Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY CO. – Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bernard Bragen, Jr.’s second goal for improving learning in the division was addressed during the March 4 school board meeting.
This goal focuses on disproportionality in student discipline across the four strands of the division and steps MCPS is taking to better serve students. Director of Student Support and Intervention Willie Howard presented a plan for the Montgomery County Division to improve student discipline outcomes.
“Our goal is to reduce disciplinary disparities for economically disadvantaged students, students of color, and students with disabilities through systemic and data driven interventions,” Howard said. “Tiered Intervention Specialists (TIS) serve as restorative practice coordinators, who can lead initiatives, mediate conflicts, and train staff.”
According to the www.mcps.org website, “the purpose of the Student Intervention Services office is to provide meaningful prevention and intervention services so that all children can learn and succeed. Our work is focused on providing support to our schools through a collaborative approach directed at one student at a time.”
A student discipline advisory committee is forming, according to Howard, and it will be created equitably in relation to the four strands of schools who are part of the Montgomery County Public Schools’ division. Collecting and analyzing data, collaborating in teams, creating Behavior Intervention Plans, providing workshops and resources for educational staff and parents, and providing ongoing training for learning teams are just some of the initiatives the Student Support team plans to implement and/or continue.
Bragen responded to Board Member Laura Purcell’s inquiry about the plan’s mention to address policies currently in place, and how the board can help. One policy that will be reviewed is Student Code of Conduct, which was put on pause while awaiting the finalizing of a hate speech policy.
Board Member Jamie Bond said that any changes with the Student Code of Conduct should be parallel with action to be sure there is an understanding of the code itself.
“When we have students cursing our teachers and staff, it is unacceptable, and we have got to get control,” Bond said. “I’m a true believer and that is my kind of new outlook, because I understand there’s difficulties in all lives, all walks past, but that is not acceptable, and we have got to stop it somehow.”
Board Member Dana Partin echoed Bond’s beliefs in holding students accountable for their actions.
“I’m old-fashioned on discipline, and some people like that and some people don’t, but I’m all about holding people accountable no matter who they are or what’s going on,” Partin said.
A clear method of communication concerning the policy for student behavior and being proactive with behavior management assessments and plans are areas that Howard would like to see improved.
“When children are actively engaged in their classroom and activities that they believe are meaningful to them and they’re benefiting from, they typically don’t misbehave,” Bragen, Jr. said. “So, when do children misbehave? When they don’t feel they’re part of the community. When they don’t feel their needs are being met. They don’t feel that what’s being done in the class is meaningful to them.”
More information about the Student Support initiatives and services offered can be found on the www.mcps.org website.
Additionally on the agenda, the Montgomery County School Board did not approve a draft of the 2025-2026 school calendar that added Mar. 30 and 31 as instructional days, in a three-to-four vote. Board members discussed the importance of having 182 instructional days while still considering any hardships parents would experience that would result from having to pay for daycare due to additional days out of school.
“I 100% wish we had more easy to access, affordable, wrap-around care,” Board Vice-Chair Laura Purcell said. “That’s a whole other problem, and that’s not you know, that doesn’t make our break, a spring break, that people really support.”
Board Member Penny Franklin said that adding back Mar. 22 and 23 as days off and the extra teacher workdays at the beginning of the semester in January are important to keep in the calendar. However, she felt that there is too much time off in the spring that parents will have to seek out daycare for their children.
