interesting discussion regarding abysmal decline of MoCo schools

[Anonymous]

Good discussion going on the local sub reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/comments/102jg8a/parents_of_mcps_students_do_you_guys_have_a/

MCPS sound like an absolute disaster. Zero accountability. Zero standards. Rapid decline of quality. How long until people with money stop moving to this county to flee all of the progressivism ruining the schools and county? The only reason property values maintained value in MoCo was always because of the schools. The discussion going on now with messages from insiders is truly shocking. MoCo looks like it is in rapid decline and once the schools go, what reason will there be to stay?

[Anonymous]

MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

This is Maryland. It doesn't work that way. You can try working on amending the state constitution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

Agree. There really isn’t another large school district that does well. It’s too difficult. MCPS definitely needs to be broken down.

Also, a complete lack of oversight does not help. Nobody in charge is ever held accountable.

MCPS isn’t alone. Plenty of other public school districts have been in decline the past 10 years or more.

[Anonymous]

Just clicked on the link. Thanks for posting. Most people make really good points. Unfortunately, our BOE and MCPS leadership don’t care.

Smaller class sizes and better discipline sounds like common requests that I think, everyone could get behind. Why can’t MCPS start there?

[Anonymous]

Parents need to take responsibility for behavior. They need to go back to textbooks and teaching. Not the current nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just clicked on the link. Thanks for posting. Most people make really good points. Unfortunately, our BOE and MCPS leadership don’t care.

Smaller class sizes and better discipline sounds like common requests that I think, everyone could get behind. Why can’t MCPS start there?

Except that costs money and a tax hike needed to pay for this will mostly go to create more central office jobs.

The bottom line is MCPS is about the same or even better than years past, the demographics of the county are what has changed. That has an impact on standardized test scores but doesn't mean you can't get a great education. People just need to accept and adapt instead of focusing on a past that never really existed.

[Anonymous]

There are public hearings on the new operating budget coming up on January 11th and 17th. Rather than posting complaints on reddit or DCUM, people need to show up to these hearings en masse and convey a clear message of what they want to be prioritized in the budget. Not just parents, but teachers and administrators too. And students.

[Anonymous]

So, I saw one just flat-out lie within the first seven posts about something I'm in a position to understand (whether Blair SMCS had been "dismantled") and it made me think that the other claims are likely also flawed.

If the one thing I know about is just a flat-out lie, I have to assume the other claims are also bogus.

[Anonymous]

Reading through the comments, it seems this is an issue across the country, and we do see that it is the case. There is a district in the midwest that is about to go to a 4 day week because they don't have enough teachers.

But, ITA, MCPS needs to do something. Stop spending time and money on coming up with new labels and nomenclature so that some people's feelings won't be hurt. If they really want to help URM, low income students, start with smaller class sizes, more services, and not lowering expectations.

[Anonymous]

I really think the decline is from NCLB. I'm not going to debate the merits of it, but the way it was implemented was flawed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just clicked on the link. Thanks for posting. Most people make really good points. Unfortunately, our BOE and MCPS leadership don’t care.

Smaller class sizes and better discipline sounds like common requests that I think, everyone could get behind. Why can’t MCPS start there?

Except that costs money and a tax hike needed to pay for this will mostly go to create more central office jobs.

The bottom line is MCPS is about the same or even better than years past, the demographics of the county are what has changed. That has an impact on standardized test scores but doesn't mean you can't get a great education. People just need to accept and adapt instead of focusing on a past that never really existed.

True. The demographics of Montgomery County have greatly changed over the past decade and that has had an influence on MCPS.

But that will continue to be the case. And the school system faces many challenges as a direct result of these changing demographics. Doesn’t look promising for MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

You can say that it is too big. You can also say that it is incompetently managed. Both are related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just clicked on the link. Thanks for posting. Most people make really good points. Unfortunately, our BOE and MCPS leadership don’t care.

Smaller class sizes and better discipline sounds like common requests that I think, everyone could get behind. Why can’t MCPS start there?

Except that costs money and a tax hike needed to pay for this will mostly go to create more central office jobs.

The bottom line is MCPS is about the same or even better than years past, the demographics of the county are what has changed. That has an impact on standardized test scores but doesn't mean you can't get a great education. People just need to accept and adapt instead of focusing on a past that never really existed.

Blaming it on “changing demographics” is just an excuse to lay the decline of MCPS at the feet of the black and brown students and not the incompetent administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just clicked on the link. Thanks for posting. Most people make really good points. Unfortunately, our BOE and MCPS leadership don’t care.

Smaller class sizes and better discipline sounds like common requests that I think, everyone could get behind. Why can’t MCPS start there?

Except that costs money and a tax hike needed to pay for this will mostly go to create more central office jobs.

The bottom line is MCPS is about the same or even better than years past, the demographics of the county are what has changed. That has an impact on standardized test scores but doesn't mean you can't get a great education. People just need to accept and adapt instead of focusing on a past that never really existed.

Blaming it on “changing demographics” is just an excuse to lay the decline of MCPS at the feet of the black and brown students and not the incompetent administration.

DP here. I don't think anyone is blaming the changing demographics. Or at least they shouldn't. The issue is that MCPS has been using the wrong strategies for addressing the needs of the changing demographics