Whole School Magnets?

[Anonymous]

At the BOE candidates forum last night, several candidates voiced support for whole magnet schools. (I think it was in the context of keeping students at the local schools and in reducing the schism within a school between magnet and non-magmet students.)

What exactly are whole magnet schools?

Would it mean that they set aside a school only for magnet students (more seats?)?

Would it mean that everybody at the local school is taking "magnet" classes? (I don't know if they're still doing this, but when my kids were in middle school, MCPS was adding new "advanced" classes to the middle school program, but the advanced classes were meant for all.)

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/blogs/families-call-for-big-changes-at-mcps-middle-school/

Would it mean that they do away with countywide magnet programs and instead offer "magnet" courses for students at their local elementary?

What would be the overall effect of this movement in the magnet program? I think the current magnet program is outstanding, but needs more seats. I don't know if this "whole school magnet" emphasis would be great or disastrous. Please educate me.

[Anonymous]

Whole school magnet means the school would have no specific boundaries. It could be academically competitive or just have a focus (like the arts or language immersion or tech). I assume there would be some type of bussing. It would not necessarily have any effect on the current gifted programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whole school magnet means the school would have no specific boundaries. It could be academically competitive or just have a focus (like the arts or language immersion or tech). I assume there would be some type of bussing. It would not necessarily have any effect on the current gifted programs.

Sounds expensive given the bussing requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whole school magnet means the school would have no specific boundaries. It could be academically competitive or just have a focus (like the arts or language immersion or tech). I assume there would be some type of bussing. It would not necessarily have any effect on the current gifted programs.

Sounds expensive given the bussing requirements.

No more than bussing for RM IB which busses from the whole county.

[Anonymous]

In our old district there was an International Bac whole school magnet and a performing arts whole school magnet. Within both there were honors classes, but all the kids were in the IB program or in one of the arts tracks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whole school magnet means the school would have no specific boundaries. It could be academically competitive or just have a focus (like the arts or language immersion or tech). I assume there would be some type of bussing. It would not necessarily have any effect on the current gifted programs.

Sounds expensive given the bussing requirements.

No more than bussing for RM IB which busses from the whole county.

Wouldn't a whole school magnet be on a much larger scale and 5X-10X more expensive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the BOE candidates forum last night, several candidates voiced support for whole magnet schools. (I think it was in the context of keeping students at the local schools and in reducing the schism within a school between magnet and non-magmet students.)

What exactly are whole magnet schools?

Would it mean that they set aside a school only for magnet students (more seats?)?

Would it mean that everybody at the local school is taking "magnet" classes? (I don't know if they're still doing this, but when my kids were in middle school, MCPS was adding new "advanced" classes to the middle school program, but the advanced classes were meant for all.)

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/blogs/families-call-for-big-changes-at-mcps-middle-school/

Would it mean that they do away with countywide magnet programs and instead offer "magnet" courses for students at their local elementary?

What would be the overall effect of this movement in the magnet program? I think the current magnet program is outstanding, but needs more seats. I don't know if this "whole school magnet" emphasis would be great or disastrous. Please educate me.

You have good questions. Honestly, I'd recommend you ask the candidates for their interpretation of them.

I am curious if whole school magnet would make 1 school for a particular subject area in the county and then it would free up the schools that are currently hosting the magnet programs. For example, in middle school, we have MLK Jr and Eastern for MS Humanities magnet... and Roberto Clemente and Takoma Park for Science/Math/Comp Sci magnet. These schools all have their in-bounds population, as well. Would MCPS be combing them based on subject area OR location into 1 school? (Would it be an existing school? Would it be a newly constructed school? Would it be in a more centralized location?) Would the students that leave MLK Jr (for example) for the new school/location then allow other kids to attend (under the new FAA)?

[Anonymous]

I thought a whole school magnet was something like Parkland or Argyle middle schools, where all the students at the school participate in the specialized programming that the school offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought a whole school magnet was something like Parkland or Argyle middle schools, where all the students at the school participate in the specialized programming that the school offers.

That's my understanding. It is like TJ - an entire school of magnet students. There were some on the table for the new Woodward HS, if I recall. Another STEM magnet or a performing arts magnet.

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure they mean whole school magnets where all students in the school can participate- more like the MSMC schools, not like TJ where all students in the school are bussed from elsewhere to attend a special school that is local to no-one-- but I didn't hear the term used in context at the meeting to be sure.

[Anonymous]

Poolesville is a whole school Magnet. Not sure what that means but perhaps parents from upcounty know more than me?

[Anonymous]

Isn’t Parkland MS technically a whole school magnet for aerospace or some other science?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poolesville is a whole school Magnet. Not sure what that means but perhaps parents from upcounty know more than me?

You're right. It's a whole school magnet. The website says it is "the only whole school magnet in Montgomery County." Maybe they left out "at high school level?"

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/poolesvillehs/about/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whole school magnet means the school would have no specific boundaries. It could be academically competitive or just have a focus (like the arts or language immersion or tech). I assume there would be some type of bussing. It would not necessarily have any effect on the current gifted programs.

Sounds expensive given the bussing requirements.

Sounds asinine given how damn large the county is and how long most routes take in Wash DC area rush hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poolesville is a whole school Magnet. Not sure what that means but perhaps parents from upcounty know more than me?

where is poolesville? what companies are there to work at?