Middle School Magnet - to stay or go home

[Anonymous]

My child was on fence about his magnet school for a while at the beginning of sixth grade, and by the end of the year, he absolutely loved it.

Middle school is a big change at a hard time, but some of the same issues might be true at the home school too. My kid's friends who are at the home school didn't have as big of a transition, but they're not happier overall. It's so hard to know, but if there aren't any huge struggles, it could be worth it to give it a little more time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a big deal for the school if kids leave mid way? How much of a hassle would it be for both schools?

Kids move in and out of schools a lot - not a hassle. However, the semester change is the best time to do it mid-year. Let one school finish 2nd qtr grades, then the other school starts 3rd qtr grades. If you are considering this, I would check with your home middle school about course selection for next year - each school may be using a different timeline. Also you would need to check with the counselor about appropriate classes for your DC - they won't be the same as at the magnet.

But the spot in magnet goes waste? Isn't that an issue?

It does. But I don’t think that’s a good reason to make a kid miserable for 2.5 more years - that’s the fallacy of sunk costs. And my kid didn’t win the lottery and is miserable and bored at the local school, so I would dearly love the spot. But it isn’t possible, and OP should do what is best for her kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks this is helpful. I think the issue we are having now is that while at the beginning of the year DC insisted on going back, now they are more on the fence, and it sort of depends when you ask them what their answer is. But I appreciate the tips that sooner is better than later if we feel certain that they want to move.

MS is the weak link in MCPS. None are great. I would keep him at the magnet.

My kid went to HGC (former name for CES) for ES, and then back to home school for MS because the MS magnet was too far. I regret it. MS was super boring for my DC. There were very few academic peers. They said they would finish their assignments in 10 min and then just read for the rest of the class.

DC then went onto a HS magnet, and the academics were so much better, and DC found academic peers, including a s/o who is also their academic peer.

I will echo this. Unless your kid is absolutely miserable it might be worth trying to stick out the year.

My kid also went from a regional CES to a home school MS and back to a HS Magnet. The home MS was super boring, especially English and Science. Pretty big waste of time.

HS was much better and my kid went back to actually being engaged and learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a big deal for the school if kids leave mid way? How much of a hassle would it be for both schools?

Kids move in and out of schools a lot - not a hassle. However, the semester change is the best time to do it mid-year. Let one school finish 2nd qtr grades, then the other school starts 3rd qtr grades. If you are considering this, I would check with your home middle school about course selection for next year - each school may be using a different timeline. Also you would need to check with the counselor about appropriate classes for your DC - they won't be the same as at the magnet.

But the spot in magnet goes waste? Isn't that an issue?

It does. But I don’t think that’s a good reason to make a kid miserable for 2.5 more years - that’s the fallacy of sunk costs. And my kid didn’t win the lottery and is miserable and bored at the local school, so I would dearly love the spot. But it isn’t possible, and OP should do what is best for her kid.

Thought I read somewhere that there is a waitlist and they rerun the lottery for opened spaces?

My kid is in a magnet and it took them almost half a year to fill the vacant seat, but it did get filled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is a 6th grader at a middle school magnet. Early in the school year, our child initially asked us frequently to move them back to their home school (for primarily social reasons, missing friends etc). We've explained they need to stay for at least the whole year and give it a chance. While our kid asks less frequently now to go back to their home school, it still comes up from time to time. We observed them in the recent open house and noted that they appear to be doing very well socially, but my husband and I honestly felt the instruction was "meh" in most classes. If we decide to send them back to their home school next year, when is the best time to make that decision? I'm wondering when they'll be asked to pick 7th grade electives, and if it might make sense to notify the program at that time if we decide to go. In 5th grade, I think that happened around Jan or Feb, but I'm not sure the timeline for current MS kids. Thanks for any insight!

The instruction is amazing! It is head and shoulders above anything else offered in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

About 20% of kids in DC's MS magnet left between 6th and 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a big deal for the school if kids leave mid way? How much of a hassle would it be for both schools?

Kids move in and out of schools a lot - not a hassle. However, the semester change is the best time to do it mid-year. Let one school finish 2nd qtr grades, then the other school starts 3rd qtr grades. If you are considering this, I would check with your home middle school about course selection for next year - each school may be using a different timeline. Also you would need to check with the counselor about appropriate classes for your DC - they won't be the same as at the magnet.

But the spot in magnet goes waste? Isn't that an issue?

It does. But I don’t think that’s a good reason to make a kid miserable for 2.5 more years - that’s the fallacy of sunk costs. And my kid didn’t win the lottery and is miserable and bored at the local school, so I would dearly love the spot. But it isn’t possible, and OP should do what is best for her kid.

Caveat: my kid is a senior now, so this may not be the case anymore.

But at Eastern, when a few kids moved away or went back to home schools in 6th, at the start of the 2nd semester they filled the empty slots from among the non-magnet kids already attending Eastern as their home school.

Not sure if these were kids originally on the wait list, or what; but my kid said they seemed to fit in just fine academically, so it probably wasn't just randomly picking a couple of kids with good grades. I think at least one had been in the CES/HGC with them in elementary.

No idea whether the magnet program generally filled any missing slots in later grades, though—things got kind of pandemic-y after that, so all bets were off anyway. But I'd guess it was probably confined to 6th, since they'd still have time to catch up on the skills they'd need to keep up with the work in 7th and 8th. In many ways, 6th grade was a pretty foundational year.

[Anonymous]

I don't think they do that anymore.

[Anonymous]

OP stop asking. It sounds like socially they are making friends.

Stick with it. If your kid is doing well in classes, making friends (not being bullied) there is no reason to move unless you find it arduous sending them further than your local school.

My kids were in MS when the pandemic hit and it was a f-king godsend because they were able to focus on their work rather than the screaming crowds and bad behavior of the majority of kids at Pyle.

[Anonymous]

it sounds like the magnet is good enough for your kid. there is no perfection. who knows what your home MS is actually like. you have no experience with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks this is helpful. I think the issue we are having now is that while at the beginning of the year DC insisted on going back, now they are more on the fence, and it sort of depends when you ask them what their answer is. But I appreciate the tips that sooner is better than later if we feel certain that they want to move.

If that's the case, I'd give it til the end of the year and then make a decision. If they switch schools, the new school can register them over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a big deal for the school if kids leave mid way? How much of a hassle would it be for both schools?

Kids move in and out of schools a lot - not a hassle. However, the semester change is the best time to do it mid-year. Let one school finish 2nd qtr grades, then the other school starts 3rd qtr grades. If you are considering this, I would check with your home middle school about course selection for next year - each school may be using a different timeline. Also you would need to check with the counselor about appropriate classes for your DC - they won't be the same as at the magnet.

But the spot in magnet goes waste? Isn't that an issue?

It does. But I don’t think that’s a good reason to make a kid miserable for 2.5 more years - that’s the fallacy of sunk costs. And my kid didn’t win the lottery and is miserable and bored at the local school, so I would dearly love the spot. But it isn’t possible, and OP should do what is best for her kid.

Caveat: my kid is a senior now, so this may not be the case anymore.

But at Eastern, when a few kids moved away or went back to home schools in 6th, at the start of the 2nd semester they filled the empty slots from among the non-magnet kids already attending Eastern as their home school.

Not sure if these were kids originally on the wait list, or what; but my kid said they seemed to fit in just fine academically, so it probably wasn't just randomly picking a couple of kids with good grades. I think at least one had been in the CES/HGC with them in elementary.

No idea whether the magnet program generally filled any missing slots in later grades, though—things got kind of pandemic-y after that, so all bets were off anyway. But I'd guess it was probably confined to 6th, since they'd still have time to catch up on the skills they'd need to keep up with the work in 7th and 8th. In many ways, 6th grade was a pretty foundational year.

Correct. They don’t do that anymore.

[Anonymous]

Do it now. Making friends in sixth grade is huge. Plus, they’ll be a top student in regular classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a big deal for the school if kids leave mid way? How much of a hassle would it be for both schools?

Kids move in and out of schools a lot - not a hassle. However, the semester change is the best time to do it mid-year. Let one school finish 2nd qtr grades, then the other school starts 3rd qtr grades. If you are considering this, I would check with your home middle school about course selection for next year - each school may be using a different timeline. Also you would need to check with the counselor about appropriate classes for your DC - they won't be the same as at the magnet.

But the spot in magnet goes waste? Isn't that an issue?

No, Central Office will place the next student on the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a big deal for the school if kids leave mid way? How much of a hassle would it be for both schools?

Kids move in and out of schools a lot - not a hassle. However, the semester change is the best time to do it mid-year. Let one school finish 2nd qtr grades, then the other school starts 3rd qtr grades. If you are considering this, I would check with your home middle school about course selection for next year - each school may be using a different timeline. Also you would need to check with the counselor about appropriate classes for your DC - they won't be the same as at the magnet.

But the spot in magnet goes waste? Isn't that an issue?

No, Central Office will place the next student on the waitlist.

+1 My kid is currently in a magnet and this does still happen. They fill the seats, even in 7th and 8th grade.