Latest news with #MCPS
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parents, teachers react to Montgomery County Public Schools updated cell phone policy
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. () – Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is trying to have better oversight of the amount of time students spend on their phones. On Friday, the school district said it updated its guidelines for mobile devices for the next school year. The revised policy allows high schoolers to use their phones in between classes and during lunch, but not during class. Middle and elementary school students aren't allowed to use them during the school day at all. 'So thankful, appreciative': Playset built for 7-year-old with leukemia in Montgomery County Parents and teachers who talked with DC News Now said they have mixed feelings about these updated regulations. Nicole Porcaro has been a substitute teacher for MCPS for more than a decade. She said cell phones are a major distraction. 'Getting the kids to even take their earbuds out, it's texting, it's watching videos, it's on social media,' Porcaro said. Jeremy Joseph is the father of two MCPS students, and he agrees that phones disrupt learning. That is why he has advocated for years for them to be taken out of the classroom. 'Because that gives kids the opportunity to focus on their studies,' Joseph said. 'The days and the teacher's time isn't taken up with policing the phones.' Montgomery County police honors fallen officers with memorial service Joseph said the policy update is a step forward when it comes to elementary and middle schools, but not so much for high schools. 'If this is the right policy for elementary and middle school,' he said. 'Why is it not right for high school?' MCPS parent Lisa Cline shares similar views. 'The high school part of the policy seems to be even a little bit more relaxed than it was,' Cline said. 'Elementary and middle, most of the schools were doing that anyway.' Some parents, including Tara McKinney, don't agree with the updated regulations at all. 'I definitely want to make sure my kid can contact me at any point in time,' McKinney said. 'I think it's essential at this point in time.' Montgomery County officials visit businesses for 'National Small Business Week' McKinney isn't convinced MCPS will be able to enforce the policies, nor is parent Dawn Iannaco-Hahn. 'I would say high school is really going to be the most difficult,' Iannaco-Hahn said. 'My son comes home and tells me that there are teachers who will say, 'Please put your phones away,' and kids will cuss at the teacher.' MCPS' full Updated Personal Mobile Device Regulation for the 2025-26 school year can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School Choice Could Defuse Culture War Fights
The Supreme Court is considering what may be the most important religious liberty case it will review this term. In Mahmoud v. Taylor, religious parents representing various faiths are suing Maryland's Montgomery County Public School District (MCPS) to let them opt their children out of elementary school storybook discussions surrounding themes such as sexuality and gender. During oral arguments, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson questioned the plaintiffs' case. "I'm struggling to see how it burdens a parent's religious exercise if the school teaches something that the parent disagrees with," Jackson said. "You have a choice. You don't have to send your kid to that school. You can put them in another situation." Practically speaking, many families don't have a viable educational alternative in Maryland. Without robust school choice, families on the losing end of zero-sum culture war clashes in public schools have little recourse. Despite Jackson's claims to the contrary, most families cannot just put their children in "another situation." Only low-income students are eligible to receive Maryland's voucher, valued at less than $3,000 during the 2024–25 school year. This would cover just a fraction of the $14,500 average private elementary school tuition in Maryland. The laws governing public school transfers in Maryland are some of the nation's weakest. Maryland is one of four states—along with Alaska, Maine, and North Carolina—that score 0 out of 100 points on Reason Foundation's scoresheet ranking states' K-12 open enrollment laws. This means the right to transfer to other public schools that have space isn't codified in state law. Even if the school districts bordering MCPS let some of these students transfer, they could charge them out-of-pocket tuition, just like private schools. For instance, the neighboring Frederick County and Howard County Public Schools charged transfers $9,000 and $12,700, respectively, during the 2024–25 school year. Moreover, no charter schools currently operate in Montgomery County (although its first is set to launch in Fall 2025). The school board has long opposed them, sparking criticism from the Maryland Board of Education. When the district told families they could no longer opt their elementary-aged children out of the controversial lessons at the beginning of the 2023–24 school year, some parents chose to withdraw their children from MCPS at great personal cost. One family gave up their home and moved in with grandparents so they could afford private school tuition. Another family chose to homeschool their daughter with Down syndrome, sacrificing $25,000 in special services provided by MCPS. Notably, plaintiffs in Mahmoud are asking only to opt out of specific lessons that violate their religious convictions. They aren't demanding that the district change its curriculum. Opt-out policies are a common practice in public education, and families in many states have long been able to withdraw their children from sex education classes. That said, the advocates on Justice Jackson's side of the argument have a point: Where does it stop? There are many other areas where public schools might potentially adopt a curriculum that conflicts with individual religious beliefs. There may be a point at which it becomes overly burdensome for schools to let families opt out of everything they object to while still being enrolled. Hence the need for school choice. When families don't have alternatives, public schools become a battleground for disputes. It becomes impossible to fully accommodate a diverse population with varying values and convictions. The Court should rule in the plaintiffs' favor and let the parents opt out. But families shouldn't have to wait for a high court decision to have access to choice in education. The post School Choice Could Defuse Culture War Fights appeared first on
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Christian family says school district won't allow daughter to graduate over mandatory LGBTQ health class
A star student at a Maryland high school is being denied graduation next month due to what her family says is religious discrimination. The student, whom Fox News Digital is calling "Jane" to protect her privacy, is a senior in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), who excels academically and is actively involved in her school. According to her parents and academic records, she is a leader in multiple extracurricular activities at her school, holds a 4.76 weighted GPA and received a 1450 (96th percentile) on her SATs. However, she cannot graduate without completing a mandatory health course, which her parents say has "LGBTQ+ affirming" and "religiously discriminatory" content they find objectionable due to their deeply held Christian faith. Jane's family told Fox News Digital that they have been fighting for over two years for their daughter to be granted an opt-out from the course or be allowed to take an alternative class at a private school or do independent study under a teacher of their choosing to meet this requirement, to no avail. Maryland Mom Taking Fight To Opt Child Out Of Lgbtq Story Books Before Supreme Court "She's pretty distraught about not being able to graduate with all her friends and experience that rite of passage," her father said. Read On The Fox News App With time running out before Jane's senior year is complete, the parents have filed a petition to the Maryland Supreme Court asking them to review their case against the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBE). In August 2022, the parents learned that Jane was enrolled in a health class for her upcoming sophomore year which was required for graduation. They became aware that LGBTQ content would be incorporated throughout the year-long course, rather than limited to the Family Life and Human Sexuality unit of the course, as it had been previously. Screenshots of alleged teacher training documents obtained by the parents and shared with Fox News Digital ask teachers to "review LGBTQ+ resources to incorporate more inclusive language" throughout the entire course. The teacher guide also allegedly provides teachers with a list of "privileged" and "oppressed" people groups, in which it names "Christians" as privileged and "Non Abrahamic Religions/Spiritualities" as oppressed. A lesson invites teachers to have students identify people groups impacted by health inequities, such as "trans or gender-expansive," LGBTQ+, and "people who identify with non-Christian faiths." Marriage Promotes 'White Supremacy,' According To White University Professor Another document they received called "worship of the written word" asks teachers to recognize "White supremacy culture" in the classroom and at home. Their petition before the Maryland Supreme Court states that they withdrew their daughter from the upcoming class while seeking more information about the curriculum. They claim MCPS has refused their requests to view the lesson plans or opt their daughter out of the class. The parents suggested Jane take the health class at a local, accredited Catholic high school or through independent study supervised by a former teacher in the MCPS system with a health education background. MCPS rejected these suggestions, saying that Jane must be taught by a current MCPS teacher or fulfill the requirement through dual enrollment in a community college course, which her parents said was not an option because it conflicted with her high school class schedule, and it still would not have provided her protection as a minor from the curriculum they are objecting to. Montgomery County Schools Awarded $450,000 Contract To Diversity Counsultancy For 'Anti-racism System Audit' After the school board denied their request, the parents appealed this administrative decision to the Circuit Court of Montgomery County in August 2024. In December, the court upheld the school board's decision and the parents filed an appeal notice to the Appellate Court in January. Because of the time-sensitive nature of their request, they have petitioned for a writ of certiorari to the Maryland Supreme Court while the matter remains pending before the Appellate Court. The parents argue that MCPS was wrong to put LGBTQ+ affirming content throughout the entire health course, because this instruction was "restricted by law to the Family Life and Human Sexuality ("FLHS") unit of the Health class, with parents having a regulatory right to opt out their child from that unit." "We are not trying to get MCPS to stop teaching about LGBTQ+ or change its curriculum," the parents wrote in a letter dated March 7, 2024, to the Maryland State Board of Education. "We are trying to get MCPS to keep that teaching restricted to the Family Life and Human Sexuality part of the curriculum so we can get notice of it and opt-out our daughter, or if MCPS is allowed to spread LGBTQ+ instruction throughout the entire health class, as its teacher instruction materials say it is doing, it follows that MCPS should allow us to opt-out our daughter from the entire class. We are trying to get MCPS to refrain from discriminating against religion." The Supreme Court Appears To Side With Parents In Religious Liberty Dispute Over Storybooks They've chosen not to transfer their daughter out of the district in order to fight for the rights of all religious students in the district who are being compelled to take this class to graduate and whose families cannot afford the costs, transportation and time to attend private or home school. The parents filed a separate but related complaint against the school in March over their requests for class documents. Their complaint accuses the school board and MCPS of "knowingly and willfully" withholding public information from them in violation of the Maryland Public Information Act. The Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools declined to comment on the pending litigation. The Maryland State Board of Education did not respond to a request for comment. Montgomery County Public Schools is currently involved in another high-profile religious liberty case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case surrounds the school board removing its "opt-out" for parents challenging LGBTQ story books in the classroom. A coalition of Jewish, Christian and Muslim parents of school-age children have brought a lawsuit against the school board, alleging it is violating their religious freedoms protected under the First Amendment, by forcing their young children to participate in instruction contrary to their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the case that could set a precedent for parents' rights in schools across the nation. The high court's conservative majority offered strong support to parents presenting the religious liberty article source: Christian family says school district won't allow daughter to graduate over mandatory LGBTQ health class
Fox News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Christian family says school district won't allow daughter to graduate over mandatory LGBTQ health class
A star student at a Maryland high school is being denied graduation next month due to what her family says is religious discrimination. The student, whom Fox News Digital is calling "Jane" to protect her privacy, is a senior in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), who excels academically and is actively involved in her school. According to her parents and academic records, she is a leader in multiple extracurricular activities at her school, holds a 4.76 weighted GPA and received a 1450 (96th percentile) on her SATs. However, she cannot graduate without completing a mandatory health course, which her parents say has "LGBTQ+ affirming" and "religiously discriminatory" content they find objectionable due to their deeply held Christian faith. Jane's family told Fox News Digital that they have been fighting for over two years for their daughter to be granted an opt-out from the course or be allowed to take an alternative class at a private school or do independent study under a teacher of their choosing to meet this requirement, to no avail. "She's pretty distraught about not being able to graduate with all her friends and experience that rite of passage," her father said. With time running out before Jane's senior year is complete, the parents have filed a petition to the Maryland Supreme Court asking them to review their case against the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBE). In August 2022, the parents learned that Jane was enrolled in a health class for her upcoming sophomore year which was required for graduation. They became aware that LGBTQ content would be incorporated throughout the year-long course, rather than limited to the Family Life and Human Sexuality unit of the course, as it had been previously. Screenshots of alleged teacher training documents obtained by the parents and shared with Fox News Digital ask teachers to "review LGBTQ+ resources to incorporate more inclusive language" throughout the entire course. The teacher guide also allegedly provides teachers with a list of "privileged" and "oppressed" people groups, in which it names "Christians" as privileged and "Non Abrahamic Religions/Spiritualities" as oppressed. A lesson invites teachers to have students identify people groups impacted by health inequities, such as "trans or gender-expansive," LGBTQ+, and "people who identify with non-Christian faiths." Another document they received called "worship of the written word" asks teachers to recognize "White supremacy culture" in the classroom and at home. Their petition before the Maryland Supreme Court states that they withdrew their daughter from the upcoming class while seeking more information about the curriculum. They claim MCPS has refused their requests to view the lesson plans or opt their daughter out of the class. The parents suggested Jane take the health class at a local, accredited Catholic high school or through independent study supervised by a former teacher in the MCPS system with a health education background. MCPS rejected these suggestions, saying that Jane must be taught by a current MCPS teacher or fulfill the requirement through dual enrollment in a community college course, which her parents said was not an option because it conflicted with her high school class schedule, and it still would not have provided her protection as a minor from the curriculum they are objecting to. After the school board denied their request, the parents appealed this administrative decision to the Circuit Court of Montgomery County in August 2024. In December, the court upheld the school board's decision and the parents filed an appeal notice to the Appellate Court in January. Because of the time-sensitive nature of their request, they have petitioned for a writ of certiorari to the Maryland Supreme Court while the matter remains pending before the Appellate Court. The parents argue that MCPS was wrong to put LGBTQ+ affirming content throughout the entire health course, because this instruction was "restricted by law to the Family Life and Human Sexuality ("FLHS") unit of the Health class, with parents having a regulatory right to opt out their child from that unit." "We are not trying to get MCPS to stop teaching about LGBTQ+ or change its curriculum," the parents wrote in a letter dated March 7, 2024, to the Maryland State Board of Education. "We are trying to get MCPS to keep that teaching restricted to the Family Life and Human Sexuality part of the curriculum so we can get notice of it and opt-out our daughter, or if MCPS is allowed to spread LGBTQ+ instruction throughout the entire health class, as its teacher instruction materials say it is doing, it follows that MCPS should allow us to opt-out our daughter from the entire class. We are trying to get MCPS to refrain from discriminating against religion." They've chosen not to transfer their daughter out of the district in order to fight for the rights of all religious students in the district who are being compelled to take this class to graduate and whose families cannot afford the costs, transportation and time to attend private or home school. The parents filed a separate but related complaint against the school in March over their requests for class documents. Their complaint accuses the school board and MCPS of "knowingly and willfully" withholding public information from them in violation of the Maryland Public Information Act. The Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools declined to comment on the pending litigation. The Maryland State Board of Education did not respond to a request for comment. Montgomery County Public Schools is currently involved in another high-profile religious liberty case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case surrounds the school board removing its "opt-out" for parents challenging LGBTQ story books in the classroom. A coalition of Jewish, Christian and Muslim parents of school-age children have brought a lawsuit against the school board, alleging it is violating their religious freedoms protected under the First Amendment, by forcing their young children to participate in instruction contrary to their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the case that could set a precedent for parents' rights in schools across the nation. The high court's conservative majority offered strong support to parents presenting the religious liberty case.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
MCPS students return to classroom instruction
The McLean County Public Schools (MCPS) Board announced during a special-called school board luncheon at noon on Tuesday that students are returning to in-person instruction today — Wednesday, April 23. Students have been out of the classroom since the beginning of the month following the district's spring break. They were supposed to return to the classroom on April 7, but schools have been closed to in-person learning because of widespread flooding across McLean County. 'Because of the days that we missed previously due to snow, illness and flooding, the district was awarded five extra disaster nontraditional instruction, or NTI, days,' said district Superintendent Tommy Burrough. Those extra NTI days were granted to districts as needed thanks to the passage of Kentucky House Bill 241. The bill allowed state Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher to authorize 'up to five disaster relief student attendance days when schools could provide instruction without having students in the classroom.' Kentucky school districts are typically only allocated 10 NTI days to use during the school year. MCPS administrators have utilized a combination of those disaster relief NTI days, along with outright school closures, since April 7, having used the final two allotted days during the beginning of the week. 'Obviously student and staff safety (are) our number one priority at the moment,' said Burrough. 'But, even though there are some routes that buses aren't able to take, we have got to get these students back into the classroom so we can finish up this school year.' MCPS' Transportation Director Ashley Troutman said that roads such as Highway 256 and Highway 1155, along with much of Rumsey, are still underwater. 'So, bus drivers are having to utilize alternate routes to get students to school,' Troutman said. 'We noticed that Fox Hollow Road has been completely destroyed from the floodwater, which affects one student from our district and that parent has agreed to provide transportation until the end of the school year. And then we have students in the area of Highway 256 who are utilizing boats from their homes to Highway 140, where the floodwaters have receded so that they can get to school. Those families are more familiar with this flooding situation and really just get it.' Burrough said that he has advised all of the school principals to take notice of which students are absent. 'I've told all of the school principals to check in with the students who can't make it into the classroom (Wednesday) to get more of an idea about who all is displaced and who can't make it to school yet,' he said. 'This allows us to know the portion of our students that have been affected and relocated because of the flooding.' Burrough explained that after adding up all of the days missed, the district's final day of classroom instruction would be Monday, June 9. 'But we have three instruction days built into the calendar as a contingency plan and I suggest utilizing those days so that we can make the last day for students Wednesday, June 4,' Burrough said. Board members across the panel agreed with the superintendent and voted to utilize those 'banked' days. Members of the school board also discussed plans for this year's graduation ceremony at McLean County High School (MCHS). 'I think we should hold graduation sooner rather than later,' said school board member Katie Gunterman. 'The students are already having to wait until June to graduate, and I don't think we should put off the ceremony until the weekend.' Board members should be making a final determination about graduation details during the Thursday evening MCPS school board meeting.
