PGCPS Principal on leave for saying non-citizens would be barred from White House field trip

The North Portico of the White House (Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post)

By Arelis R. Hernández

A Prince George’s County elementary school principal has been placed on administrative leave, a school system spokeswoman said Friday, after distributing an unauthorized permission slip that said fourth-grade students who are not citizens would not be allowed to go on a planned field trip to the White House.

The school system said Ashanti Foster will not be returning for the rest of the school year to Thomas Stone Elementary School in Mount Rainier, Md., where a majority of students are Hispanic and the children of immigrants.

Prince George’s schools have long arranged White House visits through a National Park Service program, said schools spokeswoman Raven Hill. While the May 28 trip had been approved, the document sent to parents last month by the school was not. The White House tour was canceled as a result of the errant permission slip, and an alternative trip visiting other national monuments and memorial parks in Washington will take place.

“The issue here was whether school staff took appropriate steps to ensure that all students could participate in a meaningful way,” said schools superintendent Monica Goldson in a statement on Friday. “That did not happen.”

The schools chief said she is making “personnel changes” to improve the school’s climate, placing the principal on administrative leave and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the field trip. She named assistant principal Patricia Crosson as acting principal.

Foster did not respond to a request for comment. But in a letter to parents Wednesday, the principal said the “permission form did not reflect our values as a learning community, and for that, I apologize.”

The controversy — first reported by the Route 1 Reporter news site — erupted publicly when Rocio Treminio-Lopez, mayor of nearby Brentwood, Md., posted a copy of the permission slip on social media asking for help explaining its meaning.

The document — written in English and Spanish — sought information including students’ full names, birth dates, country of birth and citizenship status. Students who were not citizens were supposed to provide a passport number.

“If a scholar is not classified as a U.S. Citizen, they will not be able to attend the field trip,” the permission slip said in bold letters at the bottom.

The questions on the form appear to match what congressional staffers ask when arranging free White House tours for constituents, according to an image of that internal application provided to The Washington Post.

A U.S. Secret Service spokesman confirmed that the questions on the permission slip are required of all children seeking a “boarding pass” to the White House. Children who are not citizens must bring a valid passport with them once cleared.

School officials said the problem was not with the identification requirements, per se, but the wording at the bottom of the permission slip Stone sent out.

Prince George’s school officials would not have approved any form or activity that “excluded students based on citizenship, race/ethnicity, sexuality, religion or ability,” the statement said.

Prince George’s County Council member Deni Taveras (D-District 2), whose district includes Stone Elementary, said the planning for the trip was insensitive and could easily have appeared threatening to families in the United States illegally.

Constituents had complained to her office in the past about the school, she said, including a lack of sufficient bilingual staff and a requirement that parents show a government-issued ID to accompany children to class on the first day of the academic year.

Foster later apologized for the ID requirement.

With the field trip permission slip wording, Taveras said, “instead of stopping and thinking, ‘This isn’t a good idea,’ they went forward and created more division.”

Via Washington Post

PGCPS Principal Dr. Ashanti Foster on leave for saying non-citizens would be barred from White House field trip

Brentwood Mayor Rocio Terminio-Lopez drew attention to the errant permission slip on social media. (Hamil R. Harris/The Washington Post)

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Drama! Jones elected speaker of Md. House of Delegates as Delegate Davis surrenders

House Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) signs a guest book at the ceremony honoring the late Speaker Michael E. Busch in April. She is poised to become speaker on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines

In an extremely impressive development, leaders of the House Democratic Caucus emerged from their tense four-hour meeting Wednesday afternoon to announce that Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) is their unanimous choice to replace the late House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), who died on April 7.

Jones was elected and sworn in as speaker on Wednesday after the two remaining candidates couldn’t piece together the requisite number of votes. She becomes Maryland’s first African-American speaker and first woman speaker after major corruption expose involving Delegate Davis was reported earlier on in this blog.

Jones told her House colleagues, “Wow; I didn’t think I would be here at this time when I left my house this morning!”

Del. Maggie McIntosh, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Del. Dereck Davis, chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, were also candidates for the job.

But the race was shaping up to be an ugly, bruising affair, with allegations by some delegates of bullying and name-calling. After four and a half hours of caucusing, neither could assemble the necessary 71 votes.

“We were going back and forth,” Jones said after the vote, with Davis and McIntosh standing on either side of her. She said both former candidates agreed with her selection as an alternative.

“If not, we would have still been in the caucus room, probably (until) eight, nine, ten o’clock tonight,” she said.

Later on social media post, Delegate walker released a rumbling and appeared to be upset after Delegate Davis lost the position due to high corruption in the county. After congratulating the new speaker, He stated in part the following, …… “Today was bitter sweet. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t dissappointed. First I can not believe that members of the Prince George’s Delegation( you know who you are) did not support one of our own in Chairmen Dereck E. Davis to be the Speaker of the House. He would have been the first Black Speaker also. I’m feeling like an old Ice Cube lyric ” sometimes I believe the hype man, we mess it up our selves and blame the white man”. Second to the Members of the Black Caucus of Maryland who wouldnt support one of our own…Shame on you!!! Lastly to members of my own Democratic Party to allow Delegates to speak about one of our own in the matter in which we did today was uncalled for. When will leaders from Prince George’s County be acceptable to Montgomery County? You passed on Anthony Brown. You passed on Rushern Baker and now when you couldnt get your way… you passed on Chairmen Davis. I remember former Senator Broadwater tell me years ago Prince George’s County shouldn’t want fo anything in the State of Maryland because we are the biggest voting democratic block in the state, second largest jurisdiction, second largest delegation(by one vote) and yet we have NO elected statewide leaders. I keep thinking about what my Dad told me as a young professional. It sounded like conspiracy theory at the time but today I saw it again firsthand “By the time you learn the rules, they change the rules” and not to help you out but to help them out!! I hope that the folks that I am talking about have the guts to tell their voting base the truth…”

Maryland Matters reported that in an early afternoon vote, the Democratic caucus cast 58 votes for McIntosh and 40 votes for Davis.

But Davis had the pledged votes of 42 Republicans, and Democratic leaders became nervous about giving the final say on House speaker to the GOP, Maryland Matters reported; thus, Jones, who had bowed out Friday and endorsed Davis, quickly emerged as the compromise candidate.

Lawmakers were a bit stunned by the turn of events.

“It’s the most incredible experience I’ve had in 28 years,” said Del. Kumar Barve, a Montgomery County Democrat. “We came to a genuine consensus, and we’re 100 percent solidly behind Adrienne, and I think that is a great outcome.”

The Democrats emerged from a House hearing room to announce they had decided to throw their weight — and their 98 votes — behind Jones, Maryland Matters reported.

At Jones’ swearing-in, Davis who had been exposed for running the Prince George’s County corruption was heard joking, “’House of Cards’ don’t have anything on us — talk about high drama!” He added, “You were willing to step aside for me, and I am honored to step aside for you now.”

In a reference to the portraits of past speakers in the State House and the fact that they had all been white men, McIntosh said, “These walls will never be the same! We’ve got some new portraits coming, and they’re great!”

We thank the Maryland Delegates for listening to our call on corruption earlier on today as reported in this blog. We thank them too for refusing to participate and nominate  Delegate Davis due to high level corruption currently in progress in Prince George’s County.

House Appropriations Chair Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City)

House Economic Matters Chair Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s)

Delegate Jay Walker issued a rumbling post on social media

 

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Contentious race for House speaker to culminate in special session as Corruption worry many.

From left, Maryland Democratic Delegates Maggie McIntosh (Baltimore City), Adrienne Jones (Baltimore County) and Dereck E. Davis (Prince George’s County).

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The race for speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates has come down to two candidates — and every vote counts. (See letter to the Delegates below)

Ballots will be cast during a special session Wednesday in an intense contest full of suspense that has everything from party infighting to threats of political retaliation from outside groups.

The historic campaign to become the next house speaker is turning ugly, bitter and divisive. The Democratic Party and the Legislative Black Caucus are split over who to endorse.

“It makes no sense that we should be divided in the Democratic caucus,” Baltimore City Delegate Cheryl Glenn said.

Baltimore City Delegate Maggie McIntosh, a white woman who is openly lesbian, and Prince George’s County Delegate Dereck Davis, an African-American man, are competing to succeed Michael Busch, who died earlier this month. Either pick will be historic because the speaker’s position has always been held by a white man.

Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne Jones dropped out of the running due to lack of support. She’s supporting Davis in a questionable move.

“Unity over politics, and that’s how I go,” Jones said according to Baltimore TV 11.

The campaign is turning ugly with Baltimore City Delegate Regina Boyce accusing Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Darryl Barnes of referring to the race and sexual orientation of McIntosh in order to push to elect the first African-American speaker. Barnes denies the allegation. Boyce bolted from Tuesday’s bill-signing ceremony before anyone could ask her about it.

McIntosh held a conference call Tuesday to discuss her vision, outlining classroom funding and school construction as her top priorities.

“Education will be a top priority in my speakership. I will be the education speaker,” McIntosh said.

Glenn, a good friend of McIntosh, is backing Davis.

“I respect the way that he bridges differences not only with other Democrats, but also with the Republicans,” Glenn said. However, in Prince George’s County which is the epicenter of all the corruption in Maryland sees Mr. Davis in another light as the facilitator of questionable activities.

The 42 Republicans in the House want a seat at the table.

“We want the next speaker of Maryland not to be the speaker of the Democratic caucus, but the speaker for all of us, all of Maryland,” House Minority Leader Nicholas Kipke said.

Democrats and Republicans will meet separately at 10 a.m. Wednesday to discuss who to support. Many expect a floor fight when the voting process begins at noon.

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OPEN LETTER TO MARYLAND DELEGATES

Dear Honorable Members of the Maryland House of Delegates,

There are three Motions and a brief currently pending in various courts including the U.S Supreme court due to illegal schemes facilitated by Honorable Delegate Dereck Davis and others tied to him. A letter was also mailed to the Thatcher Law Firm (contractor for the Board of Education for Prince George’s County) and copied to each Board of Education member for Prince George’s County concerning serious shenanigans which have been going on in Maryland for many years now. We wanted to make sure each one of you received the information and reflected on it before making a decision for a new speaker.

We have also attached the ruling of Administrative Law Judge Brian Zlotnick in this post which led to the Thatcher Law Firm engaging in widespread violations of law in Maryland and elsewhere at the beckoning of the corrupt union executives. The problems are ongoing after Thatcher law firm was awarded more than $5 million “No bid” contract of the public funds. Thatcher Law Firm is working closely with O’Neal Law Firm which initiated an illegal suit in Washington DC Superior Court.  Association of Supervisory & Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) Union which has been behind the scenes advancing some of the shenanigans including facilitating illegal behavior within Maryland such as abusing the court process for selfish individuals engaged in a criminal behavior.  All these illegal activities are tied to well-connected individuals in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and in Baltimore City who benefit unjustly using public funds. The legalized lynching of Josephat Mua through the court system must be stopped and be compensated as directed by the Judge Brian Zlotnick in 2012.

The fact is that Maryland House of Delegates, Maryland Senate and the Board of Education for Prince George’s County Board members either supports this system of legal lynching, or is so cynical as to remain silent in order to court the racist and discriminatory vote. Many of us don’t know which is worse.

Blacks in the 1950s and ’60s led a mass movement to overcome a brutally hostile Democratic Party machine and turned the political tide against an entrenched system of legalized racism. We are calling on each one of you to do the same and elect a leader with good moral values as the next speaker but certainly not Delegate Dereck Davis. If he has been able to pull off these illegal activities like this in Prince George’s County imagine what he will do once he becomes the speaker.

Corruption takes birth in a society when its citizens fail to believe that the nation is a common property of all its citizens and the generation yet to come. Every situation, where you leave truth, you are giving birth to corruption, no matter how simple or how complicated is the matter.

Hypocrisy is the mother of all evil and some of these legislators have political personal ambition over that of community in the betterment thereof the County with years of minimal return with the liberal machine along with the oppressive democratic machines. There is no moral compass and the messy truth is no one wants to be honest about the cause and effect of the situation in Prince George’s County.

Reversing the forces of incivility, misinformation, and the active marketing of cynicism will require concerted, collective efforts. Understanding the social and economic characteristics of Prince George’s County with political incorporation rather than representation as the prerequisite.

We will continue to reach out and advocate for what is right in Maryland to the other key players who we believe violated our rights through participation and covered up the mischief in order to benefit unjustly.

Please review the Motion to the court to make a judgement for yourselves and see how Delegate Dereck Davis is connected to the illegal activities in court. Ask tough questions concerning ongoing illegal agenda. Call your elected officials including Board members and tell them to stop the illegal legal lynching of Josephat Mua. Should you need any additional information or if I can be of service, please do not hesitate to contact us at infor@pgparents.org

Sincerely,

Joseph Mua

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Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City). (Mark Gail/The Washington Post)

Dereck E. Davis (Prince George’s County).

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