Distraction Free Schools Maryland

Distraction Free Schools Maryland is part of a coalition of parents, educators, and school administrators united in calling for legislative action and policy changes to address the overuse of smartphones, social media, and School-Tech in Maryland's schools. It is a state team under the Distraction-Free Schools Policy Project, an initiative led by Becca Schmill Foundation and Smartphone Free Childhood U.S.

 

Our state team is focused on two parallel efforts:

 

1) Community Outreach - We encourage all supporters in Maryland to sign our Letter of Support, which will be shared with our state legislators. Our advocates are busy reaching out to and meeting with state legislators to sponsor our model legislation, and every signature added greatly supports their advocacy efforts. Model legislation includes: Phone Free Schools, Social Media Free Schools, and Safe School Tech.

 

2) Legislator Outreach - We need people who can reach out to legislators to urge them to sponsor the model legislation. We are putting together template materials to help people do this outreach. You can also indicate your interest in doing this work also by signing our Letter of Support.

 

Please share our Letter of Support widely within your networks!

https://www.distractionfreeschools.com/maryland-action

Wootton HS: "gas company found failed gas regulator and a bees nest that was located in a venting pipe for the school’s boiler system."

Classes are back in session at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, after students were evacuated moments after the first bell rang Monday morning.

The school building was evacuated at about 7:20 a.m. due to a gas odor...

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2025/11/classes-resume-at-wootton-high-school-after-suspected-gas-leak/

Loudoun County taxpayers are now paying Superintendent Aaron Spence more than $500,000

...For instance, when Superintendent Aaron Spence joined the school system in 2023, his base salary was $375,000. A year later, in 2024, his pay jumped to $472,997. In June, the school board approved an increase in the deferred compensation for Spence to $32,500, and Spence’s proficient performance rating from the school board earned him a 6.5 percent increase in his salary this year, which brings his total earnings from LCPS to well over $500,000 in 2025...

https://wjla.com/news/local/loudoun-county-teachers-big-raises-new-bargaining-agreement-wages-benefits-costing-taxpayers-millions-public-schools-education-association-funding-money-officials

Board of Ed Gave Students $75,000 to Research Artificial Turf, then Shelved the Report

The Montgomery County Board of Education allocated $75,000 to the MCPS-Student Climate Action Council (SCAC).  

From the SCAC's January 2024 public comment to the Board of Education:  

In our current fiscal year of 2023-2024, we were allocated $75,000 from the Operating Budget. Without delay, the SCAC strategically used this funding to initiate our grants program, establish the climate ambassador program, and start comprehensive policy research. These funds have proven foundational in facilitating our work.

 

The students took their mission seriously.  

They spent 18 months putting together a thoroughly researched Artificial Turfs Report.

What did the Board of Education do with this Report that they paid for?  

Absolutely nothing.  

The Report has never seen the light of day at a Board of Education Business Meeting.  

Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor hasn't mentioned the Report or responded to the SCAC's Recommended Course of Action.  In fact, from Superintendent Taylor's recent MCPS Budget proposals it would appear that Superintendent Taylor couldn't care less about what this MCPS sanctioned and paid for council of students researched and reported.  

The students' full Report is embedded at the end of this post.  But if you don't have time to read the entire Report, take a look at the students' Recommended Course of Action with regard to artificial turf field installations in MCPS.   

And remember how the Board of Education and Superintendent Taylor paid for and then buried this Report the next time you hear the BOE and Taylor applauding the work and advocacy of MCPS students.  

************************

 

Recommended Course of Action 

After months of intensive research, the Student Climate Action Council has concluded that artificial turf fields pose a risk to the safety of students and the environment. However, MCPS’ grass fields have poor drainage, causing slippery, muddy conditions and limiting playability. To address this issue, we strongly recommend that Montgomery County Public Schools take the following action: 

1. Designate the following schools as pilots for state-of-the-art natural grass fields: 

a. Wootton High School 

b. Paint Branch High School 

c. Gaithersburg High School 

2. By May 1, 2025, reach out to the Maryland Soccerplex located in Germantown, MD to consult an expert opinion on how to support successful natural grass at a reasonable cost efficiently. 

3. By August 1, 2025, create a comprehensive budget for installing and maintaining high-quality natural grass fields at the above locations. Publish the proposed budget to the MCPS website for a 30-day feedback period. 

4. Include the cost of the pilot fields in the 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Plan. 

5. Include the cost of maintaining the fields in the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year Operating Budget. 

6. Continually evaluate the options for new MCPS fields as the need arises to ensure that the healthiest, safest option is always chosen. 

7. Monitor the quality of MCPS fields by sending a survey to all MCPS high school students every two years, beginning in Fall 2025, with these questions. 

8. Review current MCPS Board of Education policy that favors artificial turf fields over natural grass fields for all high school facilities.  

9. Continue to consider the ideas, conclusions, and input of the Student Climate Action Council in important decisions regarding the use of artificial turf and natural grass in MCPS. 

MCPS Student Climate Action Council Artificial Turfs Report by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Baltimore County lawmakers file bill to give inspector general oversight of school system

 https://marylandmatters.org/briefs/baltimore-county-lawmakers-file-bill-to-give-inspector-general-oversight-of-school-system/

New tuition-free public charter high school set to take space in Annapolis Mall

 

A new public charter school, New Village Academy, is being built in a former department store inside the Annapolis Mall.

The tuition-free public charter high school will be unlike any in the region, with students as the focus, school officials say. The school is scheduled to open at the former Lord & Taylor space on the upper level of the mall in the fall of 2026...

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/new-tuition-free-public-charter-high-school-annapolis-mall-new-village-academy/

Happy Thanksgiving

 Best wishes to all from the Parents' Coalition for a very happy Thanksgiving.

(photo from The New Yorker magazine)

Joshua Starr now superintendent in residence at New Mexico Right At School, a leading provider of after-school enrichment programs.

 https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/article_cd9b0228-d33b-40b9-baf7-eb8932ae6634.html

ABC7 Found $10M in Unapproved Spending by MCPS Administrators. Board of Education Asleep at the Wheel.

Report raises questions about spending at Montgomery County Public Schools

by Kellye Lynn

Tue, November 25, 2025 at 6:01 AM

Updated Tue, November 25, 2025 at 7:08 AM

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A new inspector general report shows Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) failed to get school board approval for more than a million dollars in payments to various vendors.

The review comes just three months after 7News told you thousands of MCPS employees had outdated criminal history checks.

The Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General conducted a review of the school system's procurement process. The report focused on fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

It found the Division of Procurement, which purchases supplies and equipment for MCPS, failed to follow laws, regulations and procedures for expenditures.

For instance, the school system is required to get Board of Education approval for purchases over $25,000, but in several cases, that didn't happen...

“We just saw the State Board of Education determine that the electric school bus bid award was made illegally. How many illegal things are we going to have before there's some prosecution or action?” Janis Sartucci said.

https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-inspector-general-report-million-without-broad-approval-procurement-review-spending-education-vendor-payments-accountability-jp-morgan-chase-policy-violations-maryland-transparency-oversight

Board of Education Held Closed Meeting on Monday, November 17, 2025, to discuss "State Agency Matter."

Would this have been a discussion of the recent Maryland State Board of Education declaring the MCPS bid award on the electric school bus scheme illegal? 

...Resolved, That the Board of Education of Montgomery County conduct a special closed session on November 17, 2025, in Room 120 at 15 West Gude Drive, Rockville, Maryland, beginning immediately following the vote to go into closed session until approximately 6:00 p.m., in order to receive legal advice regarding a state agency matter, which advice must be shared in closed session to prevent disclosures that may negatively impact the Board’s position with regard to the resolution of the matter; to maintain confidentiality of legal advice with regard to the current status of the matter; and to preserve attorney-client privilege, and is permissible pursuant to General Provisions Article, Section 3-305(b)(7); and be it further..

https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DNFTU378FFA0/$file/251117%20Resolution%20for%20Todays%20Closed%20Session.pdf

Council Public Hearing on $3.8M for HVAC/Mold Remediation in MCPS. Deadline to sign up to speak is December 1st at 2 PM.

The County Council will hold a public hearing on Dec. 2, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. 

The hearing will allow the public to speak to the $3.8M in Healthy Schools funding from the State of Maryland. 

Deadline to sign up to speak is Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. (Link to sign up page)

• Resolution to approve an Amendment to the FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program and Supplemental Appropriation #26-34 to the FY26 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Public Schools, Healthy Schools MCPS (No. 652504), $3,814,685 (Source of Funds: State Aid)

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=18402&meta_id=207523

How can quality programs be replicated under proposed MCPS regional model?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) plans to make sweeping changes to the academic programs available to students. Part of this is the wholesale elimination of the Downcounty Consortium (DCC) and the Northeast Consortium (NEC) model in favor of a six-region model. The dissolution of the consortia will have a direct impact on countywide magnet programs and in particular the MCPS Visual Art Center (VAC) at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington. MCPS is among the nation’s best public school systems in part because it offers such exceptional programs. The county will lose one of its crown jewels if the MCPS academic programs committee implements this plan. Last year MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor celebrated the VAC’s 50 years of excellence. Today he wants to eliminate it.

The VAC, a criteria-based program, draws applications from students attending all schools in Montgomery County and admits between 30-35 students per class year. With two dedicated instructors, a purpose-built studio, and a double period schedule, the small class-based curriculum consistently produces artist-scholars recognized at the local, state, and national level. For example, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from 2025 alone included an American Visionary nominee, seven gold portfolios winners, along with winners of 58 gold keys, 84 silver keys, and 132 honorable mentions. These artist-scholars are high achievers on AP exams, consistently outperforming the national average.

Beyond the numbers, the VAC presents opportunities for teen artists to express their creativity and their voices beyond the typical high school experience. VAC instructors mentor students to enter competitions as part of the curriculum. Last spring, VAC students exhibited work at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival on the National Mall and at American University’s Katzen Arts Center. In the current small learning community model, students receive the instruction and mentorship of two dedicated visual arts educators, resulting in diverse candidates for scholarships, college application support, and career-ready portfolio development...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/11/20/letter-to-editor-how-can-quality-programs-be-replicated-mcps-regional-model/

Petition: End The Neglect of Sherwood High School

 

The Issue

Sherwood High School is plagued by hazards that jeopardize the health and well-being of everyone within its walls due to years of neglect by the county. 

Persistent mold, aging plumbing, malfunctioning HVAC system, sewage issues, leaks, broken tiles, bad ventilation, and asbestos are not just inconveniences—they are contributing factors to illnesses that have impacted students, teachers and staff for years. The deterioration of the school's infrastructure is undeniable, especially considering that certain parts of the building have not been improved since the 1950s.  It is unconscionable for our children and their teachers to spend their days in an environment that poses significant health risks.

Teachers, students and staff at Sherwood High School experience respiratory illnesses while in the building. In fact, twenty-eight IAQ complaint forms were submitted to MCPS last week alone.  A high number of teachers and staff past and present received a cancer diagnosis which has created fear in our community.  Everyone in the lower level of the building endures moldy and sewage smells on a daily basis. Students deal with drastic temperature fluctuations while switching to and from areas of the school that are either unbearably hot or too cold. There is visible mold growing in areas of the school and teachers are equipped with spray bottles that contain bleach because they constantly wipe mold from furniture and teaching materials.  Bathrooms are frequently "out of order".  My daughter spends her morning in a moldy classroom and suffers from a "cold” often. These conditions do not create a healthy, safe and positive environment for learning. 

 Read what some teachers endure: 

https://www.change.org/p/end-the-neglect-of-sherwood-high-school?source_location=search

MCPS Parent Speaks Out After Student Injuries Raise Bullying Concerns

A Rockville parent said he was moved to speak out and advocate for his 10-year-old son, who was allegedly struck in the head on his schoolyard in early October, after reading about MCPS middle school student Lenny Diaz on MCM news. Diaz was hospitalized with serious injuries after another student threw a metal object at his head.

The parent, John Bittner, has a fifth grader at Sequoyah Elementary School in Derwood, whom he said has been harassed by two classmates for several years. Bittner alleges his son was kicked in the head and suffered headaches and nightmares as a result...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-parent-speaks-out-after-student-injuries-raises-bullying-concerns/

County school board renews debate over artificial turf vs. grass fields during proposed capital budget review

 Article in Bethesda Today, reporter Ashlyn Campbell. for the full story go here.

Reminder this blog posted a series of investigation articles into the county Board of Education and County Council decision to use dangerous artificial turf instead of natural sod, including climate issues, and finances. 

We have sod farmers in our Agricultural Reserve but instead our tax dollars are being used to purchase artificial turf from refurbished carpet factories in Georgia. In addition these turf fields are heat islands that can be seen from space, giving lie to the idea that the Board of Education and the County Council believe there is such a thing as climate change. Clearly they do not.

From the Bethesda Today article:

MCPS staff say synthetic surface can be utilized by more athletes, community members

Six high schools are set to get either new synthetic turf fields or replacement fields as part of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) proposed six-year capital improvements program (CIP), a plan that sparked debate among county school board members Tuesday over whether the district should move forward with turf or explore installing more natural grass fields.  

MCPS Athletics Director Jeffrey Sullivan and Capital Budget and Projects Manager Donald Connelly joined the school board Tuesday to talk about the proposal for fields during a CIP work session at the school board headquarters at 15 W. Gude Drive in Rockville. They discussed the costs, benefits and drawbacks of natural and turf fields as part of the board’s review of the district’s $2.7 billion proposed CIP plan.  

In recent weeks, the board has held several work sessions to review the proposed CIP, and is expected to vote on the proposal during its Nov. 20 business meeting. 

MCPS Blake High School Teacher Elected to State Board of Education

 Nicole Murray-Lewis received highest number of votes in Teacher Member election. 

BALTIMORE (November 18, 2025) – Nicole Murray-Lewis, a social studies educator at James H. Blake High School in Montgomery County Public Schools, was elected to serve as the teacher member on the State Board of Education.

A 28-year veteran educator, Murray-Lewis received 39.9 percent of the 3,624 votes cast in the election, held November 3 to November 17 to fill the open teacher member seat on the State Board. Prior to joining Blake High School, she spent 24 years at Gaithersburg High School and four years in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. She achieved National Board Certification in 2008.

The full results can be found online. Eligible voters included individuals holding an active Maryland educator certificate or license as of October 10, 2025.

Murray-Lewis’ appointment will be sent to Gov. Moore and is subject to confirmation by the State Senate.

###

https://news.maryland.gov/msde/mcps-teacher-elected-to-state-board-of-education/

Inspector General Flags Inconsistencies in MCPS Procurement Practices

...The OIG found there are no standard procedures on how MCPS staff should document purchases, and records are often incomplete or scattered across multiple systems. Staff often relies on personal judgment or unofficial processes, leading to inconsistent practices.  

Some of the key findings in the report state MCPS ignored Maryland law and its own regulations by making purchases over $25,000 without Board of Education approval. Additionally, seven vendors received payments above the threshold in FY23 and FY24 with no evidence of Board authorization...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/the-montgomery-county-office-of-the-inspector-general-found-inconsistencies-in-how-montgomery-county-public-schools-handled-its-procurement-process-during-fiscal-years-2023-and-2024/

County school board renews debate over artificial turf vs. grass fields during proposed capital budget review

Six high schools are set to get either new synthetic turf fields or replacement fields as part of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) proposed six-year capital improvements program (CIP), a plan that sparked debate among county school board members Tuesday over whether the district should move forward with turf or explore installing more natural grass fields.  

MCPS Athletics Director Jeffrey Sullivan and Capital Budget and Projects Manager Donald Connelly joined the school board Tuesday to talk about the proposal for fields during a CIP work session at the school board headquarters at 15 W. Gude Drive in Rockville. They discussed the costs, benefits and drawbacks of natural and turf fields as part of the board’s review of the district’s $2.7 billion proposed CIP plan.  

In recent weeks, the board has held several work sessions to review the proposed CIP, and is expected to vote on the proposal during its Nov. 20 business meeting.   

The CIP calls for the district to spend $15 million during fiscal year 2027 for six turf installations or replacements. The amount also includes money for three or four playground replacements...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/11/13/mcps-turf-debate/

Somerset County school board violated state law in hiring lawyers, inspector general says

...After hiring new attorneys, the board rescinded its policy on selecting legal counsel through a competitive process.

The board declined to be interviewed by the Inspector General’s Office. Their lawyers wrote that “they will not agree to be independently interrogated by you or the OIGE.”

Henry has asked the Maryland State Board of Education to establish standard practices for county boards to give the public more transparency in how they hire contractors.

Henry also said he would like county boards to be trained in what the rules are for hiring contractors, including what ethical standards are.

https://www.thebanner.com/education/k-12-schools/marc-and-gordana-schifanelli-FTHLXHLUC5H7ZFWIGGSWACDUHQ/

The Maryland State Board of Education said Montgomery County Public Schools’ electric bus contract was “tainted” by an employee later convicted of fraud.

A school district’s deal to shift to electric buses hits another bump

...The state board said it reviewed the external report conducted on behalf of the Montgomery school district that detailed how the electric-bus contract was awarded. The four-person committee was tasked with scoring the potential vendors.

The state board said that if the scores of Ewald and Watkins were excluded, Highland Electric Fleets would not have won the Montgomery contract. It alleges their involvement “at a minimum … created an appearance of impropriety.”

Ewald’s scores were not included in the report, and López referred questions about the omission to the investigator. Andrew Nussbaum, a Howard County-based attorney, did not immediately answer questions about his report...

 https://wapo.st/3JJn7yR