By Adam Pagnucco.
Below are the top ten stories on Montgomery Perspective in May 2024, ranked by page views.
1. Are Layoffs Necessary at MCPS?
2. Will MCPS Implement Layoffs?
3. MCEA: MCPS Chief Operating Officer “Has Failed in His Role”
4. Elrich Wants to Eliminate 27 Positions in 911
5. Glass: Shame on the School Board
6. Former State Dem Party Chairs Support Alsobrooks, Slam Trone
7. Amazing Stat: Alsobrooks vs Trone in MoCo
8. Prediction Time: School Board
9. Beidleman Discrimination Case Headed to Settlement
May was a big month in Maryland politics as it saw contested primaries for U.S. Senate and several U.S. House seats. I wrote a lot about the races for Senate and Congressional District 6. But for the most part, readers of Montgomery Perspective cared more about the problems at MCPS.
It’s easy to see why. Few if any local jurisdictions link their reputation more closely to their school system than does MoCo. Residents are far more concerned about issues in MCPS than they often are about the latest bill at the county council or the latest media statements by the county executive. They understand the centrality of public schools to their quality of life.
At this writing, the fate of MCPS’s workforce has yet to be determined. Last summer, my source network helped me write a four-part series titled Landmarks of MoCo, in which we assessed the most important events in county history since the 1960s. If MCPS implements layoffs now, they could very well make this list. The first time MCPS had layoffs was in 1980 and I am not sure if they have occurred since. MCPS did not administer layoffs or furloughs during the Great Recession when it had much more serious budget problems than it does today, so it seems hard to believe that its management would resort to them now. But a lot is on the table and we should know more next week.
On that note, on to June!