Takoma Park Middle School

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Due 9/30 – Screen Use Survey for Upcoming Listening Session

MCCPTA is currently planning for a listening session to be led by a Maryland delegate that would include legislators, Board members, candidates, and MCPS leaders. The focus of the listening session would be to: 1) hear parent concerns about screen use in school; and 2) make practical recommendations to MCPS to address excessive and harmful screen use.

Please complete a BRIEF survey to help us collect some basic data about Chromebook access at your school and your support for a list of recommendations. You can also share this survey with friends who may like to join!

Complete the SURVEY SUPPORTING SCREEN USE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MCPS

(SBS-MCPS, MCCPTA Tech Committee)

Deadline: September 30

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Blue Devil Digest for Week of September 7, 2026 (PTSA Weekly Newsletter)

boletín informativo en español / ጋዜጣ በአማርኛ

 

TOMORROW: First PTSA Meeting 

Join us for our first PTSA meeting of the year. 

Tuesday, September 8 at 7 pm over Zoom 

Zoom Link: https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/89138360552?pwd=FXHpVsrcZJY2BwLlv0iUe5Va61ahjF.1

Our agenda includes Information about the PTSA, TPMS & PTSA information and communications, what’s new this year, the 2026-27 PTSA budget and an open Q&A with Principal Martin.

All PTSA meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the same time over Zoom. Students in attendance will earn SSL hours. 

 

Become a Member, Donate and Learn More About the PTSA!

Last year we hit a goal of having 20% of TPMS families become PTSA members. This year, we’re hoping to meet and beat that goal. Become a member and make a commitment to your child’s school experience by building the school community and enriching their school life, while advocating for all students at TPMS.  To fund events, activities, enrichment opportunities, teacher appreciation, and more, we invite you to donate any amount that is comfortable to your family (please note that donation is not a barrier to becoming a member).   

Help Us Make TPMS an Even Better Place for Our Kids 💙

Middle school is a big transition, and the experiences our kids have at school matter. The TPMS PTSA works to make those experiences richer, more welcoming, and more connected for every student.

When you donate to the TPMS PTSA, your contribution goes directly toward programs and experiences that students, teachers, and families can see and feel throughout the school year.

Your donations help fund:

📚 Mini-grants for teachers and staff to bring new ideas and enrichment into the classroom
🦎 6th Grade Outdoor Ed, including the Reptile Man program
🎉 Student dances and community-building events
🌎 Heritage Month enrichment celebrating the diverse cultures and experiences of our community
🏀 Books & Basketball and other opportunities that bring students together
✨ We Shine Night and other school-wide events
🎤 Speakers and presenters who bring new perspectives and learning opportunities to TPMS
🍎 Teacher & staff appreciation, including meals and events to recognize the people who show up for our kids every day
📱 No Device Policy materials, helping the school safely store student devices
…and so much more.

Every dollar makes a difference. Whether you can give $10, $25, $50, or more, your donation helps the PTSA continue providing programs and resources that enrich the TPMS experience for our children. Donate to the TPMS PTSA

Have an idea for a program, or connections with a local business that might want to support TPMS? We’d love to hear from you: Share an Idea or Business Connection

 

Things to Do 

Looking for things to do?  Here are some events that are great for middle schoolers and your family.

9/13 – Play Day!  

9/18 – Buckets & Beats Youth Block Party in Silver Spring

 

MCPTA News & Asks

September 15: National Telecom & Info Admin (NTIA) listening session

Wanted at MCCPTA

 

MAÑANA: Primera reunión de la PTSA

Acompáñenos en nuestra primera reunión de la PTSA del año.

Martes 8 de septiembre a las 7 p. m. por Zoom

Enlace de Zoom: https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/89138360552?pwd=FXHpVsrcZJY2BwLlv0iUe5Va61ahjF.1

Nuestra agenda incluye información sobre la PTSA, detalles y comunicaciones de TPMS y la PTSA, las novedades de este año, el presupuesto de la PTSA para 2026-27 y una sesión abierta de preguntas y respuestas con el director Martin.

Todas las reuniones de la PTSA se llevan a cabo el segundo martes de cada mes, a la misma hora y por Zoom. Los estudiantes que asistan obtendrán horas de SSL.

 

¡Hágase miembro, done y conozca más sobre la PTSA!

El año pasado alcanzamos la meta de que el 20 % de las familias de TPMS se hicieran miembros de la PTSA. Este año, esperamos cumplir y superar esa meta. Hágase miembro y comprométase con la experiencia escolar de su hijo fortaleciendo la comunidad escolar y enriqueciendo su vida en la escuela, al tiempo que aboga por todos los estudiantes de TPMS. Para financiar eventos, actividades, oportunidades de enriquecimiento, iniciativas de reconocimiento al personal docente y más, le invitamos a donar la cantidad que le resulte cómoda a su familia (tenga en cuenta que la donación no es un requisito para hacerse miembro).

Ayúdenos a hacer de TPMS un lugar aún mejor para nuestros hijos

La escuela intermedia (middle school) representa una gran transición, y las experiencias que nuestros hijos viven en la escuela son importantes. La PTSA de TPMS trabaja para hacer que esas experiencias sean más enriquecedoras, acogedoras y conectadas para cada estudiante.

Cuando dona a la PTSA de TPMS, su contribución se destina directamente a programas y experiencias que los estudiantes, maestros y familias pueden ver y sentir a lo largo del año escolar.

Sus donaciones ayudan a financiar:

  • Pequeñas subvenciones para que maestros y personal implementen nuevas ideas y actividades de enriquecimiento en el aula
  • Programa de educación al aire libre para 6.º grado, incluido el programa “Reptile Man”
  • Bailes estudiantiles y eventos para fomentar la comunidad
  • Actividades de enriquecimiento durante el Mes de la Herencia Cultural para celebrar las diversas culturas y experiencias de nuestra comunidad
  • “Books & Basketball” (Libros y Baloncesto) y otras oportunidades que reúnen a los estudiantes
  • “We Shine Night” y otros eventos para toda la escuela
  • Conferencistas y presentadores que aportan nuevas perspectivas y oportunidades de aprendizaje a TPMS
  • Reconocimiento a maestros y personal, incluidas comidas y eventos para valorar a las personas que apoyan a nuestros hijos cada día
  • Materiales para la política de “Sin Dispositivos” (No Device Policy), ayudando a la escuela a guardar de forma segura los dispositivos de los estudiantes
  • …y mucho más.

Cada dólar marca la diferencia. Ya sea que pueda donar $10, $25, $50 o más, su donación ayuda a la PTSA a seguir ofreciendo programas y recursos que enriquecen la experiencia en TPMS para nuestros hijos. Done a la PTSA de TPMS

¿Tiene alguna idea para un programa o contactos con una empresa local que podría querer apoyar a TPMS? Nos encantaría saber de usted: Comparta una idea o un contacto empresarial.

 

Cosas que hacer

¿Buscas cosas que hacer? Aquí hay algunos eventos que son excelentes para los estudiantes de secundaria y su familia.

13/9 – ¡Día de juego!

18/9 – Fiesta juvenil de Buckets & Beats en Silver Spring

 

Noticias y solicitudes de la MCCPTA

15 de septiembre: Sesión de escucha de la Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones e Información (NTIA)

Oportunidades en la MCCPTA

 

ነገ፡ የመጀመሪያው የPTSA ስብሰባ

በዓመቱ የመጀመሪያ የPTSA ስብሰባ ላይ ይቀላቀሉን።

ማክሰኞ፣ ሴፕቴምበር 8 ከቀኑ 7 ሰዓት ላይ በZoom ላይ

የZoom ሊንክ፡ https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/89138360552?pwd=FXHpVsrcZJY2BwLlv0iUe5Va61ahjF.1

አጀንዳችን ስለ PTSA፣ TPMS እና PTSA መረጃ እና ግንኙነቶች፣ በዚህ አመት ምን አዲስ ነገር እንዳለ፣ የ2026-27 የPTSA በጀት እና ከርዕሰ መምህር ማርቲን ጋር ክፍት የጥያቄ እና መልስ መረጃ ያካትታል።

ሁሉም የPTSA ስብሰባዎች በወሩ ሁለተኛ ማክሰኞ በተመሳሳይ ጊዜ በZoom ላይ ይካሄዳሉ። በስብሰባው ላይ የሚገኙ ተማሪዎች የSSL ሰዓት ያገኛሉ።

 

አባል ይሁኑ፣ ይለግሱ እና ስለ PTSA የበለጠ ይወቁ!

ባለፈው ዓመት 20% የሚሆኑ የTPMS ቤተሰቦች የPTSA አባላት እንዲሆኑ ግብ ላይ ደርሰናል። በዚህ ዓመት፣ ያንን ግብ ለማሳካት እና ለማሸነፍ ተስፋ እናደርጋለን። አባል ይሁኑ እና የትምህርት ቤቱን ማህበረሰብ በመገንባት እና የትምህርት ቤት ህይወታቸውን በማበልጸግ ለልጅዎ የትምህርት ቤት ተሞክሮ ቁርጠኝነት ያድርጉ፣ በTPMS ውስጥ ላሉ ሁሉም ተማሪዎች ድጋፍ በመስጠት። ዝግጅቶችን፣ እንቅስቃሴዎችን፣ የማበልጸጊያ እድሎችን፣ የመምህራን አድናቆትን እና ሌሎችንም ለመደገፍ፣ ለቤተሰብዎ ምቹ የሆነ ማንኛውንም መጠን እንዲለግሱ እንጋብዝዎታለን (እባክዎን ልገሳ አባል ለመሆን እንቅፋት እንዳልሆነ ልብ ይበሉ)።

TPMS ለልጆቻችን የተሻለ ቦታ እንዲሆን ያግዙን።

መካከለኛ ደረጃ ትምህርት ቤት ትልቅ ሽግግር ነው፣ እና ልጆቻችን በትምህርት ቤት ያሏቸው ልምዶች አስፈላጊ ናቸው። TPMS PTSA እነዚያን ልምዶች ለእያንዳንዱ ተማሪ የበለጠ ሀብታም፣ የበለጠ እንግዳ ተቀባይ እና የበለጠ የተገናኘ ለማድረግ ይሰራል።

ለTPMS PTSA ሲለግሱ፣ አስተዋጽኦዎ በቀጥታ ተማሪዎች፣ አስተማሪዎች እና ቤተሰቦች በትምህርት ዓመቱ በሙሉ ማየት እና ሊሰማቸው ወደሚችሉ ፕሮግራሞች እና ልምዶች ይሄዳል።

የእርስዎ ልገሳዎች ገንዘብ ለማሰባሰብ ይረዳሉ፦

  • ለአስተማሪዎች እና ለሰራተኞች አዳዲስ ሀሳቦችን እና ማበልጸጊያዎችን ወደ ክፍል ለማምጣት አነስተኛ የገንዘብ ድጋፍ የ6ኛ ክፍል የውጪ ትምህርት፣
  • የተሳቢ ሰው ፕሮግራምን ጨምሮ
  • የተማሪዎች ጭፈራዎች እና የማህበረሰብ ግንባታ ዝግጅቶች
  • የማህበረሰባችንን የተለያዩ ባህሎች እና ልምዶች የሚያከብር የቅርስ ወር ማበልጸጊያ
  • መጽሐፍት እና የቅርጫት ኳስ እና ሌሎች ተማሪዎችን አንድ ላይ የሚያሰባስቡ እድሎች
  • እኛ ምሽት እና ሌሎች በትምህርት ቤት አቀፍ ዝግጅቶች
  • ለTPMS አዳዲስ አመለካከቶችን እና የመማሪያ እድሎችን የሚያመጡ ተናጋሪዎች እና አቅራቢዎች
  • በየቀኑ ለልጆቻችን የሚመጡ ሰዎችን ለመለየት የምግብ እና የዝግጅት ዝግጅቶችን ጨምሮ የመምህራን እና የሰራተኞች አድናቆት
    ምንም የመሳሪያ ፖሊሲ ቁሳቁሶች የሉም፣ ትምህርት ቤቱ የተማሪ መሳሪያዎችን ደህንነቱ በተጠበቀ ሁኔታ እንዲያከማች በመርዳት
  • … እና ሌሎችም።

እያንዳንዱ ዶላር ልዩነት ይፈጥራል። $10፣ $25፣ $50 ወይም ከዚያ በላይ መስጠት ይችሉ እንደሆነ፣ ልገሳዎ PTSA ለልጆቻችን የTPMS ልምድን የሚያበለጽጉ ፕሮግራሞችን እና ሀብቶችን ማቅረቡን እንዲቀጥል ይረዳል። ለTPMS PTSA ይለግሱ

ለፕሮግራም ሀሳብ አለዎት፣ ወይም TPMSን ሊደግፍ ከሚፈልግ የአካባቢ ንግድ ጋር ግንኙነቶች አለዎት? ከእርስዎ መስማት እንወዳለን፦ ሀሳብ ያጋሩ ወይም የንግድ ግንኙነት

 

የሚደረጉ ነገሮች

የሚደረጉ ነገሮችን ይፈልጋሉ? ለመለስተኛ ደረጃ ተማሪዎች እና ለቤተሰብዎ በጣም ጥሩ የሆኑ አንዳንድ ዝግጅቶች እነሆ።

9/13 – የጨዋታ ቀን!

9/18 – በሲልቨር ስፕሪንግ የወጣቶች ብሎክ ድግስ ባልዲዎች እና ብልጫ

 

የኤምሲፒታ ዜና እና ጥያቄዎች

ሴፕቴምበር 15፡ የብሔራዊ የቴሌኮም እና የኢንፎርሜሽን አድሚኒስትሬሽን (NTIA) የማዳመጥ ክፍለ ጊዜ

በMCCPTA ይፈለጋል

ለብሌየር ክላስተር ትምህርት ቤቶች ድምጽ — የክላስተር አስተባባሪ ይሁኑ።
ለክልል ፕሮግራም ኮሚቴ በጎ ፈቃደኞችን ይፈልጋሉ
የግንባታ ባለሙያዎችን ይፈልጋሉ፡ የመገልገያዎች አማካሪ ኮሚቴ ማመልከቻዎች ክፍት ናቸው

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MCCPTA: 9/15 – NTIA Listening Session on Screens in Schools

NTIA LISTENING SESSION ON SCREENS IN SCHOOLS (9/15, 7PM)
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) wants to hear from parents, students, and educators about how screens are used in education. On Thursday, Sept. 15 at 4 pm PST/7 PM est they are holding a public listening session, and everyone is encouraged to come. NTIA Senior Advisor Matthew Plaster recently spoke at a symposium on screen harms to children, and he described his vision of K-12 education in this one minute statement. (The symposium on screen harms, which was hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services, can be accessed here.)

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Things to do: 9/18 – Buckets & Beats Youth Block Party

From the Office of Councilmember Kate Stewart:

Our team wanted to share with the Takoma Park Middle School PTA information about our fourth Buckets & Beats event! This is the annual Silver Spring Youth Block Party, taking place Friday, September 18th from 2pm to 6pm at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring.

Buckets and Beats: The Silver Spring Block Party will include a variety of activities for youth, such as a 3 v 3 basketball tournament, skateboarding, and arts activities. There will also be a number of stakeholders tabling and sharing opportunities for youth. To tie it all together, we will have a live DJ, prizes, and free food to truly make this a block party.
Free Transportation!  We are also very excited to have a RideOn Bus available to students who want to get to and from the event! The RideOn Bus will be stationed at Eastern Middle School (300 University Blvd E, Silver Spring, MD 20901) at 12:30pm, with a departure around 12:45-1pm. The return trip back to Eastern is set to depart around 5:30pm.

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Blue Devil Digest for Week of August 31, 2026 (PTSA Weekly Newsletter)

boletín informativo en español / ጋዜጣ በአማርኛ

 

Above: Mrs. Martin shows her PTSA support at last week’s Back to School night.

PTSA: Join Us! 

We are a community supporting parents, teachers, and students. Please join today as part of our 2026 membership campaign! It’s free to join. If you choose, you can also donate any amount that is comfortable to your family. Click the link to join today and scroll down to the membership form.

 

Our First PTSA Meeting 

Tuesday, September 8 at 7 pm over Zoom is our first PTSA meeting of the year. Agenda and zoom link will be sent out prior to the meeting.

All PTSA meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the same time over zoom. Mark your calendars!

 

MCCPTA News & Requests

MCCPTA is the district-wide PTA that TPMS’ PTA roles up into.  This is the space for the primary forms of advocacy work that can be done at a district level. Including conversations around curriculum, policy, etc. Pay attention to this space to learn more about what is happening in the district that affects you. 

Wanted: A Voice for Blair Cluster Schools — Become a Cluster Coordinator.  

Learn more on our website.

MCCPTA: Seeking Volunteers for Regional Program Committee 

Learn more on our website. https://www.tpmspta.org/mccpta-seeking-volunteers-for-regional-program-committee/ 

MCCPTA: SEEKING BUILDING EXPERTS: Facilities Advisory Committee Applications Open 

Learn more on our website. https://www.tpmspta.org/mccpta-seeking-building-experts-facilities-advisory-committee-applications-open/ 

 

PTSA: ¡Únase a nosotros!

Somos una comunidad que apoya a padres, maestros y estudiantes. ¡Únase hoy mismo a nuestra campaña de afiliación para el año 2026! La inscripción es gratuita. Si lo desea, también puede donar la cantidad que mejor se adapte a las posibilidades de su familia. Haga clic en el enlace para unirse hoy y desplácese hacia abajo hasta el formulario de afiliación.

 

Nuestra primera reunión de la PTSA

Nuestra primera reunión de la PTSA del año se llevará a cabo el martes 8 de septiembre a las 7:00 p. m. a través de Zoom. El orden del día y el enlace de Zoom se enviarán antes de la reunión.

Todas las reuniones de la PTSA se celebran el segundo martes de cada mes, a la misma hora y por Zoom. ¡Marquen sus calendarios!

 

Noticias y solicitudes de la MCCPTA

La MCCPTA es la asociación de padres y maestros (PTA) a nivel de distrito a la que está afiliada la PTA de TPMS. Este es el espacio dedicado a las principales iniciativas de defensa y representación que se llevan a cabo a nivel de distrito, incluyendo conversaciones sobre el plan de estudios, las políticas escolares, etc. Manténgase al tanto de este espacio para informarse sobre los acontecimientos del distrito que le afectan.

Se busca: Una voz para las escuelas del grupo (cluster) Blair — Conviértase en coordinador del grupo.

Obtenga más información en nuestro sitio web.

MCCPTA: Se buscan voluntarios para el Comité de Programas Regionales.

Obtenga más información en nuestro sitio web. https://www.tpmspta.org/mccpta-seeking-volunteers-for-regional-program-committee/

MCCPTA: SE BUSCAN EXPERTOS EN INFRAESTRUCTURA: Abierta la convocatoria para el Comité Asesor de Instalaciones.

Obtenga más información en nuestro sitio web. https://www.tpmspta.org/mccpta-seeking-building-experts-facilities-advisory-committee-applications-open/

 

PTSA: ይቀላቀሉን!

ወላጆችን፣ መምህራንን እና ተማሪዎችን የምንደግፍ ማህበረሰብ ነን። እባክዎን ዛሬውኑ በ2026 የአባልነት ዘመቻችን አካል ሆነው ይቀላቀሉን! ለመቀላቀል ነፃ ነው። ከፈለጉ ለቤተሰብዎ ምቹ የሆነ ማንኛውንም መጠን መለገስ ይችላሉ። ዛሬውኑ ለመቀላቀል አገናኙን ጠቅ ያድርጉ እና ወደ የአባልነት ቅጹ ይሸብልሉ።

 

የመጀመሪያው የPTSA ስብሰባችን

ማክሰኞ፣ ሴፕቴምበር 8 ከቀኑ 7 ሰዓት ላይ በZoom የዓመቱ የመጀመሪያው የPTSA ስብሰባችን ነው። አጀንዳ እና የZoom ሊንክ ከስብሰባው በፊት ይላካሉ።

ሁሉም የPTSA ስብሰባዎች የሚካሄዱት በወሩ ሁለተኛ ማክሰኞ በተመሳሳይ ጊዜ በZoom ነው። የቀን መቁጠሪያዎችዎን ምልክት ያድርጉባቸው!

 

የMCCPTA ዜና እና ጥያቄዎች

MCCPTA የTPMS PTA ሚና የሚጫወተው በዲስትሪክት አቀፍ PTA ነው። ይህ በዲስትሪክት ደረጃ ሊከናወኑ የሚችሉ ዋና ዋና የጥብቅና ሥራ ዓይነቶች ቦታ ነው። በሥርዓተ ትምህርት፣ በፖሊሲ፣ ወዘተ ዙሪያ ውይይቶችን ያካትታል። በዲስትሪክቱ ውስጥ ስለሚከሰቱት ነገሮች የበለጠ ለማወቅ ለዚህ ቦታ ትኩረት ይስጡ።

ተፈልጓል፡ የብሌየር ክላስተር ትምህርት ቤቶች ድምጽ – የክላስተር አስተባባሪ ይሁኑ።

በድህረ ገጻችን ላይ የበለጠ ይወቁ።

MCCPTA፡ ለክልላዊ ፕሮግራም ኮሚቴ በጎ ፈቃደኞችን መፈለግ

በድህረ ገጻችን ላይ የበለጠ ይወቁ። https://www.tpmspta.org/mccpta-seeking-volunteers-for-regional-program-committee/

MCCPTA፡ የግንባታ ባለሙያዎችን መፈለግ፡ የመገልገያዎች አማካሪ ኮሚቴ ማመልከቻዎች ክፍት ናቸው

በድህረ ገጻችን ላይ የበለጠ ይወቁ። https://www.tpmspta.org/mccpta-seeking-building-experts-facilities-advisory-committee-applications-open/

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MCCPTA: SEEKING BUILDING EXPERTS: Facilities Advisory Committee Applications Open

Dear PTA colleagues,

MCPS’s capital budget is on a 6-year cycle, reviewed in full every two years. This means, for example, that if the County Council approves a $1.8 billion budget, only $300,000,000 is available in a given year for construction projects, system replacements, building improvements, and the like. Watch for training on the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) later this fall.

Today, let’s focus on the 6-year part of the CIP. While that can feel like a long time if the project at your school is scheduled for the later years, with a portfolio the size of MCPS’s (224 buildings), it’s important to also take a longer view and consider what needs shold be expected in 10-15 years and even further into the future. Regulation FAA-RA, which guides the processes for Educational Facilities Planning, includes a provision for a Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) to make suggestions about that long-term planning (see section IX.D. on p. 13 at the link).

This FAC has been dormant for many years, but the upcoming MCPS real estate portfolio review and advocacy by some of our highly-engaged MCCPTA CIP leaders of past years has motivated MCPS to re-constitute the committee. They want to tap into the wealth of experience and knowledge that members of the Montgomery County community have regarding long-term facility planning issues and strategies. Indeed, the FAC has the potential to be an effective group and perhaps a source of long-range expertise and advice for MCPS.

For the first two years of the FAC’s re-existence (i.e., during the real estate portfolio review and elementary boundary study), the committee may meet as often as monthly. In the future, the commitment will likely be for a quarterly meeting. The initial term of service is for the 2026-27 school year.

Please share this opportunity with your networks, especially folks who work in any aspect of real estate, construction, environmental, or transportation/logistics careers. The blurb distributed by MCPS is below my signature. The direct link to the application is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSF3-tHBGn4c0rkx0tUZVihyqlcvh1-q17Yv48h56LZtuj5A/viewform . Submissions close on Friday, September 4.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me and/or to Joseph Finneran, MCCPTA’s Data Subcommittee chair, cipdata@mccpta.org or joseph@podiumarts.com .

Thanks,

Amy A-H

Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, PhD

Interim CIP Chair

(as well as hopefully soon-outgoing MCCPTA Central Area Vice-President)

301-275-4019

cip@mccpta.org

Help Shape the Future of MCPS School Facilities

MCPS is seeking community members to serve on the Facility Advisory Committee for the 2026-2027 school year. Committee members will share their knowledge, experience and perspectives to help inform long-term planning for MCPS school facilities. Members of this committee will advise MCPS on a variety of topics related to the community’s vision for school facilities and planning that are outside the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) time frame, but that may require attention in the 10-15 year time frame or beyond.

If you’re interested in helping shape the future of MCPS facilities, complete the application by Friday, Sept. 4.

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MCCPTA: Seeking Volunteers for Regional Program Committee

Dear PTA Members,

At the last Board of Directors meeting, MCCPTA approved forming a special committee on Regional Programs.

We are seeking volunteers from each of the six regions to participate in this committee. Cluster coordinators, PTSA board members, and community members are welcome to participate.

This committee will meet twice per month: one monthly meeting with MCPS staff to discuss regional program implementation plans, and one meeting of committee staff to debrief and develop materials about the regional programs to share with local PTAs and other MCCPTA committees.

The goals of the committee are:

  • Two-way communication with MCPS about planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs under the new regional model
  • Collecting and disseminating information for MCCPTA and local PTAs so they can provide support for programs in their schools
  • Gathering feedback about programs from local PTAs to share with MCPS, and to inform the work of curriculum, CIP, technology, and other MCCPTA committees
  • Advocate for accountability and data transparency to ensure programs across regions are comparable in enrichment opportunities, course offerings, curriculum used, and instructional quality.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Committee on Regional Programs, email Rebekah Kuschmider at einstein2@mccpta.org.

Rebekah Kuschmider,
Einstein Cluster Coordinator
Delegate, AEHS

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Wanted: A Voice for Blair Cluster Schools — Become a Cluster Coordinator

We no longer have anyone serving as MCCPTA Cluster Coordinator for the Blair area schools. We need 1–2 people to step into this role.

Each cluster can have up to three Cluster Coordinators. Right now, Blair has only one — Adam Lee — who is covering the role on a temporary, as-needed basis.

Why This Matters Right Now

This isn’t a moment to leave the role empty. Two big issues are heading our way that our cluster needs someone paying close attention to:

  • Capital Improvement needs — it will soon be time to advocate for funding and projects that affect our schools.
  • The MCPS ES Boundary Study — a process that could directly affect where our children go to school. Our cluster needs someone tracking this closely and speaking up on our behalf.

Without dedicated Cluster Coordinators, our schools risk being left out of these conversations at exactly the moments when input matters most.

What Does a Cluster Coordinator Do?

Please see the information About the Role for full details on the role.

Who We’re Looking For

Ideally, this is someone who:

  • Is willing to reach out across all the schools in the Blair cluster to gather input and feedback
  • Does not currently hold a Board position at any of the schools, to keep the role independent
  • Cares about staying informed and being a consistent, engaged voice for our schools

How to Get Involved

If you or someone you know might be a good fit, please reach out to Narissa Johnson as soon as possible — the sooner we fill this role, the better positioned our cluster will be as these issues move forward.

— Narissa Johnson, AVP, DCC <narissa.johnson@gmail.com>

About the Role:  Cluster Coordinator Job Description and guidance
In the world of PTA, Cluster Coordinator is a position unique to MCCPTA. It is simply defined in our
bylaws as:

Section 3. Cluster coordinators a. A cluster shall consist of a high school plus its feeder schools. Each cluster shall have a cluster coordinator(s), the total number not to exceed three (3). The cluster
coordinator(s) shall serve for a term of one (1) year, and not more than four (4) consecutive terms, until the election of their successors. An individual shall not serve as cluster coordinator for more than one
cluster at the same time. b. Cluster coordinators shall conduct meetings of the cluster PTA leaders; shall serve as a link between the area vice presidents and the local PTAs; shall represent the cluster at meetings
of the Board of Directors, at meetings with the area vice president responsible for the cluster, at meetings with MCPS, and at other meetings; coordinate testimony of the cluster before the Board of Education and the County Council; shall assist the area vice presidents in the administration of PTA business; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned.

What is critical to note is that the Cluster Coordinators actually have 2 distinct roles. Their primary role, like all of us in MCCPTA is advocacy for every child, and in the case of the Cluster Coordinator that would be every child within their cluster. The secondary role is to represent the MCCPTA as the focal point for maintaining strong compliant local units and where necessary assisting in the creation or
recreation of local units.

Within our organizational structure, the Cluster Coordinators work with and are guided by the Area Vice President. Area Vice Presidents (AVP) are defined in our bylaws as:

Section 2. Area vice presidents a. An area shall consist of specific groups of clusters designated by the Board of Directors and approved by a delegate assembly. Each area shall have an area vice president. The area vice president shall serve for a term of one (1) year, and not more than four (4) consecutive terms, until the election of their successor. b. Area vice presidents shall help to extend PTA work in all local PTAs in the specific clusters which they represent; shall assist in the training of PTA leaders in their areas; shall assist in the organization of new PTAs in their areas; shall coordinate the work of cluster coordinators; shall meet with MCPS to coordinate between and among cluster schools; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Basically, the CC is responsible for all of the schools in the cluster and the PTA organizations. They are the interface between the local unit and the MCCPTA as well as the interface with MCPS, the Board of Education and the County Council. All areas where they would represent the needs of their Cluster or any unit in their Cluster. As such, they are the spokesperson and/or the lobbyist for the cluster. It is important to note the split in their duties and their place in the hierarchy. In all cases, the Cluster Coordinators work with their Area Vice Presidents, who in turn work at the direction of the President of MCCPTA.

However, depending on which duty they are carrying out at the time, the CC and the AVP will find it necessary to coordinate with other members of the Executive Committee or committees under them. In the advocacy portion, working with the VP for advocacy and the committees thereunder such as the Capital Improvement or the Operating Budget committees. At other times they will need to coordinate with the VP for Administration when questions of the Standards of Affiliation come up, along with the Treasurer when a local unit needs guidance regarding reporting, records and accounting. It will be the duty of the Cluster Coordinators when they learn of an issue to take that issue to the appropriate responsible party for resolution, be that MCCPTA officers or MCPS staff. And it shall be their duty to follow up and protect the interests of the local unit and the PTA organizations

In every case, in all cases, the Cluster Coordinator is expected to adhere to the bylaws of MCCPTA,
operate and represent the individual cluster units in a manner consistent with the guidance of the Board of
Directors and the Advocacy Priorities as set in place by the Delegates Assembly.