7 Math teachers are leaving Richard Montgomerry HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a cluster ES of RM, I am extremely nervous. There used to be so many complaints of JW and now it seems like RM has had so many issues. Fights, sex in halls, fired teachers, teachers leaving, scores going down, and they are consistently going down in the rankings every year.

Is it the principle or the program? Is the program a bandaid on a bad school? Or is the program getting too much attention and leading to a bad school. I don't know, but a lot of parents seem to be complaining. Old teachers. Teachers that don't communicate. Principal issues, and now staffing issues.

We almost chose a house in QO district and I thought this would be the better school. Thinking we made the wrong decision.

If I were to guess from what I'm reading here, it's the principal's unwillingness to embrace and foster this program that is harming the school more than anything.

Again, the Principal's own child applied to the program. Let's put the parent hat on for a minute and not the Principal hat. Would I want my child to apply to a program that I personally don't like and want to foster? I'm thinking not.

I don’t know this person. But I think it would be politically weird not having his/her child apply if they live not too far from RM.

I think it would awkward for your dad to be the principal...

yeah, might be. awkward or not, i bet that kid will get in even if he is as dumb as a door knob. talk about "appearance" of conflict of interest.

The selection committee does not see students names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI as it's a bit related to this topic: I noticed this testimony from last night's board meeting. In a quick glance thru looks like the cluster rep is trying to help but is up against a push to 'fix' the IB program by making it available in more locations.
https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BCPP9E62BAA6/$file/Rodney%20Peele.pdf

I think it will weaken RM. They will no longer be choosing from the whole county. While it might be good for the county over all, it is not good for RM IB...unless they are zoned for all the W schools.

[Anonymous]

^ highly doubtful. There was no mention of changing selection process for HS magnets this past year. Not yet anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ highly doubtful. There was no mention of changing selection process for HS magnets this past year. Not yet anyway.

I heard this from Blair Magnet selection process teacher...it is true. No identifying info.

[Anonymous]

This is awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ highly doubtful. There was no mention of changing selection process for HS magnets this past year. Not yet anyway.

However, all the application will be uploaded to one portal in MCPS for 2019-20. Previously, thr student send their application to each school they applies, and their application werre reviewed by committee in each magnet program. If the application is sent tomCPS center office, how does each school committee receive the application package?

[Anonymous]

Please help me understand why the 7 math teachers in RM quit. I believe the 50% rule has been in MCPS for years. If a student puts his/her name on a piece of paper, 50 pount earned. Why it is new to RM math teachers? My first child left MCPS almost 10 years ago, the policy was there then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand why the 7 math teachers in RM quit. I believe the 50% rule has been in MCPS for years. If a student puts his/her name on a piece of paper, 50 pount earned. Why it is new to RM math teachers? My first child left MCPS almost 10 years ago, the policy was there then.

That was never the rule. A student had a make a meaningful attempt at the assignment. Writing only your name is not that. Drawing a doodle on the page is not that. Apparently some teachers were giving grades lt 50 during the quarter and waiting till the end to adjust. I assume it was in attempt to give the student some reality. There were complaints that a student did not have any idea of what grade he would receive until the end. There is probably more than that as I can not imagine a teacher making a job move of a timing issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ highly doubtful. There was no mention of changing selection process for HS magnets this past year. Not yet anyway.

I heard this from Blair Magnet selection process teacher...it is true. No identifying info.

Yes, I heard it as well. (From Blair)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the real value of completing the IB diploma for the senior who has already gotten into college, if the student doesn’t care about trying to get college credit? I can imagine an advantage to the school and program, but what benefit does the kid going to HYPS get? Imagine a responsible kid who has followed through on lots of things and long term goals in his life, so the abstract benefit of completing something is not so important.

There's something known as the "love of learning" that appears to be lost on you.

I'm sorry if following through is a foreign concept to you as well.

pathetic

DP.

One can passionately love learning without finishing a program of study. I left my doctoral program because at that particular time, I had to choose between producing my dissertation or a second child. I went for the second child and have never regretted it. My love of learning didn’t evaporate or diminish. I’ve continued taking courses and attending seminars. I spend a lot of my free time and disposable income on learning. I just didn’t finish that formal program of study.

I can see a smart senior making a rational decision to reduce their workload by one paper or one exam in order to savor being 17 or 18 in spring. A friend had DDs go through both Blair’s CAP and RIMB. They said they didn’t enjoy senior rites of passage because of the pressure.

While an 18 yo may be "legal" and somewhat mature, when we allow seniors to coast simply b/c they've been accepted into a college, we tell them that learning is NOT important.

DP IB is a program. If you sign on, you need to fulfill your obligation to YOURSELF. Academic stamina doesn't die in 12th grade. In fact, it should be much stronger.

senior rite of passage? lol - Tell that to a college senior. What is his/her rite of passage?

This is a ridiculous discussion - and one I've had to handle with kids and parents. How about this? Learning doesn't stop. Should teachers of seniors give up at the end, too, b/c of this "senior rite of passage?"

See how that works?

You're getting really emotional and disrespectful in your answers, but not actually providing good analysis of the benefit to the kid of sitting for those last tests. The fact that you feel so passionately about this, have had numerous prior discussions with parents and kids, but are not able to articulate a real benefit beyond "completion" is telling. Sure, there is value on sticking with something, but if you have already displayed that in other ways in your life, the value of this particular completion is much less -- perhaps enough to be negligible in the scheme of things for the student's particular circumstances, particularly since the kid in this scenario is finishing the class, getting good grades, doing all the work, etc. just not sitting for the final IB exams. I'm all for the IB program and rigorous study and inculcating love of earning. My question is very small and focused on the benefits of sitting for those last exams. It would be great if someone could give a real defense of why that is so valuable for the student.

You think you are so smart but your approach says a lot about you and why your kids would never do well in life. If your kid is playing a game (soccer for example) and her team is down 3-0 with 2 min to go. Do you tell your kid to stop playing? Or do you tell your kid to do her best and finish the game? Sometimes you learn more from the journey than the end point. Being able to complete what you started is a priceless lesson in life. Sigh...

Yikes! NP here. This is weird and harsh -- "why your kids would never do well in life?" Not even totally tuned in to what you all are arguing here, but this just caught my eye. Sorry, but this just makes you look like a hyberbolic hothead.

[Anonymous]

^ but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a cluster ES of RM, I am extremely nervous. There used to be so many complaints of JW and now it seems like RM has had so many issues. Fights, sex in halls, fired teachers, teachers leaving, scores going down, and they are consistently going down in the rankings every year.

Is it the principle or the program? Is the program a bandaid on a bad school? Or is the program getting too much attention and leading to a bad school. I don't know, but a lot of parents seem to be complaining. Old teachers. Teachers that don't communicate. Principal issues, and now staffing issues.

We almost chose a house in QO district and I thought this would be the better school. Thinking we made the wrong decision.

If I were to guess from what I'm reading here, it's the principal's unwillingness to embrace and foster this program that is harming the school more than anything.

Again, the Principal's own child applied to the program. Let's put the parent hat on for a minute and not the Principal hat. Would I want my child to apply to a program that I personally don't like and want to foster? I'm thinking not.

I don’t know this person. But I think it would be politically weird not having his/her child apply if they live not too far from RM.

I don't think that would be weird at all. But, I would think it would be weird for a child to apply to a program if the parent and Principal of the school of the program didn't like the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a cluster ES of RM, I am extremely nervous. There used to be so many complaints of JW and now it seems like RM has had so many issues. Fights, sex in halls, fired teachers, teachers leaving, scores going down, and they are consistently going down in the rankings every year.

Is it the principle or the program? Is the program a bandaid on a bad school? Or is the program getting too much attention and leading to a bad school. I don't know, but a lot of parents seem to be complaining. Old teachers. Teachers that don't communicate. Principal issues, and now staffing issues.

We almost chose a house in QO district and I thought this would be the better school. Thinking we made the wrong decision.

If I were to guess from what I'm reading here, it's the principal's unwillingness to embrace and foster this program that is harming the school more than anything.

Again, the Principal's own child applied to the program. Let's put the parent hat on for a minute and not the Principal hat. Would I want my child to apply to a program that I personally don't like and want to foster? I'm thinking not.

What if the principal wants the program to be easier so more students can access including his own? Talking about logic.

Think about this logic.. how does it make sense to make a program easier if the exams that the students must pass in order to get the diploma is not made easier? That would be just setting up your own child for failure. Not a good strategy... IMO.

[Anonymous]

Mr. and Mrs. Goetz are the best! The best Math and Physics teachers my kid had. College was a breeze after RMIB, thanks to really amazing teachers.

The new Principal is a bit dim. We knew that he would hate the magnet program because he does not have the intellectual capacity to understand what the program is all about and what these kids need. How is his progeny getting in? Has he managed to sufficiently dumbed down the program or is it nepotism?

Hey, everything in MCPS is being f**cked up so why not this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mr. and Mrs. Goetz are the best! The best Math and Physics teachers my kid had. College was a breeze after RMIB, thanks to really amazing teachers.

The new Principal is a bit dim. We knew that he would hate the magnet program because he does not have the intellectual capacity to understand what the program is all about and what these kids need. How is his progeny getting in? Has he managed to sufficiently dumbed down the program or is it nepotism?

Hey, everything in MCPS is being f**cked up so why not this?

Does anyone even know if he got in?