Editorial Board re-endorses Lynne Harris for Board of Education
By Silver Chips Editorial Board | Oct. 28, 2020, 8:27 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
After extensive research and a forum held by the Silver Chips Editorial Board with both candidates, the Editorial Board is proud to endorse Harris for the At-Large seat on the Board of Education, upholding the decision made in May. As a champion for student voices and an experienced MCPS teacher, Harris will bring necessary perspective to the Board table, ensuring that students are at the forefront of all conversations.
Silver Chips 2020 Election Voter Guide
By Rekha Leonard and Marijke Friedman | Oct. 16, 2020, 4:22 p.m. | In Print News »
Meet the candidates and learn about the issues on this year's ballot!
MCPS teachers' contract moves to mediation
By Grace Walsh | Oct. 16, 2020, 4:13 p.m. | In Print News »
On Aug. 28, the Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) and the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) jointly filed a formal notice of impasse with the Maryland Public Schools Labor Relations Board (PSLRB). The filing marked the first time in over twenty years that the two sides were not able to reach a contract agreement before the existing one expired. The two sides have since started a mediation process, as outlined in the current contract.
Ebbing enrollment
By Jasper Swartz | Oct. 16, 2020, 4:08 p.m. | In Print News »
Following an announcement from MCPS on July 21 that students would not return to in-person school for at least the first semester, a large number of MCPS families opted to unenroll in favor of private education or homeschooling options. At the Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) meeting on Oct. 6, MCPS revealed that the enrollment total for the 2020-2021 school year is 161,150 students, marking a drop-off of more than 4,100 students since last year, when enrollment totaled 165,267.
Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg dies at 87
By Luther Voltaire | Oct. 16, 2020, 4:05 p.m. | In Print News »
On Sept. 18, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of pancreatic cancer at age 87 at her home in Washington, D.C. She served as one of the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 27 years.
County council considers removing police from school
By Cal Tobias | Oct. 16, 2020, 3:43 p.m. | In Print News »
Community leaders, such as Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando and former MCPS Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Nate Tinbite, have called for the reduction or elimination of the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, which installs Montgomery County police officers in county high schools.
Adam's Analysis
By Adam Chazan | Oct. 16, 2020, 3:38 p.m. | In Print News »
Questions C and D on this year’s ballot have sparked vigorous debate in Montgomery County, as the looming census report and redistricting are amplifying concerns about fair representation on the county council.
The duality of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
By Anika Seth | Oct. 16, 2020, 3:35 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been a critical piece of my own political socialization. She showed me and so many other young women that we have a place in this world––not only as lawyers and jurists, but as strong advocates and leaders, too. Ginsburg fought for and secured a number of women's rights, including—but not limited to—the ability to take out credit cards in our own names and to purchase and lease properties without a male co-signer. At the same time, I have to recognize that Ginsburg was not the perfect progressive she is often idolized as.
Broadening the beltway
By Samantha Rodriguez | Oct. 16, 2020, 3:31 p.m. | In Print News »
Governor Larry Hogan’s controversial highway expansion plan, which includes adding four toll lanes to Interstate Highways 270 and 495, will, if enacted, cut into Blair’s athletic fields and affect the entire capital suburban community.
Personal Column: No decisions about you without you
By Lynne Harris | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:32 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Lynne Harris is one of the two final candidates for the At-Large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education in the November 2020 election.
Personal Column: Five myths about reopening schools and what we need to do right now
By Sunil Dasgupta | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:27 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Sunil Dasgupta is one of the two final candidates for the At-Large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education in the November 2020 election.
When do the social media accounts of MCPS employees go too far?
By Kathryn LaLonde | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:22 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Kathryn is Silver Chips' Ombudsman. To connect with her, email ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com.
Employees matter. MCPS should treat them as such.
By The Silver Chips Editorial Board | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:14 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
The Silver Chips Editorial Board is composed of Editors-in-Chief Anika Seth, Renata Muñoz, Tony González, and Oliver Goldman; Managing Opinions Editors Aviva Bechky and Clark Zhang; and Ombudsman Kathryn LaLonde. The endorsement and opinion of the Editorial Board are separate from Silver Chips’ fact-driven and balanced news coverage and hold no sway in the content nor tone of Silver Chips’ articles. The editorial cartoon is by Shashi Arnold and is separate from the Editorial Board's written piece.
Overriding the veto on our future
By Marijke Friedman | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:10 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
The Maryland General Assembly must override Hogan's veto on the Blueprint for Maryland's Future
Summer health? Not so sick.
By Jasper Swartz | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:06 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Why MCPS shouldn't offer their health curriculum to students over the summer
Affirmative action infraction
By Leila Faraday | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:02 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
There is nothing just about the Department of Justice's suit against Yale's use of affirmative action
It's time for Title IX transparency
By Sofia Roehrig | Oct. 16, 2020, 12:56 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
The growing need for improved communication regarding sexual misconduct protocols in MCPS
PRO/CON: Should social media companies continue offering face filters?
By Annie Mount (PRO) and Maybelle Patterson (CON) | Oct. 16, 2020, 12:46 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
The arguments for and against face filters
MCPS provides 45-day notice of reopening, At-Large Board of Education candidates respond
By Oliver Goldman Anika Seth | Sept. 27, 2020, 8:21 p.m. | In Print News »
On September 25, MCPS and three union associations (the Montgomery County Education Association, the local Service Employees International Union and the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals) wrote a joint message to staff and faculty about the potential of reopening classrooms to students, formally providing employees the minimum 45-day notice required prior to reopening. Silver Chips reached out to Lynne Harris and Sunil Dasgupta, the at-large candidates for the Board of Education, for written statements in response.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... my college application?
By Aviva Bechky | June 18, 2020, 12:33 p.m. | In Print Features »
Cancelled SATs. Pass/incomplete grades. Disrupted extracurriculars. Changes in financial aid status. Interviews moving online. This year’s college admissions have been thrown into uncharted territory because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both students and colleges are navigating a new process, marked by a lack of in-person resources. From testing to financial aid, this year is different, and some students are unsure of how to handle it.
Hoards and hauls
By Khayla Robinson | June 8, 2020, 9:22 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many have found themselves struggling to get by. Small businesses are hustling to keep themselves afloat, school districts are scurrying to create successful online learning systems, and medical staffers are working excruciatingly long hours to help those in need. To lessen the spread of the virus and its chaos, state governors have urged citizens to stay home by enforcing stringent stay-at-home orders––some states even administering fines for non-essential travel. This has led many Americans to stockpile on everyday items. People are hoarding exorbitant amounts of items—from rolls of toilet paper to cases of water—just so they can be prepared. While this reaction is understandable, stockpiling is doing more harm than good.
College credit from the couch
By Abby Brier | June 3, 2020, 9:12 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
This year, students not only took AP exams from the comfort of home, but in a fraction of the previous three hour time limit. These limitations extend to restrict the number and type of questions on the test, and even the content covered. While the College Board, the for-profit “non-profit” that has monopolized the standardized testing industry, would like to believe that their blissfully shortened 45-minute AP tests will be enough to demonstrate students’ mastery of a subject, this is simply not the case.
Ventilators, virals, and vaccines
By Clark Zhang | June 1, 2020, 8:52 p.m. | In Print Features »
Ever since the COVID-19 began in China in December 2019, humanity has scrambled to find ways to treat the disease. When a novel disease emerges, treatment often comes in three steps: life support, anti-virals, and vaccines.
Ethan's Park: A sports column in a sports-less time
By Ethan Park | May 21, 2020, 7:35 p.m. | In Print Sports »
It feels a bit funny to write a sports column at this point in our human history. For as long as most Americans can remember, sports have always been a constant. Even during World War II, when the majority of male baseball players went off to war, women stepped up to the plate and kept the game running. After disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, sports gave a grieving country something to cheer for. But now, with the whole world—sports included—at a standstill, there’s frankly not too much to have a sports-related opinion about.
Helping seniors in trying times
By Ashley Thommana | May 19, 2020, 11:13 p.m. | In Print Features »
Carrying plastic bags filled to the brim with groceries, a teen volunteer dons protective equipment to drop off groceries at the front door of a neighbor’s house. As a member of “Teens Helping Seniors,” the volunteer is delivering groceries and other essentials to the homes of the elderly and immunocompromised.
We found 4959 results.