Errors in the new MCPS program website

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet again, MCPS neglected business/entrepreneurship as a program option. I know so many high schoolers who want to go into business and have to do extra legwork to catch up to college peers who had DECA etc in their respective districts.

They are sorely lacking in stem and business. Business would be a good one.

They included business courses in all the arts magnets.

And all the arts magnets require kids to complete all 3 years of WL in MS when not every MS offers WL in grade 6 because they can’t staff it! The arts magnets also require kids to do health and tech credits in the summers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wanna have some fun? Look through the new regional program website for all the errors MCPS didn't catch before taking it live. My favorite is the front page on the button for regions where they left template text in so it says "This is a wider card with supporting text below as a natural lead-in to additional content. This card has even longer content than the first to show that equal height action."

"AP Enrollment in Music Theory junior year" is another good one.



https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/program-themes/

Ap music theory junior year can happen if you plan right but the joke is some of the schools don’t offer it with their music program.

What is musicianship? How are they going to offer these classes without more staff?

There is no new staffing associated with these programs (besides one program coordinator per school.) So they will have to cut staff from the regular high school classes that the local students take, in order to be able to offer all these program classes. With that combined with enrollment drops, expect the course selections offered outside of these programs to plummet. Electives will probably be the most likely place to cut, but really any course that was previously borderline will now probably be gone for local students.

There is no way to keep all the current local programming and do the new regional program well. They reality is that some local program need to be folded into the regional programs.

And whoever is the school program coordinator is going to need to be fully released from other teaching duties in order to be effective.

The coordinator positions starts in 2026-27 as a .4 FTE at each school. They won’t be full time positions until 2031. I don’t know if they’re expected to teach as well.

RM lists their program coordinator as 0.6 English/drama in addition to the 0.4 coordinator. Churchill has their 0.4 coordinator position listed as a stand alone position, but that’s won’t get you health insurance.

Northwood has their Middle College coordinator bundled with testing coordinator. Will there also be a separate program coordinator position? Same question for Kennedy that posted an IB coordinator position. If each i udiví duál prigeam has a coordinator at each school and each schooo has a program coordinator, that’s several adults not in the classroom teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me or are these programs not even close to the same, even though they have similar names and descriptions?

Environmental Science & Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/environmental-science--leadership/

Global Ecology and Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/global-ecology/

It's like Poolesville gets to keep the good ecology program and everyone else gets the Dollar Store version.

Like everything in MCPS they are trying to create a perception of uniformity and equal access, calling it "equity" and not achieving any of those things.

Who are all the community partners that will give hundreds of students internships?

I'm on the design team and we asked about that. MCPS plans to leave it up to schools to figure that out.

This is actually a critical piece. It takes a long time (years) to develop the internship relationships/programs that amount to valuable experiences for all parties. Geesh.

And why would these businesses even want to deal with HS age kids when they have a line out the door of adult applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can someone clarify whether a student has to select one of these programs? Can they enroll in their home school and take a variety of classes including APs but not specialize in anything?

For example, I think my kid would like a humanities program but Whitman is a treacherous commute. Could he just do humanities and AP english classes at Einstein?

Yes, they can stay at their home school. Einstein only has 2-3 ap classes for English. There are not a lot of AP classes at Einstein and the principal is not willing to add more. They may have added one for 10th this year but not sure so they’d have to do IB. They have to apply and be selected to go to Whitman. If they aren’t selected their only choice is Einstein.

Principal blames a lot on “not enough student interest” but doesn’t have effective course registration. We need those policies from OLO Report 2026-2 implemented ASAP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can someone clarify whether a student has to select one of these programs? Can they enroll in their home school and take a variety of classes including APs but not specialize in anything?

For example, I think my kid would like a humanities program but Whitman is a treacherous commute. Could he just do humanities and AP english classes at Einstein?

Yes, they can stay at their home school. Einstein only has 2-3 ap classes for English. There are not a lot of AP classes at Einstein and the principal is not willing to add more. They may have added one for 10th this year but not sure so they’d have to do IB. They have to apply and be selected to go to Whitman. If they aren’t selected their only choice is Einstein.

Principal blames a lot on “not enough student interest” but doesn’t have effective course registration. We need those policies from OLO Report 2026-2 implemented ASAP!

Serious question - what's wrong with IB English?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so much worse than the current system where everyone can apply to any program they’re interested in. Now we have crappy, watered down programs in the different regions (see engineering everywhere but Wheaton). This is not equity; it’s just an illusion of equity.

The only ones that will be watered down are the same ones as now that have principals who don't make things a priority. These programs aren't going to work at some schools. How do you put a program into a school that doesn't offer the classes or resources already when there is no dedicated funding?

Funding is only a small part of this issue. Principals do whatever they want without any consequences. OLO Report 2026-2 calls this out. Principals doctor up their own course bulletin, create their own crappy Google sign up forms that leave out half the classes from their fake course bulletin, and then counselors gate keep courses with made up prerequisites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After looking at so many half-baked pathways on that site, I am beginning to see the strategy.

Classes, teachers, that is all secondary. The idea is to create many mini cohorts of students with similar interests and hope that they will lift each other up. That is why they are adding random magnets with no vision on how to execute them whatsoever. They expect that kids will figure it out.

So people trying to nitpick about specific classes, and why is physics going before calculus, and why is business class in the art magnet, are just wasting their time. The architects of this model don't believe that is important at this stage and expect that kids will figure it out over time and that programs will evolve accordingly.

It is ironic that this approach is what some equity advocates resent the most. Their belief is that their kids are capable but don't have access to right resources. If only they had access to some class with a fancy name, like MVC, the sky would be limit. This model is telling them - the only resource you are gonna get is other smart kids; observe them and learn from them.

It is actually not a bad concept. However, it will not help introvert kids, and parents with no resources, nor energy and time, to supplement weak curriculums through extra activities (AoPS, RSM, ...) will stay frustrated.

Except they're actually killing the cohorts of advanced kids at home schools (except the richest high schools that aren't going to have large numbers of kids leave for programs and would still have enough advanced kids left behind even if they did.) And the advanced kids who'll be left at these weakened home schools will be disproportionately poorer ones whose parents can't drive them to programs at other schools. That's the inequitable part.

There aren't big cohorts now as many in the DCC leave for Blair, Wheaton or Private because of the lack of school offerings. These families will have to move or make do, like the current ones have to and there is going to be a bigger divide, especially when some schools could, but refuse to provide opportunities for all students. Farms rates will go up at these schools as families leave.

Private schools offer LESS courses. What are you even talking about?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can someone clarify whether a student has to select one of these programs? Can they enroll in their home school and take a variety of classes including APs but not specialize in anything?

For example, I think my kid would like a humanities program but Whitman is a treacherous commute. Could he just do humanities and AP english classes at Einstein?

Yes, they can stay at their home school. Einstein only has 2-3 ap classes for English. There are not a lot of AP classes at Einstein and the principal is not willing to add more. They may have added one for 10th this year but not sure so they’d have to do IB. They have to apply and be selected to go to Whitman. If they aren’t selected their only choice is Einstein.

Principal blames a lot on “not enough student interest” but doesn’t have effective course registration. We need those policies from OLO Report 2026-2 implemented ASAP!

MCCPTA should take a closer look at this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can someone clarify whether a student has to select one of these programs? Can they enroll in their home school and take a variety of classes including APs but not specialize in anything?

For example, I think my kid would like a humanities program but Whitman is a treacherous commute. Could he just do humanities and AP english classes at Einstein?

Yes, they can stay at their home school. Einstein only has 2-3 ap classes for English. There are not a lot of AP classes at Einstein and the principal is not willing to add more. They may have added one for 10th this year but not sure so they’d have to do IB. They have to apply and be selected to go to Whitman. If they aren’t selected their only choice is Einstein.

Principal blames a lot on “not enough student interest” but doesn’t have effective course registration. We need those policies from OLO Report 2026-2 implemented ASAP!

Serious question - what's wrong with IB English?

Nothing but some kids want ap. There are two ap English classes and one of the new teachers is excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can someone clarify whether a student has to select one of these programs? Can they enroll in their home school and take a variety of classes including APs but not specialize in anything?

For example, I think my kid would like a humanities program but Whitman is a treacherous commute. Could he just do humanities and AP english classes at Einstein?

Yes, they can stay at their home school. Einstein only has 2-3 ap classes for English. There are not a lot of AP classes at Einstein and the principal is not willing to add more. They may have added one for 10th this year but not sure so they’d have to do IB. They have to apply and be selected to go to Whitman. If they aren’t selected their only choice is Einstein.

Principal blames a lot on “not enough student interest” but doesn’t have effective course registration. We need those policies from OLO Report 2026-2 implemented ASAP!

MCCPTA should take a closer look at this.

MCCPTA only advocates for their pet projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After looking at so many half-baked pathways on that site, I am beginning to see the strategy.

Classes, teachers, that is all secondary. The idea is to create many mini cohorts of students with similar interests and hope that they will lift each other up. That is why they are adding random magnets with no vision on how to execute them whatsoever. They expect that kids will figure it out.

So people trying to nitpick about specific classes, and why is physics going before calculus, and why is business class in the art magnet, are just wasting their time. The architects of this model don't believe that is important at this stage and expect that kids will figure it out over time and that programs will evolve accordingly.

It is ironic that this approach is what some equity advocates resent the most. Their belief is that their kids are capable but don't have access to right resources. If only they had access to some class with a fancy name, like MVC, the sky would be limit. This model is telling them - the only resource you are gonna get is other smart kids; observe them and learn from them.

It is actually not a bad concept. However, it will not help introvert kids, and parents with no resources, nor energy and time, to supplement weak curriculums through extra activities (AoPS, RSM, ...) will stay frustrated.

Except they're actually killing the cohorts of advanced kids at home schools (except the richest high schools that aren't going to have large numbers of kids leave for programs and would still have enough advanced kids left behind even if they did.) And the advanced kids who'll be left at these weakened home schools will be disproportionately poorer ones whose parents can't drive them to programs at other schools. That's the inequitable part.

There aren't big cohorts now as many in the DCC leave for Blair, Wheaton or Private because of the lack of school offerings. These families will have to move or make do, like the current ones have to and there is going to be a bigger divide, especially when some schools could, but refuse to provide opportunities for all students. Farms rates will go up at these schools as families leave.

Private schools offer LESS courses. What are you even talking about?!?

No, they offer more in terms of higher level and advanced depending on the school and allow independent study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet again, MCPS neglected business/entrepreneurship as a program option. I know so many high schoolers who want to go into business and have to do extra legwork to catch up to college peers who had DECA etc in their respective districts.

They are sorely lacking in stem and business. Business would be a good one.

They included business courses in all the arts magnets.

And all the arts magnets require kids to complete all 3 years of WL in MS when not every MS offers WL in grade 6 because they can’t staff it! The arts magnets also require kids to do health and tech credits in the summers

This is pretty common now. You can do your tech credit in ms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet again, MCPS neglected business/entrepreneurship as a program option. I know so many high schoolers who want to go into business and have to do extra legwork to catch up to college peers who had DECA etc in their respective districts.

They are sorely lacking in stem and business. Business would be a good one.

They included business courses in all the arts magnets.

And all the arts magnets require kids to complete all 3 years of WL in MS when not every MS offers WL in grade 6 because they can’t staff it! The arts magnets also require kids to do health and tech credits in the summers

Why are you you lying?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/dance/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me or are these programs not even close to the same, even though they have similar names and descriptions?

Environmental Science & Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/environmental-science--leadership/

Global Ecology and Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/global-ecology/

It's like Poolesville gets to keep the good ecology program and everyone else gets the Dollar Store version.

Like everything in MCPS they are trying to create a perception of uniformity and equal access, calling it "equity" and not achieving any of those things.

Who are all the community partners that will give hundreds of students internships?

I'm on the design team and we asked about that. MCPS plans to leave it up to schools to figure that out.

This is actually a critical piece. It takes a long time (years) to develop the internship relationships/programs that amount to valuable experiences for all parties. Geesh.

And why would these businesses even want to deal with HS age kids when they have a line out the door of adult applicants.

The kids aren't paid workers so they don't compete with adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me or are these programs not even close to the same, even though they have similar names and descriptions?

Environmental Science & Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/environmental-science--leadership/

Global Ecology and Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/global-ecology/

It's like Poolesville gets to keep the good ecology program and everyone else gets the Dollar Store version.

Like everything in MCPS they are trying to create a perception of uniformity and equal access, calling it "equity" and not achieving any of those things.

Who are all the community partners that will give hundreds of students internships?

I'm on the design team and we asked about that. MCPS plans to leave it up to schools to figure that out.

This is actually a critical piece. It takes a long time (years) to develop the internship relationships/programs that amount to valuable experiences for all parties. Geesh.

And why would these businesses even want to deal with HS age kids when they have a line out the door of adult applicants.

The kids aren't paid workers so they don't compete with adults.

Who is going to background check all those businesses?