by Katie Ng ’25

MCPS Board of Education president Karla Silvestre was one of three school district leaders who testified in front of Congress on May 8. The Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Subcommittee called Silvestre and leaders from the Berkeley Unified School District and the New York Public Schools district for a hearing on antisemitism. The hearing was a follow up of the antisemitism hearings with the presidents of Harvard, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University.

Republicans at the hearing criticized the district leaders for inadequately responding to antisemitism and demanded they discipline and fire teachers accused of antisemitic remarks or actions. The district leaders acknowledged antisemitism but forcefully defended their policies.

Silvestre said that although Montgomery County has not fired any teachers, it has responded to some teachers’ actions with discipline. She also emphasized that MCPS will introduce new hate-based training programs and curricula on the Jewish experience to combat antisemitism. Silvestre added that teachers who do not provide a safe learning environment will not be allowed to continue teaching in MCPS.