Regional IB programs - four years later

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Don't expect an involved parent body, or a well-funded PTA, or very many of the bells and whistles other schools get. The kids can go to Europe with the English department, but that's a self-pay, extracurricular thing.

Isn’t part of the MCPS calculus that parents accustomed to bells and whistles will bring them along? or fundraise for them? or just buy them?

Yes. And the parents accustomed to bells and whistles do try to do that. But, I'm trying not to use blunt language here to describe the ways it can go sideways, but it can. There's a great article about a Brooklyn Elementary school, will see if I can find it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think, fellow Kennedy parent, that I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before.

One reason I ducked out was because I find watching the clash between the clash between people who expect their demands met and people who ask what they can do to help to be really depressing. The former always win, and it is not always helpful.

What demands do you think are being asked to be met that you think are unrealistic or unfair? I'm not sure I understand.

It's not the specific demands, it's that they are conveyed as demands. You think of your public school as something that is owed to you as a taxpayer. It's employees work for you, in a sense. This comes across in the way you talk about them. I'm not trying to be rude, I don't know if you even realize you're doing it.

I get it. I understand entitlement. And none of what you expect is wrong. We all want excellence for our kids.

But, there is another side, where people are working hard, and they need stuff. And they don't have enough stuff. And when you come to them with a list of requirements, it's more likely to be read as an indictment of their performance. And the thing is... you're not actually their boss.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude, but I've been on that side too. (Never as a teacher or admin, but I ran some programs at my kids' school years ago.)

When you add diversity of race, class, religion, professions, language, etc to all of this you need to account for that. I don't mean in a social justice way. I mean, something like the school play, if it wasn't good enough for you (I liked it), ask, how can I make this better? Should I show up? Could I volunteer? What stuff do they need? Maybe I should ask. Etc.

You're talking a bit out of both sides of your mouth here and I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish. So I'll just agree to disagree.

Because I'm trying to make you understand there are, in fact, two sides. It's not just about what you expect.

First of all, I never articulated exactly what I expect. When I asked you what expectations you implied I was expecting, you didn't specify. But instead you just said no one is to blame and that because it's a high FARMS school, things are the way they are and no one should complain about it or say it's not good or not working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think, fellow Kennedy parent, that I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before.

One reason I ducked out was because I find watching the clash between the clash between people who expect their demands met and people who ask what they can do to help to be really depressing. The former always win, and it is not always helpful.

What demands do you think are being asked to be met that you think are unrealistic or unfair? I'm not sure I understand.

It's not the specific demands, it's that they are conveyed as demands. You think of your public school as something that is owed to you as a taxpayer. It's employees work for you, in a sense. This comes across in the way you talk about them. I'm not trying to be rude, I don't know if you even realize you're doing it.

I get it. I understand entitlement. And none of what you expect is wrong. We all want excellence for our kids.

But, there is another side, where people are working hard, and they need stuff. And they don't have enough stuff. And when you come to them with a list of requirements, it's more likely to be read as an indictment of their performance. And the thing is... you're not actually their boss.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude, but I've been on that side too. (Never as a teacher or admin, but I ran some programs at my kids' school years ago.)

When you add diversity of race, class, religion, professions, language, etc to all of this you need to account for that. I don't mean in a social justice way. I mean, something like the school play, if it wasn't good enough for you (I liked it), ask, how can I make this better? Should I show up? Could I volunteer? What stuff do they need? Maybe I should ask. Etc.

You're talking a bit out of both sides of your mouth here and I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish. So I'll just agree to disagree.

Because I'm trying to make you understand there are, in fact, two sides. It's not just about what you expect.

First of all, I never articulated exactly what I expect. When I asked you what expectations you implied I was expecting, you didn't specify. But instead you just said no one is to blame and that because it's a high FARMS school, things are the way they are and no one should complain about it or say it's not good or not working.

Not at all what I said. Why didn't you articulate what you expect? Why did you ask me to do it for you? Come to think of it, that was odd.

And honestly, no *one* person is to blame.

[Anonymous]

Introducing: Nice White Parents https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/podcasts/nice-white-parents-serial.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Right. You've all probably seen this, but I thought it was really well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Among the schools that offer both AP and IB, about 2/3 of the students choose AP and 1/3 IB. You can argue the students vote with their feet and follow the more beneficial program. For the exams, IB has a higher passing rate, possibly indicating that it attracts stronger students.

It seems redundant to offer both, not sure the IB diploma is that much more of an indicator of rigorous high school coursework and they are essentially equivalent. For people that like to have choices, it’s probably worth keeping it.

The regional IB programs feel somewhat of a second rate choice, the very strong students don’t need it, and they seem to have a very persistent marketing pitch.

In conclusion, meh.

This but our school has few AP classes and no advanced math after calculus which is a huge issue.

There’s no advanced math after IB HL Calculus either. I’m willing to bet that the AP offering at your school is better than what’s offered in the IB program.

It's not called IB HL Calc. It's call IB HL Math Analysis, which is a two year course that covers a few years worth of math using applications. It delves much deeper into the math concepts that regular math classes.

https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/5895a05412144fe890312bad52b17044/subject-brief-dp-math-analysis-and-approaches-en.pdf

They offer this at Kennedy, to the best of my knowledge. Am I wrong? I have the dumb math kid who is in the SL version.

I'm really tired of hearing my kid's high school get bashed by people who would never send their kids there regardless. Hearing you bash Ms. Davis and the other teachers who have invested so much of their time into our kids is also disheartening. One thing I think most of you don't understand (I suspect most of you never had the luxury of understanding), is learning for its own sake is important. We didn't want our kid to take IB to go to a "top college," or keep up with W schools, we wanted them to go because the classes would challenge and interest them and play to their strengths. We wanted them to do IB because writing is something they do best. Taking AP exams is joyless. Learning, and learning how to learn is part of what makes an adaptable, well-rounded member of society who can find a job and be a good person.

When our kid got into Kennedy and not RMIB I was relieved. I didn't want them in a toxic pressure cooker in the first place, I wanted them in a collaborative learning environment with peers and teachers that "got" them. Kennedy has given us that. In fact, I'm not sure another high school in the DCC could have done it as well. I must note we are zoned for Blair, so that was an option.

I really liked the former principal. He came from a middle school that holds a 2E program, and he told me once that those were the kind of kids he thought could integrate into the IB: intense, quirky kids with tons of potential who needed a smaller environment than the typical chaos of a Moco high school.

I still think he's right. Those kinds of kids (they don't have to be 2E) have thrived.

We don't have one of the high flyers at Kennedy IB. Our kid has struggled for grades at times (as far as I can tell they're *not* inflated, they don't do that at FARMS schools, where parents don't complain), but Kennedy's done a great job of meeting them where they're at. They turned in their ToK paper and it was fantastic. They've learned executive function. They take school seriously. They're happy.

And they've gotten into six colleges, all with merit, all ranked from the 50s to 100 in US News and World Report. We're still waiting to hear from the reaches.

I'm so tired of how toxic this place can be. How mean-spirited so many of you are about hard-working people doing their jobs, and minor children who are working so hard.

My kid's sitting for the IB diploma. They did the work. Will they pass? I don't know. I don't care. It was the experience that mattered, college credit is gravy. (Most of the schools they're applying to only give credit and don't let them out of core requirements anyway, so it doesn't matter as much. If some of you looked beyond state schools you'd find that true at most of the better slacs.)

Again, six merit offers. Happy kid. I know there's a lot of you who can't say the same.

I'm an IB Kennedy parent as well and while I do think the program has promise, we can't bury our head in the sand and act like it's in a good place right now.

It's not. I don't know how much blame lies at the feet of Ms. Davis specifically. But I've had several interactions and encounters with her and she is pretty problematic, disorganized and chaotic. The kids are also very frustrated with her. Talk to them about what they think of her.

So while you're here doing PR on her behalf, do the work to talk to people about what they think is wrong and stop trying to dismiss the lived experiences of others.

The previous principal you're talking about, Dr. Rubens, was widely disliked and blamed for the neglect and mediocrity that Kennedy has suffered from. Ms. Adamson was brought in for a clean-up job.

You don't have to take my word it. Look at the MSDE Student and Staff surveys about the climate at Kennedy. Spoiler alert: It wasn't good. And that's an indictment of Dr. Rubens' leadership.

I'm not trying to do "PR" I've had a lot of interactions with Ms. Davis. I find she can sometimes get flustered and go off-tangent when talking to me, but I do it too. I feel like it's friendly, not chaotic or disorganized. I'm not crazy about the language you're using to describe her... Calling a person "problematic" has come to signify something quite serious, and I don't want to know why you'd go there. I suspect we would disagree.

My kid likes Ms Davis. Did you go to the school plays she put on last year?

Kennedy isn't perfect. It does suffer from apathy, although that looks less like checked out staff and more like overworked ones to me. It doesn't have a wealth of clubs and opportunities like you'd find at a wealthier school, but most of that is pure economics. With more money they could do more stuff. Kennedy isn't the first high FARMS school my child has attended. I suspect it might be yours.

With our kids coming in, Kennedy got a new parent association. Your opinion of Dr. Rubens would match mine of their effectiveness, and ability to integrate with the rest of the school community.

But none of that really matters to my kid. They're happy, they got into colleges, the colleges are giving us money, they learned things, it's all good.

Because Kennedy isn't our first FARMS school, it's also not the first time I've seen the culture class between people who are used to being treated like clients and people who are not. My expectations adjust for that. I consider that adaptation and empathy a life skill I want my child to learn.

Let me get this straight. You're holding the volunteer parent association to a higher standard than the staff who are hired and paid to run the school? You think somehow the PTA is the issue here and that if they'd done a better job at integrating with the rest of the school community as you claim, then what would have happened? And what are you aware of was done? Did you volunteer to lend your expertise and talents, since you believe they failed?

I'm not going to go further in about Ms. Davis and her flaws because if you are a parent at Kennedy and you think the school play she held was great, then I don't think you're in touch with real student sentiment about her. Or Dr. Rubens, clearly.

Yeah, I thought the school play was great. I saw a bunch of hard working kids, Ms. Davis, Ms David's own kid (because they didn't have enough people), and a very small audience. I was depressed about the size of the audience. Really depressed, actually. I saw all three performances. I've attended other events. As I said, there's some apathy.

But I don't think it's fair to lay that on the teachers, and I'm not sure it's fair to lay it on the administration.

I also volunteered with the PTA, and they are very well-intentioned. But, as I said, I think a lot of this has to do with your expectations meeting practical application in a FARMS environment. It's not that you should lower them--it isn't a lowering, it's not that the standards are lower, but they are different. Not everyone is coming from your wheelhouse.

If admin and teachers aren't responsible for the "apathy," as you put it, who do you hold responsible? No one? So the school is destined to be this way forever just because that's the way it is?

Part of the reason for the low attendance and participation of the play has to do with the disorganization Ms. Davis has demonstrated that you don't want to acknowledge and address. The play had low attendance because it was planned and promoted at the last minute. And it wasn't because people didn't want to do it. But she did it with short notice and not enough lead up time for kids to feel comfortable auditioning for the play or to get the word out to the school community for them to show up.

The kids and parents were frustrated by last-minute aspect of it, and again, just ask the kids how they felt about it and they'll tell you.

Look at the list of MCPS high school plays that are put out and promoted at the beginning of the year by MCPS. Kennedy's plays are never on them because they're never planned and submitted in time. For whatever reason, you think the admin and Ms. Davis is not responsible for this. Ok. I don't know who else you would hold responsible then.

How many times did you see it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think, fellow Kennedy parent, that I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before.

One reason I ducked out was because I find watching the clash between the clash between people who expect their demands met and people who ask what they can do to help to be really depressing. The former always win, and it is not always helpful.

What demands do you think are being asked to be met that you think are unrealistic or unfair? I'm not sure I understand.

It's not the specific demands, it's that they are conveyed as demands. You think of your public school as something that is owed to you as a taxpayer. It's employees work for you, in a sense. This comes across in the way you talk about them. I'm not trying to be rude, I don't know if you even realize you're doing it.

I get it. I understand entitlement. And none of what you expect is wrong. We all want excellence for our kids.

But, there is another side, where people are working hard, and they need stuff. And they don't have enough stuff. And when you come to them with a list of requirements, it's more likely to be read as an indictment of their performance. And the thing is... you're not actually their boss.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude, but I've been on that side too. (Never as a teacher or admin, but I ran some programs at my kids' school years ago.)

When you add diversity of race, class, religion, professions, language, etc to all of this you need to account for that. I don't mean in a social justice way. I mean, something like the school play, if it wasn't good enough for you (I liked it), ask, how can I make this better? Should I show up? Could I volunteer? What stuff do they need? Maybe I should ask. Etc.

You're talking a bit out of both sides of your mouth here and I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish. So I'll just agree to disagree.

Because I'm trying to make you understand there are, in fact, two sides. It's not just about what you expect.

First of all, I never articulated exactly what I expect. When I asked you what expectations you implied I was expecting, you didn't specify. But instead you just said no one is to blame and that because it's a high FARMS school, things are the way they are and no one should complain about it or say it's not good or not working.

Not at all what I said. Why didn't you articulate what you expect? Why did you ask me to do it for you? Come to think of it, that was odd.

And honestly, no *one* person is to blame.

I asked YOU to articulate it because you made a claim that my expectations were unrealistic. The burden is on you to explain the expectations if you're making a claim they're unrealistic, even though I never articulated a specific expectation in this thread, other than saying that Ms. Davis is disorganized and chaotic, which you took offense to.

[Anonymous]

You see disorganization where I see someone wearing a lot of hats, without a lot of support. Maybe that was the fault of the last principal, I don't know. There's a lot I don't know. Are the teachers paid for the after-schiol stuff or are they volunteering? Could parents step in and run some of that stuff, or are there rules against it? What are we allowed to do to help, what is needed to help, and how can it be done?

The last time I had this conversation with another parent, possibly you, they told me to figure it out myself and they were very busy because they had a very important job. Honestly, and I'm ashamed of this, that's when I gave up.

[Anonymous]

Can you start a Kennedy IB specific thread? Or something about the school play? Or just meet in the parking lot? At this point it seems like you two already know each other...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also think, fellow Kennedy parent, that I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before.

One reason I ducked out was because I find watching the clash between the clash between people who expect their demands met and people who ask what they can do to help to be really depressing. The former always win, and it is not always helpful.

What demands do you think are being asked to be met that you think are unrealistic or unfair? I'm not sure I understand.

It's not the specific demands, it's that they are conveyed as demands. You think of your public school as something that is owed to you as a taxpayer. It's employees work for you, in a sense. This comes across in the way you talk about them. I'm not trying to be rude, I don't know if you even realize you're doing it.

I get it. I understand entitlement. And none of what you expect is wrong. We all want excellence for our kids.

But, there is another side, where people are working hard, and they need stuff. And they don't have enough stuff. And when you come to them with a list of requirements, it's more likely to be read as an indictment of their performance. And the thing is... you're not actually their boss.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude, but I've been on that side too. (Never as a teacher or admin, but I ran some programs at my kids' school years ago.)

When you add diversity of race, class, religion, professions, language, etc to all of this you need to account for that. I don't mean in a social justice way. I mean, something like the school play, if it wasn't good enough for you (I liked it), ask, how can I make this better? Should I show up? Could I volunteer? What stuff do they need? Maybe I should ask. Etc.

You're talking a bit out of both sides of your mouth here and I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish. So I'll just agree to disagree.

Because I'm trying to make you understand there are, in fact, two sides. It's not just about what you expect.

First of all, I never articulated exactly what I expect. When I asked you what expectations you implied I was expecting, you didn't specify. But instead you just said no one is to blame and that because it's a high FARMS school, things are the way they are and no one should complain about it or say it's not good or not working.

Not at all what I said. Why didn't you articulate what you expect? Why did you ask me to do it for you? Come to think of it, that was odd.

And honestly, no *one* person is to blame.

I asked YOU to articulate it because you made a claim that my expectations were unrealistic. The burden is on you to explain the expectations if you're making a claim they're unrealistic, even though I never articulated a specific expectation in this thread, other than saying that Ms. Davis is disorganized and chaotic, which you took offense to.

Actually that's not what I said AT ALL. I said whatever your expectations are they don't matter (not in the sense they aren't important), but in the sense that you have them as demands. You assume you are paying for a service and you expect the service. For you, that's the end of the conversation.

How those demands get met, if they are reasonable, if anyone else wants them, who is going to pay for them, who is going to grind the wheat to make the flour to send to the baker to make the bread... none of that's considered.

I'm just saying, consider it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s great that they are trying to give smart kids in underperforming schools a better cohort.

Not only that it address the fact that smart kids live all over the county and not everyone wants to travel far in order to access a specific program. It also expands the number of available seats for a program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You see disorganization where I see someone wearing a lot of hats, without a lot of support. Maybe that was the fault of the last principal, I don't know. There's a lot I don't know. Are the teachers paid for the after-schiol stuff or are they volunteering? Could parents step in and run some of that stuff, or are there rules against it? What are we allowed to do to help, what is needed to help, and how can it be done?

The last time I had this conversation with another parent, possibly you, they told me to figure it out myself and they were very busy because they had a very important job. Honestly, and I'm ashamed of this, that's when I gave up.

I don't know who you had this conversation with, but it was not me. I never had nor would I ever say such a thing.

Again, my point in engaging in this thread was not to even bash Ms. Davis. I specifically said I don't know how responsible she is for the current state of the Regional IB program, but she is the coordinator of the program at the Diploma Program level (Mrs. Radebe does the MYP portion and she seems much more together and has stronger relationships with the kids). Given her role as the IB Coordinator at the school she IS responsible, to a degree, for the outcomes.

And a lot of the quality of IB programs at a school is dependent on the quality and leadership of the coordinator running that program. The RM IB coordinator has a good reputation for a well-run program with strong results. That's why people think it's good and the school benefits from that reputation by proxy.

I then shared, without trying to go into too much details, that I'd had some personal and direct encounters with her that colored my perception.

But let's be clear: There are problems with the Regional IB program at Kennedy. Whether they're systemic and the fault of Central Office, or the previous admin team or the teachers at the school themselves, I don't know. But I do believe it is on MCPS to fix it and improve it. Not the parents who send their kids there. If you disagree, fine. But that's my POV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You see disorganization where I see someone wearing a lot of hats, without a lot of support. Maybe that was the fault of the last principal, I don't know. There's a lot I don't know. Are the teachers paid for the after-schiol stuff or are they volunteering? Could parents step in and run some of that stuff, or are there rules against it? What are we allowed to do to help, what is needed to help, and how can it be done?

The last time I had this conversation with another parent, possibly you, they told me to figure it out myself and they were very busy because they had a very important job. Honestly, and I'm ashamed of this, that's when I gave up.

I don't know who you had this conversation with, but it was not me. I never had nor would I ever say such a thing.

Again, my point in engaging in this thread was not to even bash Ms. Davis. I specifically said I don't know how responsible she is for the current state of the Regional IB program, but she is the coordinator of the program at the Diploma Program level (Mrs. Radebe does the MYP portion and she seems much more together and has stronger relationships with the kids). Given her role as the IB Coordinator at the school she IS responsible, to a degree, for the outcomes.

And a lot of the quality of IB programs at a school is dependent on the quality and leadership of the coordinator running that program. The RM IB coordinator has a good reputation for a well-run program with strong results. That's why people think it's good and the school benefits from that reputation by proxy.

I then shared, without trying to go into too much details, that I'd had some personal and direct encounters with her that colored my perception.

But let's be clear: There are problems with the Regional IB program at Kennedy. Whether they're systemic and the fault of Central Office, or the previous admin team or the teachers at the school themselves, I don't know. But I do believe it is on MCPS to fix it and improve it. Not the parents who send their kids there. If you disagree, fine. But that's my POV.

You haven't actually listed problems that are specific to the IB program. I'm not saying you have to here. You have blamed one administrator multiple times, based on your personal impression. And I agree, Ms Radabe is great. My kid loves her too.

Were I to complain on a public forum about systemic issues at a school, I would list the problems, not name the employees. If I had problems with employees, I would complain privately. You've done the opposite, and I'm not sure what that accomplished?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You see disorganization where I see someone wearing a lot of hats, without a lot of support. Maybe that was the fault of the last principal, I don't know. There's a lot I don't know. Are the teachers paid for the after-schiol stuff or are they volunteering? Could parents step in and run some of that stuff, or are there rules against it? What are we allowed to do to help, what is needed to help, and how can it be done?

The last time I had this conversation with another parent, possibly you, they told me to figure it out myself and they were very busy because they had a very important job. Honestly, and I'm ashamed of this, that's when I gave up.

I don't know who you had this conversation with, but it was not me. I never had nor would I ever say such a thing.

Again, my point in engaging in this thread was not to even bash Ms. Davis. I specifically said I don't know how responsible she is for the current state of the Regional IB program, but she is the coordinator of the program at the Diploma Program level (Mrs. Radebe does the MYP portion and she seems much more together and has stronger relationships with the kids). Given her role as the IB Coordinator at the school she IS responsible, to a degree, for the outcomes.

And a lot of the quality of IB programs at a school is dependent on the quality and leadership of the coordinator running that program. The RM IB coordinator has a good reputation for a well-run program with strong results. That's why people think it's good and the school benefits from that reputation by proxy.

I then shared, without trying to go into too much details, that I'd had some personal and direct encounters with her that colored my perception.

But let's be clear: There are problems with the Regional IB program at Kennedy. Whether they're systemic and the fault of Central Office, or the previous admin team or the teachers at the school themselves, I don't know. But I do believe it is on MCPS to fix it and improve it. Not the parents who send their kids there. If you disagree, fine. But that's my POV.

You haven't actually listed problems that are specific to the IB program. I'm not saying you have to here. You have blamed one administrator multiple times, based on your personal impression. And I agree, Ms Radabe is great. My kid loves her too.

Were I to complain on a public forum about systemic issues at a school, I would list the problems, not name the employees. If I had problems with employees, I would complain privately. You've done the opposite, and I'm not sure what that accomplished?

I said it multiple times:

- Low IB passage rates (both on IB exams and IB diplomas awarded)
- Teacher problems with regard to IB outcomes (many kids say teachers don't teach or prepare them well for the IB/AP exams)
- Poor understanding of the needs and structure for IB to succeed by admin

There are other nits, like issues with counselors and schedules, but those are the main two problems with the program at Kennedy from what I can see. Again, those areas are most relevant to this thread since the OP was asking what the results are looking like with the first cohort 4 years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You see disorganization where I see someone wearing a lot of hats, without a lot of support. Maybe that was the fault of the last principal, I don't know. There's a lot I don't know. Are the teachers paid for the after-schiol stuff or are they volunteering? Could parents step in and run some of that stuff, or are there rules against it? What are we allowed to do to help, what is needed to help, and how can it be done?

The last time I had this conversation with another parent, possibly you, they told me to figure it out myself and they were very busy because they had a very important job. Honestly, and I'm ashamed of this, that's when I gave up.

I don't know who you had this conversation with, but it was not me. I never had nor would I ever say such a thing.

Again, my point in engaging in this thread was not to even bash Ms. Davis. I specifically said I don't know how responsible she is for the current state of the Regional IB program, but she is the coordinator of the program at the Diploma Program level (Mrs. Radebe does the MYP portion and she seems much more together and has stronger relationships with the kids). Given her role as the IB Coordinator at the school she IS responsible, to a degree, for the outcomes.

And a lot of the quality of IB programs at a school is dependent on the quality and leadership of the coordinator running that program. The RM IB coordinator has a good reputation for a well-run program with strong results. That's why people think it's good and the school benefits from that reputation by proxy.

I then shared, without trying to go into too much details, that I'd had some personal and direct encounters with her that colored my perception.

But let's be clear: There are problems with the Regional IB program at Kennedy. Whether they're systemic and the fault of Central Office, or the previous admin team or the teachers at the school themselves, I don't know. But I do believe it is on MCPS to fix it and improve it. Not the parents who send their kids there. If you disagree, fine. But that's my POV.

You haven't actually listed problems that are specific to the IB program. I'm not saying you have to here. You have blamed one administrator multiple times, based on your personal impression. And I agree, Ms Radabe is great. My kid loves her too.

Were I to complain on a public forum about systemic issues at a school, I would list the problems, not name the employees. If I had problems with employees, I would complain privately. You've done the opposite, and I'm not sure what that accomplished?

I said it multiple times:

- Low IB passage rates (both on IB exams and IB diplomas awarded)
- Teacher problems with regard to IB outcomes (many kids say teachers don't teach or prepare them well for the IB/AP exams)
- Poor understanding of the needs and structure for IB to succeed by admin

There are other nits, like issues with counselors and schedules, but those are the main two problems with the program at Kennedy from what I can see. Again, those areas are most relevant to this thread since the OP was asking what the results are looking like with the first cohort 4 years later.

Fair enough. The cohort should change the iB passing rates.

The second is something the IB director doesn't control.

And the third, what needs and structures do they need?