Thank you to those of you who participated in the End of Year Parents’ Council meeting and to all of you for your efforts during the past school year to improve education in MCPS.
Requested Action: Please complete this SURVEY by 9 June 2025 to let us know your interest in volunteering as a NAACP-MC Parents’ Council Representative next school year (2025-2026).
|
Count |
Role |
||||
|
School Level |
No- I am not the PC Rep, but I am a member of my schools Parents’ Council |
No- I am not the PC Rep, I am an advocacy ally |
Not Applicable |
Yes, I am the PC Rep or Co-Rep at my school |
Grand Total |
|
Elementary School |
5 |
1 |
37 |
43 |
|
|
1 year |
2 |
1 |
10 |
13 |
|
|
2 years |
12 |
12 |
|||
|
3 or more years |
1 |
6 |
7 |
||
|
New |
2 |
9 |
11 |
||
|
High School |
2 |
5 |
1 |
6 |
14 |
|
3 or more years |
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
|
New |
2 |
2 |
4 |
||
|
Middle School |
2 |
2 |
11 |
15 |
|
|
1 year |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
2 years |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||
|
3 or more years |
2 |
6 |
8 |
||
|
New |
1 |
3 |
4 |
||
|
Not Applicable |
1 |
3 |
4 |
||
|
3 or more years |
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
|
New |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Grand Total |
4 |
13 |
5 |
54 |
76 |
Meeting Notes
Quick recap
Byron led an end-of-year summary of activities and achievements. The council highlighted their involvement in various initiatives including literacy policy discussions, budget considerations, and successful events like field trips to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The conversation ended with updates from different school clusters and representatives sharing successful initiatives and challenges, particularly focusing on parent engagement, student achievement, and educational equity concerns.
Next steps
- All Parent Council representatives to consider signing up to return as representatives for the next school year.
- Byron to organize a showing of the math documentary “Count It Out” for Parent Council members.
- Byron to set up a WhatsApp or Signal group chat for Parent Council representatives to improve communication.
- Parent Council representatives to encourage parents to check their children’s MCAP scores on ParentView at the start of the next school year.
- Ron English to share his comprehensive document on Whitman cluster initiatives with Principal Miller for potential distribution to other clusters.
- Parent Council representatives to continue advocating for improved math education and literacy, especially for Black and Latino students.
- Parent Council representatives to encourage summer reading for students in their respective schools/clusters.
- Byron to follow up on ensuring MCAP scores are electronically available on ParentView by August/September.
- Whitman cluster representatives to continue supporting Mr. Miller’s leadership as the new Black principal at Whitman High School.
- Parent Council representatives to consider implementing successful initiatives from other clusters (e.g., Wootton’s gala event, Whitman’s mentorship program) in their own schools/clusters.
Summary
Parents Council Year-End Summary Meeting
Byron leads the Parents Council meeting, welcoming attendees and setting the agenda for the end-of-year summary. He recaps the year’s activities, including meeting the new superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor and discussing math and literacy data. Byron mentions that he will share a summary document with hyperlinks to all meeting materials, including presentations and videos, for members to review and share.
Parents Council Yearly Achievements Overview
Byron provides an overview of the Parents Council’s activities and achievements over the past year. He highlights their involvement in addressing the new state literacy policy, which may require third-grade students to be retained if they don’t pass the state literacy exam. The council has also been active in budget discussions, with the school district’s budget increasing to $3.65 billion. Byron mentions successful initiatives such as organizing field trips to the National Museum of African American History and Culture for over 2,200 students. The council has engaged with the Board of Education and participated in legal efforts to resist certain federal administration actions. Byron emphasizes the importance of the Parents Council’s work, noting its local and national implications, and encourages continued participation from members.
Wootton School Community Initiatives
The meeting highlights several key points about recent events and initiatives in the school community. Dr. Nkem discusses the formation of two committees at Wootton following a crisis: a Strategic and Development Committee focused on student safety and academic achievement, and a Social Committee aimed at parent education and community building. Unfortunately, another incident involving the use of a racial slur occurred at Wooten, but the school administration responded quickly. On a positive note, a successful Renaissance Gala was held at Lakewood Country Club, attended by 240 people, including students, parents, and local officials. The event celebrated student achievements beyond traditional metrics and aimed to showcase the excellence of the black community. Ke a suggests creating a chat group for better communication among the Parent Council representatives.
Blair Cluster School Challenges
The Blair cluster faces various challenges and opportunities across its schools. At Blair High School, there’s a new principal coming in, but parent involvement remains low, with mixed reactions to the incoming principal. Eastern Middle School parents are advocating for a new building, while also dealing with concerns about Chromebook maintenance costs. The phone policy implementation at Eastern has been successful, though some immigrant parents worry about contacting their children during school hours. Elementary schools in the cluster benefit from strong parent engagement but face issues such as loss of Title I funding, building maintenance problems, and delays in receiving community schools funds. The cluster is working on supporting families facing immigration challenges and improving communication about new literacy and math policies.
Enhancing Diversity in School Initiatives
Rhia shares several successful initiatives at Maryvale Elementary School. She worked to improve the library’s book collection, including purchasing French books about Black history and partnering with the PTA to increase diversity in the library’s offerings. Rhia also discusses efforts to make the school more visually inviting through multicultural art displays, opting for temporary exhibits created by students rather than a permanent mural. She mentions the success of the 5th-grade field trip to the African American History Museum and plans for a 5th-grade dance. Byron suggests that Rhia should also share some challenges she faced in these efforts.
Parent Advocacy for Child’s Education
Rhia shares her experience advocating for her child when faced with an underperforming teacher in a French immersion program. The teacher was not grading work, made disparaging remarks to students, and was physically aggressive. Despite initial resistance from the principal, Rhia escalated the issue with Byron’s help, resulting in her child being moved to another class. The school’s solution was to assign a co-teacher to the problematic instructor. Byron emphasizes the importance of parents trusting their instincts and not being gaslighted when they notice issues with their children’s education.
Advocacy for Equity in Education
Wylea, the NAACP Parent Council representative for Gaithersburg Middle School and Gaithersburg Cluster coordinator, reports on several successful initiatives in her predominantly Black and Brown cluster. These include a well-attended resource fair that provided parents with crucial information for the upcoming school year, the establishment of a cluster-wide calendar to better coordinate events, and the implementation of restorative justice nights. Wylea also highlights ongoing challenges, particularly in math education for English language learners and student attendance. She notes that recent immigration enforcement actions have negatively impacted community partnerships and student attendance. Byron emphasizes the alarming failure rates of Black and Latino students on state assessments, urging continued advocacy for improvement in these areas.
Whitman Cluster Initiatives
Anne shared that while the cluster schools have the lowest FARMS rate, and above average stability in school leadership, there is still a significant achievement gap amongst Black student and their peers. Since Covid the Principals and Parents’ Council Reps have met to identify and address common challenges that travel with the articulation of students through the schools. There is some concern the Boundary study may introduce split articulation to the cluster.
Improving Parent Access to Scores
Byron thanks everyone for their contributions and ideas, emphasizing the importance of sharing knowledge across the district. Ronald mentions he has written a comprehensive document for Principal Miller about the Whitman cluster’s activities, which could serve as a guide for other clusters. Byron announces that MCAP scores will now be electronically sent to parents via Parent View, improving accessibility. He encourages parents to check their children’s scores and stresses the importance of summer reading. Byron also mentions a math documentary that highlights the relevance of mathematics in everyday life, including its impact on voting rights through gerrymandering. The meeting concludes with expressions of gratitude towards Byron for his dedication and efforts.
NAACP Education Committee- Parents' Council 