The Blair administration has established a new policy requiring all departments to record the names of students attending lunch time academic support and is providing additional school wide support to meet their School Improvement Plan (SIP) goals, according to assistant principal Edith Verdejo.
With the 2008-2010 teachers union contract to expire soon, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the official teachers union for MCPS teachers, is set to renegotiate their contract with the MCPS Board of Education (BOE). However, recent dealings with MCPS have left some MCEA members unsatisfied and could affect the upcoming contract negotiations between the two groups, according to MCEA Vice President Christopher Lloyd.
Despite the recent budget crunch, Governor Martin O'Malley refused to cut funds that have been set aside for education, due to a $2 billion state budget deficit.
The Blair administration has initiated a push for seniors to complete the 60 Student Service Learning (SSL) hour graduation requirement, according to resource counselor Marcia Johnson.
One year after the High School Assessments (HSA) Bridge Plan was first introduced, some teachers are questioning the standards of the HSAs and the HSA bridge projects as graduation requirements. The bridge projects are designed to provide a way for students who have trouble succeeding on the tests to fulfill their graduation requirements, which many teachers view as a necessary option for students.
MCPS reinstated a hiring freeze on Aug. 20, preventing any new non-critical employee from being hired, according to Director of the Department of Management, Budget and Planning Marshall Spatz. The freeze, and other cutbacks enacted with the hiring freeze, will remain in effect for MCPS until June 30, 2010.
MCPS has implemented the new "Seven Keys to College Readiness" program this fall, aimed at increasing college preparedness in the county. The program provides students from kindergarten through 12th grade with a set of milestones for achieving scholastic success.
Nearly every day, the media broadcasts a news update on health care reform. Whether it's the new bill propositions or the disgruntled citizens in town halls, so many different issues at hand can overwhelm even the most savvy observer. So much information can be daunting to anyone trying to follow the reform, so here is a breakdown of the current reform proposals and debate.
At the beginning of this year, Blair Sports Academy (BSA) eliminated certain programs due to budget cuts faced by the Montgomery County Recreation Department (MCRD).
Sligo Creek Golf Course, originally scheduled to close on Oct. 1 due to revenue problems, will remain open after the Montgomery County Council approved a supplemental appropriation proposed by County Executive Isaiah Leggett.
Recent reports by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) show a decrease in graduation rates for Blair and MCPS for the 2008-2009 school year. Statistics by the MSDE show Blair's graduation rate declining from 84.53 percent in 2008 to 82.61 percent in 2009. Likewise, the MCPS graduation rate went from a high of about 93 percent in 2003 to 87 percent in 2009, the lowest graduation rate in 13 years.
Blair PTSA remains uncertain about the graduation venue for the class of 2010 due to budget restraints and conflicting survey results, according to the PTSA co-president.
Text messaging while driving is now prohibited by state law and punishable by a fine of up to $500, according to Maryland Delegate Frank Turner (D-Howard).
Blair met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements for the second year in a row for the 2009-2010 school year, which has led to the removal of Blair from Year Two School Improvement status, according to Principal Darryl Williams.
The Safe Silver Spring Summit, for residents and community leaders to propose solutions for making neighborhoods safer, was held at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College on May 16, according to Tony Hausner, the chairman of the steering committee.
The Montgomery County Council recently approved the Fiscal Year 2010 (FY 2010) budget, which takes effect July 1 of this year, despite cuts across the board due to a rejected maintenance waiver to the state.
Some students have been asked to take the High School Assessments (HSAs) again despite achieving the minimum combined score required to receive the Maryland state diploma, according to Assistant Principal Linda Wanner.
Assistant Principal Linda Wanner will retire at the end of this year after 24 years at Blair to spend more time with family and pursue other interests, she said.
The administration is considering offering some single-section courses every other year due to anticipated budget and scheduling setbacks, according to Principal Darryl Williams.
Of the 775 ninth graders at Blair, approximately 216 are currently academically ineligible with first quarter grade point averages (GPAs) below 2.0, according to ninth grade administrator Edith Verdejo.
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