MCPS Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor held his final Community Engagement Listening Session at Whitman, Nov. 14, engaging parents, students and teachers in discussions about key challenges facing the school district.
Since his appointment in June, Taylor has visited nearly half of Montgomery County’s 211 schools and held five similar sessions at various MCPS high schools. The sessions are intended to address community needs and are part of his entry plan to strengthen relationships with stakeholders.
The discussions at Whitman focused on district operations and academics, and Taylor encouraged attendees to share feedback to guide his leadership. He emphasized the importance of unifying diverse interests across the county to improve all aspects of the school system.
“It’s about finding that continuity between different interests in our community and how we might strengthen Montgomery County as a whole and not just in one community or another community,” Taylor said.
During the session, 26 participants, including parents, teachers and students, raised concerns about issues ranging from overcrowding to special education challenges. Taylor also provided a QR code linked to a Google form for attendees who preferred to share their feedback digitally. The event included a live ASL interpreter and Spanish translation services, and it was recorded for later upload to YouTube.
Before the session began, staff distributed packets outlining Taylor’s entry plan. Taylor explained that the materials were designed to introduce his approach and vision for the county. Although the session was scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m., it was extended until 9 p.m. to accommodate the high volume of feedback and comments.
Taylor said events like these are important for fostering connections with communities across Montgomery County.
“Every school community has some differences,” Taylor said. “As we go into budget season and we start having to make decisions about how the school system is structured, I want to make sure that I’m sensitive to those differences.”
Attendees frequently raised concerns about overcrowding and large class sizes in MCPS, a recurring theme throughout the listening sessions. Taylor recognized the severity of the issue and said MCPS must gradually chip away at this problem over time due to its large expense. MCPS’s Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget, approved before Taylor’s tenure, includes measures to increase some class sizes and cut its virtual academy program.
Participants also raised concerns about MCPS’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) for special education students, citing staffing shortages and other personal problems with the program. Taylor said there is a need for substantial investments in special education to address the worsening issue. He stressed that improving special education is one of his top priorities.
Sheryl Freedman, lead teacher for the Leadership Academy for Social Justice (LASJ) program, joined three LASJ students in advocating for MCPS to allocate funding for transportation to the program in the FY 2026 Operating Budget.
LASJ debuted at Whitman during the 2020-2021 school year as a cross-curricular program designed to foster student activism and leadership. In the 2023-2024 school year, LASJ opened its program to students county-wide, bringing in roughly 30 students from various areas. Students accepted into the program attend a full day of classes at Whitman, including specialized LASJ courses. However, MCPS does not currently fund transportation for the program for students outside the Whitman cluster, leaving them responsible for arranging their own travel. The Board of Education declined to include transportation funding for LASJ for the 2024-2025 school year, but discussions for the FY 2026 Operating Budget are underway, allowing advocates to push for transportation support.
At the event, Freedman and the three students highlighted how the lack of county-provided transportation creates challenges for LASJ students. They explained that the burden of arranging travel jeopardizes students’ ability to remain in the program, citing financial issues, safety concerns with public transportation and a lack of time for homework and extracurricular activities.
In response, Taylor said that MCPS must ensure equal access to programs across the county. He said MCPS’ solutions are either to provide equitable access for students to participate in these programs or support programs closer to where they live.
PTSA president Claire Hearle praised Taylor for his receptive listening during the session.
“He recognized the importance of issues and it seems like he has a growth mindset,” Hearle said. “He wants to hear students and do the best for students in MCPS which is, as a parent, amazing to hear.”
