Category: In the Media

Weekly News Roundup: Sex Abuse Conviction for Football Coach, School Lunch Brouhaha

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Former High Point High School football coach and special education teacher Andre Brown was convicted Friday of sexual abuse of a minor. He had been arrested in 2014 for having sex with a 17-year-old student in a locker room the previous fall. Brown is due to be sentenced in October and could face up to 25 years of imprisonment. (Washington Post)

Fox News reported that Prince George’s County students were complaining about moldy and undercooked food, tweeting photographs of disgusting school lunches. However, PGCPS responded, saying that those photographs were not taken in our school district. This was clear to food services staff, because the trays and food items pictured in the meals were not stocked by PGCPS. (Read or view the original story and the follow-up report on Fox News 5.) Several days after the Fox News story aired, PGCPS posted a positive video on its Facebook page about the cafeteria food served in county schools.

Bisnow’s article titled, “Why Prince George’s County is Just Getting Started,” is an effusively optimistic look at the county’s recent economic development and potential for future growth. For example, here’s one quote from County Executive Rushern Baker: “Think of Bethesda, Rockville, Columbia Heights. That’s how Largo is going to look.” (Bisnow)

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Weekly News Roundup: Moldy Classrooms, Politics, National Merit Semifinalists

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Students were removed from eight classrooms at Samuel Chase Elementary School, so that mold could be remediated. Some parents had complained that mold was causing illness for their children (ABC 7). Samuel Chase Elementary had been in the news earlier this year when a parent complained that her daughter was suffering from allergic reactions caused by mold in the building (ABC 7).

Maryland Del. James Proctor died on Thursday, at age 79. Proctor had been with PGCPS for more than 30 years (as teacher, principal, and transportation supervisor), before becoming a lawmaker in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Prince George’s County (Washington Post). Both County Council Chairman Franklin and County Executive Baker have issued statements of condolence (See here and here).  Proctor’s widow seeks to fill the seat (Associated Press via Washington Times).

Three Eleanor Roosevelt High School students have been named National Merit Semifinalists for 2016. The students are David Gardner, Clara Janzen and Vinaichandra Rachakonda. (PGCPS)

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Weekly News Roundup: Errors in Bus Drop-offs, SAT Scores Declining, “Less Testing, More Learning” Campaign

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A seven-year-old student riding the bus was dropped off four miles from his home on Tuesday, according to his mother. This is just one of several troubling bus transportation incidents involving Prince George’s County students during the first week of school (NBC4 and WTOP). PGCPS later apologized for the error and released a video statement addressing concerns (NBC4).

Maryland SAT scores for graduating high school seniors have declined for the third year in a row. The average composite score for Maryland students (1552) is 28 points lower than the national average. ACT scores, on the other hand, increased for the third straight year. (Baltimore Sun)

The Maryland State Education Association has begun a campaign called, “Less Testing, More Learning” (MSEA). An MSEA-sponsored forum addressed concerns about the overuse of standardized testing in Maryland schools (Maryland Reporter).

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Weekly News Roundup: State Superintendent Resigns, Comptroller Questions Contract with Pearson

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State Superintendent Resigns: Lillian Lowery announced on Friday that she is resigning from her job as Maryland schools superintendent. She will take a job as CEO of an education non-profit in Columbus, Ohio. Deputy Superintendent Jack Smith will complete her term, which ends next July. The twelve-member State Board of Education is responsible for hiring a new superintendent. (Baltimore Sun)

Teen Murder Suspect: Police have taken 17-year-old Chet Markland Jarrett, Jr. into custody and charged him with the murder of Jajuan McCrae (WTOP). McCrae, also 17, was a rising senior at DuVal High School. McCrae wanted to study business in college and was described by his aunt as “well-mannered, always happy” (Washington Post).

Cell Towers: Milestone Communications continues to construct cell towers on school grounds, and some parents are concerned about potential health risks. (Sentinel)

First Day of School:  English learners at Prince George’s County’s new International Schools are excited about the new opportunity (WUSA 9). CEO Kevin Maxwell talks about a smooth first day, but admits that bus schedules can sometimes be a problem at the beginning of the year. The increase in enrollment — now more than 129,000 students — is a good sign for the school system (WTOP). All schools were ready to open on the first day except Thomas Stone Elementary, which was closed due to a water main break (WJLA).

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Weekly News Roundup: Back to School Edition

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What’s New in PGCPS:  Immunization requirements, new school lunch prices, first day of classes, orientation dates, and more.  (PGCPS)

Donations Help Students and Teachers:  Donations of school supplies from local businesses help over 12,000 PGCPS students and teachers. (PGCPS)

PGCPS Gets Ready: Prince George’s County schools get ready for the new school year with plenty of changes and new opportunities.  (The Sentinel)

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Weekly News Roundup: Fraud Indictment, Credit Cards, Football

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Board of Education member Lyn Mundey was indicted Tuesday on charges of illegally obtaining reduced-price school meals for her child. Mundey is one of five employees of the Government Accountability Office charged with falsifying documents in order to quality for reduced-price meals. The GAO had been conducting a study last year of possible beneficiary fraud within the school lunch program, when it found that some of its own employees were abusing the system. Mundey was already scheduled to leave the Board this month so that she could pursue a doctorate. She had been appointed by County Executive Baker to fill the position left by Carletta Fellows, who had resigned after being censured for misuse of a Board-issued credit card. (Washington Post, WUSA 9)

In January of this year, the Prince George’s County Board of Education voted to eliminate their Board-issued credit cards, which had been used for meals and hotels — sometimes within minutes of their homes — at taxpayer expense. But the Board voted to delay cancellation of the credit cards until April 1, and some Board members continued to use their credit cards months after the January vote. (NBC Washington)

County Executive Baker released a statement on Friday in support of the Purple Line. (County Executive) Later the same day, the County Council praised the County Executive’s decision to increase the Purple Line funding contribution by $20 million. (Prince George’s County Council) Read the Washington Post’s story on the decision to increase funding here.

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Weekly News Roundup: Immunizations and Backpacks on Aug. 15, Hogan’s Charter School Plans

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Prince George’s County’s Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative is sponsoring a “Back-to-School Jam” at the Langley Park Community Center on August 15, from 10 am to 1 pm. Free immunizations, backpacks, and school supplies will be offered to children present at the event. (Click here for the flier. Read more about immunizations at PGCPS’s immunizations webpage.)

Thousands of students and parents attended PGCPS’s Back-to-School Fair, held in Upper Marlboro on Saturday, August 8. Attendees were offered free immunizations and school supplies. (Read More: Washington Post, WTOP)

Principals, assistant principals, and new teachers of PGCPS are participating in summer programs. The two Summer Leadership Institutes (SLI) for principals and assistant principals, respectively, are themed, “Striving For Academic Excellence Through a Lens on Literacy.” The Professional Educator Induction Program (PEIP) provides pre-service training for new teachers. (Read More: PGCPS)

The Baltimore City Paper explores how Governor Hogan’s plan to bring new charter schools to Maryland and change charter school laws might impact kids. (Read More: Baltimore City Paper)

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Weekly News Roundup: Drop-Out Age Increases to 17 in Md., PG Real Estate Market Improves

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Maryland has increased its legal drop-out age from 16 years to 17 years, a result of legislation (SB 362) that was passed in 2012 but did not go into effect until July 1, 2015. Under the same legislation, the drop-out age will increase again in 2017, to 18 years. (WMDT)

Two PGCPS graduates have received National Merit Scholarships. Kristen Ramsey and Charles Bond, both 2015 graduates of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, have received college-sponsored merit scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. (PGCPS)

On August 3rd, Congresswoman Donna Edwards and USDA Deputy Under Secretary Katie Wilson will participate in a tour of William Hall Academy to highlight the Team Up for School Nutrition Success Initiative. (PGCPS)

The real estate market’s health is steadily improving in both Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, and several communities in Prince George’s are making dramatic gains. Greenbelt, Oxon Hill, and Glenn Dale have seen big increases in home sale prices. Clinton, Mount Rainier, and Capitol Heights had big drops in median days on market. (Washington Post)

A 14-year-old resident of Oxon Hill is being charged as an adult in the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old man. (WTOP)

The back-to-school information page on PGCPS’s website has this advice for parents registering their child at a PGCPS school: “Registrations completed after August 8 will result in students receiving a temporary grade level schedule with selected general classes until August 30, 2015. Early registration is advised to ensure an “official’ schedule for the 1st day of school!” (PGCPS)

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Weekly News Roundup: Teacher Recruitment Fair, New Hosptial Approved, County Seat May Move, Board of Ed. Applicants

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County Executive Baker is making a controversial push to move the county seat from Upper Marlboro to Largo. (Washington Post)

The Sentinel writes that as of July 22, eight people had applied to fill the vacancy in the Board of Education left by at-large appointed member Dan Kauffman. County Executive Baker’s office declined to disclose the names of the applicants to the Sentinel. (Sentinel)

The plan for a new regional hospital to open at Largo Towne Center has been approved by the county. (Washington Post)

“The area surounding five Prince George’s County metro stations is about to undergo a major transformation. County leaders are trying to lure more millennials and big businesses away from Northern Virginia and D.C.” (CBS DC)

Board of Education member Lyn Mundey is under criminal investigation for falsifying documents qualifying her child for free and reduced meals. (ABC 7)

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Board of Education Member Under Investigation for Falsifying Free Lunch Documentation

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From ABC7 News, July 20, 2015. To read the full story and watch the news broadcast, go here.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (WJLA) – When Lyn Mundey was named by county executive Rushern Baker to fill a vacancy on the Prince George’s County school board in 2013 she was called “an advocate for public education.”
Now ABC 7 News has learned Mundey is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Prince George’s County state’s attorney into whether or not she lied about her income to qualify for free school lunch for her child. A prospect which doesn’t sit well with her constituents.

Continue reading at ABC7.