What's Up with MPS
news and commentary about Montgomery, Alabama Public School System
Join the amazing community at for a political education series on charter schools generally and, as always, when it comes to decisions about our schools. Register for this 5 part series at bit.ly/charters101
I know charter schools and conversions have come up a lot lately, and so I wanted to share this upcoming event with y'all in case anyone is interested in joining. You can register at bit.ly/charters101.
Who is SONG MGM?
The Montgomery chapter of Southerners on New Ground is a crew of Montgomery community members who are committed to justice for Q***r and trans Black, Indigenous, people of color, working class people and all people trying to get free. @ Montgomery, Alabama
Don’t miss the MPS Board Meeting TONIGHT! If you can’t get to the meeting, be sure to watch it on the Montgomery Public Schools YouTube Channel. Stay informed, hold board members accountable, and keep advocating for Montgomery’s students!
Eight months have passed since the Board voted to rename Lee, Lanier, and JD High Schools. What has been going on since then? Where are we in selecting new names? Sign this petition and share with your Montgomery community to call on the Montgomery County Board of Education to find new names that reflect the communities of these schools!
🔥Act now: Montgomery Public Schools: #DropTheNames Let’s get to 96 signatures by the end of today - can you add yours?
It makes more sense to have a master post with contact info for board members at this point. Please share this anytime you want your community to call for answers and action from MPS! @ Montgomery, Alabama
This letter is irresponsibly misleading. The FFCRA was extended through the ARP Act (enacted Mar 11!), and MPS could have continued the FFCRA and received the payroll tax credit through Sept 2021! It would have reset the 10 days leave for employees who had to use it previously. So they'd get 10 more days leave for use Apr 1 - Sept 30, plus an expansion of qualified reasons for taking it.
INSTEAD, MPS wants it to look like its hands are tied. They CHOSE not to extend the FFCRA so needed by our educators. How many more times can this district show teachers and staff that it values test scores more than its employees???
Call your board member and tell them this is unjust treatment of our teachers and school staff. The letter makes it clear that MPS will NOT be supporting teachers who are unsafe coming back right now. Make sure your teachers know about this and are contacting AEA to demand representation and advocacy on this issue!
📣ATTENTION families in MPS: check out this mutual aid effort to provide or receive meal support.
Too tired from being tech support for a virtual learning student to figure out dinner? Stressed about getting your own work done and figuring out groceries this week? Whatever your reason, the community is here to support you!
Have the time and resources to provide grocery support? Love cooking for others? Join the meal support team!
Mutual aid is community-driven and service-oriented work, grounded in the idea that we cannot rely on those in positions of power to solve our problems and meet our needs. It means helping where we can and asking for help when we need it in a supportive community made up of (sometimes new) friends and neighbors. Please follow for more info and to learn more about other projects.
A special meeting has been called for tonight, Tuesday evening January 26 at 5pm at Carver High. While they initially didn't plan on discussing COVID-19, it looks like it's been added to the agenda. They will also be discussing charter schools, which is going to be an important conversation for the future of MPS. However, no public comments will be allowed this evening.
Please come and make sure you hear what your elected board members are doing! In order to make change, not just during COVID-19 but for after the vaccines roll out too, we have to be present and informed!
📣UPDATE: Dr. Ann Roy Moore has announced that all Montgomery Public Schools will return to virtual learning, with students AND teachers at home, on Feb. 1. They will remain virtual indefinitely with a goal of returning to in-person when the vaccines have been distributed to school staff. Dr. Moore says this is estimated to be in February to early March. She also stated that additional information would be made available to staff and families to prepare for the transition.
While this is certainly a victory, there is still much work to do. Returning after just one dose is insufficient to have employees and students back in the buildings. This also fails to address the lack of transparency about COVID cases and district-wide issues with contact tracing and self-reporting.
We will continue to share updates as we get them and lift up opportunities to get involved.
MPS Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore is having a press conference at noon today. You can watch it streaming on the MPS YouTube channel or via WSFA-TV. https://www.wsfa.com/2021/01/25/mps-superintendent-discuss-virtual-learning-related-covid-/
MPS superintendent to discuss virtual learning related to COVID-19 Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore will hold a news conference Monday to discuss virtual learning plans.
Teachers across MPS are teaching virtually today to demonstrate means right now. We stand with these teachers.
We also stand with the faculty and staff at Dannelly Elementary who are protesting the lack of transparency in reporting 15 positive COVID cases and still operating face-to-face.
Sign the petition if you haven't yet. Share this post on your networks. It's time to
https://www.change.org/p/montgomery-public-schools-must-return-to-virtual
This petition is starting to circulate, calling for MPS to immediately and indefinitely close schools and return to virtual. If you agree, sign here. Together, we can slow this horrible virus. Montgomery teachers, families, and the broader community is at stake. https://www.change.org/p/dr-ann-moore-montgomery-public-schools-must-return-to-virtual
Sign the Petition Montgomery Public Schools Must Return to Virtual
We have heard reports of more teachers who have passed. Due to the recency of this news, we're refraining from saying who or where, but we wanted to acknowledge their passing and will make another post when it is appropriate to do so.
To all the MPS faculty, administrators, and support staff: We see you. We care about you. We stand with you. And our heart breaks for all the loss this community is enduring.
We honor the lives and service of these teachers, administrators, and school support staff. While COVID-19 continues to threaten the health and lives of our MPS educators and school staff, the cause of most of these deaths has not been confirmed. We share, not to speculate or spread fear, but to lift up the dedication of the men and women who served our Montgomery Public Schools and the Montgomery community. We ask that any comments respectfully do the same. @ Montgomery, Alabama
Our next post is dedicated to the incredible classroom and building leaders we have lost already this school year. Our community has suffered so much already, and it is made worse when our grief walks hand-in-hand with questions about why they were taken so soon. But we can only hope that, by lifting up these men and women, we can begin to find answers and peace as a community.
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Joshua Farrow - Johnnie Carr Middle School, Assistant Principal, 15 years at MPS
DeCarlos Perkins - Park Crossing High School, Coach
Ricardo Hogan - Park Crossing High School, Paraprofessional
Morris Pitts - Jefferson Davis High School, Custodian
Shai Hudson - Goodwyn Middle School, teacher
Kay Toole - Brewbaker Technology Magnet, guidance officer
Lushers Lane - Capitol Heights, P.E. coach, 8 years at MPS
Dr. Ennis McCorvey III - Lee HIgh School, Assistant Principal
Rodney Scott - Lee High School, Basketball Coach
Dwayne Berry - Lee High School, Football Coach @ Montgomery, Alabama
A compilation of visual evidence for why building conditions need to be a priority NOW. Especially now, during a pandemic caused by a virus that can have serious respiratory implications!
Ask your school staff about building conditions. Then contact the AL Dept of Public Health (334-293-6400) on Thursday (01/21/21) to report these issues and ask when you can expect them to be fixed.
It will take all of us to get the accountability and answers we need for a stronger MPS.
🚨📞📨 ATTENTION MPS FAMILIES!
It's time to let our leaders know that we expect SAFE and HEALTHY classrooms and buildings for our students and educators! Many of our school buildings and classrooms have mold, some of which are pictured here. Many teachers and principals have felt ignored or passed over when they report these issues, so it's up to our MPS families to demand more and hold MPS accountable.
Swipe to see how to help!
WHO DO WE CONTACT?
For air quality issues, including mold and asbestos: AL Dept of Public Health - 334.293.6400
dial 0 for operator, ask for environmental
note: they are helping with covid vaccines, so be prepared to leave a message.
For buildings with unreliable heat/ac: Superintendent Dr. Moore - [email protected]
For schools where the heat or AC have stopped working or is unreliable, Dr. Moore has invited families to let her know via email.
For COVID-19 related issues: Public Complaint Line - 1.800.270.7268
@ Montgomery, Alabama
🗣️ tune in TONIGHT for the MPS board meeting on the Montgomery Public Schools Youtube Channel. The agenda looks like it's going to be full of COVID-related discussion, so we are eager to see what comes up and what the MPS response will be.
You won't be able to get comments in during the meeting, and the board can't respond to any of the comments. But you can, AND SHOULD, call or email to follow-up and make sure your voice is heard!
If you live(d) in Montgomery, AL, you've probably asked, "What's up with MPS?!" It's no secret that our school district has had difficulty with transparency and communication. Sometimes it's served personal or political goals, and sometimes it's a fact of being woefully underfunded.
This account is dedicated to sharing information and commentary about what is currently going on at MPS. The goal is to give Montgomerians the facts they need alongside opportunities to support or take action to encourage positive growth in our school system.
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