DCC programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

That's not the case. MCPS has never and would never redraw boundary lines every year. And the numbers have never been kept even between schools from year to year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Both those reasons sound reasonable. They are hardly fake magnets. About half the magnets are criteria based not lottery and students need good grades and test scores. The applicant pool is still competitive, albeit smaller than for the ones that have larger catchment areas. The west side schools don't have a monopoly on smart kids you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

I don't think the PP meant exactly even but I can see how the choice process and speciality programs would help redistribute students to areas that are less populated. DD has told me a large percentage of classmates go to choice programs, not their home school. At least a third, maybe more. I'm sure MCPS has released that information somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

I don't think the PP meant exactly even but I can see how the choice process and speciality programs would help redistribute students to areas that are less populated. DD has told me a large percentage of classmates go to choice programs, not their home school. At least a third, maybe more. I'm sure MCPS has released that information somewhere.

I think that PP doesn't know what she's talking about. These programs are trying to keep people in this part of the county, period. And I live there! But I'm not naive to how many people view the DCC schools, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

MCPS never said you’re guaranteed your home school. They say something like “95% of students get their first choice”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

I don't think the PP meant exactly even but I can see how the choice process and speciality programs would help redistribute students to areas that are less populated. DD has told me a large percentage of classmates go to choice programs, not their home school. At least a third, maybe more. I'm sure MCPS has released that information somewhere.

I think that PP doesn't know what she's talking about. These programs are trying to keep people in this part of the county, period. And I live there! But I'm not naive to how many people view the DCC schools, either.

They are not using this to keep people in this part of the county. They have spots for out of boundary kids so it’s open to anyone. You think having 6 different secondary busses in my neighborhood twice a day is a selling point?

[Anonymous]

What does keep people in this neighborhood is the elementary options to get into an immersion school that tracks to the W schools. You get “those” schools but not at the high price point of home ownership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

MCPS never said you’re guaranteed your home school. They say something like “95% of students get their first choice”.

If your first choice is your home school, then yes, you are guaranteed your home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does keep people in this neighborhood is the elementary options to get into an immersion school that tracks to the W schools. You get “those” schools but not at the high price point of home ownership.

This “track” is now gone…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does keep people in this neighborhood is the elementary options to get into an immersion school that tracks to the W schools. You get “those” schools but not at the high price point of home ownership.

This “track” is now gone…

And even when it was there, it was for a tiny fraction of kids.

Also, there's a very small percentage of out of boundary kids who can get into the DCC choice programs, so they're not "open to anyone," practically speaking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

MCPS never said you’re guaranteed your home school. They say something like “95% of students get their first choice”.

If your first choice is your home school, then yes, you are guaranteed your home school.

That’s not what MCPS told us. And if you live in the DCC and try to use the phrase “home school” with any MCPS staff in central office they will correct you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does keep people in this neighborhood is the elementary options to get into an immersion school that tracks to the W schools. You get “those” schools but not at the high price point of home ownership.

This “track” is now gone…

And even when it was there, it was for a tiny fraction of kids.

Also, there's a very small percentage of out of boundary kids who can get into the DCC choice programs, so they're not "open to anyone," practically speaking.

80 kids per grade is what the DCC middle schools said last year. Seems like a good shot to me.

The track to W schools still exist for Spanish Inmersion kids living in DCc but attending Rock Creek Forest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cynically, they created the DCC to entice UMC/MC parents not to leave the area for "better" schools.

Happily, the area in-bounds for various DCC high schools is large and diverse and often a great place to live.

That’s not my understanding. I was told that the DCC is the most transient part of MoCO so rather than redraw boundary lines every year, these lottery/fake magnets help them keep numbers even between schools from year to year.

Who told you that? How would that even work, given that anyone can rank their home school #1 and be guaranteed it?

MCPS never said you’re guaranteed your home school. They say something like “95% of students get their first choice”.

If your first choice is your home school, then yes, you are guaranteed your home school.

That’s not what MCPS told us. And if you live in the DCC and try to use the phrase “home school” with any MCPS staff in central office they will correct you.

They may not say the phrase "home school," but the meaning is the same. Here is the actual language they use:

"Students are guaranteed assignment to their base area high school if (1) the base area school is indicated as the first choice on the Choice form or (2) indicated as second choice and the first choice school is not available."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/downcounty/choice/detail.aspx