Bethesda Today gives Josh Starr several quotes while downplaying MCEA, MCCPTA and petitions with 100s of signatures

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

And MCPS has no plans in place to improve those math outcomes. Somehow, dispersing RMIB students to attend their home schools or a new regional school program is supposed to somehow improve outcomes at lower performing regional IB programs.

Region 5 currently sends about 10 kids a year to RMIB. Even if they all go to Watkins Mill instead, it's not changing outcomes.

I do not think the goal of this regional model is for rich kids to go to poor schools and lift them up or whatever. They certainly haven't designed it to do that.

The goal is to do changes for the sake of changes to say they did something. The theory is that they can pull the smarter kids out of the poorer schools and brag about that while ignoing that plan also creates a greater divide and sets up more schools to decline.

It seems to me the Black and Brown coalition/administration wants to cut off the usual pipelines to Blair and whatever other programs they have been jealous of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

Only 40% of MCPS seniors graduate proficient in math. This is the school system we all send our kids to. Those with education/resources see when our kids are failing and help our kids either ourselves or hire tutors.

And instead of addressing this fact, MCPS is squandering resources patching together 100 regional HS programs with homemade curriculum and an inequitable transportation plan that requires students to travel to home high schools to catch a bus to their regional high school, something that will greatly depress regional program sign-ups. We have wasted too many resources on this already.

But this is not a fact.

So the MD school report card is incorrect or do you just believe that the tests are wrong, colleges aren't actually needing to remediate, and everything is fine and dandy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

Only 40% of MCPS seniors graduate proficient in math. This is the school system we all send our kids to. Those with education/resources see when our kids are failing and help our kids either ourselves or hire tutors.

Wrong

That is what the MD school report card says. You can say it's wrong all you want, doesn't change the reality.

[Anonymous]

Most students at Montgomery College are required to complete one or more developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses required for a degree. In 2011, 73 percent of all students new to the college required remediation in math and 29 to 35 percent required remediation in English or reading. Across subject areas, remediation rates were higher for recent high school graduates than for older ones and among Black and Latino students compared to White and Asian students.

Yes, this is old data. No, there is literally no reason to believe this has gotten any better, and many reasons to believe it has gotten worse.

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=12275&Dept=1#:~:text=Most%20students%20at%20Montgomery%20College,to%20White%20and%20Asian%20students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

Only 40% of MCPS seniors graduate proficient in math. This is the school system we all send our kids to. Those with education/resources see when our kids are failing and help our kids either ourselves or hire tutors.

Wrong

That is what the MD school report card says. You can say it's wrong all you want, doesn't change the reality.

You might want the MD school report again.
Slowly this time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most students at Montgomery College are required to complete one or more developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses required for a degree. In 2011, 73 percent of all students new to the college required remediation in math and 29 to 35 percent required remediation in English or reading. Across subject areas, remediation rates were higher for recent high school graduates than for older ones and among Black and Latino students compared to White and Asian students.

Yes, this is old data. No, there is literally no reason to believe this has gotten any better, and many reasons to believe it has gotten worse.

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=12275&Dept=1#:~:text=Most%20students%20at%20Montgomery%20College,to%20White%20and%20Asian%20students.

Y'all not too bright

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The NAACP wrote a letter supporting it.

You mean Byron Jones wrote a letter supporting it.

That’s no different that MCCPTA. How many PTA members sign onto their letters? I’ve been a member in four different school PTA and the level of engagement from the delegate in conveying information between the county level and school has been minimal to nonexistent.

No, MCCPTA has two delegates from each school in the county eligible to vote on key matters, such as the regional programs. That's real representation. MCCPTA sent out a draft resolution on slowing the implementation of regional programs to help ensure quality, and all schools had the ability to discuss the issues. Delegates voted on this. If your delegates didn't present the issue, then I would suggest that you volunteer to do the hard work of community organizing, instead of mouthing off on an anonymous website.

If you believe that each school has two delegates represented on MCCPTA and ones actively participating then I have a bridge I want to sell you. There are schools in the county that don’t even have functioning PTAs and some with barely enough people willing to serve on the board.

That's because they are all unpaid volunteers who stand nothing to gain personally from sucking up to Thomas Taylor, unlike every single individual that has spoken publicly in favor of the regional model.

Most vote in their own self interests, just like Taylor, and aren't considering the school community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most students at Montgomery College are required to complete one or more developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses required for a degree. In 2011, 73 percent of all students new to the college required remediation in math and 29 to 35 percent required remediation in English or reading. Across subject areas, remediation rates were higher for recent high school graduates than for older ones and among Black and Latino students compared to White and Asian students.

Yes, this is old data. No, there is literally no reason to believe this has gotten any better, and many reasons to believe it has gotten worse.

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=12275&Dept=1#:~:text=Most%20students%20at%20Montgomery%20College,to%20White%20and%20Asian%20students.

Y'all not too bright

You don't care that in 2011 three quarters of students at Montgomery College had to take remedial math? Why? Is it because you are so above community college? Or because you practice magical thinking and think math proficiency has increased since then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

Only 40% of MCPS seniors graduate proficient in math. This is the school system we all send our kids to. Those with education/resources see when our kids are failing and help our kids either ourselves or hire tutors.

Wrong

That is what the MD school report card says. You can say it's wrong all you want, doesn't change the reality.

You might want the MD school report again.
Slowly this time

Feel free to cite the "correct" number and where you got it from. Mine comes directly from the district wide report card for MCPS in the second to last table https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/1/E/1/15/XXXX/2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most students at Montgomery College are required to complete one or more developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses required for a degree. In 2011, 73 percent of all students new to the college required remediation in math and 29 to 35 percent required remediation in English or reading. Across subject areas, remediation rates were higher for recent high school graduates than for older ones and among Black and Latino students compared to White and Asian students.

Yes, this is old data. No, there is literally no reason to believe this has gotten any better, and many reasons to believe it has gotten worse.

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=12275&Dept=1#:~:text=Most%20students%20at%20Montgomery%20College,to%20White%20and%20Asian%20students.

Y'all not too bright

You don't care that in 2011 three quarters of students at Montgomery College had to take remedial math? Why? Is it because you are so above community college? Or because you practice magical thinking and think math proficiency has increased since then?

Usually students go to MC as they cannot afford college or are not ready. That's not surprising at all. MC is not a good data source.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

And MCPS has no plans in place to improve those math outcomes. Somehow, dispersing RMIB students to attend their home schools or a new regional school program is supposed to somehow improve outcomes at lower performing regional IB programs.

Region 5 currently sends about 10 kids a year to RMIB. Even if they all go to Watkins Mill instead, it's not changing outcomes.

I do not think the goal of this regional model is for rich kids to go to poor schools and lift them up or whatever. They certainly haven't designed it to do that.

The goal is to do changes for the sake of changes to say they did something. The theory is that they can pull the smarter kids out of the poorer schools and brag about that while ignoing that plan also creates a greater divide and sets up more schools to decline.

It seems to me the Black and Brown coalition/administration wants to cut off the usual pipelines to Blair and whatever other programs they have been jealous of.

They did a good job of sinking Blair's magnet. Looking at its enrollment in 2023-24, the program had 440 students from across the country. Only 105 of those students come from the 5 high schools in Blair's new region one. I think that is a good forecast for future years. Unfortunately, the program needs at least 300 students to sustain the curriculum offerings.

Plus, it looks like MCPS is going to peel off Wootton at Crown to be in region 5, instead of region 4, where Churchill will be located. Wootton and Churchill area students are highly represented in Blair's current magnet cohort, so they could form a rigorous STEM program, but not if Wootton and Churchill are not in the same region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most students at Montgomery College are required to complete one or more developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses required for a degree. In 2011, 73 percent of all students new to the college required remediation in math and 29 to 35 percent required remediation in English or reading. Across subject areas, remediation rates were higher for recent high school graduates than for older ones and among Black and Latino students compared to White and Asian students.

Yes, this is old data. No, there is literally no reason to believe this has gotten any better, and many reasons to believe it has gotten worse.

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=12275&Dept=1#:~:text=Most%20students%20at%20Montgomery%20College,to%20White%20and%20Asian%20students.

Y'all not too bright

You don't care that in 2011 three quarters of students at Montgomery College had to take remedial math? Why? Is it because you are so above community college? Or because you practice magical thinking and think math proficiency has increased since then?

Usually students go to MC as they cannot afford college or are not ready. That's not surprising at all. MC is not a good data source.

About 1 in 5 MCPS students enroll in Montgomery College. These are high school graduates. Why is MCPS graduating kids who can't pass a basic math exam?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

Only 40% of MCPS seniors graduate proficient in math. This is the school system we all send our kids to. Those with education/resources see when our kids are failing and help our kids either ourselves or hire tutors.

Wrong

That is what the MD school report card says. You can say it's wrong all you want, doesn't change the reality.

You might want the MD school report again.
Slowly this time

Feel free to cite the "correct" number and where you got it from. Mine comes directly from the district wide report card for MCPS in the second to last table https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/1/E/1/15/XXXX/2025

Let me help you out.
Do you know which math assessment (MCAP) some kids take in HS? Which kids take that class in HS? Are they graduating seniors, as claimed ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They tried putting high profile programs in low income schools. How are those IB programs going at Watkins Mill and Kennedy?

I thought the Watkins Mill IB program was considered pretty successful? I know the one at Kennedy is not good and is generally avoided but that doesn't make all of them bad

Not sure I'd consider Watkins Mill successful.... https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DHXL5Z54F2FC/$file/MCPS%20IB%20Program%20Statistics.pdf

And yes, it's still a new program. But MCPS also hasn't done any analysis to determine what is working and what isn't.

Doesn't look that bad to me given nearly all the students receive farms

That's fair, but if you're a region 5 parent with a high achieving child, are you sending them to an IB program where only 17% of students are passing the IB math exam?

And MCPS has no plans in place to improve those math outcomes. Somehow, dispersing RMIB students to attend their home schools or a new regional school program is supposed to somehow improve outcomes at lower performing regional IB programs.

Region 5 currently sends about 10 kids a year to RMIB. Even if they all go to Watkins Mill instead, it's not changing outcomes.

I do not think the goal of this regional model is for rich kids to go to poor schools and lift them up or whatever. They certainly haven't designed it to do that.

The goal is to do changes for the sake of changes to say they did something. The theory is that they can pull the smarter kids out of the poorer schools and brag about that while ignoing that plan also creates a greater divide and sets up more schools to decline.

It seems to me the Black and Brown coalition/administration wants to cut off the usual pipelines to Blair and whatever other programs they have been jealous of.

They did a good job of sinking Blair's magnet. Looking at its enrollment in 2023-24, the program had 440 students from across the country. Only 105 of those students come from the 5 high schools in Blair's new region one. I think that is a good forecast for future years. Unfortunately, the program needs at least 300 students to sustain the curriculum offerings.

Plus, it looks like MCPS is going to peel off Wootton at Crown to be in region 5, instead of region 4, where Churchill will be located. Wootton and Churchill area students are highly represented in Blair's current magnet cohort, so they could form a rigorous STEM program, but not if Wootton and Churchill are not in the same region.

They can easily fill it but do the kids want to go there? Why do W kids need to go to a school their parents slam and wouldn’t live near except for the magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most students at Montgomery College are required to complete one or more developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses required for a degree. In 2011, 73 percent of all students new to the college required remediation in math and 29 to 35 percent required remediation in English or reading. Across subject areas, remediation rates were higher for recent high school graduates than for older ones and among Black and Latino students compared to White and Asian students.

Yes, this is old data. No, there is literally no reason to believe this has gotten any better, and many reasons to believe it has gotten worse.

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=12275&Dept=1#:~:text=Most%20students%20at%20Montgomery%20College,to%20White%20and%20Asian%20students.

Y'all not too bright

You don't care that in 2011 three quarters of students at Montgomery College had to take remedial math? Why? Is it because you are so above community college? Or because you practice magical thinking and think math proficiency has increased since then?

Usually students go to MC as they cannot afford college or are not ready. That's not surprising at all. MC is not a good data source.

About 1 in 5 MCPS students enroll in Montgomery College. These are high school graduates. Why is MCPS graduating kids who can't pass a basic math exam?

Most are low income or special needs.