By Gene Counihan.
As a former trustee of Montgomery College (1998 until September 2009) as well as a current member of the Governing Board of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, I have followed with great interest and concern the Adventist HealthCare and Holy Cross Hospital proposals to develop a hospital in upper Montgomery County. Both institutions are longtime, responsible, and valued corporate members of our community. I am speaking out publicly now to express my conviction that locating any hospital on the Montgomery College Germantown campus property is not the right thing to do.
I come to that view independently of my affiliation with Shady Grove Hospital. I have tried to serve the interests of my fellow Montgomery County residents in many capacities over the past 45 years – 12 years as a delegate to the Maryland General Assembly, a longtime board member of Universities of Maryland at Shady Grove, founding member of the Committee for Montgomery, member and past president of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, president emeritus of Olney Theatre Center and chairman of the Montgomery Village Foundation – as well as the previously noted board service at Montgomery College and Shady Grove Hospital. My experience also includes 29 years with Montgomery County Public Schools and more than a decade in government relations with WMATA (Metro). I currently serve as Chairman of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.
All of these activities have given me a deep understanding of Montgomery County issues and how public policy is formed. I hope that they also show that I come to my views on this subject from a broad perspective and a sincere desire to promote neither the interests of Montgomery College nor of the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital but rather the interests of all who live in Montgomery County. My objections to locating a hospital on the Montgomery College Germantown property are summarized here:
1. The process that resulted in the agreement between the College and Holy Cross Hospital was initiated quietly, behind closed doors without the knowledge or participation of the College’s Board of Trustees or the community at large. The Montgomery College Foundation, the former President of the College, and the property’s developer (Foulger Pratt) privately worked out the tentative agreement with Holy Cross Hospital amongst themselves. Contrary to the way major public/private developments are undertaken in Montgomery County, other healthcare institutions, such as Adventist HealthCare, MedStar, amd Johns Hopkins, all of whom have a presence in the County, were not given the same opportunity to present competing bids and proposals for developing a hospital facility on College property in Germantown. There were no informational hearings for public comment, so no civic or other interested community members had the opportunity to express their opinions or have questions answered. The deal was simply announced after Holy Cross submitted a letter of intent to build a hospital on the campus to the Maryland Health Care Commission. This process was not in keeping with our tradition in Montgomery County of transparency and community involvement.
2. The site where the hospital is now proposed to be located (near the middle of the campus) was purchased with public funds to accommodate the future growth needs of the academic programs of the College, not for private development. The original site selected for a public/private partnership project was located on the edge of the campus along I-270. The present site should be retained to meet future college growth needs.
3. The argument that having a hospital in the center of the Germantown campus would benefit the College’s Nursing Program is weak. The College’s nursing program is located over 20 miles away on its Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. The County and State recently invested millions of dollars in building a state-of-the-art Health Sciences Building to support health care and nursing programs on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.
4. The Germantown campus is not the right place for any new hospital. There is a nearly new Germantown Emergency Center located near the College campus. The center is operated by Adventist HealthCare as an adjunct to its Shady Grove Adventist Hospital emergency room. It doesn’t make sense to locate two emergency rooms almost next door to each other.
Gene Counihan, Montgomery Village, MD
Editor’s Note: Gene Counihan is a former member of the House of Delegates, a former President of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, is the former Maryland Government Relations Officer for WMATA and is the current Chair of WSSC.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Campus is the Wrong Place for a Hospital
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Montgomery College Adjunct Professors Vote in Favor of New Contract
Montgomery College adjunct professors have voted in favor of their new contract by an overwhelming margin. Provided that the college's Board of Trustees approves it, this will conclude the biggest union organizing campaign in recent county history. Following is the announcement from the faculty's bargaining committee.
We are happy to announce that our first-ever collective bargaining agreement with Montgomery College has been approved by the part-time faculty.
Part-time faculty voted 3-to-1 (213 to 70) in favor of the contract. The final vote count had been delayed two weeks, to allow faculty members inadvertently left off the voter eligibility list by the college to receive ballots and vote.
The final step now is for the Board of Trustees to vote to ratify, which we expect will take place at their January 19th meeting. Our contract will then be signed and go into effect.
As a reminder, the agreement calls for all part-time faculty members who taught in the fall semester to receive a lump sum bonus equal to 2.37 percent of their earnings for that semester. The college has committed to having the bonus paid to you within 30 days of ratification by the Trustees. A 2.37 percent salary adjustment will go into effect with the spring semester. Also, because of the delay in completing the ratification process, the ESH limit increase to 11.5 per semester that we achieved in our agreement goes into effect immediately.
The agreement is available online at www.seiu500cal.org. Printed copies will also be available soon.
With our contract nearly in place, we have a busy spring semester ahead. We will move to implement the agreement. Negotiations will also begin next month for salary levels in the 2010-11 academic year, and we'll begin the critical work of addressing the pay disparities between full-time and part-time faculty.
With these and other challenges before us, it's more important than ever to come together to build a strong union. We'll be in touch in the new year with ways you can help build our part-time faculty union and win results in the months and years ahead!
On behalf of the officers and staff of SEIU Local 500 and our entire bargaining team, we wish all of you our best for a happy, healthy 2010.
Sincerely,
Your Montgomery College Part-Time Faculty Bargaining Committee
Victoria Baldassano, English Professor
Richard Foster, English Professor
Jean Freedman, History and Women's Studies Professor
Dan Moskowitz, Mathematics Professor
Alan Stover, Business Professor
Lynn White, Mathematics Professor
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Brian Johnson Resigns from Montgomery College
The terms of Johnson's departure are being kept confidential. Following is the press release from the college.
Statement by Montgomery College Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Michael C. Lin to the Montgomery College Community
Memorandum Concerning the Resignation of Dr. Brian K. Johnson
December 22, 2009
MEMORANDUM
To: The Montgomery College Community
From: Dr. Michael C. Lin, Board of Trustees Chair
Subject: Resignation of Dr. Brian K. Johnson
The Board of Trustees would like to announce that, as we begin a new year, Montgomery College will also begin a new chapter in its history. I wish to report that Dr. Brian K. Johnson has resigned his employment as president of the College.
Earlier this semester, your thoughtful input was valuable to the Board of Trustees when we decided a change in presidential leadership was in the best interest of the College and the community we serve. On September 3, 2009, after careful review and thoughtful deliberations, the Board voted not to renew the contract of Dr. Johnson and placed him on administrative leave with pay.
The Board, with the help of College officials, has conducted a review of Dr. Johnson’s expenditures and worked with Dr. Johnson to resolve to the Board’s satisfaction any questions or issues the Board had about the expenditures. The details of the resolution, as well as the terms of Dr. Johnson’s resignation, are confidential and the Board cannot provide any further information.
The Board of Trustees owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to you—the faculty and staff of Montgomery College. During this tumultuous and difficult time you did your jobs with great diligence and dedication, ensuring that the academic excellence of Montgomery College and our students never wavered. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, thank you for keeping this institution focused on its mission of changing lives.
The Board of Trustees would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Hercules Pinkney. When we asked Dr. Pinkney to come out of retirement to take the role of interim president, we charged him with three priorities: to restore stability to the College, renew confidence in College leadership, and prepare the institution for the next president. Dr. Pinkney’s leadership, combined with today’s announcement and plans for the presidential search, gives the entire Board confidence that these goals will be met.
In closing, I want to assure you that the Board of Trustees is committed to working together on behalf of this wonderful College and to serving as engaged stewards of Montgomery College. You have the assurances of the Board that the presidential search process is of the upmost priority for all of us. For we owe all of you not only a debt of gratitude, but also the selection of a new president who is as committed to the College’s mission as you are.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Montgomery College Breaks State Law, Ignores TWO Public Information Act Requests
Montgomery College has broken Maryland's Public Information Act (PIA), refusing to answer two PIA requests submitted by MPW concerning former President Brian Johnson's expenses.
Last summer, your author sent this PIA request to President Brian Johnson. Under state law, the college had 30 days to respond to this request.August 26, 2009
President Johnson never responded to our request. Your author sent a follow-up request to the college's new Interim President, Hercules Pinkney.
Brian K. Johnson, Ed.D.
President, Montgomery College
900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20850
Dear President Johnson:
This is a request under the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article § § 10-611 to 628. I wish to inspect all records in your custody and control pertaining to the following:
All itemized expenses, charges and reimbursement requests submitted by or on behalf of President Brian K. Johnson, including the disposition of any allowances.
If all or any part of this request is denied, I request that I be provided with a written statement of the grounds for the denial. If you determine that some portions of the requested records are exempt from disclosure, please provide me with the portions that can be disclosed.
I also anticipate that I will want copies of some or all of the records sought. Therefore, please advise me as to the cost, if any, for obtaining a copy of the records and the total cost, if any, for all the records described above. If you have adopted a fee schedule for obtaining copies of records and other rules or regulations implementing the Act, please send me a copy.
I look forward to receiving disclosable records promptly and, in any event, to a decision about all of the requested records within 30 days. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions regarding this request, please telephone me at 301-XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
Adam Pagnucco
Author, Maryland Politics WatchNovember 6, 2009
Once again, more than 30 days have passed. The Washington Post apparently submitted a similar request and received at least some records. But the college has never responded to MPW.
Hercules Pinkney
President, Montgomery College
900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20850
Dear President Pinkney:
Enclosed is my request under the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article § § 10-611 to 628, dated August 26, 2009. Over two months have passed since I mailed the request, far beyond the 30-day deadline imposed by state law. I am writing to ask you to respond.
I am copying Attorney General Doug Gansler’s office to ensure compliance.
Sincerely,
Adam Pagnucco
Author, Maryland Politics Watch
Montgomery College has twice violated the Public Information Act. The second violation occurred under the administration of Interim President Hercules Pinkney, who allegedly brought a "calming spirit" to the college after Johnson's departure but provoked a declaration of impasse from adjunct professors before settling their first contract. This institution will receive over $200 million in taxpayer funding in Fiscal Year 2010. It is imperative that the college obey state law in order to receive its taxpayer appropriations. On behalf of our thousands of regular readers, we demand that the college answer our Public Information Act requests.
NOW.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Montgomery College on New Agreement with SEIU Local 500
Following is the press release from the college.
Media Contacts: Elizabeth Homan, 240-567-7970; Brett Eaton, 240-567-7952
Montgomery College and SEIU Reach Tentative Agreement on Contract for Part-time Faculty Members
SEIU Membership and College Board of Trustees to Vote on Contract
Montgomery College and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500 reached tentative agreement Friday on the first contract for part-time faculty members teaching credit courses at the College. The College and SEIU began negotiating a collective bargaining agreement in September 2008 after part-time faculty members voted for representation. SEIU represents approximately 900 part-time faculty members. Montgomery College is the only public higher education institution in the state of Maryland with a union for its part-time faculty.
The tentative two-year agreement addresses working conditions and pay rates for the part-time faculty members. The agreement formalizes the procedures that the College will use when assigning classes to part-time faculty, establishes a grievance procedure, increases the maximum number of credit hours that part-time faculty can teach, and provides for a modest rate increase for this current fiscal year equivalent to what other employees at the College have already received.
Through Montgomery College’s collective bargaining process, the College and SEIU came to agreement with the assistance of a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Throughout the process, Montgomery College and SEIU worked productively toward an agreement, and the two look forward to building upon this collaborative working relationship in the future.
“I am pleased that the College and SEIU have reached a tentative agreement,” said Dr. Hercules Pinkney, interim president of Montgomery College. “Montgomery College greatly values the contributions of the part-time faculty members, and I look forward to strengthening this partnership. It takes the talent and dedication of the entire Montgomery College community—part-time and full-time faculty, staff, and administrators—to achieve our mission of changing students’ lives.”
The tentative agreement must now go before the College’s SEIU members for approval and ratification. Once ratified, the agreement will be presented to the Montgomery College Board of Trustees for vote. The College anticipates that the Board will take action at its meeting in December. At that time, the agreement would take effect.
In addition to SEIU, two additional unions represent employees at Montgomery College—the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) represents full-time faculty members and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents select staff members.
# # #
Montgomery College is a public, open admissions community college with campuses in Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus workforce development/continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout Montgomery County, Md. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 100 areas of study.
SEIU Local 500 Reaches First Contract with Montgomery College
This concludes nearly two years of organizing and bargaining. Following is the press release from SEIU Local 500.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
Anna Oman, Communications Director
(301) 740-7123
omana@seiu500.org
PART-TIME FACULTY SETTLES HISTORIC FIRST CONTRACT WITH MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
Monday, November 16, 2009
ROCKVILLE (Nov 16) -- Late last week, part-time faculty leaders settled a historic first contract with Montgomery College. The contract, which must now be ratified by the part-time faculty and Board of Trustees, is the culmination of more than two years of organizing and negotiations by the part-timers, who teach nearly half of all classes at the College and who are represented by SEIU Local 500.
"We're pleased with the agreement," explains Victoria Baldassano, part-time professor of English at Montgomery College and member of the SEIU Local 500 bargaining committee. "We were able to reach agreement with the College on the major points of concern for our fellow part-time faculty – some improvement in compensation, job security and a new commitment to working together to address issues like pay inequity and lack of benefits. More than that, though, we're formalizing our role in the academic community here at Montgomery College. What began as a few part-time faculty members, who knew we deserved better, has grown into a movement. Together we're changing the status quo and standing up for ourselves and for the students who depend on us."
While its details are being withheld pending ratification, the contract allows for a modest salary improvement, higher course-load limits for part-time faculty, greater job security, and improved assurances of reappointment. The contract also creates committees to review, and formulate recommendations for addressing, pay inequity between full-time and part-time faculty for in-classroom instruction, as well as to explore health insurance options for part-time professors.
"This first contract is a strong signal that the College is beginning to recognize the value of the contribution that its part-time faculty to make to the excellence of the institution," said Dan Moskowitz, fellow part-time professor in the Math Department and bargaining committee member. "We have long known that our students can't receive first-class instruction when the people teaching half of all Montgomery College courses are treated as second-class citizens. There's much work to be done, but we believe this contract is a strong foundation to build upon."
Part-time faculty voted overwhelmingly to join together with SEIU Local 500 in June 2008.
Merle Cuttitta, President of SEIU Local 500, welcomed the news, saying, "I want to congratulate the Montgomery College part-time faculty members. Their dedication and hard work has paid off in a solid first contract. We are delighted that these hard working men and women are a part of the Local 500 family. The union's commitment to excellence in public service and life-long learning is exemplified in the part-time faculty of Montgomery College. We see their first contract as another important step in building a movement of part time faculty in our region."
Service Employees International Union Local 500 represents 18,000 women and men working in education, public services, community services and child care in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Local 500 members serve the public at the Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children, The George Washington University, Head Start organizations, family child care centers across Maryland, National Children’s Center, Oxfam International, Public Citizen, and the United States Student Association.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
SEIU Local 500 Declares Impasse with Montgomery College
SEIU Local 500, which won a campaign to represent Montgomery College’s adjunct professors in June 2008, has reached deadlock with the administration on a new contract. That does not bode well for the new college President who replaced Brian Johnson in September.
Union organizing in the public sector is supposed to be easier than in the hard-as-nails private sector. (Disclosure: your author has tossed around a few of those nails and has also sat on a couple of them in fifteen years in the labor movement.) But SEIU’s campaign put the lie to that myth. When the adjuncts began organizing, former President Johnson brought in a union-busting consultant to spread negative propaganda about unions to their colleagues. The college also claimed that the adjuncts were not really public employees and thus were not eligible for collective bargaining. But Johnson eventually backed down and SEIU won a 365-105 vote to represent the adjuncts.
Johnson dragged his feet on a contract until various revelations prompted his ouster in September. But new interim President Hercules Pinkney has not concluded a contract with the adjuncts either, prompting a declaration of impasse by SEIU. The local told the adjuncts:After more than a year of difficult negotiations with the Montgomery College Board of Trustees, we’re disappointed to report that we’ve reached an impasse with the college over just one issue: money.
The pay issue was one of the most critical reasons why the adjuncts sought out SEIU for representation. Prior to the organizing campaign, adjuncts were paid $880 per credit hour, much less than the $3,038 per credit hour paid to full-time professors for the same work. That means an adjunct teaching four three-hour courses in each of two semesters would make just $21,120 per year, a poverty-level income in Montgomery County. The issue is particularly acute considering that adjuncts outnumber full-time faculty by two-to-one.
We’ve resolved all the other points of contention. Our contract, once approved by you, will bring part-time faculty higher ESH limits and greater job security then we've ever had. It also includes a commitment from the college to work with us toward a permanent solution to pay inequity between full-time and part-time faculty for in-classroom instruction, as well as to explore health insurance options for us.
However, the college has proposed no improvements in pay for part-time faculty this year, despite the fact that the college provided pay increases and bonuses to full-time faculty and classified staff.
It’s intolerable that a county that emphasizes education as much as Montgomery would sanction poverty level incomes for professors who teach at its community college. The new administration must strike a deal on the contract and put this issue to rest.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Montgomery College Adjuncts Stage Cyber-Rally
Earlier this morning, an incredible 83% of our site traffic consisted of direct entries to Montgomery College adjunct professor Victoria Baldassano's guest post, "A Voice from the Other Half: Montgomery College Part-Time Faculty Member Speaks."
A year ago, this blog chronicled a campaign by the college's adjuncts to seek representation by SEIU Local 500. At the time, adjuncts were paid $880 per credit hour while full-time faculty could make up to $3,038 per credit hour for doing the same work. Then-President Brian Johnson hired a notorious union-busting consultant to crush the effort. While the professors voted for unionization by a 365-105 margin, Johnson stalled on concluding a collective bargaining agreement with them ever since.
But the issue remains a hot one on campus. The traffic to Baldassano's guest post is not being driven from any central source. Instead, most of the visits are coming in spontaneously, probably through email chains. That means the adjuncts are fed up. If new Montgomery College Acting President Hercules Pinkney really wants to be a "calming spirit," he needs to finish the contract negotiations and give the adjuncts their due.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
What the Montgomery College Board of Trustees Should Do Now
Last week, the Montgomery College Board of Trustees suspended President Brian Johnson with pay for issues connected to his expenses and leadership. They also hired a retired college administrator as their Acting President. But that’s just the beginning. The board has to do three things to start righting the listing ship.
1. Investigate Johnson.
At this point, Johnson’s expense practices are characterized by allegations and the quality of his leadership is a matter of opinion. Neither are backed by proven facts and yet they are the twin grounds cited by the board for their action. The college should hire a forensic auditor to examine Johnson’s spending. The investigation’s scope should also include testing the veracity of his explanations to the Washington Post, one of which was that his credit card was “compromised” and that some records may have been “fraudulent.” Finally, the results of the investigation must be publicly released.
This is important for four reasons. First, the college must adhere to standards of transparency. It is not a private institution; it requires $228 million of public support. The college’s stakeholders as well as the county’s taxpayers deserve an accounting of what did and did not happen on Johnson’s watch. Second, Johnson is due to receive his full salary (an annual rate of $233,210) through his contract’s expiration in June 2010. If the investigation finds he committed wrong-doing, the college should terminate him for cause. If not, he should be paid in conformance with his contract. Third, Johnson denies the allegations. If he is right, he deserves exoneration. If he is wrong, he should be proven a liar. Fourth, Johnson may sue. If he does, the college will need more than the faculty report and a handful of newspaper clippings and blog posts to defend itself.
2. Do a Real Background Check Next Time.
It is inexcusable that the Board of Trustees apparently had no idea that Johnson once litigated three court cases involving different children with two mothers at the same time. That was a red flag for future legal problems, such as the arrest warrant. This failure of the search process belongs to the board alone.
When the board looks for Johnson’s successor, it should employ a true background check that should not only include academic references and interviews with past colleagues. It should also involve a complete public records investigation including:
Residential history
Criminal, civil and family litigation history, including bankruptcies
Credit check
Property encumbrances, liens and debt
Business history, including any litigation or debt issues involving entities under the applicant’s control
Literature review from LexisNexis and/or Factiva on the applicant, current and former businesses and current and former employers
Any competent private investigator offers the above as a standard work product. Failure to gather this information exposes the college to a second consecutive embarrassment.
3. Tighten Up the Credit Card Policy.
I carry a corporate credit card for my employer. I could never have engaged in the practices that Johnson allegedly committed for two reasons. First, my card has a monthly expense limit. I cannot exceed it without authorization from my supervisor. Second, the card is my personal responsibility. If the employer does not approve an expense I submit, I have to pay it. The employer does not have to seek the money from me. It would be an issue between me and the credit card issuer. If my employer can establish a policy of this kind, there is no reason why Montgomery College (and the rest of county government) cannot.
The real test of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees is not what they do about Brian Johnson. It’s whether they hire another Brian Johnson and allow him to repeat his predecessor’s mistakes. Let’s see if they pass.
Monday, September 07, 2009
A Voice from the Other Half: Montgomery College Part-Time Faculty Member Speaks
By Victoria Baldassano.
As a part-time professor who has taught English at Montgomery College since the fall of 2005, I have mixed emotions following the Board of Trustees decision to remove President Brian K. Johnson from office. If the charges against Dr. Johnson prove true, placing him on leave with pay through June seems a high price to pay for his departure.
But another disturbing fact is that the part-time professors, who outnumber the full time faculty by more than 2-to-1 and teach 45 percent of college courses, were completely left out of the decision making process. The college administration and full-time faculty communicated throughout the investigation - from the no-confidence vote to the submission of findings to the Board of Trustees - all without any input from the part time faculty.
Unfortunately, this is symptomatic of a much larger problem at the college involving treatment of its part-time professionals. We have no job security, no benefits, no voice in faculty governance, and are paid two to three times less than our full-time counterparts for teaching the same courses. To address this disparity, part-time faculty voted overwhelmingly last year to form a union with SEIU Local 500.
But under Dr. Johnson, the college administration has prolonged the negotiations over our first union contract for more than a year. As a member of the bargaining team, I can say we’ve made significant progress in addressing many of our key concerns, but have yet to resolve the critical issue of just compensation. Our goal is to gradually move in the direction of pay equity – equal pay for our teaching responsibilities. While we recognize that the full timers have other duties, including committee work and curriculum development, in the classroom we perform the same work under the same expectations.
Now that Dr. Johnson is gone, we urge the interim President, Hercules Pinkney, the Board of Trustees, and the college administration, to engage us as professionals without which the college could not function. Let’s start building a culture of respect at Montgomery College that values all members of the college community.
Friday, September 04, 2009
SEIU Local 500 Statement on Johnson Suspension
Following is the statement by SEIU Local 500 on the Montgomery College Board of Trustees' decision to suspend President Brian Johnson with pay. SEIU won an election a year ago to represent the college's adjunct professors but still has not concluded contract negotiations with the administration.
STATEMENT OF SEIU LOCAL 500 ON THE DEPARTURE OF DR. BRIAN JOHNSON
Members of the part-time faculty of Montgomery College, represented by SEIU Local 500, are deeply troubled by the allegations leveled against Dr. Johnson. All public servants should uphold the highest standards of integrity, and, at a time when state and county budgets are strained to the brink and everyone is asked to sacrifice, the extravagant waste alleged is unconscionable.
Part-time faculty members are deeply invested in the success of Montgomery College and each student that passes through its doors. We teach 45 percent of courses at the college, outnumber our full-time peers by nearly 2-to-1, and have years of educational and career experience that benefit our students and communities.
As such, we are confident that the Board of Trustees will use this as a teachable moment, and that, when considering candidates to succeed Mr. Johnson, board members will address Montgomery College’s need for an engaged leader. For the college and its students to flourish, we need leadership that understands the value of positive, productive relationships with the many people who make Montgomery County and its educational institutions great.
We also urge the Board of Trustees to avoid allowing the scandal to further delay our contract negotations. Part-time faculty voted overwhelming to form a union some 14 months ago and since that time the college has shown inconsistent commitment to working together to settle a fair first contract.
We stand by our assertion that we deserve to be treated according to the principles of basic fairness: a meaningful voice in governance for the workers who carry out nearly half of all instruction; equal pay for equal work with comparable credentials; and job security.
We believe the college will most effectively move beyond recent developments by forging forward with the work of cultivating a new relationship with its stakeholders, including part-time faculty.
Racists Run Wild in MSM
Embattled Montgomery College President Brian Johnson is African-American. That does not matter to the Trustees and the many other people who are genuinely concerned about the college and the taxpayer funds that support it. But it matters a lot to racists, who have been waging a vicious cyber-campaign against Johnson on the basis of his skin color. Their enablers? The Washington Post and the Washington Times.
Consider the following anonymous comments the Post and the Times have allowed on their sites:
From the Washington Post, 8/28/09: MCALUM
From the Washington Post, 9/2/09:
immigrantjustice...again, you don't know what the h*** you're talking about. If you want to play the race card, then did you know that, on paper, Johnson was the LEAST qualified of the final three candidates. Interstingly enough, both of the others were current College presidents, knew what a president should do, and Johnson was NOT--in fact, the campus he was running was going bankrupt. Should have been a clue to the Board of Trustees.
Also interesting enough, Johnson was the ONLY black candidate and he was the one chosen. Racist? Probably. Wrong that the least qualified candidate was chosen? Absolutely! Talk to the Board of Trustees about that one. All the faculty are doing now is calling this clown on his very shady actions. Again, regardless of his race, the RECEIPTS DON'T LIE!
There's NO WAY to justify, in this economy, hiring a limo and driver ON PUBLIC FUNDS. Or any of the other disgusting actions that he's done. Students at a community college come and go, and MC is a 100% commuter school, so their interest in this is probably mild at best. But when you put in 20 or more years in as a faculty or staff, you have a much more vested interest in maintaing the College's reputation, and getting rid of Johnson is a major step in keeping MC at the forefront of community colleges nationwide.
Now, he's just an embarassment and a laughing stock to us all, except the uninformed, obviously, since you keep sticking up for this clown for some reason.drzimmern1
From the Washington Post, 9/3/09:
I agree with the writer who said Affirmative Action will destroy institutions. Looks like Montgomery College is one of them. A public college down the drain because of negligence and overspending on sheer luxury. Sounds like another country, not America.
sero1
What do we expect? When will our foolish society learn that affirmative action is destroying some of our most vital institutions. Society pays the price. OK, let's hear from all the "do-gooders" out there...
RealityCheckerInEffect
Could he be the MoCo Community College equivalent of NY Times reporter Jason Blair? An affirmative action fiasco? We all know how emphatic academics are about advancing "people of color" over white candidates, so one has to ask: why and how was this man hired? He obviously does not deserve to have, or keep, this job.
charlietuna6661
looks like he is just like most affirmative action people. We be entitled. Put this obozo voter in jail where he belongs.FLvet
From the Washington Times, 9/3/09:
Those Affirmative Action hires always come back to haunt you.
chaddsford1971
It's so sad, by reading factual accounts on WaPo, you have the black leader of Montgomery County Community College stealing and doing a horrendous job. You have the black leader of Metro, Catoe doing a horrendous job. He oversaw the worst accident in Metro's history and now he is shutting down Metro with no notice over a holidy weekend. Brilliant. And you have a black Maryland preacher, who instead of trying to lessen instances of crime (just read the Post stories about all the car jackings and gun weilding suspects being shot -- all black men) in the black community, is trying to thwart the efforts of the gay community to make themselves more stable. So, while each group is doing what the can to make themselves more stable, blacks continue to steal, cheat, lie, and then blame everyone else.
Message to black folk, Obama can't pull this wagon of racial harmony by hiself...at SOME point another black leader has to stop lying cheating and stealin'...okaaaaay!m141934a
Brian Johnson has a lot to answer for. His explanations for his credit card expenditures do not wash, and his arrest warrant for failing to pay child support is inexplicable. The Trustees acted properly in suspending him.
So, at a salary of $220,000, the college did not do a criminal history background check? Or any kind of background check. A loser like this guy must have a long track record of scheming, living high, and otherwise losing public trust. Maybe the Board should be held accountable for their poor choice. This guy is just another in a long list of African American's who lie, steal and cheat the American public. Somehow they belive they are entitled. We have failed the African American community by not instilling a strong work ethic, a sense of accountability, and respect.
geriatric1943
I think that he is now qualified to serve President Obama now.
Idiotnoir
another typical empty blak suit, just like obammaba,. it's time to stop the free passes, no more handing blaks jobs because of the color of their skin, from now on they have to have a resume, and it has to be verified, and they have to have accomplished something, and not something as nebulous as "community organizer" the days of white guilt are over.
But none of that has to do with his race. When racists are given free rein to pounce on Johnson because he is black, they toss slime upon the thousands of people of color who serve this state as elected officials and government employees every day. It is time to crack down on the hate. Lots of us in cyberspace struggle to control comments, including Just Up the Pike, Rockville Central and this blog. Racism is one of the many reasons we prohibit anonymous comments. For all their frothing over journalistic standards, the MSM have no standards for comments and allow their readers to write almost anything.
The bosses of the Washington Post and the Washington Times have a choice. They can stop giving safe harbor to anonymous racists. Or they can lose the confidence of the 2.6 million people of color who live in our Metro area, as well as the whites who deplore hate. Lords of the MSM, decide.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Trustees Weigh in on Johnson (Updated)
Our spies tell us the Trustees of Montgomery College made two decisions tonight on President Brian Johnson.
1. He is on paid administrative leave effective immediately.
2. His contract will not be renewed and former Vice President Hercules Pinkney will serve as the interim head of the college.
Update: Here is the announcement from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
From: Montgomery College Board of Trustees
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:13 PM
To: MC Communications List
Subject: Board of Trustees Decision
We realize that you have been patiently waiting for us to conclude our deliberations.
I can tell you that we, as a Board, have decided to make a change in the leadership of the College. The Board voted not to renew Dr. Johnson's contract. We also voted to place Dr. Johnson on administrative leave, with pay, effective immediately so that the Board can consider further action.
With the new semester underway, we are determined to maintain leadership here at the College. To that end, we are appointing former provost Dr. Hercules Pinkney as interim president and he has agreed to serve starting tomorrow. We look forward to Dr. Pinkney's stewardship.
We arrived at these decisions after much discussion and deliberation. We take our responsibility of oversight of the College seriously and feel this action is in the best interest of the Montgomery College community.
We make this decision for the greater good of Montgomery College and for the entire community at large.
This is what I can tell you at this time. We will keep you informed as we move forward in the best interests of the College.
Dr. Michael Lin
Chair, Board of Trustees
Montgomery College
Johnson Scandal: Maricopa Sheriff "Happy to Put Him in Jail"
The Washington Times has confirmed our reporting on Montgomery College President Brian Johnson's arrest warrant. A representative of the Maricopa County Sheriff's office told the Times they had no information that the child support had been paid, that the warrant was still active and said, "We'd be happy to put him in jail." The Times was also kind enough to provide the attached mug shot.
Johnson Arrest Warrant Case Gets Stranger
Dear readers, in our original post on this subject, we reported that Arizona resident Apryl D. Hunter filed a paternity case against Montgomery College President Brian Johnson in 1998, and that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant on Johnson for failing to pay child support last year. All of that is true, but there is a twist. It’s not Hunter to whom Johnson did not pay child support.
It’s another woman.
Brian Keith Johnson brought a family court case against Carroll Jean Johnson (born 10/12/59) in Maricopa County on 12/3/97. The court issued an order for child support and a joint custody plan on 4/16/98. Johnson last reported current employer information to the court on 1/10/08, after he was hired by Montgomery College. The court ordered the parties to appear for conference on 8/13/08 and filed an arrest warrant on 11/7/08.
Despite Johnson’s filing of current employer information after he was hired by Montgomery College, the last residential address the court had for him was his former home in Pittsburgh. Why?
Even though the Sheriff’s office lists the warrant as active, Johnson claims he has paid the $12,000 in back child support. Here is his statement to the court dated 7/16/09:
Note that the statement does not include an actual copy of a check. If Johnson did pay the money, it is entirely possible that the court did not communicate that fact to the Sheriff’s office.
So here’s the interesting part. Johnson files a family court case against Carroll Jean Johnson on 12/3/97. Johnson files a family court case against Apryl D. Hunter on 8/11/98. Hunter files a paternity claim against Johnson on 9/14/98. So Brian Johnson was litigating three court cases involving different children with two mothers at the same time.
Did any of this appear on Johnson’s background check prior to his hire?
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Montgomery College Arrest Warrant Story Explodes
At this moment, 50% of all entries to the blog are direct visits to the story about Brian Johnson's arrest warrant. That post will unquestionably go down as one of the biggest articles ever to appear on MPW. We have had some of the information for several days but waited until we could confirm 1. the common birthday of the Arizona offender and the Montgomery College President, and 2. the past residence of the Montgomery College President and his wife at the Pittsburgh address listed on the arrest warrant.
Here's a question: why did the Maricopa County Superior Court have the Pittsburgh address as the last one on file? Aren't child support payers responsible for sending their latest address information to the relevant court?
Montgomery College President Wanted for Arrest in Arizona
Brian Johnson, President of Montgomery College, is wanted for arrest in Arizona for failure to pay $12,000 in child support.
Before coming to Montgomery College in January 2007, Johnson worked at the Community College of Allegheny County for three years and spent the prior seventeen years at Mesa Community College in Arizona.
On 9/14/98, Apryl D. Hunter (born 3/22/69) filed a paternity complaint against Brian Keith Johnson in Mariocopa County Superior Court. Johnson agreed to be bound by the results of the paternity test.
On 8/11/98, Johnson brought a family court case against Hunter covering issues of child support and custody. The docket shows a contentious case that was actively litigated for three years. The last current employer information was filed on 3/20/07, after Johnson had come to Montgomery College.
On 10/30/08, the Maricopa County Sheriff issued a child support arrest warrant for Brian Keith Johnson for failing to pay $12,000. The last address they had on file was 7002 Bennington Woods Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15237.
We have no doubt that the Brian Keith Johnson in the Arizona legal records is Brian K. Johnson of Rockville. The birthdate (11/30/56) in the lawsuit and on Johnson’s Maryland voter registration is identical. The Pennsylvania home listed on the arrest warrant was purchased by Brian K. Johnson and his wife, Libra J. Johnson, on 10/4/04 for $372,000 and sold on 4/23/07 for $395,000. That home was owned during the time that Brian Johnson worked at Allegheny College. And the lawsuits were filed at the time that Brian Johnson worked at Mesa Community College.
The Washington Post reports that Johnson paid the outstanding child support, but Maricopa County’s records do not show a payment. According to Maricopa Sheriff’s Deputy David Zebro, the arrest warrant is outstanding but not extraditable, meaning that Johnson can only be arrested for the offense in Arizona.
Johnson’s original salary when he was hired was $220,000. He is married with five children.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Montgomery College Adjunct Professors Vote for Union
In a victory for some of the D.C. Metro Area's lowest-paid professionals, Montgomery College's adjunct faculty voted by a 365-105 margin in favor of representation by SEIU Local 500. We covered the struggle waged by the adjuncts to get an election over the last couple months. Following is the press release from SEIU announcing the victory.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
John VanDeventer, (202) 730-7758
HISTORIC VOTE UNITES MORE THAN 1,000 PART-TIME FACULTY AT MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
By an overwhelming majority, instructors vote to join together for quality education
Montgomery County, MD – The Maryland Division of Labor and Industry announced this morning that an overwhelming majority of part-time faculty at Montgomery College (MC) have voted to join together with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500. Instructors voted over three to one in favor of the union.
“This is a win for the entire county,” said part-time faculty member Alan Stover in response to the election results. “The part-time faculty members at Montgomery College want a stronger voice for quality education for our students. We’re going to work to protect and improve the valuable resources we provide to our community.”
Part-time faculty members teach about half of all courses offered at MC. Recent surges in enrollment, coupled with strains on available funding, have forced adjuncts to do more with less to meet the increased community demand.
To address their growing concerns, the part-time faculty filed a request for a vote on representation with SEIU Local 500 in early March. Since that time, the instructors have received an outpouring of support from both students and community leaders. Over 400 students at MC signed a petition in support of the part-time faculty’s efforts to organize and elected officials from both county and state government have reached out to congratulate the instructors’ victory.
“It is your passion for excellence that has made Montgomery College such a valuable asset to our community,” wrote Montgomery County councilmember Valerie Ervin in a statement to part-time faculty at the college. “And I know that same passion drives you to unite together for a stronger voice in the services you provide.”
This vote is a first for part-time instructors in Maryland and only the second such effort in the Washington, DC metropolitan area after George Washington University voted to unite together with SEIU Local 500 in 2004. The instructors at MC hope this will start a trend for more adjunct professors in the region.
“The opportunities we now have to win improvements for ourselves and our students are endless,” said part-time faculty member Terilee Edwards-Hewitt. “This experience has been a real eye opener as far as the positive things we can accomplish for ourselves, Montgomery College, and our students when we unite together for a stronger voice.”
###
Service Employees International Union Local 500 represents over 17,000 women and men working in education, public services, community services and child care in Maryland and Washington, DC. Local 500 members serve the public at the Montgomery County Public Schools, Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children, The George Washington University, Head Start organizations (Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Rosemount), Maryland Child Care Providers, National Children’s Center, Oxfam International, Public Citizen, and the United States Student Association.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Nancy Floreen Calls for Across-the-Board Spending Cuts
Montgomery County Council Member Nancy Floreen challenged all county agencies to present a plan to cut their budgets by 2% below the County Executive's proposal on her blog today.
Floreen contends that a 2% across-the-board cut would enable the council to chop the County Executive's property tax increase in half. However, because she would still break the charter limit, her proposal would require seven votes to pass. Floreen argues:As far as I am concerned, the proposed tax burden is untenable, particularly for the average homeowner facing increased fuel, food and health care costs. I am afraid that this budget is way out of line. In today’s economy, it is unaffordable... I know my colleagues have put their hearts into trying to limit spending. But I don’t believe we have gone far enough. Our neighbors in Fairfax County, the District of Columbia, and Prince George’s County are looking at budget increases of no more than 1.3%. We in Montgomery County need to join the rest of the region in looking toward a more sustainable budget.
It is impossible to overstate the turmoil going on in Rockville right now over the budget. Two council members - Duchy Trachtenberg and Phil Andrews - oppose a property tax increase, enough votes to kill it. Council Member Trachtenberg is eyeing the county's labor contracts for savings. The County Council's Education Committee voted to restore $26 million for public schools and $9.1 million for Montgomery College last week. How can resistance to the property tax hike, increases for education, adherence to union contracts and Floreen's call for across-the-board cuts be reconciled?
We'll find out soon enough. Zero hour for the budget is next week.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Montgomery College Agrees to Neutrality - Or Does It?
Regular readers will recall how Montgomery College told its adjunct professors that they were "not public employees" in order to avoid allowing them a union election. Now the college is claiming to be "neutral." But is it?
Two days ago, the President of Montgomery College sent out the following memo to adjunct professors:MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
It is encouraging to hear the college proclaim its "neutrality" though I have heard such statements from anti-union employers many times over the years. The true test of neutrality is not what the college says, but what the college does.
Office of the President
April 14, 2008
MEMORANDUM
To: Part-Time Faculty
From: Brian K. Johnson, President
Subject: Service Employees International Union for Part-Time Faculty
Many of you are aware of the petition filed by SEIU Local 500, seeking to represent adjunct faculty for purposes of collective bargaining. I wanted to clarify the College's position in this matter. We are not anti union, we are neutral, and will respect the right of adjunct faculty to decide through a secret ballot vote on whether you wish to be represented by the union. Throughout this process we must perform our organizational and legal duties. This includes making sure that the unit proposed is authorized by Maryland law to do so and to make sure that the definition of the unit to be organized is sufficiently clear and appropriate so that elections can be conducted in accordance with the requirements of law. These steps followed in accordance with the requirements of Maryland law result in benefits to all concerned and eliminate tremendous legal and logistical problems in the future.
We are working with the Maryland State Commissioner of Labor and SEIU Local 500 to seek an expedited election process that will allow you to vote on this question as soon as possible. Information regarding the election procedures will be forthcoming from the Commissioner's office in the very near future.
Montgomery College has a rich history of harmonious labor relations with our employee unions. We are committed to that tradition continuing with SEIU or any other union, should they become your collective bargaining representative.
The adjuncts are seeking an election prior to the end of the semester, which occurs in mid-May. The college states that it "must perform our organizational and legal duties," which include "making sure that the unit proposed is authorized by Maryland law to do so and to make sure that the definition of the unit to be organized is sufficiently clear and appropriate so that elections can be conducted in accordance with the requirements of law." If the college contests the definition of the bargaining unit - a common tactic used against workers who want a union - it can easily run out the clock on the semester. That would give the college all summer to plan a more aggressive campaign against the adjuncts in the fall.
If the college is genuinely neutral, it must agree to an election in the next couple weeks. Otherwise, its declaration of neutrality will be proven as baseless as its claim that the adjuncts are not public employees.
