Take a POLL on the issue of the RecExtra cuts to Cabin John Middle
School, Herbert Hoover Middle School, Tilden Middle School, Thomas W.
Pyle Middle School, Robert Frost Middle School and North Bethesda Middle
School, Forest Oak Middle School, Francis Scott Key Middle School,
Julius West Middle School, Lakelands Park Middle School, Montgomery
Village Middle School, Redland Middle School and Shady Grove Middle
School.
Here is link to Poll:
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/07/poll-after-school-or-prom\
ethean-boards.html
<http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/07/poll-after-school-or-pro\
methean-boards.html>

Here is more on this issue:

The Montgomery County Council has decided that they are happy to sit
back and let the Montgomery County Public School system administration
spend tax dollars without following state law and without oversight.
What does this mean to you the citizen? It means that cuts must be made
in other services to support the spendthrift habits of MCPS. What has
MCPS been doing? The MCPS Board of Education has been allowing
administrators like MCPS COO Larry Bowers to sign off on major
multi-million dollar procurements without Board of Education approval
and without obtaining competitive bids for the products as required by
State law.


Here is one example in the news this week, about $156,000 is being cut
from an afterschool program for middle school students called RecExtra.
You can read about this cut in the Gazette
<http://www.gazette.net/stories/07082009/potonew192240_32522.shtml> .
13 middle schools have seen their RecExtra funding cut for the upcoming
school year.


What is an example of a MCPS purchase that was made without competitive
bids and that was signed for by MCPS COO Larry Bowers instead of the
Board of Education President? Promethean Boards. Last summer MCPS COO
Larry Bowers signed a 4 year LEASE for 2,600 Promethean Boards. That's
right, the Promethean Boards in your child's classroom aren't even paid
for yet! They are on a 4 year lease with an annual payment of
$3,355,400.
But that's OK because Promethean Boards are more important than after
school activities for thousands of middle school students. Right? Well
it's your choice. These are your elected County Councilmembers cutting
after school activities in favor of leased Promethean Boards. Do you
want to participate in a poll on this issue?

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/07/poll-after-school-or-prom\
ethean-boards.html
<http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/07/poll-after-school-or-pro\
methean-boards.html>

Janis Sartucci



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