MCPS conducted updated background checks, fingerprinted and rebadged staff at Whitman Monday, Nov. 17, as part of a countywide initiative to correct deficiencies found in the Inspector General’s report. MCPS started the process Sept. 8 in the Paint Branch Cluster and is expected to finish by mid-December.

Earlier this summer, the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General found that around 12,000 MCPS employees had outdated criminal background checks, and about 4,900 MCPS staff had not received their Child Protective Services (CPS) approval. 

In a statement, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said the Inspector General’s findings are concerning, and he hopes the issues will be resolved swiftly.

“As the largest school system in Maryland, MCPS has a profound responsibility to ensure the safety and security of over 160,000 students across 211 schools,” Elrich said. “Ensuring the safety of our students is paramount.”

Whitman Principal Gregory Miller said MCPS personnel were at Whitman to complete background and CPS checks and to distribute new staff ID badges. 

Whitman French teacher Michele Beach has been teaching at Whitman for over a decade and said background checks are vital for students safety.

“There are people who have done some bad things in the past,” Beach said. “It’s very important [MCPS] catches those people, because they could be interacting with students all the time.”

As part of completing staff background checks, all staff hired before 2019 are required to get fingerprinted for the FBI RapBack system. RapBack provides MCPS with notifications about changes to staff criminal information, allowing the district to monitor personnel. 

 MCPS is distributing new staff badges that display a “security certified” image to confirm the updates.

Junior Windsor Kiang said he’s glad MCPS is taking measures to ensure student safety across the county.

“It was disappointing to see the county neglect this for a while,” Kiang said. “However, it’s good to see that they’re now taking action to fix their mistakes and keep students safe.”