Nearly 8,500 high school students and students in alternative programs are graduating and receiving diplomas from the Montgomery County Public Schools this spring. Twenty-eight schools have scheduled graduation ceremonies through June 13.

Commencement speakers include public officials, business leaders, journalists, educators and sports figures. The schedule of speakers is highlighted by Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who will address graduates at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. Among other prominent commencement speakers is Washington Post reporter and Montgomery Blair High School graduate Carl Bernstein, who will speak at his alma mater.

A number of teachers have been asked to be commencement speakers by the graduating class at their school. They include Omari Daniel, English teacher at Springbrook High School; Donald Housley, social studies resource teacher at Wheaton High School; Bernard Freiland, chemistry teacher at Sherwood High School, and two teachers retiring from Rockville High School, Joan Chiariello and Linda Mencarini.

Other notable speakers include Roberta Bascom, 20/20 TV Magazine (James Hubert Blake High School), John Lucas, assistant coach of the National Basketball Association Denver Nuggets (Walter Johnson High School), and Brigg Owens, former Washington Redskins football player (Mark Twain School).

NOTE: A complete list of graduation ceremonies, with speakers, times, dates and locations,is available by contacting the MCPS Department of Communications at 301-279-3853.