MCPS to end areawide Blair Magnet and countywide Richard Montgomery's IB program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

"More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming"

Correct, more advanced programming is fine but magnet should remain selective.

They’re still going to be selective, just not as selective as you would like.

I hope they drop the word "magnet" from the title. This ain't no magnet programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So these will be like Blairs Academies?

That’s definitely what the descriptions sound like. Which is interesting and will be a great option for many students, but hardly comparable to the Blair magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

Please explain what you mean by "highly successful" and why they need to stay at their current locations and not be expanded. Will the current students not do well at other locations?

Different person by the way.

Blair SMCS has courses that are "more advanced," but are actually unique and taught by very skilled teachers. Spreading the program thin into 5 regions would kill it. It would just be an illusion of "expanding opportunity." The program would just end up being like honors for all.

Also, these magnets are successful because they have many highly motivated and high achieving students in 1 program. That is why Blair has consistently been at the top of the nation in terms of academics and competitions. It is also why Blair's students are able to organize clubs and tournaments for the community, like their math tournament, which gets a few hundred participants every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

"More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming"

Correct, more advanced programming is fine but magnet should remain selective.

At the high school level there are already programs available for about 10 percent of kids. Some of those have trouble filling spaces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

The top 1-2% deserve their own program. The rest of the smart kids have access to AP or IB already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

The top 1-2% deserve their own program. The rest of the smart kids have access to AP or IB already.

Ib is not that advanced. Not all kids have access to ap or advanced classes outside the W schools and a few others. We need more advanced classes at all schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

"More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming"

Correct, more advanced programming is fine but magnet should remain selective.

At the high school level there are already programs available for about 10 percent of kids. Some of those have trouble filling spaces.

They should advertise it and allow kids to fill those spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

My kid went to RMiB and a friends kid went to the regional Ib program. They dropped out after a year or two because the regional program just was not good and the school had a lot of disciplinary problems. RMIB isn’t perfect and they have their own problems getting qualified teachers. The idea that they can provide something of similar quality in six schools around the county seems to me very unlikely unless they start putting a ton more resources into it, which they won’t.

I also really don’t understand the proposal about the themes. So if your region picks visual and performing arts, but you’re not interested in visual and performing arts, then there just isn’t a magnet option for you? The themes concept seems dumb to me, if they won’t have a county wide pull. I come from a school system that has a lot of these specialized schools and they mostly are just gimmicky. I don’t know why McPS is always chasing the latest gimmick. Just provide quality education in the basics.

My kids will be done with McPS by 2029 so all this stuff won’t affect us much. But it just seems like a tremendous waste of money that could be spent elsewhere to constantly reinvent curricula and programs. Just pay teachers more please and do whatever else to attract and retain the best teachers teachers, including decreasing class size and giving teachers more breaks to grade papers and develop lesson plans! That’s all any of us really want, not gimmicky themed programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

The top 1-2% deserve their own program. The rest of the smart kids have access to AP or IB already.

Ib is not that advanced. Not all kids have access to ap or advanced classes outside the W schools and a few others. We need more advanced classes at all schools.

Every HS has AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

"More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming"

Correct, more advanced programming is fine but magnet should remain selective.

They’re still going to be selective, just not as selective as you would like.

I hope they drop the word "magnet" from the title. This ain't no magnet programs

Magnet is a broad term that encompasses many types of programs and admissions methods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

My kid went to RMiB and a friends kid went to the regional Ib program. They dropped out after a year or two because the regional program just was not good and the school had a lot of disciplinary problems. RMIB isn’t perfect and they have their own problems getting qualified teachers. The idea that they can provide something of similar quality in six schools around the county seems to me very unlikely unless they start putting a ton more resources into it, which they won’t.

I also really don’t understand the proposal about the themes. So if your region picks visual and performing arts, but you’re not interested in visual and performing arts, then there just isn’t a magnet option for you? The themes concept seems dumb to me, if they won’t have a county wide pull. I come from a school system that has a lot of these specialized schools and they mostly are just gimmicky. I don’t know why McPS is always chasing the latest gimmick. Just provide quality education in the basics.

My kids will be done with McPS by 2029 so all this stuff won’t affect us much. But it just seems like a tremendous waste of money that could be spent elsewhere to constantly reinvent curricula and programs. Just pay teachers more please and do whatever else to attract and retain the best teachers teachers, including decreasing class size and giving teachers more breaks to grade papers and develop lesson plans! That’s all any of us really want, not gimmicky themed programs.

It’s just tremendous to me that MCPS is deliberately ruining its top academic programs. Just wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

Would this work any better if you keep Blair countywide and add regional SMCSes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

My kid went to RMiB and a friends kid went to the regional Ib program. They dropped out after a year or two because the regional program just was not good and the school had a lot of disciplinary problems. RMIB isn’t perfect and they have their own problems getting qualified teachers. The idea that they can provide something of similar quality in six schools around the county seems to me very unlikely unless they start putting a ton more resources into it, which they won’t.

I also really don’t understand the proposal about the themes. So if your region picks visual and performing arts, but you’re not interested in visual and performing arts, then there just isn’t a magnet option for you? The themes concept seems dumb to me, if they won’t have a county wide pull. I come from a school system that has a lot of these specialized schools and they mostly are just gimmicky. I don’t know why McPS is always chasing the latest gimmick. Just provide quality education in the basics.

My kids will be done with McPS by 2029 so all this stuff won’t affect us much. But it just seems like a tremendous waste of money that could be spent elsewhere to constantly reinvent curricula and programs. Just pay teachers more please and do whatever else to attract and retain the best teachers teachers, including decreasing class size and giving teachers more breaks to grade papers and develop lesson plans! That’s all any of us really want, not gimmicky themed programs.

What are you talking about? Every region would have a visual and performing arts magnet, a SmCS program, an IB program, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

Would this work any better if you keep Blair countywide and add regional SMCSes?

They tried that with RMIB and the regional IBs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you with young smart kids, you are screwed. You don’t know it now but by the time your kids’ are ready for HS, you will see.

People with young smart kids have had virtually no magnet access for them based on the current flawed MCPS approach of only providing magnet spots to a tiny number of kids countywide. If others are anything like me, we are freaking thrilled at the idea that MCPS might be changing this approach to provide more slots for more kids, and hoping it will lead to the same at the middle and elementary school level as well. More than 1-2% of the kids in this county deserve advanced programming.

The top 1-2% deserve their own program. The rest of the smart kids have access to AP or IB already.

As someone who was a top 1% kid in a small school system whose classes were with kids from various parts of the top 25%, with none of the fantastic classes or teachers MCPS's magnet programs have... these kids will do just fine being forced to take classes with top 5% kids rather than top 2% kids and no longer being able to take marine biology or plate tectonics.