Contest Submission #3 “New MCPS Policy Regarding Graphite-Based Writing Implements”

By Zoe Gorbachev

[EXTERNAL] Message from Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor

Good afternoon MCPS families,

Today we started the process of implementing of the Student Pencil Access Protocol (SPAP), an innovative district-wide framework to ensure equitable access to pencils for all students in grades K-12.

Effective immediately, all pencil requests must follow these steps:
Submit a Pencil Access Request Form (PARF-501-90b) via the new StudentSupplies tab on StudentVue (Note: StudentSupplies login credentials are publicly available on your counseling department’s website) Allow 5-7 business days to receive your new login.
Receive written approval from your homeroom teacher, the Social Studies department head, two bald eagles, one colony of bees, and one administrator with the title of “Director” or above.
Complete the 45-minute Pencil Safety and Responsible Use Training (PSRUT), available on Canvas.
Collect your pencil from the Attendance office between 7:42 and 7:46 AM Your attendance secretary has already been instructed to wag their finger at you and deny access outside of this range.
Return the pencil stub at the end of the day for collection. Stubs under 2 inches will be classified as POS (under our new unintelligible system, possibly available on the MCPS website) and decommissioned.
Students who arrive without a pencil and have not completed the PARF-501-90b will be offered a school-issued pencil loaner covered in vegetable oil and no fewer than 20 bite marks. Parents will be notified and a $300.00 fine may be imposed if the student has previously lost a loaned pencil.

Pens remain unregulated at this time. MCPS is aware of this and is actively circling the idea of potentially considering a plan to dream about proposing a committee on the matter.

For questions, please contact the Office of Academic Resources at the email address listed on the MCPS website under the tab that says “Contact,” then “Departments,” then “Operations,” then “Back,” then “Return,” and then “Other.”

Please see the exceedingly humorous video attached to this email that I created on this topic. It features me with two pencils up my nose and my staff in the background pretending to laugh.

Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., M.B.A.  
Superintendent of Schools