Community member urges board to investigate contractor conduct and records-handling

During the public-comment period, community member Phaedra Foster urged the Montgomery County Board of Education to exercise stronger governance oversight over how grievances and records requests are handled by central office staff and district contractors.

Foster told the board she had repeatedly filed concerns through formal channels but received responses she described as excuses, delays or silence. "Delay is not resolution. Silent is not accountability," she said, and asked the board to convene a meeting with student support services leadership and board leadership to address unresolved issues she says are undermining family engagement.

Foster argued that matters of ethical compliance and contractor conduct fall within the board’s fiduciary responsibility and are not merely day-to-day operations, and she requested the board take corrective steps when day-to-day operations intrude into governance responsibilities. She asked specifically for a meeting that includes board leadership and student support services to address the documented concerns.

Board leadership acknowledged the comment and thanked Foster for bringing the concerns forward; staff follow-up was offered as part of the district’s public comment procedures. The transcript does not record a board vote or specific timeline for a follow-up meeting during this session.