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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Robert Frost beats Takoma Park in Mathcounts
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Anonymous
| I do know some really terrific "math" kids who were on the wait list so maybe this will create opportunity for them. |
Anonymous
Race is not an explicit factor but MCPS has said very openly that their goal with the new criteria is to create "equity" and their measurements are race, FARMS status and ESOL status. FWIW, I'm an NP and my child got in. |
Anonymous
What a weird comment. So parents who buy homes in Bethesda zoned for Whitman don't really value their kid's education? |
Anonymous
It's great there is such a strong cohort at Frost. I think it shows no real harm done by new policies despite all the anger and upset. I do think the magnets should admit most of the kids without these mathematical manipulations. FARMS status should count for extra but the SES bands are simply an unnecessary layer on top to make their numbers work out to increase diversity. |
Anonymous
| ESOL is not as clear cut to me. In our area I know a number of kids who are ESOL because their parents are diplomats. I would think giving some extra compensatory points to kids on FARMS should cover most of those who are ESOL due to difficult circumstances. |
Anonymous
It's not a factor at all. Please stop spreading misinformation. MCPS changes to the admission criteria favor the truly gifted as opposed to the old system that was easily gamed by preppers. |
Anonymous
I think this person is trolling you, since those of us who live in Silver Spring have become accustomed to DCUM folks accusing us of "not really valuing our kids' education" if we don't cram our family into a studio apartment just to be inbounds for Whitman or whatever. The point is that families all over the county value their childrens' educations, and bring greater and lesser financial resources to the equation without actually caring less. |
Anonymous
Many parents believe that some schools notably the higher SES ones are much better than others. This new methodology simply accounts for this disparity and helps level the playing field. Now the most talented kids get a fair shot as opposed to just ones whose parents live in the most affluent school bounds. |
Anonymous
Ehhhhh....here's the problem with that. ESOL is a category the school tests for, but FARMS is a category that requires families to "opt in." Our east county school has seen our FARMS rate drop since 2016, and it is not because there are fewer kids living in poverty - it's because families have become afraid to fill out paperwork in which they admit to needing social services in the current political environment. |
Anonymous
Those schools are okay, but parents who really value their children's education live in Takoma because of the magnet elementary program that includes enriched math starting in grade 1, a local CES and the TPMS magnet set aside. These programs are head and shoulders over Whitman and its feeders. |
Anonymous
So, the actual OP just said congrats to Frost. The first contentious post was from this person, and I think your read on their intent is REALLY generous. But let's review the record:
If we leave aside the fact that this person can't spell Takoma, we're left with a post that obviously suggests the best mathletes are no longer being selected for TPMS. So, the fact that a bunch of really talented young math students were selected this year seems to argue against that assertion. Whether they choose to attend or not? That's between them and their families, depending on commute, priorities, and perceived benefit. Finally, in the absence of a whole school magnet, there is always going to be a "bottom half" of any group in any school. Even then, there will be a bottom half. However, the "bottom half" of the TPMS magnet is still going to consist of a lot of really smart kids, even if they aren't interested in competition math. |
Anonymous
That has to be right. Only the Frost kids care about the useless Mathcounts stuff. Too bad for them. |
Anonymous
Race wasn’t a factor, and explicitly wasn’t. But the universal testing, inclusion of factors like FARMS and ESOL, and cohort concept all clearly and explicitly were were intended by the county to address what the county perceived as a racial imbalance among those attending these programs. You have to be willfully ignorant to not accept that. Whether that means that the process identifies the “truly gifted” versus those who simply prepared a lot can be debated. The county’s goal cannot be. |
Anonymous
I think you're assigning motives to the county that simply aren't supported by facts. The biggest change was they considered something like 5000 applicants whereas the old system considered only a few hundred whose parents applied on their child's behalf. |
Anonymous
So basically Frost had a great day but isn't in the same league and this nonsense about admissions is a false flag planted by bitter parents. |