Middle school magnets - criteria-based

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like letters will be going out to provide the results of the lottery. But was there any prior communication to let parents know if a child made it pass the central review and placed into the lottery?

No, you find out with the lottery letter. That's one of the things that's frustrating - if you were mistakenly not placed in the lottery, you can appeal it and get placed on the waitlist, but it's a lot harder for you to get a spot at that point. Would be nice to be able to appeal and have that settled before the lottery.

DP - it would also be nice to be able to express preference for a given program. My DD meets criteria (by grades and MAP scores) for both the math/science and humanities magnets, but has no interest in the latter. Seems like a waste to even consider her for it; god forbid the system take student interest into account.

Just make sure you don’t accept a seat in a program she has no interest in. Another kid will move off the waitlist.

If your child gets accepted to humanities and not math, go ahead Put them in the humanities prgm even if they are not interested…middle schoolers interest change over time….. And if they are not interested down the road they can always move back to their home middle school.

I second this. If it was us…we would accept it in a heart beat bc our home middle school has no real enrichment and at this point any enrichment is better than no enrichment.

No, we’re not putting her in the humanities program if she gets in. She’s not interested, it would be a royal PITA to get her there, she wouldn’t get enough sleep - and for what? Kids at our home middle school seem to really like it. DH and I aren’t making a decision to increase our collective stress levels for minimal benefit.

Let’s see how u feel when your kid comes home crying everyday bc middle school is so boring and the lack of enrichment drives them crazy.

Oh we are there already with ES - we supplement and that is the only way they are challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like letters will be going out to provide the results of the lottery. But was there any prior communication to let parents know if a child made it pass the central review and placed into the lottery?

No, you find out with the lottery letter. That's one of the things that's frustrating - if you were mistakenly not placed in the lottery, you can appeal it and get placed on the waitlist, but it's a lot harder for you to get a spot at that point. Would be nice to be able to appeal and have that settled before the lottery.

DP - it would also be nice to be able to express preference for a given program. My DD meets criteria (by grades and MAP scores) for both the math/science and humanities magnets, but has no interest in the latter. Seems like a waste to even consider her for it; god forbid the system take student interest into account.

Just make sure you don’t accept a seat in a program she has no interest in. Another kid will move off the waitlist.

If your child gets accepted to humanities and not math, go ahead Put them in the humanities prgm even if they are not interested…middle schoolers interest change over time….. And if they are not interested down the road they can always move back to their home middle school.

I second this. If it was us…we would accept it in a heart beat bc our home middle school has no real enrichment and at this point any enrichment is better than no enrichment.

No, we’re not putting her in the humanities program if she gets in. She’s not interested, it would be a royal PITA to get her there, she wouldn’t get enough sleep - and for what? Kids at our home middle school seem to really like it. DH and I aren’t making a decision to increase our collective stress levels for minimal benefit.

Let’s see how u feel when your kid comes home crying everyday bc middle school is so boring and the lack of enrichment drives them crazy.

My kids know that only boring people are bored. Smart kids, like them, find endless ways to stay occupied and enthusiastic, even if every single subject isn’t the most riveting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like letters will be going out to provide the results of the lottery. But was there any prior communication to let parents know if a child made it pass the central review and placed into the lottery?

No, you find out with the lottery letter. That's one of the things that's frustrating - if you were mistakenly not placed in the lottery, you can appeal it and get placed on the waitlist, but it's a lot harder for you to get a spot at that point. Would be nice to be able to appeal and have that settled before the lottery.

DP - it would also be nice to be able to express preference for a given program. My DD meets criteria (by grades and MAP scores) for both the math/science and humanities magnets, but has no interest in the latter. Seems like a waste to even consider her for it; god forbid the system take student interest into account.

Just make sure you don’t accept a seat in a program she has no interest in. Another kid will move off the waitlist.

If your child gets accepted to humanities and not math, go ahead Put them in the humanities prgm even if they are not interested…middle schoolers interest change over time….. And if they are not interested down the road they can always move back to their home middle school.

I second this. If it was us…we would accept it in a heart beat bc our home middle school has no real enrichment and at this point any enrichment is better than no enrichment.

No, we’re not putting her in the humanities program if she gets in. She’s not interested, it would be a royal PITA to get her there, she wouldn’t get enough sleep - and for what? Kids at our home middle school seem to really like it. DH and I aren’t making a decision to increase our collective stress levels for minimal benefit.

Let’s see how u feel when your kid comes home crying everyday bc middle school is so boring and the lack of enrichment drives them crazy.

My kids know that only boring people are bored. Smart kids, like them, find endless ways to stay occupied and enthusiastic, even if every single subject isn’t the most riveting.

Mcps definitely likes parents like you that think this way. You do you, boo. You should quit tour day job And consider being a mcps spokesperson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like letters will be going out to provide the results of the lottery. But was there any prior communication to let parents know if a child made it pass the central review and placed into the lottery?

No, you find out with the lottery letter. That's one of the things that's frustrating - if you were mistakenly not placed in the lottery, you can appeal it and get placed on the waitlist, but it's a lot harder for you to get a spot at that point. Would be nice to be able to appeal and have that settled before the lottery.

DP - it would also be nice to be able to express preference for a given program. My DD meets criteria (by grades and MAP scores) for both the math/science and humanities magnets, but has no interest in the latter. Seems like a waste to even consider her for it; god forbid the system take student interest into account.

Just make sure you don’t accept a seat in a program she has no interest in. Another kid will move off the waitlist.

If your child gets accepted to humanities and not math, go ahead Put them in the humanities prgm even if they are not interested…middle schoolers interest change over time….. And if they are not interested down the road they can always move back to their home middle school.

I second this. If it was us…we would accept it in a heart beat bc our home middle school has no real enrichment and at this point any enrichment is better than no enrichment.

No, we’re not putting her in the humanities program if she gets in. She’s not interested, it would be a royal PITA to get her there, she wouldn’t get enough sleep - and for what? Kids at our home middle school seem to really like it. DH and I aren’t making a decision to increase our collective stress levels for minimal benefit.

Let’s see how u feel when your kid comes home crying everyday bc middle school is so boring and the lack of enrichment drives them crazy.

My kids know that only boring people are bored. Smart kids, like them, find endless ways to stay occupied and enthusiastic, even if every single subject isn’t the most riveting.

Very true, but sadly many entitled parents expect the county to raise their kids and parent for them.

[Anonymous]

Someone needs to tell TPMS that the magnet results aren’t out yet. They have the open house for newly admitted students next Thursday.

[Anonymous]

So when do we think they will send the letters? My guess is that they don't want to get complaint calls from parents, so they will arrive on a weekend. I'm guessing they mail them Thursday afternoon the 26th and they arrive on the 28th. Central office is so disorganized that they won't tell TPMS that and no one will show up for the open house next week.

[Anonymous]

Eastern apparently rescheduled its open house, too.

[Anonymous]

I wonder it seems inappropriate to send kids who are scoring in the 60th percentile nationally into AIM, let along middle school math/science magnets. That seems like you are setting them up for extreme stress at the very least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder it seems inappropriate to send kids who are scoring in the 60th percentile nationally into AIM, let along middle school math/science magnets. That seems like you are setting them up for extreme stress at the very least.

A family can always ask for a less- challenging class if they think their kid would be overwhelmed, or they can always step back from AIM to 6+ after a quarter. This makes the most sense if they hadn't been in Math 5/6, but were added to the pool because of an A in Math 5, along with the other criteria -- less of a problem with duplicate content.

They haven't reconstructed a good way of identifying kids needing enrichment/acceleration. If they don't offer AIM to all in the pool, they'll necessarily miss many who should be getting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder it seems inappropriate to send kids who are scoring in the 60th percentile nationally into AIM, let along middle school math/science magnets. That seems like you are setting them up for extreme stress at the very least.

Many kids like that aren't actually even interested in the magnet and decline. Some that accept later realize that it isn't for them and they return to their home school In some rare cases these kids also rise to the challenge. Maybe that makes it worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like letters will be going out to provide the results of the lottery. But was there any prior communication to let parents know if a child made it pass the central review and placed into the lottery?

No, you find out with the lottery letter. That's one of the things that's frustrating - if you were mistakenly not placed in the lottery, you can appeal it and get placed on the waitlist, but it's a lot harder for you to get a spot at that point. Would be nice to be able to appeal and have that settled before the lottery.

DP - it would also be nice to be able to express preference for a given program. My DD meets criteria (by grades and MAP scores) for both the math/science and humanities magnets, but has no interest in the latter. Seems like a waste to even consider her for it; god forbid the system take student interest into account.

Just make sure you don’t accept a seat in a program she has no interest in. Another kid will move off the waitlist.

If your child gets accepted to humanities and not math, go ahead Put them in the humanities prgm even if they are not interested…middle schoolers interest change over time….. And if they are not interested down the road they can always move back to their home middle school.

I second this. If it was us…we would accept it in a heart beat bc our home middle school has no real enrichment and at this point any enrichment is better than no enrichment.

No, we’re not putting her in the humanities program if she gets in. She’s not interested, it would be a royal PITA to get her there, she wouldn’t get enough sleep - and for what? Kids at our home middle school seem to really like it. DH and I aren’t making a decision to increase our collective stress levels for minimal benefit.

Let’s see how u feel when your kid comes home crying everyday bc middle school is so boring and the lack of enrichment drives them crazy.

My kids know that only boring people are bored. Smart kids, like them, find endless ways to stay occupied and enthusiastic, even if every single subject isn’t the most riveting.

Sometimes the kids who find endless ways to keep themselves occupied are the most disruptive.

[Anonymous]

Looks like results won’t be out until early February now. I wonder if it’s to consider the winter MAPs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like results won’t be out until early February now. I wonder if it’s to consider the winter MAPs

no they won't

[Anonymous]

I thought I read lottery was run in December so it's all administrative stuff now

[Anonymous]

Maybe they ran the demographic numbers against the identified pool and found that the criteria they had adopted for the last two years was so easily influenced by families with means that they weren't getting the same mix they had seen last year, when families didn't have the criteria before their children were past them (and the year before, when the criteria were much broader -- necessarily due to pandemic impact -- making them easy to meet but harder to game).

Maybe, due to a probabilistic anomaly, the lottery run resulted in something so unrepresentative of the pool that they had to ask for permission to re-run it.

Maybe they have projected enrollments in advanced courses at local middle schools and found that there aren't enough teachers able to fill the need, requiring a scramble to put some alternative in place.

Maybe upper management is considering current-year changes based on critiques that have been proffered. Wait...who am I kidding, here?!? Maybe upper management is having central office administrators take time to identify whichever aspects of the pool/lottery data would support their not having to address the critiques as the results come out.

Or maybe, just maybe, there is a really good administrative reason, like illnesses among central office administrators or the same folks being pulled to another high-priority tasking, causing a delay in handling the various pool/lottery/notification steps.

It's only a few weeks, albeit ones that cause some stress. Clear and timely MCPS communication to families, while certainly improving on this subject over prior years, still is inhibited by Byzantine structure and is a work (hopefully) in progress.