Upcoming in-person boundary study & regional model "engagement session": how to engage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New presentation slides suggest they are allowing only 15 minutes of at-table, small-group Q&A.

They are going to make everyone listen to 45 minutes of presentation on stuff most of us already know?

Blair session in progress right now. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand experience tonight which will prepare us better for the Thursday meeting.

[Anonymous]

Staff spread out throughout the room, but we didn't have to sit through a presentation and could just jump right into asking questions/sharing thoughts. Lots of folks around Jeannie Franklin, who had a little mini mic so people could hear her, but it was hard to hear eachother's' questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Staff spread out throughout the room, but we didn't have to sit through a presentation and could just jump right into asking questions/sharing thoughts. Lots of folks around Jeannie Franklin, who had a little mini mic so people could hear her, but it was hard to hear eachother's' questions.

That sounds really disorganized (intentionally)
I hate MCPS so much much right now

[Anonymous]

Also there were so many questions and comments raising pretty obvious things that Jeannie reacted like she'd never thought about before. Maybe it's just an act but frankly I really think she is just not thinking about a lot of glaringly obvious issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also there were so many questions and comments raising pretty obvious things that Jeannie reacted like she'd never thought about before. Maybe it's just an act but frankly I really think she is just not thinking about a lot of glaringly obvious issues.

Like what? Could you give a few examples? Many questions/concerned raised on this platform had been asked numerous times in BOE meetings and zoom sessions. I can’t believe she had never heard of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New presentation slides suggest they are allowing only 15 minutes of at-table, small-group Q&A.

They are going to make everyone listen to 45 minutes of presentation on stuff most of us already know?

Blair session in progress right now. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand experience tonight which will prepare us better for the Thursday meeting.

It was awful. The MCPS staff employed a divide-and-conquer approach. People were pigeonholed into various classrooms, with the media center featuring Central Office administrators (not teachers) there to answer parents' questions about programs, not that this staff has first-hand experience teaching lately. Principals from nearby schools were there trying to find out information about what was going to happen with regional programs.

Look for the feedback room. That is where MCPS' chief of staff and chief academic officer were stonewalling the difficult questions tonight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New presentation slides suggest they are allowing only 15 minutes of at-table, small-group Q&A.

They are going to make everyone listen to 45 minutes of presentation on stuff most of us already know?

Blair session in progress right now. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand experience tonight which will prepare us better for the Thursday meeting.

It was awful. The MCPS staff employed a divide-and-conquer approach. People were pigeonholed into various classrooms, with the media center featuring Central Office administrators (not teachers) there to answer parents' questions about programs, not that this staff has first-hand experience teaching lately. Principals from nearby schools were there trying to find out information about what was going to happen with regional programs.

Look for the feedback room. That is where MCPS' chief of staff and chief academic officer were stonewalling the difficult questions tonight.

Good lord

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New presentation slides suggest they are allowing only 15 minutes of at-table, small-group Q&A.

They are going to make everyone listen to 45 minutes of presentation on stuff most of us already know?

Blair session in progress right now. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand experience tonight which will prepare us better for the Thursday meeting.

It was awful. The MCPS staff employed a divide-and-conquer approach. People were pigeonholed into various classrooms, with the media center featuring Central Office administrators (not teachers) there to answer parents' questions about programs, not that this staff has first-hand experience teaching lately. Principals from nearby schools were there trying to find out information about what was going to happen with regional programs.

Look for the feedback room. That is where MCPS' chief of staff and chief academic officer were stonewalling the difficult questions tonight.

There was a "feedback room"? I was there tonight and had no idea. I thought it was just the thing in the media center. How did you find out about the feedback room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New presentation slides suggest they are allowing only 15 minutes of at-table, small-group Q&A.

They are going to make everyone listen to 45 minutes of presentation on stuff most of us already know?

Blair session in progress right now. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand experience tonight which will prepare us better for the Thursday meeting.

It was awful. The MCPS staff employed a divide-and-conquer approach. People were pigeonholed into various classrooms, with the media center featuring Central Office administrators (not teachers) there to answer parents' questions about programs, not that this staff has first-hand experience teaching lately. Principals from nearby schools were there trying to find out information about what was going to happen with regional programs.

Look for the feedback room. That is where MCPS' chief of staff and chief academic officer were stonewalling the difficult questions tonight.

Good lord

My reaction too. The PRINCIPALS…. were at the community engagement session… trying to get information.. because they don’t know any more than we do??

[Anonymous]

Other questions for people who were there?
- Were any members of the BoE there?
- What about any teachers or leaders from the Blair magnets?
- Any idea if a video was recorded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Other questions for people who were there?
- Were any members of the BoE there?
- What about any teachers or leaders from the Blair magnets?
- Any idea if a video was recorded?

Laura Stewart was there. I would not know the Blair folks by sight so IDK. And no video, unless it was in the "feedback room" that I had no idea existed until just now (but I doubt it.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other questions for people who were there?
- Were any members of the BoE there?
- What about any teachers or leaders from the Blair magnets?
- Any idea if a video was recorded?

Laura Stewart was there. I would not know the Blair folks by sight so IDK. And no video, unless it was in the "feedback room" that I had no idea existed until just now (but I doubt it.)

Thank you. Just want to flag this where they posted that the sessions would be recorded and posted online:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/news/mcps-news/2025/10/upcoming-boundary--programs-analysis-sessions/

[Anonymous]

My impressions from tonight:
- Was definitely a bit chaotic and disorganized. I believe the media center was the feedback room mentioned above; it was divided into two sections for conversations about the boundary study and the regional academic programs. Printed posters of the slides were throughout the room and tables had additional MCPS staff explaining the different themes. The staff person I spoke with at one of the theme tables was understandably uncomfortable answering some questions - I do not envy the position that they were put in.

- Jeannie Franklin was answering questions but could not be heard very well. People were swarming her small corner.

- Jeannie said that the criteria programs will not have a lottery, contradicting something I heard in a webinar. She said the IB criteria program, for example, would have 60 seats for students outside the host school but visual arts & dance would have 30.

- Laura Stewart was in attendance and spent a long time talking with concerned parents. I didn't agree with everything she said but she didn't shy away from the difficult conversations. For the upcoming meetings in other regions, I would highly encourage people to reach out to their BOE member and demand a better format.

- Kristin Mink's staff was in attendance and handing out business cards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New presentation slides suggest they are allowing only 15 minutes of at-table, small-group Q&A.

They are going to make everyone listen to 45 minutes of presentation on stuff most of us already know?

Blair session in progress right now. I'm looking forward to hearing first-hand experience tonight which will prepare us better for the Thursday meeting.

It was awful. The MCPS staff employed a divide-and-conquer approach. People were pigeonholed into various classrooms, with the media center featuring Central Office administrators (not teachers) there to answer parents' questions about programs, not that this staff has first-hand experience teaching lately. Principals from nearby schools were there trying to find out information about what was going to happen with regional programs.

Look for the feedback room. That is where MCPS' chief of staff and chief academic officer were stonewalling the difficult questions tonight.

How did people know which classroom to go into?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other questions for people who were there?
- Were any members of the BoE there?
- What about any teachers or leaders from the Blair magnets?
- Any idea if a video was recorded?

Laura Stewart was there. I would not know the Blair folks by sight so IDK. And no video, unless it was in the "feedback room" that I had no idea existed until just now (but I doubt it.)

Thank you. Just want to flag this where they posted that the sessions would be recorded and posted online:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/news/mcps-news/2025/10/upcoming-boundary--programs-analysis-sessions/

How do they video recording sessions that are spreaded in breakout rooms?