Can we get MCPS to allow fundraising for staff positions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with MCPS is the absolute lack of local control. It is way too big and all decisions are made by a school board made up of politicians who have no idea what goes on in the individual schools. I moved to MCPS from an area with local control of the schools and left MCPS to go to another area with local control. Nothing is perfect but the school board members in my district live in my town and their kids are either in or have gone through our schools. One downside is higher taxes. I sold my house in Montgomery County for $850 and bought a house here for $400 yet my property taxes went up by 40% (basically the same size house). I don't know what the answer is. Chicago Public Schools implemented local school councils. Maybe MCPS needs that for each cluster as well.

I completely agree. I grew up in, and used to live in a town with a town-based school system. It was vastly better than this county-based train wreck.

For the record, there are no employment taxes charged by towns. So yes, property taxes are higher, but the net tax impact is about the same as what it is here.

You're undoubtedly right, but it will never happen here. I wish it would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

You can find it funny if you want, but at least in the DCPS classrooms in the JKLMM's, they don't have 27 kindergarteners and one teacher in a classroom. You're kidding yourself if you think we have it better. Now, is there a vast imbalance in the schools from NW to NE in DC? Yes. Of course there is. But there's a vast imbalance in the schools in Potomac versus Eastern Moco too. This rule isn't preventing that. All it's doing is making sure the classrooms in the "popular" schools are overcrowded. Way to go.

"Popular" schools? Most students in MCPS do not go to schools in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, or Potomac. They are not the popular schools; they are the schools in places where you can't live unless you're affluent.

Use whatever term you want. You know what I mean -- the schools where they fill the classes right up to the cap limit. Some schools that doesn't happen because they don't have the same population.

This does not happen only in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac.

NO ONE SAID IT DOES. No one's arguing that only B, CC ,and Potomac should be allowed to do this.

People are, however, saying that kindergarten class sizes in the schools in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac -- or, if you want, the affluent areas in general -- are uniquely large. They're not. There are schools in much less affluent areas that have the same kindergarten class sizes.

[Anonymous]

"But now let's get back to reality and admit that the choices presented SUCK."

Ah! As in...."Sure those crappy schools such as Title 1 and Focus are just fine for some people but definitely not my kid so although i want small class sizes and there are schools in the county with exactly what i am saying i want - there is no way in heck i'm sending my kid there!"

DC happens to go to a Focus school and we're really happy with it. But the point is that you can't in one breathe say "well your schools suck so of course i don't want to go there" and in the next breathe be looking for any sympathy about your situation. Amazing...

As for the PP fixated on moving being impossible for her - multiple PPs have mentioned the COSA process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it depressing that people would rather have things be "equal" and poor quality than allow some schools to improve their quality of education.

I find it depressing that the affluent of our generation think it is a-ok to buy their way out of societal problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Should we prohibit the Bethesda school from having a reading group in K for kids who are reading at fourth grade level? Because there might not be a group like that at every school, so it's unfair? So those kids should just not be allowed to be in a group like that?

How is this analogous to rich parents buying themselves an extra teacher in their public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it depressing that people would rather have things be "equal" and poor quality than allow some schools to improve their quality of education.

I find it depressing that the affluent of our generation think it is a-ok to buy their way out of societal problems.

The affluent of every generation think it is a-ok to buy their way out of societal problems. Otherwise what's the use of being affluent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You can find it funny if you want, but at least in the DCPS classrooms in the JKLMM's, they don't have 27 kindergarteners and one teacher in a classroom. You're kidding yourself if you think we have it better. Now, is there a vast imbalance in the schools from NW to NE in DC? Yes. Of course there is. But there's a vast imbalance in the schools in Potomac versus Eastern Moco too. This rule isn't preventing that. All it's doing is making sure the classrooms in the "popular" schools are overcrowded. Way to go.

"Popular" schools? Most students in MCPS do not go to schools in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, or Potomac. They are not the popular schools; they are the schools in places where you can't live unless you're affluent.

Use whatever term you want. You know what I mean -- the schools where they fill the classes right up to the cap limit. Some schools that doesn't happen because they don't have the same population.

This does not happen only in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac.

NO ONE SAID IT DOES. No one's arguing that only B, CC ,and Potomac should be allowed to do this.

People are, however, saying that kindergarten class sizes in the schools in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac -- or, if you want, the affluent areas in general -- are uniquely large. They're not. There are schools in much less affluent areas that have the same kindergarten class sizes.

OMG. No. That is not what people are saying. People are saying "I live in Bethesda, and my K classes are too large, why am I not allowed to do anything about that when I am willing to do something about that?" I am sure there are schools in less affluent areas that also have large K classes (though not in the TItle 1 and Focus schools). I am ALL FOR letting anyone in any area fundraise for aides/teachers. Not as the ideal or best solution. The ideal or best solution is lowering class sizes for everyone, across the board, without having it be done by parent donations. But that ain't happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+1. Let's do what we can to attract high-income people to MCPS. It's a win-win for all. Let's allow parents to donate to aides in the classroom.

Attracting high-income people to MCPS is a win-win for all. In contrast, letting high-income people buy themselves better public schools is a win for high-income people. It's not a win for everybody else, though.

[Anonymous]

Let's just split the county. The eastern schools can have their tax base and staff, fund, and educate their students as they see fit. The western schools can do the same. As an added benefit during the winter eastern schools would not be impacted by western school road and the need to close for no snow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OMG. No. That is not what people are saying. People are saying "I live in Bethesda, and my K classes are too large, why am I not allowed to do anything about that when I am willing to do something about that?" I am sure there are schools in less affluent areas that also have large K classes (though not in the TItle 1 and Focus schools). I am ALL FOR letting anyone in any area fundraise for aides/teachers. Not as the ideal or best solution. The ideal or best solution is lowering class sizes for everyone, across the board, without having it be done by parent donations. But that ain't happening.

La majestueuse égalité des lois, qui interdit au riche comme au pauvre de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler du pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Here's another alternative, that people are ready and willing to do: give the parents at a school some autonomy to help their school. Shocking! Unconstitutional! But DCPS does it, so, I guess it isn't so shocking or unconstitutional."

They have the autonomy to volunteer currently and it seems like many schools have ample volunteers in wealthy areas. Now if you happen to be at a school where the principal does not allow that in a classroom, that's an issue to take up with the principal since it's not a county-wide rule.

Also i find it pretty funny that people are pointing to DC schools as an example of "things working just fine".

My experience with my many acquaintances who moved from NWDC to Bethesda "for the schools" is that they all think exactly like this poster. Confirmation bias.

Thing is, there are a handful of Ward 3 DCPS elementary schools, plus Deal, that are every bit as strong as BES, Bradley Hills, Westland, and the like. You don't like to hear this, because it doesn't support your decision 5 years ago to flee to Wood Acres when Chloe hit kindergarten age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"But now let's get back to reality and admit that the choices presented SUCK."

Ah! As in...."Sure those crappy schools such as Title 1 and Focus are just fine for some people but definitely not my kid so although i want small class sizes and there are schools in the county with exactly what i am saying i want - there is no way in heck i'm sending my kid there!"

DC happens to go to a Focus school and we're really happy with it. But the point is that you can't in one breathe say "well your schools suck so of course i don't want to go there" and in the next breathe be looking for any sympathy about your situation. Amazing...

As for the PP fixated on moving being impossible for her - multiple PPs have mentioned the COSA process.

You clearly have reading problems. A COSA *still involves changing schools and an entirely new social setting*. No, I don't think the Title 1 and Focus schools suck. Not any more than our school sucks. I think having to move and or change schools and commute across town for school sucks.
I have friends with kids in Title 1 and Focus schools. If I could do it all over again knowing what I know now, that's what I would do. But that's a lot different than saying "let's switch schools midstream".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's just split the county. The eastern schools can have their tax base and staff, fund, and educate their students as they see fit. The western schools can do the same. As an added benefit during the winter eastern schools would not be impacted by western school road and the need to close for no snow.

I can understand why some people who live in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac might prefer to live in their own separate county rather than in Montgomery County. But politically the chance of this happening is 0.000%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should we prohibit the Bethesda school from having a reading group in K for kids who are reading at fourth grade level? Because there might not be a group like that at every school, so it's unfair? So those kids should just not be allowed to be in a group like that?

How is this analogous to rich parents buying themselves an extra teacher in their public school?

The schools have to be equal, right? I mean, you shouldn't get a more advanced reading group just because you go to school in Bethesda! No fair!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's just split the county. The eastern schools can have their tax base and staff, fund, and educate their students as they see fit. The western schools can do the same. As an added benefit during the winter eastern schools would not be impacted by western school road and the need to close for no snow.

I can understand why some people who live in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac might prefer to live in their own separate county rather than in Montgomery County. But politically the chance of this happening is 0.000%.

Exactly. The Eastern half of the county knows it would fall into oblivion.