It’s been over a year since allegations of bullying and sexual harassment against former Montgomery County Principal Joel Beidleman first surfaced in Maryland’s largest school system, eventually leading to the departure of Superintendent Monifa McKnight and calls from parents for school officials to be more transparent.
In the months since, Montgomery County Public Schools has reviewed its policies and procedures and made changes as it works to regain the public’s trust.
This month, MCPS’s Board of Education elected Julie Yang to serve as its next president. Yang was elected to her four-year term on the board in November 2022.
In a sweeping interview with WTOP on Monday, Yang described her priorities as the board’s new leader, as well as the school board’s plans to emphasize transparency, safety and academic success.
Fallout from Beidleman investigation
Beidleman, the former principal of Farquhar Middle School in Olney, Maryland, faced accusations of sexual harassment and bullying that The Washington Post first reported in August 2023.
He was promoted to run Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, and the school district hired a firm to investigate the allegations. The findings highlighted concerns about the vetting and promotions processes within the school system.
The school division parted ways with McKnight in February after MCPS asked her to step away from her post. And in May, MCPS settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of a former teacher at Farquhar.
“We have run through some rough patches,” Yang said of the scandal. “There are a lot of learning moments, but at this moment, I want to look forward.”
As for takeaways from the ordeal, Yang said she recognized the importance of addressing issues as they arise, being proactive and constantly reviewing policy procedures to understand whether they’re comprehensive and being diligently implemented within the school system.
The board, Yang said, helped craft and implement a new promotion and investigation policy, which is now available for the public to view.
“We are cooperating with the Office of Inspector General,” Yang said.
Yang said the school board has professionalized its investigation units, recognizing some functions require “professionals in that area to join us in doing some of this work.”
The vetting process for administrative hiring decisions is now more thorough, Yang said, and the board has implemented community ranking so that community members sitting on a hiring panel can rank the applicants. There’s also a survey afterward for community members to provide feedback.
Yang urges the community to be involved in their process.
“The community, I think the best way is watch what happens,” Yang said. “Keep us accountable as we move forward.”
In an attempt to boost transparency, Yang said the school system is making enrollment, demographic and testing data available online, and is also making school board contracts available to the public.
At its last meeting, the board restructured one of its committees to become an advisory council, which Yang said will result in “less of a presentation format, but more of a roundtable discussion.”
The council will have a topic to work on every year.
“Our role is oversight and policy,” Yang said. “So transparency is a big part of it.”
Safety and security
This year, MCPS is requiring high school students to wear their IDs as part of its plan to address student safety. The school system, Yang said, has also increased staffing for security, and at the elementary school level, employs security coordinators to check on different schools.
The board has spent a lot of effort installing cameras at elementary, middle and high schools, Yang said, and at the start of the current academic year, Superintendent Thomas Taylor ensured every school had a safety plan, “which is very important to have regular practice in terms of emergency response.”
Asked about whether the board has considered the possibility of adding school resource officers on school campuses, Yang said the board hadn’t discussed that.
“That conversation, if it starts, needs to start with the school system,” Yang said.
Earlier this month, county leaders announced the rollout of a new tool to report hate and bias incidents. At the school level, Yang said the board is expecting to be briefed on hate and bias incident trends at an upcoming meeting.
Last year the school division saw a spike in “very public and very visible antisemitic incidents,” Yang said.
“I’m asking everyone’s help,” Yang said. “Our students have to feel empowered to report. Our administrators and teachers have to set the tone.”
Blueprint for Maryland’s Future
Facing a multibillion dollar budget deficit, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has publicly expressed concern about funding the implementation of all aspects of the state’s education plan, Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Yang called the education plan a “wonderful, visionary, right plan for our students.”
However, Yang said, “it does come with budget constraints, and I think the governor recognized that, and the school district also recognized that. In our legislative priority this year, we did have some priorities say, ‘Can we look at some of these issues?’ One of it is exam fees, for example.”
The school board is having ongoing conversations with the county council over how to create funding for the plan. In January, there’s a scheduled meeting dedicated to discussing the plan’s funding and requirements, Yang said.
“If there’s a place we can figure out how to move forward, I believe Montgomery County is the place,” Yang said.
Cellphone policies
The school division’s current cellphone policy doesn’t allow for the devices to be used during class time, unless it’s to meet a student’s instructional need, Yang said.
There are some schools piloting an away-for-the-day approach, and results are expected to be discussed at an upcoming board meeting, Yang said.
As for anecdotal feedback, Yang said, “Teachers love it, saying that it really makes the classroom management time easier.”
However, some parents have expressed concerns with strict phone policies, Yang said, because they want to be able to contact their student during the school day.
“Every situation is unique,” Yang said. “But I also want to assure everyone that our front office staff and staff members in our buildings, you can reach them if you really need to reach your children.”
Accomplishments and goals
Yang said most parents are largely concerned about school curriculum, and what the physical experience of the school building is, ranging from on-time buses to temperatures in rooms across school campuses.
Last year, the district adopted a new literacy curriculum based on the Science of Reading, an approach that emphasizes phonics. The results have been promising, Yang said.
Touting the county’s progress in financial literacy and internship opportunities, Yang said the school system is focused on student achievement.
She also encouraged community members to engage with the board, speak during public comment periods, and seek clarity on topics or decisions that might interest them.
“Our work is always ongoing, and trust building is always ongoing too,” Yang said. “I appreciate people giving honest feedback, and that’s where we give them straight up answers, being transparent, and that’s how we build trust.”
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