By Adam Pagnucco.
MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor, who has completed his first year in his current position, has been a busy man. Just look at the district’s boundary studies, its academic program analysis and the passage of Taylor’s huge operating budget request – and that’s just a start! He could very well go down as one of the most consequential superintendents in MCPS’s history, and that’s saying something. But will he be remembered favorably or not?
That’s a question for years down the road, but like many of you, I’m not patient! So I wanted to give him a grade for his first year. (That seems fair since his system gives many thousands of students grades every year!) But there is no way on Earth that I’m qualified to do that on my own. That means it’s time to go to the smartest, most plugged-in people I know: my sources.
Here is the email I sent to my network.
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With MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s one-year anniversary approaching, it’s time to grade his tenure so far. To do that, I am relying on you – the folks who know MoCo! (What, you thought I was going to do this alone?)
This is my request. Grade Taylor’s first year with an A, B, C, D or F. (You can also use pluses or minuses like B+ or B-, but there is no such thing as an F minus so don’t go there!) Then explain why you’re giving him that grade. And please do it in a short paragraph at most – otherwise, this will turn into one of those 16-part series that everyone hates!
As always, any response you send me is confidential. I won’t reveal who said what – I PROMISE. I’m just trying to get a consensus, if possible, from the opinion leaders of this county. And you’re one of them!
All responses are due by Friday, July 4. Don’t worry, I’ll send reminders! And thank you for considering my request.
Adam Pagnucco
Montgomery Perspective
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See how I talk to my folks? I’m telling you, this site would be a weak shadow of itself without them.
As I said in the email, all responses were confidential. But here are a few aggregated descriptors for those who voted.
Total respondents: 65
Respondents who gave Taylor a grade: 55
Elected officials: 11
Former elected officials: 13
Current county government officials and employees: 15
Current state government officials and employees: 8
Former county government officials and employees: 13
The above are just a fraction of my network since a lot of people I asked did not participate. Still, it’s a good enough sample to get a feel for how Taylor’s first year has gone. And my sources had a LOT to say about that. But let’s note: this survey occurred before the inspector general’s report on MCPS background checks.
We shall begin hearing from them tomorrow!