County Executive Leggett has announced a decision to cut $150 million from the county's construction budget for the next six year cycle of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and that the school systems share of the cut would be about $34 million.
We need to watch this very closely as a community and continue our advocacy to ensure that the schools share of the CIP remains strong. RCF is very close to being modernized, and we don't want to lose funding so close to the finish line. To see the Gazette article, follow the link.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Flyer for Testimony
Anyone who is coming to support the school's testimony tonight, or any other time, please print and bring the flyer below. It is uploaded onto Scribd, and embedded below.
I Support
I Support
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
More on the New Middle School
I will be testifying on behalf of the PTA at the Board of Education meeting tonight. Our primary concerns are the speed of the process pushing us toward a new middle school, our fear that the budgetary impact will result in the delay of our LONG awaited modernization, and the worry that the central office is muddling up
1) Operations (in the concern about meeting the needs of the 6th graders still at the Chases);
2) Capital Improvements (in the desire to build a new school, find a location and support the many needs of the community); and,
3) Articulation (in the discussion about where 6th grade should be located and now the discussion about where our immersion program should be located). Read this article in the Post to be brought up to speed on the 6th grade articulation issue.
This is not a process that should be rushed or we will almost certainly get it wrong. MCPS needs to do right by those kids in 6th grade and take the time to make sure they don't shaft the rest of us in the process.
Testimony will be at Carver Educational Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville at 7 PM. I hope to see you there.
1) Operations (in the concern about meeting the needs of the 6th graders still at the Chases);
2) Capital Improvements (in the desire to build a new school, find a location and support the many needs of the community); and,
3) Articulation (in the discussion about where 6th grade should be located and now the discussion about where our immersion program should be located). Read this article in the Post to be brought up to speed on the 6th grade articulation issue.
This is not a process that should be rushed or we will almost certainly get it wrong. MCPS needs to do right by those kids in 6th grade and take the time to make sure they don't shaft the rest of us in the process.
Testimony will be at Carver Educational Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville at 7 PM. I hope to see you there.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Weast Proposes New Middle School for BCC Cluster
Superintendent Weast recently proposed a new middle school for the Bethesda Chevy Chase Cluster to allieviate crowding at Westland, should the 6th grades at North Chevy Chase and Chevy Chase ES move out of their elementary setting and into a middle school.
What does this mean for us? It is unclear at this time. What worries many parents, myself included is:
1) Why were we excluded from the meetings that proposed this new school. This is a major change that will primarily impact our community in addition to the Chases. While it is acceptable and understandable that this proposal came out of a different discussion, we should have been brought to the table immediately when it became something to seriously consider.
2) Will this impact our modernization? Our school was once what I called 40X40: 40 years since it's last modernization and 40% over capacity. With the growth we have seen this year, we are now 40X60: 60% over capacity. We cannot wait, we cannot be pushed back any longer. With the VERY limited dollars at the systems disposal, what will happen when the need to make choices? We cannot wait any longer to have a school that meets the standards of the 21st century.
3) Why are we rushing this process without more thorough study? I acknowledge that the situation at the chases is untenable. Their kids are not getting what they need or deserve, but rushing into a new school building without thorough study is a recipe for disaster.
4) Will the new school, should it come to pass, be equivelant to Westland? It would be a bitter irony if we go through all this only to end up at a school that doesn't have playing fields or the IB program. The cluster is very densly populated. Westland sits on 25 acres. Where is there a site like that? Or even half it's size? The International Baccalaureate program is a huge asset to Westland. Any new program must be equal to it's sister school.
My recommendations for the school system: take a year, provide the support for the Chases, do a thorough study including ALL the communities. This is too important and expensive to get wrong.
What does this mean for us? It is unclear at this time. What worries many parents, myself included is:
1) Why were we excluded from the meetings that proposed this new school. This is a major change that will primarily impact our community in addition to the Chases. While it is acceptable and understandable that this proposal came out of a different discussion, we should have been brought to the table immediately when it became something to seriously consider.
2) Will this impact our modernization? Our school was once what I called 40X40: 40 years since it's last modernization and 40% over capacity. With the growth we have seen this year, we are now 40X60: 60% over capacity. We cannot wait, we cannot be pushed back any longer. With the VERY limited dollars at the systems disposal, what will happen when the need to make choices? We cannot wait any longer to have a school that meets the standards of the 21st century.
3) Why are we rushing this process without more thorough study? I acknowledge that the situation at the chases is untenable. Their kids are not getting what they need or deserve, but rushing into a new school building without thorough study is a recipe for disaster.
4) Will the new school, should it come to pass, be equivelant to Westland? It would be a bitter irony if we go through all this only to end up at a school that doesn't have playing fields or the IB program. The cluster is very densly populated. Westland sits on 25 acres. Where is there a site like that? Or even half it's size? The International Baccalaureate program is a huge asset to Westland. Any new program must be equal to it's sister school.
My recommendations for the school system: take a year, provide the support for the Chases, do a thorough study including ALL the communities. This is too important and expensive to get wrong.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Modernization Specifications
The Planning office has shared with us the likely specifications for a new RCF building and I have included them below. Take some time to look through the PDF. It is really exciting.
There is so much more space than we have had to date. It is amazing to contemplate what this will mean for the next generation of RCF students. Staff will actually have offices! The lunch room will seat everyone!
Current law mandates that all schools be "green." Which means at least LEED Silver, and so far, all new schools have been LEED Gold. (see the link to find out more about the LEED program: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1586, for a more understandable version see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_Design). Current law also requires a green roof -- literally, there will be plants on the roof to minimize run off into Rock Creek and the Chesapeake Bay.
Finally, keep an eye out for meeting annoucements. There will be a lot of planning happening in the fall!
Here's the link to the specifications: Modernization Specifications
There is so much more space than we have had to date. It is amazing to contemplate what this will mean for the next generation of RCF students. Staff will actually have offices! The lunch room will seat everyone!
Current law mandates that all schools be "green." Which means at least LEED Silver, and so far, all new schools have been LEED Gold. (see the link to find out more about the LEED program: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1586, for a more understandable version see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_in_Energy_and_Environmental_Design). Current law also requires a green roof -- literally, there will be plants on the roof to minimize run off into Rock Creek and the Chesapeake Bay.
Finally, keep an eye out for meeting annoucements. There will be a lot of planning happening in the fall!
Here's the link to the specifications: Modernization Specifications
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