Ashlyn Campbell

Silver Spring

perpetually tired news nerd || they/she || education reporter @Moco360Media || former @DNRnews @TheBreezeJMU || reach me at [email protected]

Articles

MCPS program analysis could lead to more options for high school students

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will determine which existing programs should be available in all high schools as part of its ongoing analysis of the equity and accessibility of a wide range of programs across the district, according to a Thursday school board meeting.
MCPS takes over leadership for boundary study’s community engagement

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is shifting the leadership of its community engagement efforts for its upcoming boundary study from a subcontractor to district staff, according to a Thursday presentation to the county school board. The discussion of a shift in leadership came during the presentation, which detailed the school district’s community engagement plans as it embarks on producing a study that will impact almost all public high schools across the county.
Sandy Spring Friends School to close at end of school year

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Sandy Spring Friends School, a Quaker private school in Sandy Spring, will be closing at the end of the 2024-2025 school year due to not having the “financial wherewithal to meet its obligations,” according to a Monday letter from the Board of Trustees to the school community. “The board does not take this decision lightly,” the letter said.
Leggett: ‘We’re not turning back’ on Blueprint initiatives

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Former Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett, who currently chairs the board charged with implementing the state’s landmark 2021 education reform plan, has recognized over the years that initiatives to improve public education are all too often abandoned the minute they face headwinds. But Leggett is from Louisiana, so he’s no stranger to headwinds, tornadoes and even hurricanes.
19 states file brief in support of MCPS in Supreme Court opt-out case

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Less than two weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case concerning a decision by Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) to not allow families to opt out of curricula with LGBTQ+ storybooks, state leaders and organizations from across the country are filing amicus briefs on either side of the issue. On Wednesday, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) and 18 other Democratic state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of MCPS.
MCPS to change how grades are earned, calculated

1 week ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be revamping its grading regulations to “restore clarity and establish high expectations for students,” for the 2025-2026 school year, according to a Thursday presentation to the school board. “I just want to clap and just almost jump out of my chair,” board Vice President Grace Rivera-Oven said after the presentation. “This has been long overdue … . We’re not helping our kids.
Potomac Elementary School student found with list of people ‘they thought should be harmed,’ principal says

2 weeks ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

A Potomac Elementary School student was found Tuesday with a list of people “they thought should be harmed,” resulting in the involvement of Montgomery County police and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) security staff, according to a letter that Principal Nadia Kline-Taylor sent to the school community. “We understand that this news may be unsettling,” Kline-Taylor said in the Tuesday letter, which was first reported by local news station Fox 5.
Founder of Fitzgerald Auto Malls, Jack Fitzgerald, died Tuesday

2 weeks ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

Jack Fitzgerald, founder of Fitzgerald Auto Malls with more than 20 car dealership franchises across Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida, died Tuesday at age 89. Fitzgerald was known for his Fitzgerald Auto Malls commercials and “no haggle, no hassle” pricing model of offering buyers the best price up front. [WTOP] The Maryland Department of Transportation recently began “dynamic testing” of Purple Line vehicles for the light-rail line that will connect Bethesda to New Carrollton.
MoCo school board approves Kennedy High principal appointment

2 weeks ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

The Montgomery County school board unanimously approved the appointments of three new school principals on Thursday, filling the leadership roles at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Wyngate Elementary School in Bethesda and Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School in Damascus.
Report: Proposed MCPS budget could face $47 million cut without recommended property tax increase

2 weeks ago | bethesdamagazine.com | Ashlyn Campbell

If the Montgomery County Council does not approve County Executive Marc Elrich’s recommended 3.4% property tax rate increase for fiscal year 2026, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) could be facing a $47.2 million cut to its proposed $3.65 billion budget, according to a Tuesday council staff report.