Twinbrook Holding its First In-Person Community Meeting
On Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30 pm at the Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, the Twinbrook Community Association will be holding its regular community meeting—but it will be in person for the first time since 2020! The meeting will include information about Rockville’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (how homeowners and renters can reduce the cost of protecting their home from flooding), a discussion on the expansion of the Mayor and Council from five to seven members, and recognizing Melissa and Tony Downs as Twinbrookers of the Year for their extraordinary support of Twinbrook Elementary School PTA and the community.
Mayor and Council to Discuss Human Rights and Rockville Town Square
At its Monday, April 18, 2022 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will discuss an ordinance to establish an education commission, the management agreement with Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) for Rockville Town Square, and once again, the FY 2023 budget and what to do with the remaining ARPA funds. On the Consent Calendar (items approved without discussion) are contracts for tree care ($900,000 annually) and landscape maintenance ($193,000 annually); $250,000 grant agreement for Lincoln Park Community Center improvements; and six proclamations. The Mayor and Council will also receive a report from the Human Rights Commission.
Continue reading →Mayor and Council Issues Its Top Ten Priorities to the State
At its Monday, December 20, 2021 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will discuss state legislative priorities with District 17 elected officials; approval of 350 apartments in Fallsgrove; an agreement with Rockville Housing Enterprises on 29 homes; tree planting requirements for new residences; revising the ordinance relating to MPDUs, and parkland requirements in lieu of fees. On the Consent Calendar (items approved without discussion) is a letter to WMATA about safety. The Mayor and Council will also receive reports on the FY 2021 finances.
Correction: The Mayor and Council did NOT go into Closed Session on Wednesday, December 15 to conduct a performance evaluation of the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations. This meeting was postponed.
Continue reading →K-12 Education in Maryland Receives a Grade of B, Still in Top 10%
Every January, the Education Week Research Center grades the nation and states on educational performance, based on a range of key indicators. For 2016, Maryland finishes fifth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an overall score of 82.8 out of 100 points and a grade of B. The nation as a whole posts a grade of C. Across the spending indicators, Maryland finishes with a letter grade of B (ranking tenth in the nation) compared with a national average of D. Yikes! More at Quality Counts 2017: State Report Cards Map at Education Week.
Is Montgomery College President Abusing Sensible Travel Policies?
Following several staff complaints, NBCWashington investigated the travel expenses for Dr. DeRionne Pollard, the president of Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. In addition to a $280,000 annual salary and $3,000 monthly housing allowance, the school’s Board of Trustees agreed to pay for all work-related travel for the president and her partner. That’s resulted in more than $70,000 for travel to Napa, California, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and almost 40 other destinations since 2013, an average of 13 trips per year, including $6,000 to upgrade seats, $3,700 for extra and overweight baggage, and stays at the Four Seasons. The college also pays for her $850 for her monthly lease for an Infiniti Q70, plus gas, maintenance, parking, and insurance, plus $10,000 per month for an SUV chauffeured by an off-duty police officer. Why all that travel to promote the school when it’s packed to the gills? Why promote it out of state when it’s a local community college? Why is the college president receiving such luxuries when most of her students are at the other end of the wage scale?
The Board of Trustee‘s response: Continue reading →
MoCo Board of Education Candidates’ Forum on Sept. 28
Montgomery County Board of Education, 2016.
The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, Montgomery County Council of PTAs, Montgomery County Branch of NAACP, and the Montgomery County Interbranch Council of AAUW (whew!) are hosting a Candidates’ Forum for the Montgomery County Board of Education on Wednesday, September 28 from 7:00-8:45 pm at Kennedy High School, 1901 Randolph Road in Silver Spring. For more information, visit lwvmocomd.org.
Tracie Potts of NBC4 will moderate the discussion among At-Large candidates Jeanette Dixon and Phil Kauffman, District 2 candidates Brandon Rippeon and Rebecca Smondrowski, and District 4 candidates Shebra Evans and Anjali Reed Phukan. If elected, these persons will not only be responsible for the education of children in the county but also more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds. Choose wisely!
In Montgomery County, a Board of Education district means a geographic area in which an elected member of the Board must live. In Montgomery County there are five resident-district members and two at-large members of the Board; however, all Board members are elected by the county as a whole.
Max for Rockville 