Parents of current 7th graders - what do you think about the 6 regional magnets

[Anonymous]

I am parent from WJ region. I will not send my children to Kennedy and most likely neither to Wheaton. They will stay at WJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least current 7th graders will know what programs are supposed to be where amd what the admissions methods will be once they start choosing their high school options and applying. This year's 8th graders just had to guess in the midst of changing information. It was not cool.

But at least your kid can still go to an existing non watered down magnet.

Current 7th graders are scapegoats for this fiasco. I wish my kid was in 8th grade not 7th.

There is no way that the current systems can be replicated verbatim while new ones are rolled in. There will be funding changes, staffing changes, preparatory moves. I don't have a problem with the new regional model, but I did have a problem with not knowing with certainty which special subject areas were actually going to be housed in the longer term at the schools to which my DCC 8th grader had access. The rules and the rumors kept seeming to shift. Now that everything is filed I'm just hoping there are no more substantive changes, because we won't be allowed to adapt to them. It would have been preferable if everything had been introduced and organized several months sooner.

If your dcc kid is not at Blair or Wheaton, their only option is Mc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

No, not exactly true. Many of us are highly involved and supplement outside but there is only so much you can do when your kids don’t have the access to the classes. These schools may sink as parents will not send their kids without the classes and with the student reductions, that means teaching reductions which means more classes cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least current 7th graders will know what programs are supposed to be where amd what the admissions methods will be once they start choosing their high school options and applying. This year's 8th graders just had to guess in the midst of changing information. It was not cool.

But at least your kid can still go to an existing non watered down magnet.

Current 7th graders are scapegoats for this fiasco. I wish my kid was in 8th grade not 7th.

Certainly 7th graders will bear the brunt of impact but they are not scapegoats. No one is blaming 7th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

I have a BFF in the design team who shared the same experience and frustration with you. They were contributing numerous hours and efforts during high career instability (federal employee RIF etc), but felt a completely waste of time and extreme anxiety in seeing MCPS using their names as the scapegoats for “designing” the regions models. They were also on Taylor’s hiring committee, and regretted so much now. He seemed to be the best candidate back then and he promised a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

I have a BFF in the design team who shared the same experience and frustration with you. They were contributing numerous hours and efforts during high career instability (federal employee RIF etc), but felt a completely waste of time and extreme anxiety in seeing MCPS using their names as the scapegoats for “designing” the regions models. They were also on Taylor’s hiring committee, and regretted so much now. He seemed to be the best candidate back then and he promised a lot.

How awful and unfortunately totally unsurprising. At every turn they demonstrate their disrespect and disdain for everyone who doesn't agree with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least current 7th graders will know what programs are supposed to be where amd what the admissions methods will be once they start choosing their high school options and applying. This year's 8th graders just had to guess in the midst of changing information. It was not cool.

But at least your kid can still go to an existing non watered down magnet.

Current 7th graders are scapegoats for this fiasco. I wish my kid was in 8th grade not 7th.

Certainly 7th graders will bear the brunt of impact but they are not scapegoats. No one is blaming 7th graders.

I'm that poster. I should have said guinea pigs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

Fellow design team member. Do you like how they are now chastising anyone who includes other design team members on emails? They don't want us to work together to oppose their plans. I'm sure we won't be meeting anymore for the same reason. What a sham of a process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

Fellow design team member. Do you like how they are now chastising anyone who includes other design team members on emails? They don't want us to work together to oppose their plans. I'm sure we won't be meeting anymore for the same reason. What a sham of a process.

There is something more behind this. The question is what but it’s probably money, or something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

I have a BFF in the design team who shared the same experience and frustration with you. They were contributing numerous hours and efforts during high career instability (federal employee RIF etc), but felt a completely waste of time and extreme anxiety in seeing MCPS using their names as the scapegoats for “designing” the regions models. They were also on Taylor’s hiring committee, and regretted so much now. He seemed to be the best candidate back then and he promised a lot.

Taylor appears charming, but there is something off about him. He can't leave soon enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

I have a BFF in the design team who shared the same experience and frustration with you. They were contributing numerous hours and efforts during high career instability (federal employee RIF etc), but felt a completely waste of time and extreme anxiety in seeing MCPS using their names as the scapegoats for “designing” the regions models. They were also on Taylor’s hiring committee, and regretted so much now. He seemed to be the best candidate back then and he promised a lot.

Taylor appears charming, but there is something off about him. He can't leave soon enough.

There has been nothing charming about him from the start. He's been a snake. He cut critical programs saying it was budget and now gone on a spending spree. He failed at his promises of equity, transparency, etc. It was clear from the start but this is what the BOE wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

I have a BFF in the design team who shared the same experience and frustration with you. They were contributing numerous hours and efforts during high career instability (federal employee RIF etc), but felt a completely waste of time and extreme anxiety in seeing MCPS using their names as the scapegoats for “designing” the regions models. They were also on Taylor’s hiring committee, and regretted so much now. He seemed to be the best candidate back then and he promised a lot.

Taylor appears charming, but there is something off about him. He can't leave soon enough.

There has been nothing charming about him from the start. He's been a snake. He cut critical programs saying it was budget and now gone on a spending spree. He failed at his promises of equity, transparency, etc. It was clear from the start but this is what the BOE wants.

Taylor is making the most of his powerful position. It's good to be king. Some BOE members are running for elected office again. If they go along with Taylor, don't vote for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

I have a BFF in the design team who shared the same experience and frustration with you. They were contributing numerous hours and efforts during high career instability (federal employee RIF etc), but felt a completely waste of time and extreme anxiety in seeing MCPS using their names as the scapegoats for “designing” the regions models. They were also on Taylor’s hiring committee, and regretted so much now. He seemed to be the best candidate back then and he promised a lot.

Taylor appears charming, but there is something off about him. He can't leave soon enough.

There has been nothing charming about him from the start. He's been a snake. He cut critical programs saying it was budget and now gone on a spending spree. He failed at his promises of equity, transparency, etc. It was clear from the start but this is what the BOE wants.

Taylor is making the most of his powerful position. It's good to be king. Some BOE members are running for elected office again. If they go along with Taylor, don't vote for them.

There are probably powerful donors funding the BOE and county council elections who want this to keep their schools pure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how millennials idea of parenting is gossiping about how others aren’t doing enough for their kids while throwing in a few disingenuous virtue signals.

The schools will be the same + or - a percent, individual schools will perform and struggle differently based on their unique challenges and life will go on. Your kid will sink or swim depending on how well you parent.

I am one of the critics and I'n not just criticizing from the sidelines, I've actually invested a ton of time and effort into this process. I'm actually pretty furious about how MCPS sucked me into spending dozens of hours of my time on their sham "design team" process in the spring, at significant personal inconvenience, because I believed in the principles behind what they said they were doing and naively trusted that they would eventually get to the big questions and engage with us to come up with strong proposals. Instead they wasted our time week after week on hours and hours of unimportant conversations and then slowed down and stopped meeting with us when they started getting into the real issues and people weren't just saying "your plans are great." If our involvement was just supposed to be a charade anyway, then they at least should have kept it to a handful of short meetings.

+1

Last week, a volunteer on the design team emailed the group asking when the next meeting would be, with a list of topics to address about implementation. A central office staffer replied saying no one is supposed to used that email group for substantive discussion, just confirmations of meeting times and zoom links.