Testimony on the Montgomery County Public Schools Strategic Plan

October 12, 2006

                       

 

The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County is pleased to be able to testify this evening in response to your request for feedback from stakeholders in the community; I am Carla Satinsky, chair of the Education Committee of the local League.  Our members have always been interested in and supportive of the public school system and have supported many of its initiatives and programs.  We expect to continue this support.

 

The size and complexity of the student body would present a challenge even without the rapidly expanding demands of the Federal Government and the State of Maryland.  However, you all have the responsibility to remember that the children do not come into the classroom with uniform strengths and weaknesses.  The schools have to consider each child as an individual, regardless of the push to spend the majority of the time teaching the students to pass all the tests they will encounter in their school career.

 

There will be many changes in county government this year and it behooves you to present the budget to your stakeholders in as transparent a way as possible.  One way to get support from the wider community is to have a document that answers questions; people demand accountability from their elected officials.  Montgomery County residents have not objected to spending money on the public schools in the past and will not be averse to spending it this year if they feel that you have justified the expenditures.  You have an obligation to explain the details as well as the broad goals of this Strategic Plan when you present the Budget.

 

Thank you for your time.