Montgomery Community Media

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) says teachers are exhausted and overworked due to staffing shortages in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The teachers’ union wants MCPS to better support its teachers. MCEA President Jennifer Martin held a press conference Tuesday outside the Board of Education building in Rockville to voice concerns and list demands. […]

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) teachers are overworked and exhausted, Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) President Jennifer Martin said during a press conference outside the MCPS Board of Education building Tuesday. MCPS still needs 161 teachers, 117 bus drivers, 11 lunch and recess assistants and 116 paraeducators in order to reach its full staffing complement, […]

Montgomery County leaders are developing a COVID-19 test-to-stay program for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with a goal to reduce quarantines, County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Earl Stoddard explained during a virtual media briefing Wednesday. The program will look similar to the one in Massachusetts, Stoddard wrote on Twitter. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary […]

Montgomery County Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Will Jawando introduced a bill that would require all county employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or face losing employment, with exemptions for medical reasons. The bill would require employees to show proof of vaccination or apply for a medical accommodation within seven days after being notified by […]

Community and nonprofit mental health organizations in Montgomery County say hiring diverse professionals is a challenge. The county council’s Education and Culture and Health and Human Services committees heard from several organizations during a virtual meeting Thursday. Jose Hernández, a bilingual psychotherapist for the nonprofit Affiliated Sante Group, said barriers include a shortage of licensed […]

Montgomery College will require staff and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, per a release from the college. Exemptions are possible for medical and religious reasons. All faculty and staff must verify full vaccination status by Nov. 8 and all students by Jan. 7, 2022. Students who do not submit verification must apply for […]

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) updated its COVID-19 playbook with a new five-point plan, Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight said during a virtual briefing in front of the county council Tuesday. McKnight designed the plan to enhance and strengthen COVID-19 measures and position MCPS to respond nimbly to the unexpected. The plan is as follows: […]

As of Thursday, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has received about 500 applications for its 2021-2022 virtual academy, MCPS Director of Technology Integration and Support Dr. Kara Trenkamp shared during a school board meeting. The virtual learning academy for the 2021-2022 school year, called “Montgomery Virtual,” is a five-days-a-week program that will mirror the brick-and-mortar […]

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) updated its guidelines for quarantine and isolation periods on April 29. In alignment with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local officials, required isolation periods have now been reduced to 10 days, effective immediately. Previously, MCPS required individuals that tested positive for […]

Tuesday, the first day that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students resume classes post-spring break, will be a virtual instruction day for all students. The recommendation was made “given the concerns raised about the immediate return in the building following spring break, when we know that families, our community members, our staff may travel,” said […]