TPMS is killing the arts, the magnet program, and the autism program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

Wow. This is so well said.

Yes exactly.

And yet, so completely wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

You are misunderstanding that other schools also have eight periods. There are other ways to structure this.

You are also misunderstanding that all students can go “back” to a different school

You are also failing to understand that total teaching time is roughly the same for either model and regardless, having teachers teach 5/8 sessions would give them similar student numbers than 5/7

-most have 7 pds. Ours does.
-all students can return to their gen ed locally assigned program. If your local school is TPMS, even easier for you! Or is there something not good enough for you in the regular program there? Bc you’d be able to take FL and orchestra as you wish.
-you’re getting in the weeds about total teaching time. Pretty sure teachers understand how the demands and work would shake out in either scenario and they prefer 5/7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do all MCPS have the same education or not?

So sick of seeing over and over how “W” schools are privileged while TPMS and apparently Loiderman students take more classes than the rest of MCPS.

All middle school students should have the opportunity to take core classes plus extra electives not just a select few based on zip code. We should invest in all students not focus on a few students served by magnets.

And don’t say W parents can just supplement. Guess what? There are FARMS students everywhere.

Yes, all schools should offer honors for all to all students!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nearing the conclusion of a “community engagement” over changing the bell schedule where the teachers voted for the outcome prior to any community engagement, the process completely lacked transparency, the community surveys were a joke where questions were overtly biased and obviously meant to support a particular outcome, the consequences of the change in bell schedule where only clearly stated to “shareholders” when the process was too far gone, the administration refused to share the data from the surveys, the administration refused to provide information regarding when the final outcome of the “community engagement” would be sent to central office for approval or who it will be sent to, afterthought meetings to special groups such as the magnet program, and absolutely zero meetings with other majorly affected groups such as the autism program and other programs for children requiring extra enrichment. Not to mention the 14 page Google doc the magnet parents wrote in questions to per administrations request was never responded to.
The bottom line, the arts and music programs at TPMS will be shells of their former selves with little to no magnet students, autism students, or students who need extra support being able to access these programs any longer.
Parents are threatening to pull their children and many feel like it’s been a huge bait and switch.
Any family who is considering this school for next year and wondering if a long commute would be worth your child’s time, should think long and hard.

Every year, some parent posts some fearmongering nonsense to thin the herd and help get their kid into this coveted magnet. I guess this year isn't any different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

You are misunderstanding that other schools also have eight periods. There are other ways to structure this.

You are also misunderstanding that all students can go “back” to a different school

You are also failing to understand that total teaching time is roughly the same for either model and regardless, having teachers teach 5/8 sessions would give them similar student numbers than 5/7

Eastern only has 5/8 because one of those 8 is a lunch period. We have four lunches due to over crowding. If we had a big enough cafeteria, we would have 5/7. Students still have 7 classes despite an 8 period day.

What are the other middle schools with 8 real classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

You are misunderstanding that other schools also have eight periods. There are other ways to structure this.

You are also misunderstanding that all students can go “back” to a different school

You are also failing to understand that total teaching time is roughly the same for either model and regardless, having teachers teach 5/8 sessions would give them similar student numbers than 5/7

Eastern only has 5/8 because one of those 8 is a lunch period. We have four lunches due to over crowding. If we had a big enough cafeteria, we would have 5/7. Students still have 7 classes despite an 8 period day.

What are the other middle schools with 8 real classes?

Loiederman is on a block schedule. Lunch is not a class period, and the students take a total of 8 courses, with 4 meeting on any given day. Out of those 8, 3 are electives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

Wow. This is so well said.

Yes exactly.

And yet, so completely wrong

Those who teach certain science courses teach 6 classes. Clearly YOU don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

Pretty much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

You are misunderstanding that other schools also have eight periods. There are other ways to structure this.

You are also misunderstanding that all students can go “back” to a different school

You are also failing to understand that total teaching time is roughly the same for either model and regardless, having teachers teach 5/8 sessions would give them similar student numbers than 5/7

Eastern only has 5/8 because one of those 8 is a lunch period. We have four lunches due to over crowding. If we had a big enough cafeteria, we would have 5/7. Students still have 7 classes despite an 8 period day.

What are the other middle schools with 8 real classes?

Loiederman is on a block schedule. Lunch is not a class period, and the students take a total of 8 courses, with 4 meeting on any given day. Out of those 8, 3 are electives.

Same for Parkland - block schedule with 3 electives, but STEM-based. They take 2 science courses, so they really only have 2 elective choices as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why the community should have been engaged at all. The mistake here was in even paying lip service. The principal should have just handed down a fiat and been done with it. The teachers were apparently doing something that was well above and beyond and outside of their contract. They decided they no longer wish to do this. Why should the community be consulted? What makes you think that you have the right to demand that the teachers do this, and that it should even be an option on the table to keep? And if it's not a real option, what is there to discuss with the community? Were you actually dumb enough to think that your screaming and tantrums would cause the school to say, "Oh yeah, then we'll keep forcing the teachers to do work they aren't paid for, to placate you?", or that it would be a good thing if they did? Get over yourself.

No one is making you go to the magnet. If you don't like it, go back to your home school. The other 99.9% of the county who never had this in the first place is hardly crying into their soup.

Excellent response.

You can’t demand that teachers work well above contract for you. Simply meeting contract obligations takes far more hours than we are provided in a week. I’m a teacher and I work 6-7 days a week already. I can’t imagine picking up another class. That’ll do me in.

I’m guessing this was a decision made to keep teachers. With the shortage, administrators have to start listening to their faculty. There aren’t replacement teachers coming anymore, so you can’t just push out the complainers and find new people to burn through.

I'm really surprised teachers were teaching that much before this move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the situation at eastern and kids still go to the magnet there. Until more recently they had zero electives in 6th grade and kids somehow survived and thrived.

Regarding foreign language, I think it is the norm to encourage kids to start in 6th, however at eastern the vast majority (I’d guess 95%+) didn’t start until 7th at the earliest. If the configuration changes I expect their guidance on when to start foreign language may change also.

At the end of the day the magnet is voluntary so there is no obligation to do it if it doesn’t meet your needs.

Yes, this. Eastern magnet students have always had only one elective option. Also, band isn't an elective, it's an after-school club and there is no orchestra. But I don't hear anyone whining about this. Magnets are a choice program; no is forcing that kid who supposedly rides a bus for 3 hours per day to attend TPMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. I think I understand. TPMS up to now required teachers to teach an extra class beyond what teachers at other middle schools are required to teach. This extra work was not compensated. Parents like this perk and are used to’ better treatment’ than would occur at other middle schools. Now teachers say they are no longer very willing to teach an extra class beyond what they would teach elsewhere so the middle school will need to have a similar schedule to other middle schools. Parents see this as unfair in a negative way to them versus the unfair in a positive way to them that had been occurring. I do not think requiring teachers to teach an extra class will get MCPS wide parent support nor MCEA support. Parents of magnet students who choose TPMS based on the extra period can reverse this decision for next year and return to their home schools if the magnet no longer meets their needs. The good thing about the magnet is that it is optional so students can choose between what the magnet offers the year they are choosing to attend versus what their home schools offers. At a time when all of MCPS is struggling due to teacher retention issues, larger class sizes and underfunded special education needs, I do not see a will to protest over TPMS not requiring teachers to teach the extra period. At all middle schools, students have to make choices that limit their options for electives and it sounds like this will now also be the case for students at TPMS.

My guess is that as MCPS struggles with budget concerns that led to the increased class size guidance that occurred going into this year, the appetite for pressing teachers to work extra such as teaching an extra class is non-existent. My guess is also that it would be a hard sell for MCPS to justify hiring more teachers for one school to accommodate the extra period at a time when so many schools are suffering from overly large class sizes.

In a perfect world, all middle school students would be able to take both a foreign language and also another elective. In the world most MCPS middle school students inhabit, students must choose between the elective or the language. And now TPMS students must as well. This is not gutting the music/art program but rather making the program the same as at other middle schools.

Parents angry over the change at TPMS would likely get much more sympathy and support if they aligned with parents at other middle schools to argue that all middle schools should be structured to allow the extra period so that all students could benefit. Arguing that students at one MS are more deserving than students at other middle schools of the extra period is a bad look.

I do understand the anger a the ‘fake’ community outreach. It would have been better for parents just to have been told that this change was coming and to make their plans for next year accordingly.

You are misunderstanding that other schools also have eight periods. There are other ways to structure this.

You are also misunderstanding that all students can go “back” to a different school

You are also failing to understand that total teaching time is roughly the same for either model and regardless, having teachers teach 5/8 sessions would give them similar student numbers than 5/7

Eastern only has 5/8 because one of those 8 is a lunch period. We have four lunches due to over crowding. If we had a big enough cafeteria, we would have 5/7. Students still have 7 classes despite an 8 period day.

What are the other middle schools with 8 real classes?

Loiderman, Argyle, SSIMS others?

[Anonymous]

Ok so Loiderman, Parkland, and until this change, Takoma Park middle school students take 8 classes including 3 electives, and the rest of MCPS middle school students take 7 classes including 2 electives. Is that correct? If so, how is this equitable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

This is all correct. As someone inside the school community, I'd say there are two issues here, the content of the decision and the process of the decision.

The content of the decision is fairly defensible. Teachers were working beyond the contract, and it is their right to request a solution that would bring them back in line with their peers. Moreover, there's precedent (Eastern MS) for magnet kids to have only one "true" elective, with another elective taken up with magnet classes.

The [b]process, however, has been so very bad. I mean, the kind of bad that destroys parent faith in administration and damages a school community for years.[/b]

First of all, the decision was presented to parents as "under discussion" when in reality it was a fait accompli. So there were teachers telling the kids it was a done deal even while the administration presented it to parents as "opening discussion."

Then, there was a weird series of lies and half-truths that the administration presented, and then retracted as soon as the parents started fact-checking. For example, parents were told that the change to 7 periods was necessary to keep class sizes from going up, but we learned last night that the shift would actually increase class size.

Then we were told that the shift was needed because of a growing student population at TPMS, but that was also retracted when parents started asking questions about where this increase was coming from.

We were also told that no other MS has block scheduling, and that it is considered too difficult/long for MS-aged brains, but parents found multiple examples in MCPS basically immediately.

The principal told some parents that she was seeking a solution that would preserve electives, but none of those solutions were presented to parents in the end. Maybe worse, she presented three schedules, two of which were clearly chosen only for their impossibility and leaving the community with only one option. It was that trick of showing people two terrible things and one slightly-less-terrible thing and then forcing them into the bad option.

This has been incredibly frustrating. It's clear that the principal is basically throwing explanations at the wall at this point and hoping one will stick. It's doing an incredible amount of damage, particularly given that one of the benefits of TPMS had long been its strong administration. It was previously a very well-run school but the new principal is obviously in over her head juggling multiple constituencies (students, teachers, parents) and failing to facilitate communication between any of them.

This is absolutely spot-on. Thank you. I hope the administration and central office are reading this thread because they should be VERY concerned especially about the bolded part. As a parent I’ve completely lost trust with the school.

Bolding fail - i meant this part:

The process, however, has been so very bad. I mean, the kind of bad that destroys parent faith in administration and damages a school community for years.

I'm the author of that long screed, and I'm also a long-time MCPS parent. I have one in college, one in HS, and one at TPMS. With that kind of longevity, I tend not to get too worked up over things, but this whole fiasco has pulled me out of my complacency.

It is clear that the TPMS administration has a tough challenge - some (not all) teachers want one thing, and a lot of parents/students want another. Bridging that gap, particularly when the teachers are unionized and the parents are....let's say extremely involved....was going to be a challenge for anyone.

But it didn't need to go like this. If the administration had been forthcoming from the beginning rather than setting up a whole Potemkin Village of fake consultation, we might still be stuck with the 7 period schedule next year but the community wouldn't be fractured over it. Parents wouldn't feel like they they'd been lied to, and like they need to fact-check everything the administration says because we've found so many untruths and half-truths to date.

The bottom line is that people don't like to be told untruths, don't like to be manipulated, and don't like to be presented with a wall of bureaucratic language when they ask simple questions about things like class size.

It's kind of funny going into 2025, because as a federal employee I'm getting ready to "welcome" yet another set of political appointees that don't know how to communicate or manage, and who fall back on partial truths and manipulation when something goes poorly, out of lack of experience and desire to appear authoritative. I just didn't think I'd need to see that at my child's school as well.

MCPS is always gonna MCPS. They are professionals at gaslighting parents.

The gaslighting is intentional. Insiders call this the Moran Method.

MCPS - Moran Corrupt Political Scam.

Family tradition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the situation at eastern and kids still go to the magnet there. Until more recently they had zero electives in 6th grade and kids somehow survived and thrived.

Regarding foreign language, I think it is the norm to encourage kids to start in 6th, however at eastern the vast majority (I’d guess 95%+) didn’t start until 7th at the earliest. If the configuration changes I expect their guidance on when to start foreign language may change also.

At the end of the day the magnet is voluntary so there is no obligation to do it if it doesn’t meet your needs.

Yes, this. Eastern magnet students have always had only one elective option. Also, band isn't an elective, it's an after-school club and there is no orchestra. But I don't hear anyone whining about this. Magnets are a choice program; no is forcing that kid who supposedly rides a bus for 3 hours per day to attend TPMS.

TPMS is not unique, other schools have 8 periods too.

And the lack of two electives at Eastern is a reason why many people turn it down