressed by their professionalism, thoughtfulness and commitment to accuracy. These students are not trying to create problems. They are
trying to tell the truth about the communities they live in and the schools they attend. Some of the most important stories in journalism are the ones that those in positions of authority would rather not be published. It may also lead journalists to avoid difficult stories, and the education value of student journalism will be diminished. The lessons
students learn through independent journalism extend far beyond writing articles. They learn critical thinking, fact checking, accountability, ethics and civic engagement. These are the exact skills we should be encouraging in the next generation. I respectfully urge the Board of Education and MCP MCPs leadership to work
directly with student journalists, advisors, and press freedom organizations to find a better path forward one that protects students, supports responsible journalism, and preserves the editorial independence that makes a free press meaningful in the first place. Montgomery County has long prided itself on preparing
students to be informed and engaged residents. We should be teaching young journalists how to report responsibility responsibly, not teaching them that important stories must first receive approval from the very people they may be reporting on. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Can we play Dominic Coletti's video? Good evening. My name is Dominic Coletti and I am the student press program officer at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for press freedom. We are deeply concerned that the
memo promulgated by Doctor Moran, which requires blanket prior review of all student media content, gives principals excessive authority to censor several broad categories. Expression. These categories are far broader than those which. Maryland's New Voices law allows schools to regulate.
The Maryland legislature recognized the importance of student journalism when it passed the New Voices Law and Montgomery County Public Schools student journalists have validated the legislature's beliefs, breaking stories that impact students and their community members. Now, the district wants to turn
the state's protections for journalists on their head. Doctor Moran seems to believe that it's the district's job to review and censor content that could cause controversy. But the New Voices law demands schools allow controversial material unless it falls into
one of a few very narrow exceptions, and districts that invoke these exceptions to censor student work must justify their intrusion on editorial independence. The new memo egregiously omits these requirements, instead allowing administrators broad discretion
to suppress student speech. The existing board approved policy properly struck the balance between administrative oversight, journalistic responsibility and press freedom. This board should restore that balance, rescind the memo, and affirm its commitment to protecting
student journalism, Maryland law and the principles undergirding our democracy demand nothing less. Thank you, thank you. Can we play Jonathan Guston folk honorable board
members, thank you for the opportunity to address you. My name is Jonathan Falk, an attorney with the Student Press Law Center, a national nonprofit that defends the rights of student journalists and advocates for new voices laws. As in Maryland. I hope to bring clarity to this difficult moment while supporting your
talented student journalists who have asked that the March memorandum be withdrawn. Notably, this board never adopted that memo, even though it mandates actions that bear directly on student expression expression that your state legislature entrusted you to protect when it enacted the
Maryland New Voices Law a decade ago. By now, I expect you have discussed this issue extensively with counsel. Earlier in my career, I served as legal counsel to dozens of school boards. So I understand this context well. But what stands out to me here is the repeated justification for retaining the March memo, the
desire to avoid liability. As the superintendent has stated, we would like to avoid some lawsuits and liability when possible. First, across all 18 states with similar scholastic press freedom laws. We are aware of no published court decision imposing liability on a school district for school
sponsored student journalism. Second, having to do with this niche area of law when a school district inserts itself into editorial decision making, it creates risk. The March memo requires administrators to become participants in the publication process. In doing
so, it weakens, not strengthens, the district's defensive posture should a dispute ever arise. Because the district was actively on notice, the memo asks administrators to assume responsibility for speech that Maryland law deliberately places in student hands.
There's another category of litigation to consider. Lawsuits brought to enforce the Maryland New Voices law itself. Whether these students choose that path is entirely up to them. It is their right. And if they do, the Student Press Law Center and the broader scholastic journalism community will stand ready to support
them. The law is clear. I respectfully invite you to restore the framework the Maryland Legislature established and withdraw the March memo. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you very much. This concludes public comment. The board's
next meeting to receive public comment is Thursday, July 16th. Online signups will open on Thursday, July 9th at 6 p.m. in addition to online signups, same day in-person signups are permitted when spaces allows, with unallocated slots filled
on a first come, first serve basis. In-person sign ups will close 15 minutes before the start of the open session or when the slots are filled. Additional information regarding upcoming meetings can also be found on the board's website. With that, I will open
up to my colleagues. Miss Zimmerman, thank you, and I want to thank everyone who came out to testify. It is especially exciting to see so many students here over their summer, their summer break, and their continued advocacy and engagement in their educational
life. So you all are truly an inspiration to our work when you come here to testify. I also would like to acknowledge the comments regarding the capital improvements in our secondary schools. For Helena from Eastern Middle School, I
have some great news that we are looking at educational specifications report on our agenda next for Eastern Middle School. And then as for Arthur Moylan from Reznick Elementary School looking to improve
conditions at Magruder High School, I unfortunately do not have as much good news, and I would like to take a moment to encourage us to. When the time comes, allocate additional planning dollars into our CIP in order for us to expand
potential opportunities in renovating Magruder High School, as well as funding for other important capital improvements. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I also wanted to thank all the students that came out today. I'd love to see it. And especially on my last meeting
as the student member of the board. It's a great goodbye. That being said, Doctor Taylor, if I remember correctly, I think we heard very passionate testimonies early earlier this year regarding robotics and later that was included within our budget. Can you speak to
this at all? Definitely. The board did include in its adopted budget, set aside funds to have stipends for robotics and Latin dance and the Minority Scholars Program, which is an expansion. Those things do have to be negotiated
as part of association agreements. But those were dollars that were included in your budget for that specific purpose or those three specific purposes. All right. Thank you so much. My second comment is
to Sylvia. I want to say thank you so much for coming out and testifying so passionately about empower our at Halliwells. I'm excited to share that. I actually became very familiar with the program after visiting your school earlier this year, and it was one of the main inspirations for my resolution,
which was passed earlier this year as well for Doctor Taylor and his team to develop schedules that included a standardized time for students to explore their educational interests. Just like empower our. So don't worry, we'll keep it coming. And we're looking into it as well. Thank you,
thank you, Miss Stewart. I'd like to say plus one on the comments from my colleagues. I don't want to be repetitive, so I will go on and ask about the.
Testimony about school journalists. And I just want to confirm that we will be only following the law and that we will follow the law. Yeah. Guidance administered to
principals is in relation to prior review, not prior restraint, and is consistent with the board's policies, the student rights and responsibilities, and the Maryland New Voices Act. And do we have any think if there is a
disagreement from the student journalists that the law was not followed. Do they have any recourse? Absolutely. And we're very proud of our student journalists. We're glad that you guys are here today, and we hope that you even report on this as part of your experience.
You do, as students have a right to appeal decisions that are made. And we have an appeals office that handles those things centrally, so it is even out of your building's hands as to final determination on when something fully goes through our process. If
necessary, we don't anticipate that our student journalists do a fantastic job. They really are leaders in student journalism in the country. We we have tremendous faith in them, but we do also have a responsibility and that responsibility we are going to
follow as adults and in compliance with the Maryland New Voices Act. I would encourage, if there are such appeals that we deal with expeditiously. And so that, as you know, news happens fast. We want to make sure we get back to our students quickly with
determinations so that they can do their job as student journalists. I also wanted to ask if there are any opportunities to look at different scheduling that. Joe
Shashti I'm not saying I'm sorry. I forget how to say your name. Just so that we are looking at all the possibilities. Looking forward. Is this something that we are looking into? Yes. So there's a
in reference to some guidance that we've received from the Maryland Department of Education, Maryland State Department of Education, in regard to the length of time that mathematics courses should be ascribed K through eight. We already meet the 60 minutes per day requirement at the
elementary level. We do not meet this requirement at the middle school level. This implementation of this guidance was delayed a year. It was supposed to be in effect for this upcoming school year, but it was pushed back an additional year. We did start workgroups this past year to
make recommendations. Fortunately for us, that does bias an additional time for us to consider other options and to land on schedule recommendations that encompass a lot of great ideas, not just mathematics, but also things
like empower our and other aspects that we'd like to include in the school schedule moving forward, in particular in middle school. So very timely comments from the community about mass schedule, particularly about at the middle school level. And lastly,
I just wanted to acknowledge Doctor Michael's talking about other options besides plastic artificial turf. And I would like to see at some point to look at both options, to look
at organically managed turf and see what kind of funds, what kind of maintenance funds that would take, just to give us a menu of options. I know we already took a vote on this. I'm not going back to look relook at the vote, but I would
just like to have some. I would like to implore that my colleagues come with me and look into options. And that's all. Thank you. I just like to add that to Mr. comments that
we did already decide on that issue. As a board, I would like to say thank you to the students, because we have a full house of students today and it's your vacation. So kudos to you for, you know, for
coming on in the summer. So to my robotic students, it is congratulations, you're doing amazing things. Your testimony a year ago moved us to make sure that you had funding for you to continue doing amazing
things. So, so nice to see you all. And to our students, as the daughter of a journalist, I have to tell you that as soon as we got the letters, I had a good conversation with Doctor Taylor and staff about what was
happening. And you guys are amazing. Keep up the good work. And as you heard, the intention of the memo was not to not to silence you, not to, but just to. And Doctor Taylor, if you
can clarify, clarify one more time for us just a little bit more clarity. I appreciate there's lots of different publications, as the board knows, it's, it's not just our our student newspapers, but there's lots of things that our students produce. And I got to
tell you, our student journalists, you guys do a great job. Keep up the good work. Our intent is not to censor your work, not one bit. And I hope that we make that abundantly clear to you over and over again. We do hope to aid in your learning process,
and prior review is an expectation of school administrators, and it is permissible under the law, and it is permissible as part of policy. And that is a very different thing than prior restraint. And so we we would
have to have a very extreme set of circumstances for there to be prior restraint. You've you've already delineated those things. And I think that that's really important that we stay within our policy bounds, that we stay within our regulations, and that we stay within Maryland law. And our intent is
for you to keep on keeping on and doing a great job. Thank you. Thank you very much, Doctor Taylor. And on the screen time, as you know, we have a resolution and I know that we already started looking into this how much screen time our kids are spending. So that
work has already started even before the resolution is approved. AM I correct? That is correct. This year we will be conducting an audit, although there is a board resolution for consideration that is on the table that is set for action at
your July meeting. It does accomplish a lot of the same goals that we've already put underway, but but certainly I want to acknowledge the board's work in trying to find the best learning environments for all kids. So thank you all for your
testimony. Moving on to consent item number eight. Are there any consent item board members will request to be pulled for clarification? Mr. I would
request that we pull number 5038.1 on item 8.2 Expenditure authorizations. We will pull now 503.81 on item 8.2 for clarification. Is there a motion and a second to approve the remaining items on the
block. So moved. Second there is a motion and a second. All those in favor please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. Turning now to 5038.1 on item 8.2. Miss Stewart, what is your question?
Yes. I would like to ask if administration could discuss the authorization on page two for prioritizing resources and initiatives for strategic management. Thank you, Miss Stewart. I know that this is an area of great concern for the board, as we concluded a
particularly difficult budget season this past year, we are very concerned about the next fiscal plan for the school system as well. We've looked at county revenue projections
going into fiscal 28, and we we are more concerned than we were even with fiscal 27, and know that we are going to need to start our planning for that fiscal year a lot earlier than we typically do, and know that we're going to be confronted
with more difficult decisions than even the ones that we were faced with this year. It really is in our best interest for us to do some efficiency study. So we are asking the board for year end funds to conduct an
efficiency study of some of our programmatic initiatives and how we spend some of our operational dollars, in an effort to try to find some efficiencies to better utilize the taxpayers dollar. I wholeheartedly agree that we
need to start early. In fact, last week, basically on the day after we passed the budget and any information we can get early as a board will put us in a much better position to be prepared to make really hard decisions. So I appreciate any
extra information. So thank you so much. Okay. Thank you, Miss Stewart. Well, not seeing any more questions or comments. Is there a motion and a second to approve? 5038.1 on item 8.2
motion to approve. I second there's a motion a second. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. And it carries. Thank you. Doctor Taylor back to you again. Could you please share with us some other
community additional details on the consent items? Thank you so much, Madam President. We have a number of recognitions and celebrations that I want to point out. But before I do, I want to note that the consent agenda in June and the consent agenda in July are typically
very large. And the reason for that is that this is the end and the beginning of our fiscal year. This is a lot for the board to go through. You need a lot of time to go through it. So I appreciate the extra attention to details here, because there is an awful lot
of information that that takes place during the fiscal turn. And so we will have another jam packed, robust agenda going into July, as well as personnel appointments in July. That will be pretty significant. We still have a few vacancies that need
to be filled today. You recognize staff members who also recently passed away. Their service and dedication has left a lasting impact on M.c.p.s. And our school communities. This included Miss Kathryn Hunter, who was a
special education teacher and with. Interact in the Department of Special Education and Related Services. She served Montgomery County Public Schools for more than 24 years. You also recognized MC era, who was a special education bus
attendant in the Department of Transportation who served M.c.p.s. For 26 years. We extend our deepest sympathies to their families, their friends and colleagues, and appreciate the service that they gave to Montgomery County today. You also recognized
organizations and partners that awarded scholarships to students, and you're going to hear later this evening some of the big scholarship dollars that that we have saved parents this year in the class of 2026. We're very excited about that.
But we want to give shout outs to the Hispanic Alliance for education, awarding scholarships to 26 distinguished Latino scholars. The Gaithersburg Rockville Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity incorporated
awarding scholarships to six students. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People awarding scholarships to 31 students. The League of Educators for Asian American Progress, awarding scholarships to three students planning to pursue a degree in the field of
education, specifically, the Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association awarding scholarships to one student. And we thank all of these organizations and our partners for their support in recognizing our outstanding students and helping them get started with the next phase of
their life and helping them to become future ready. Okay. Thank you to all those organizations. Thank you, Doctor Taylor. Moving on to item 9.1. This is the fiscal year 2027. Salaries for positions not on salary schedule. The next item on the
agenda is fiscal year 2027. Salaries for positions not on salary schedule. I will ask Doctor Taylor to share any remarks regarding their recommendations. Certainly, although we are a well represented organization with a
four major associations, which is under its own leadership, MCE and SEIU local 500. There are employees in M.C.P.S. that are not covered under union contractual agreements, and we
are requesting that the board give a general wage adjustment consistent with those union contracts. And so the resolved is resolved that effective July 1st, 2026, the salary for positions not on the salary schedule shall receive a 6.23
general wage adjustment, consistent with the Montgomery County Association for administration. Excuse me, administrators and principals. Montgomery County Business and Operations administrators negotiated wage agreement. Thank you doctor. Is there a motion and a second to approve
the resolution? Motion to approve. I'll second there is a motion and a second. Is there any discussion, Miss Montoya? Thank you. And just so I'm clear and for the community's clarification, this is something that happens every
single year. Correct? This is not something new. This is not something that we added this year. This is the same thing that we do every year because the budget covers contracts that are, you know, originated from the unions. And then we have a subset of employees who are just not covered by the
nature of their position. Is that correct? That's correct. There is one difference this year with this agenda item, as opposed to other years, because we also had position reductions. This particular line in your budget is actually a net
savings this year. Thank you. Thank you. I don't see any further discussion. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. Thank you so much, Doctor Taylor. Moving on to item 10.1.
This is internal audit unit charter. That's the point of order. A board member board member Yang request. We are postponing for consideration for auditing student screen time resolution. Previous presented by Miss Yang at the board's June 4th work session until the board's next
scheduled business meeting, which is on July 16th. I know she has. Attend to family and so the. Brenda Wolff who also had to attend to family. So we wish him the best. So the next item on the agenda is item 10.1
Internal Audit Unit Charter. I will turn it over to Miss Silvestre. As chair of the Fiscal Management Committee. All right. So thank you, President Rivera-Oven on my on May 19th, the recommendation at the recommendation of the board's internal audit unit,
the Fiscal Management Committee reviewed a proposed internal audit charter as the Fiscal Management Committee and the board work to ensure effective oversight of M.C.P.S. resources. Adoption of this charter would strengthen governance,
accountability, risk management and internal controls throughout M.c.p.s by providing the internal audit unit with. With a clear framework for the scope and the standards of its work, as well as the authority necessary to effectively
execute its responsibilities. The charter explicitly defines the purpose, authority, responsibilities, independence, and reporting relationships of the internal audit unit and aligns with recognized professional auditing standards
and best practices. I will now turn it over to Mr. Melvin Phillips, supervisor of the Internal Audit Unit, to speak in more detail about the charters role in supporting the work of the board as it exercises its responsibilities for oversight and
accountability. I will ask that he conclude by reading the resolves in the resolution on the table for the board's consideration. Mr. Phillips, thank you so much. I'm here this evening to formally introduce the internal audit Charter for the community's
review and consideration. As previously stated, it will establish a framework under which the internal audit will operate. On behalf of the board and the families of Montgomery County Public Schools. So here's where we're headed. I'll
start by explaining the charter, what it is and why the internal audit function needs one. From there, we'll walk through the charter itself and the IAU, which is the internal audit unit purpose background and its authority and the safeguards
that protect its independence, its scope of work, and how it reports findings to the board, and then professional standards that govern IU's conduct. So the charter is essentially a
constitution for the function, the internal audit for internal audit. This isn't just good practice. It's a requirement. Under the Institute of Internal Auditors, Global Internal Audit Standards, and also under GAGAS that's the U.S. government
auditing standards. Without a written board approved charter, the. The unit should not publish audit reports that state that it's meeting these standards. The why comes down to two principles. First, independent auditors evaluate
the same operations along the people we work alongside every day. A board approved charter is what insulates the unit from pressure in doing those audits. Secondly, authority. The charter formally grants the IAU
access to records, the right to inspect assets and interview privileges with staff at all levels. Without that grant of authority, the unit has no standing to compel cooperation. In short, this document is what
makes the audit unit credible. The Internal Audit Unit exists to support the board in fulfilling its governance responsibilities. It does that by providing independent, objective, assurance and advisory services across
M.C.P.S. Our work is designed to strengthen our internal controls, mitigate risks before they become problems, and continuously improve operations. Two terms worth distinguishing assurance services are independent examinations, financial operational
compliance and performance audits. Advisory services are consulting style engagements requested by management that add value without taking on management responsibilities. Both fall within IU's mandate. The unit will also support
external auditors, facilitate the broader internal audit process, and can be directed by the board or superintendent to conduct special audits as needs arise. Authority and
independence. This defines the structural protections that make the audit work credible. First, the reporting line myself, the IAU supervisor reports directly to the Board of Education, not the superintendent. The supervisor has access to the board. Second,
the authority's granted on behalf of this board, the IAU can complete. Has complete access to M.C.P.S. records in any form, full cooperation from personnel inspection privileges over all owned lease and
borrowed assets, and interview privileges with management staff and contractors at all levels. Third, independence safeguards IAU staff have no operational responsibility over any activity that they audit. The unit does not draft or
implement procedures, nor maintain records that it must later review. Conflicts of interest are avoided as a matter of policy, not preference. These limits protect the objectivity of every finding. Scope of work IU
scope of work falls into three broad categories first, evaluating operations programs and information systems to assess how effectively M.C.P.S. objectives are being achieved. This is the core question. Internal audit acts are our programs, what they're doing,
what they're supposed to do, and doing it well. Second, verifying the reliability of financial and operational information and confirming compliance with policies, regulations, and laws that apply to M.C.P.S. Third, safeguarding assets and
resources and investigating reports of fraud, waste or abuse received through the hotline or other channels. This includes both both proactive evaluation of controls and reactive investigation of complaints. One important note
from the charter itself IAU scope is unrestricted. The board may also direct special reviews, audits or investigations beyond our annual work plan. The audit
process is pretty straightforward. We draft a report, we have a management response. There's a final report issued, then a follow up audit. In addition to this audit cycle, the Fiscal Management Committee provides
ongoing annual oversight, reviewing IU's priorities and work plans, and receiving the annual report summarizing the work of the internal audit Unit and any significant issues. IU
will conduct all of its work in accordance with three layers of standards the Institute of Internal Auditors Global Internal Audit Standards established a foundational requirements for independence, objectivity, proficiency, and quality assurance and performance. These are
international professional professional standards for internal audit. The government auditing standards commonly known as gags or the Yellow Book. You can Google the Yellow Book. It's issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and governance performance, financial audits, and public sector environments.
They had rigor required for work involving public funds and, of course, all applicable federal, state and local laws, along with M.C.P.S. board policies and administrative regulations. The IAU is not above these rules and its audit
and its audits. Others against it follows the rules itself. Together, these three layers anchor the credibility of every finding the unit produces. So as it relates to the
presentation, I'd like to read the resolves resolved that the Board of Education hereby adopts the charter as presented, and be it further resolved that the Internal Audit Unit shall operate in accordance with the provisions of the charter and
applicable professional Auditing Standards, and be it further resolved that the charter shall serve as a governing document establishing the authority, responsibilities and independence of the Internal Audit Unit and be it further resolved that the
Fiscal Management Committee shall shall periodically review the charter and recommend any revisions deemed necessary to ensure continued alignment with board policy, professional auditing standards and evolving needs of Montgomery County
Public Schools. Thank you, Mr. Phillips. And as chair of the Fiscal Management Committee, I move that the board approve the resolution establishing the Internal Audit Unit Charter. Thank you, Miss Silvestre. With the motion of the chair on the committee's recommendation, no second is required. Is there
any discussion? Miss Montoya, can you help me understand? And perhaps the community. I think this all looks great. I'm really looking forward. I'm happy that you're here in this position. You know, I know that. You know that. So just please understand that's the context. But why is it that we need this
now? But we haven't had this before. I guess I'm just trying to figure out why this is necessary. I'm not. I see why it's necessary. But how come we were able to operate without something like this? We've done great work previously, and I would say that my predecessors
have set a great foundation, and I'm building on that foundation and and I'm sealing any potential cracks that they've built in that foundation. That's what it boils down to. Another area
that we hope to grow in is broadening our scope of what we audit. IAU has been very focused on the independent activity funds. Those are the funds at the local high schools,
which may not require the same rigor that an audit of salary increases may require, or benefit costs, or, you know,
CIP capital projects, right? So we want to make sure that those professional standards are in place. As we build on the scope of work that we that we perform. Okay, great. So this will allow the unit to then potentially look into other spaces, but we're doing it in a formal way
with standards and guidance, not just kind of a free for all. That's exactly right. Thank you so much, Doctor Taylor. So I've actually got some fun and interesting bit of history for you. You have had some audit function as a school system for
decades. But when you established an and I say you, as in the Board of Education, established an audit function, you've actually had it report to the superintendent, which can be a conflict of interest. And having an audit function that reports independently to
the board is healthy financial practice. But more specifically, you asked a very important question why do we need this charter now? And we didn't need it before when the audit arm of the school system was originally created, it was before us GAAP. The generally
accepted accounting principles had this listed as a best practice. Since then, it has listed this as a best practice, and you are updating your practices to align with U.S. GAAP best practices. Thank you, Doctor Taylor Stewart and then
Miss Silvestre. I think you mentioned and I can't find the slide up a hotline. So what which hotline is that. We have the. We have the the central oh
gosh. The lighthouse is a lighthouse. It is lighthouse. Okay. Yeah. We use lighthouse. Okay. I was going to call it Legos. Yeah. We have, we have lighthouse that we, we, we often receive, we receive a lot of correspondence through lighthouse. But even during my tenure, I've been here for a year so far. And I think that
we've, we've investigated some pretty. Revealing inquiries through through lighthouse, you know, probably probably about a half dozen. So generally from the community and a lots from
also employees, M.C.P.S. employees, and this broadens the scope of the things that you can look into. Yes, it it I would say that the scope has always been there, but it gives us credence and credibility. And when I'm asking people
questions, I have a leg to stand. Right. And my, my one last question. In the beginning, I think you said the board can ask you to look at something or the superintendent, the superintendent go directly to you or through the board or how
would that work? I think that the superintendent should have direct access to the internal audit unit, but I think that the board should be informed of the work that we're doing. Absolutely. Okay. Thank you, Miss Silvestre. Another reason to be on fiscal management
committee. So I'm very excited to be you. You will be presenting, as we discussed in committee, kind of the work plan for the year. And then the the committee with our colleagues recommendations can tweak that work plan depending on what we're hearing is
important to the board. So this is very exciting and I'm very glad that you have presented this charter to us today. Thank you so much. Thank you. And I just want to say that. We hear about accountability in the
community and from from others. And this is a way that strengthens that. And even for the board to be able to have that. So we appreciate your work, and it's very much aligned with what we want to achieve with clarity and
transparency. So with that being said, if there's no further discussion, I will then ask for the vote. So all those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. And the vote carries. Thank you very much. Moving right along.
Item 10.2. Appointment to the Ethics Panel on June 30th, 2026, Mr. Stewart Rick will conclude his service as a member of the ethics panel. So thank you to Mr. Stewart. Rick, the Board of Education thanks him for his commitment to the Montgomery
County Public Schools through his dedicated service. Mr. Rick's departure creates a vacancy on the five member panel for the board to fill, and this vacancy was announced in May, and information for interested applicants was advertised throughout media releases posted to the websites and social media platforms of
the board and M.C.P.S. and it included an M.C.P.S. weekly Things to Note newsletter, which you all should be reading. The board will now need to adopt a resolution to appoint a member to fill this vacancy, and I will read the result. The result is that Mr. Brian
Sonfield be appointed to serve as a three year term on the ethics panel beginning July 1st, 2026 and ending on June 30th, 2029. Is there a motion in a second to approve the resolution on the table? Motion
to approve. Second, there's a motion and a second. Any comments? Seeing none. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. Congratulations to
Mr. Sonfield. Item 10.3 appointment of student member to Advisory Committee and Communications and Community Engagement. I would turn this over now to Miss Zimmerman, who is the chair of the of this
wonderful committee. Thank you, President Rivera-Oven. As the chair of the Board's Advisory Committee on Communication and Community Engagement, I would like to first thank all of the students who applied for membership on the advisory Committee for the 2627 school year. The board received 45
applications from students at 18 different high schools and six different middle schools. And it's just a great testament to how amazing our students are and looking over these applications, I was impressed by every single one of them. With that, I do move that the
board appoint Natalia Mendoza and Alexia Robinson to serve as the student members on the advisory committee beginning July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2027. Thank you, Miss Zimmerman. There is a motion on the table. Is there a second?
Second. Okay. There's a motion a second. Is there any discussion? Okay. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. And congratulations to Miss Mendoza and Miss Robinson. Okay. Moving
right along. 11.1. We'll give we'll give him a little time together. Looks forward to this one. Okay. So this would be the
school year recap of 2025 2026. Doctor Taylor. Thank you, Madam President. Members of the board, I'm sorry that we missed the opportunity to do this last year, because this is just a quick recap on the school year. And even though we've had our challenges this past school
year, and I had a good opportunity to joke with that about that with principals, directors, school leaders. Earlier today at our summer leadership meeting, we've also met with tremendous successes, and I would like to highlight some of those fantastic
successes for you through the lens of the class of 2026. Just this past month, we had the opportunity to graduate almost 13,000 graduates, and we still have a few more that will cross
the stage and may push us over the 13,000 mark this summer, but it's been a fantastic year in preparing young people for the next phase of their life, something that I'm particularly proud of and glad that our community and its young people
are. The benefits of this is that nearly half $1 billion of scholarship money was awarded to our graduating seniors this year. That is phenomenal. And when you think about the community impact and the economic impact of this
scholarship dollars, these are these are lifting up young people and quite literally changing lives and destinies for our young people. And it really just does not get better than that. The return on investment for M.c.p.s. This is
just one cohort of our young people. This is absolutely phenomenal. We had a huge portion of the class of 2026 earn a seal of Biliteracy, just
short of a quarter of our students in the graduating class. Our not just Biliterate, but many of them are tri and quad literate. Really phenomenal commitment to expanding their horizons
through multilingualism. And very proud of that 2,000,000 hours that were documented in community service in our SSL hours. This is not all of our community service and not all of the hours that were
documented, but this is just the class of 2026 during their secondary years and just the hours that are documented. And it is very impressive. We have a huge number of students that participate in our county's dual enrollment program with
Montgomery College, fantastic partner of ours. I want to elevate that. We have the highest participation rate in the state of Maryland in dual enrollment programs, and the highest number of students to
graduate with an associate's degree, both number and percentage, through Montgomery College's dual enrollment program. And that is just short of 400 students. That program has grown exponentially over
the last several years and is still something that we're very proud of and continue to grow, despite even some of our budget challenges that have presented this year. We gave a ton of advanced exams. This year, our AP exams nearly tapped out at
50,000 AP exams, with 5000 IB exams, and clearly a huge percentage of our students are going to be going or attending a 2 or 4 year college as well, leveraging those AP exams. But
we have more. The class of 2026 has a ton of kids entering into formal apprenticeship programs. These apprenticeship programs are competitive work experiences, and they really are becoming future ready. As a
result of that, we've had some good news too. We we have definitely benefited from a lot of great things that are happening. And M.C.P.S. is is still the leader in Maryland public education. Very proud of
that. We celebrated a lot of positive moments both in and out of the classroom this year. We continue to lead the state in the number of teachers who are nationally board certified, both in percentage and in the actual number. This is
something that is hugely important to us and of course, is tied to the blueprint for Maryland's future. We did something new this year where we recognized both a teacher of the year and a service employee
of the year at each of our schools and in each of our units, which really amplified or recognition program of the hard working staff that are dedicated to Montgomery County students. And we've been engaged in a ton of activities
that have quite literally taken us all over the world. Our students thrive in many different spaces, not just the classroom space, but they've demonstrated through activities like SkillsUSA, which is a career and technical education
competition space, as well as the National Mathletes Excel competition. Each year, our students are really thriving in many places. We often hear of only the bad news and and very rarely get to talk about some
of the positive things. But we really have some phenomenal accomplishments to ascribe to the school system this year. This part is a little bit of a gray area, but I feel comfortable in saying at least
this. The preliminary score reports for the state's assessment program, the Mcat assessment. They are embargoed because they are pending finalization and will be presented to the state board before they can be released
publicly. But we do know, based on preliminary results, that we are in our second consecutive year of Mcat growth, we saw significant gains in in proficiency on the we to access
exam. In terms of our English learners, we are making academic progress. It is incremental, but our academic progress is evident. And after 15 years of academic decline, we have experienced two
consecutive years of positive growth. And that really is worth celebrating. As you know, the board tackled a lot of big issues this year and has had the benefit of a guiding light through its strategic plan. And
we've enhanced in a number of operational and instructional spaces, and looking forward to seeing where those go in the next couple of years. So with that, we are just thrilled to say thank you for a great 2025,
2026 school year, and we are really looking forward to keeping the momentum going into next year. That's it. Bravo. I'm sure I can also speak on behalf of my colleagues. When I
said what wonderful graduations that we attended throughout the district and the amazing students and their stories who are going on to amazing things. So thank you to to the staff,
Doctor Taylor. And I think it's important to applaud the achievements of our students. And we do have amazing, amazing young people in our school system. Okay. Wow, really? I'm
good. Okay. Okay. So information items. This is for information only. And these items are also posted on board docs. So I encourage folks to to read them. So this is 12.1
through 12.4. With that. That's for information only. Miss Rivera-Oven may I please have a moment of personal privilege. Absolutely. I would like to take a moment to recognize this lovely lady to my left. This is
her last meeting with us, and I know that she will have another. I know another moment that we do recognize her as well. But this is another momentous occasion that you have with us. And we all have been so impressed with you as a true colleague of ours, and I wanted
to make sure that this was recognized as well. So I'd love to give Miss Maloo a round of applause. Absolutely. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you very much, Miss Zimmerman and everyone else too. Okay. She she was a
great addition. And officially she became a Terp today. So yay! She go Terps. That's right. She gets to stay around. So thank you. Thank you so very much. With that I will. Entertain,
miss and miss the final one. Yes. Go right for it. Motion to adjourn. I second that there is a motion, a second. All those in favor, please raise your hand. And that would be unanimous. Thank you very much.
Safe travels everyone.