Fire Chief Announces Changes, Goals for Coming Year
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services begins this current fiscal year with a 6% increase in funding. It plans to use that money wisely, said Fire Chief Corey Smedley Tuesday.… Read More
staffing
‘Dire Straits’: Police, Councilmembers Seek Ways to Deal With 13% Officer Vacancy Rate
There is a 13% vacancy rate for sworn Montgomery County Police officers, and it could worsen during 2025 when 30 officers are eligible to retire when the department’s enhanced retirement… Read More
Kaiser Permanente Union Members Stage Short-Term Strike
Some employees of the health care provider Kaiser Permanente walked off the job in protest of what they called bad faith bargaining and staffing problems. In Maryland, all facilities are… Read More
As Department Vacancies Grow, Police Chief Rearranges Officer Staffing
Beginning Nov. 1, Rockville and Gaithersburg cities’ police departments will take over full and primary response duties for police calls in their area. The Montgomery County Police Department will assist… Read More
MCPS Teacher Staffing Reported at 99% as First Day Nears
Just ahead of back to school day on Monday, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) administration reported that the district’s teaching positions are 99.03% full. In a district with 211 schools… Read More
Need for Substitutes, Bus Drivers Declines as MCPS Sees Drop in COVID-19 Cases
On Jan. 5 as Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) students returned to their classes, families reported 2,833 new positive cases of COVID-19. That number has been decreasing. Only 45 new… Read More
Thousands ‘Attend’ Sunday’s Virtual Town Hall on Schools
Three thousand people attended Councilmember Tom Hucker’s virtual town hall on the state of Montgomery County Public Schools Sunday afternoon and hundreds more watched on Facebook. Thirty-six students, parents, and… Read More
Education Association President: Teacher Morale ‘Is Continuing to Take a Dive’
Montgomery County Education Association President Jennifer Martin stressed, “We want to be teaching in person. We know that is what is best for students,” adding, “But we also know we… Read More
Metro Adjusts Schedules, Routes, and Policies to Account for Covid, Absenteeism, and Snow
Metro announced service reductions effective Jan. 10 as the Washington-area public transportation authority copes with the surge in COVID-19 cases. Metro is dealing with “growing absenteeism rates across service areas… Read More
Not All MCPS Routes Operating Wednesday Due to Lack of Drivers
Almost 100 Montgomery County Public Schools bus routes did not pick up students Wednesday morning, because so many bus drivers called out today, according to MCPS officials. Ninety of the… Read More
Councilmembers Discuss Possible Vaccine Mandate for All County Employees
The Montgomery County Council currently is deciding whether to mandate all employees be vaccinated or terminated. They also will decide whether to include religious and medical accommodations. “This is all… Read More
Teachers Union Asks for Support for Educators, Says MCPS Employees are Demoralized
The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) says teachers are exhausted and overworked due to staffing shortages in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The teachers’ union wants MCPS to better support… Read More