County officials and community leaders will join Superintendent Jerry D. Weast at a kickoff ceremony on Thursday, September 20, at 8:00 p.m.that will begin a series of community study circles. The kickoff will be held at the Gwendolyn Coffield Center, 2450 Lyttonsville Road in Silver Spring.

The initial study circles will examine achievement issues of diverse student populations and recommend strategies for ensuring that all students achieve at a high level. These study groups will be drawn from the Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, Wheaton and John F. Kennedy clusters and will tap the expertise of all sectors of the community.

The study circles, which will begin in October, are structured meetings consisting of eight to twelve people from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints who will meet for four two-hour sessions to talk about issues, build common ground, and develop steps toward action.

The Montgomery County Study Circles are a cooperative effort of the school system, Maryland State Department of Education, CASA of Maryland, Family Learning Solutions, Inc., IMPACT Silver Spring, Long Branch Neighborhood Initiative, Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association, Mid-County Regional Services Center, Montgomery College Public Policy Institute, Montgomery County Education Association, Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education, Progress Place, Silver Spring Regional Services Center, Study Circles Resource Center, and Wheaton Redevelopment.


Contact:

Kate Harrison, assistant director
Department of Communications Tel.: 301-279-3853

Cristina Riva-Chévez, community/human relations advocate
Department of Family and Community Partnerships Tel.: 301-279-3100