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

[Anonymous]

What the title says -

Which high school is your kid zoned for and what do you think about the 6 regional magnets and the placement of the program your kid would be interested in?

[Anonymous]

Got a 6th grader, not a 7th. We're zoned for Einstein and I think we need to move or start saving to go private, since Einstein seems to be getting the short end of the stick and the first year or two of this is going to be chaos.

I don't understand why so many changes have to happen all at once?

[Anonymous]

Got a mailer from MCPS. Called "Program Analysis Overview for Families of Middle School Students." I suppose all middle school families got this?

But I don't see any actual analysis of programs, just claims that there will be new regional programs described as more choices, more convenience and more pathways to success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got a mailer from MCPS. Called "Program Analysis Overview for Families of Middle School Students." I suppose all middle school families got this?

But I don't see any actual analysis of programs, just claims that there will be new regional programs described as more choices, more convenience and more pathways to success.

Highlighted part should be "more inconvenience and more pathways to spend your tax money"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got a mailer from MCPS. Called "Program Analysis Overview for Families of Middle School Students." I suppose all middle school families got this?

But I don't see any actual analysis of programs, just claims that there will be new regional programs described as more choices, more convenience and more pathways to success.

Which is precisely why many parents who have been engaged thus far in this process are asking MCPS to slow down and/or provide more data to back up its claims.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I don’t know how the term “analysis” came to be used for this process. That under-sells what it is, which is a massive overhaul. Perhaps that’s the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I don’t know how the term “analysis” came to be used for this process. That under-sells what it is, which is a massive overhaul. Perhaps that’s the point.

It's because they were going to ask the boundary study consultants to also analyze programs and make recommendations on changes. Then that got taken out and handed over to MCPS staff who did the most minimal of analysis and jumped right into changes, but kept the program analysis name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I don’t know how the term “analysis” came to be used for this process. That under-sells what it is, which is a massive overhaul. Perhaps that’s the point.

It's because they were going to ask the boundary study consultants to also analyze programs and make recommendations on changes. Then that got taken out and handed over to MCPS staff who did the most minimal of analysis and jumped right into changes, but kept the program analysis name.

Thanks for that background. Yes, it seems like the 6-region idea was the plan straight from the beginning, before any analysis of the pros/cons of the status quo or consideration of alternatives.

[Anonymous]

I think pushback and pressure on this proposal is mounting. Right now, MCPS and the board are standing firm in shoving it down the public's throats. Not sure if that will get them across the finish line. We'll have to see how things play out over the next few months.

[Anonymous]

We are in a strong cluster with no desire or need to look outside of it for additional opportunities, little worried about the quality of schools being clustered with us. It looks like they will use us to prop up weaker schools which can only impact local peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got a 6th grader, not a 7th. We're zoned for Einstein and I think we need to move or start saving to go private, since Einstein seems to be getting the short end of the stick and the first year or two of this is going to be chaos.

I don't understand why so many changes have to happen all at once?

I agree. They should do a phase-in so that different programs open on different timeframes. They are biting off much more than they can chew, and students are the ones who will suffer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in a strong cluster with no desire or need to look outside of it for additional opportunities, little worried about the quality of schools being clustered with us. It looks like they will use us to prop up weaker schools which can only impact local peer group.

Haha, sucks to be a member of a society.

[Anonymous]

Anyone with concerns about the proposed 6 regions should keep emailing the BOE members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with concerns about the proposed 6 regions should keep emailing the BOE members.

Particularly Brenda Wolff, Grace and Karla. Those are the biggest decision makers on the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone with concerns about the proposed 6 regions should keep emailing the BOE members.

And Elrich and the county council.