BOE meets at RCF

Last night, the board of education came to Rock Creek Forest to hear presentations from the BCC cluster schools. Many members of the Student Government Association with support from Srta. Garcia gave tours to members of the BOE who came early.

Then, each school had five minutes to present about their programs, achievements and challenges.It was interesting to hear many of the common themes: over-crowding and staff reductions, chief among them.

When I had an opportunity to testify, I shared a power point illustrating our challenges and our successes.

BOE Presentation

Many thanks to Craig Brown, Jack Hauser, and Joy White, our cluster coordinators, who organized the event, the many Rock Creek Forest parents, teachers and staff who came out to support their school and, as always, the building service team.

40X40 -- pass it on

We are all frustrated and concerned about the pace of modernization at Rock Creek Forest. That is why we have developed a three prong strategy to: 1) get the funding we need from the Governor and state delegation 2) make sure it is allocated by the county council and 3) make sure the Board of Education remains focused on Rock Creek Forest ES.

Our theme is 40X40 – forty years since our last renovation; 40% over capacity. Please try to incorporate this phrase into your communication, we will be building a campaign around it.

Here what you can do:

1) Contact the Board of Education immediately, to ask that they
a. Prioritize modernizations and avoid the past tendency to put additions before modernizations, thereby punishing older, more run down facilities.
b. Adopt the Capital Improvement Plan
c. Remember Rock Creek Forest 40X40
Board of Education contact information: boe@mcpsmd.org or individually Shirley_Brandman@mcpsmd.org ; Phil_Kauffman@mcpsmd.org ; mailto:Patricia_O ; Judy_Docca@mcpsmd.org; Laura_Berthiaume@mcpsmd.org ; Chrisopher_Barclay@mcpsmd.org Michael_A_Durso@mcpsmd.org; Timothy_T_Hwang@mcpsmd.org

2) Contact the County Council and let them know that:
a. Our school is “40X40.” 40 years since it’s last renovation and 40% over capacity.
b. Regardless of what district they represent, RCF represents the entire county through the immersion program;
c. Even in tight economic times, we expect that they will fund our school’s modernization, which requires funding the CIP.
d. We have waited long enough.

County Council Contact information:
councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov ; councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov ; councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.knapp@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.trachtenberg@montgomerycountymd.gov

3) Contact your state delegate and let them know:
a. Our school is “40X40.” 40 years since it’s last renovation and 40% over capacity.
b. Regardless of what district they represent, RCF represents the entire county through the immersion program;
c. Even in tight economic times, we expect that they will fund our school’s modernization, which requires funding capital projects.
d. We have waited long enough.

Contact information for the state house: go to http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/ to find your representatives.

4) Contact Governor O’Malley and tell him:
a. Our school is “40X40.” 40 years since it’s last renovation and 40% over capacity.
b. RCF represents the entire county through the immersion program;
c. Even in tight economic times, we expect that he will fund our school’s modernization, which requires funding capital projects.
d. We have waited long enough.
Contact Information for Gov. O'Malley: http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/