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.
Meet the candidates and learn about the issues on this year's ballot!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Kathryn is Silver Chips' Ombudsman. To connect with her, email ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com.
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.
The Maryland General Assembly must override Hogan's veto on the Blueprint for Maryland's Future
Why MCPS shouldn't offer their health curriculum to students over the summer
There is nothing just about the Department of Justice's suit against Yale's use of affirmative action
The growing need for improved communication regarding sexual misconduct protocols in MCPS
The arguments for and against face filters
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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