Montgomery School Board Holds First Meeting Since Release Of Intervention Plan
The Montgomery County Public School Board held its first meeting since plans for the next steps in the state intervention of the school system were released. Both board members and concerned citizens were very vocal about how they feel about the plan interim superintendent Ed Richardson presented days before.
Several Montgomery County board members say they are not completely satisfied with the way the intervention of Montgomery Public schools is being run. Board member, Durden Dean was among several at Tuesday’s meeting who said the data shown in the recently released state report card, was not fair to Montgomery Public schools, and didn’t show the full picture.
“I think it needs to be re-evaluated” explained Dean, I’m not going to stand here and tell you that we’re the best school system in the state but we’re not nearly as bad as they make us look”.
In response to the newly released intervention plan, several concerned community members spoke out against the sale of Georgia Washington Middle School to the town of Pike Road. It was presented as one of the ways to solve the school system’s budget issues for the upcoming school year.
“What’s going to happen the next year? and the year after that, That’s just a one time fix” asked one woman, as the floor was open to public comment. “Some things are not to be sold for money, I’m not going to sell my heritage” said Reverend James E. Jones.
The monthly board meeting was moved from its’ normal central office meeting place to the to make room for more people to attend. “This auditorium should have been filled this afternoon with the board of education meeting because there are concerns that we need to address as citizens….we are talking, but we are not coming forward and talking with the people we need to talk with” said K.T. Brown challenging more parents and concerned community members like herself to become more involved.
MPS Interim Superintendent Anne Moore said public information meetings will be held soon to give parents of students whose schools are closing more info on where they will go, but did not give an exact time line for when that information will be released.
