Proposed New Regions

[Anonymous]

So each region gets a magnet? Or each regions get the same set of magnets?

Like does each region have a STEM magnet, or does region 1 have the STEM magnet, region 2 has the performing arts magnets, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here are the regional HS programs:

Medical Science
Clinical Healthcare
Medicine & Pharmacy
Engineering and
Robotics
Engineering and
Construction
Future Teachers
Academy
International
Interdisciplinary Studies
Global Languages
Visual Art and Design
Performing Arts
Communications &
Media
Law and Criminal
Justice
Leadership and
Advocacy
Finance and Business
Entrepreneurship
Information Technology
Cybersecurity
Data Science & Analytics

This is an insane list, IMO. Most of these are professional programs that don’t belong in high school. How will they be spread across the 6 regions? What if the one you want isn’t in your region? They’re certainly not proposing putting each of these 15(?) programs in all 6 regions, are they?

[Anonymous]

I'm really happy with the proposed region 1 for our kids. All those schools except Whitman are a similar (and reasonable) commute from our house, so I guess I'd just hope my kids' interests didn't end up being at the Whitman magnet.

[Anonymous]

From the Bethesda Today article:

According to MCPS staff, the district’s analysis determined a number of program themes based on student interest in regional programs and pathways. The themes include a range of programs focusing on health and medical professions such as medical science, education programs including the future teachers academy, and leadership and public service programs such as law and criminal justice.

Each high school could offer one or two programs from the thematic areas, according to MCPS staff. For example, one high school in a given region could have a health and medical professions program while another high school could offer engineering and creative arts programs.

Taylor said during the meeting that each region would need to offer comparable opportunities, and the district would need to “align admissions processes to reflect that.”

“That means that each region will operate as a consortia-like model, or none would,” Taylor said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here are the proposed six regions if MCPS were to adopt the regional programming model. What do people think of these groupings of schools? If they go forward with this plan, which region do you think will end up being the most desirable?

Region one: Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walt Whitman in Bethesda, and Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein and Northwood in Silver Spring;
Region two: James Hubert Blake and Springbrook in Silver Spring, Paint Branch in Burtonsville, and Sherwood in Sandy Spring;
Region three: Winston Churchill in Potomac, Walter Johnson in Bethesda, Charles W. Woodward in Rockville, and Wheaton;
Region four: John F. Kennedy in Silver Spring, and Col. Zadok Magruder, Richard Montgomery, Rockville, and Thomas S. Wootton in Rockville;
Region five: Northwest in Germantown, and Crown, Gaithersburg and Seneca Valley in Gaithersburg; and
Region six: Clarksburg, Damascus, Poolesville, and Quince Orchard in Gaithersburg.

Region 3 is the worst one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are the proposed six regions if MCPS were to adopt the regional programming model. What do people think of these groupings of schools? If they go forward with this plan, which region do you think will end up being the most desirable?

Region one: Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walt Whitman in Bethesda, and Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein and Northwood in Silver Spring;
Region two: James Hubert Blake and Springbrook in Silver Spring, Paint Branch in Burtonsville, and Sherwood in Sandy Spring;
Region three: Winston Churchill in Potomac, Walter Johnson in Bethesda, Charles W. Woodward in Rockville, and Wheaton;
Region four: John F. Kennedy in Silver Spring, and Col. Zadok Magruder, Richard Montgomery, Rockville, and Thomas S. Wootton in Rockville;
Region five: Northwest in Germantown, and Crown, Gaithersburg and Seneca Valley in Gaithersburg; and
Region six: Clarksburg, Damascus, Poolesville, and Quince Orchard in Gaithersburg.

Region 3 is the worst one

Region 4 is

[Anonymous]

These look less like magnet programs than vocational/technical ed for students who aren't interested in an academically focused hs education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the Bethesda Today article:

According to MCPS staff, the district’s analysis determined a number of program themes based on student interest in regional programs and pathways. The themes include a range of programs focusing on health and medical professions such as medical science, education programs including the future teachers academy, and leadership and public service programs such as law and criminal justice.

Each high school could offer one or two programs from the thematic areas, according to MCPS staff. For example, one high school in a given region could have a health and medical professions program while another high school could offer engineering and creative arts programs.

Taylor said during the meeting that each region would need to offer comparable opportunities, and the district would need to “align admissions processes to reflect that.”

“That means that each region will operate as a consortia-like model, or none would,” Taylor said.

I kind of get how it supposedly works out with having programs close by.

If I'm understanding the description correctly, that each region will offer the same set of programs at different schools, I'm not sure how efficient it is. Especially given that some of these schools are close to an hour away from each other in traffic.

So it would make sense to make less and larger regions, such as three regions instead. Allowing more students with the same interest at the same school instead of possibly having little to no students interested in a program at one of the schools in the six different regions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the Bethesda Today article:

According to MCPS staff, the district’s analysis determined a number of program themes based on student interest in regional programs and pathways. The themes include a range of programs focusing on health and medical professions such as medical science, education programs including the future teachers academy, and leadership and public service programs such as law and criminal justice.

Each high school could offer one or two programs from the thematic areas, according to MCPS staff. For example, one high school in a given region could have a health and medical professions program while another high school could offer engineering and creative arts programs.

Taylor said during the meeting that each region would need to offer comparable opportunities, and the district would need to “align admissions processes to reflect that.”

“That means that each region will operate as a consortia-like model, or none would,” Taylor said.

What does this mean

““That means that each region will operate as a consortia-like model, or none would,” Taylor said.”

[Anonymous]

Was it confirmed that if/when they implement these regional programs that it means they will no longer have the countywide magnet/IB programs at Poolesvile, Richard Montgomery and Blair?

Because having students in those programs return to their home schools would affect both the schools they left and the schools they're going back to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These look less like magnet programs than vocational/technical ed for students who aren't interested in an academically focused hs education.

+1

They should make the regional magnets mirror the current magnets -- in each region, you have a STEM magnet, humanities magnet, and IB program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was it confirmed that if/when they implement these regional programs that it means they will no longer have the countywide magnet/IB programs at Poolesvile, Richard Montgomery and Blair?

Because having students in those programs return to their home schools would affect both the schools they left and the schools they're going back to.

Definitely, it’ll end up W schools students will just give up magnet programs and stay in their home schools while rest of the county fill up the regional program seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it confirmed that if/when they implement these regional programs that it means they will no longer have the countywide magnet/IB programs at Poolesvile, Richard Montgomery and Blair?

Because having students in those programs return to their home schools would affect both the schools they left and the schools they're going back to.

Definitely, it’ll end up W schools students will just give up magnet programs and stay in their home schools while rest of the county fill up the regional program seats.

Yeah the way I'm seeing it, it gives an easy way to go to another school in the region with having to get a COSA.

ie a family that lives in the Northwood area would be able to send their kids to Whitman, just by saying their kids are interested in the program that Whitman would have.

In the past I've heard of cases of COSAs being approved based on a class being offered at one school but not at the other.

So this would provide an easier process to allow students to attend other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it confirmed that if/when they implement these regional programs that it means they will no longer have the countywide magnet/IB programs at Poolesvile, Richard Montgomery and Blair?

Because having students in those programs return to their home schools would affect both the schools they left and the schools they're going back to.

Definitely, it’ll end up W schools students will just give up magnet programs and stay in their home schools while rest of the county fill up the regional program seats.

Yeah the way I'm seeing it, it gives an easy way to go to another school in the region with having to get a COSA.

ie a family that lives in the Northwood area would be able to send their kids to Whitman, just by saying their kids are interested in the program that Whitman would have.

In the past I've heard of cases of COSAs being approved based on a class being offered at one school but not at the other.

So this would provide an easier process to allow students to attend other schools.

Yes this is sort of how I read it too, except that I doubt Whitman is very appealing to that many Northwood families given the commute. But yes if the DCC choice is going away it seems like it is being replaced with something a bit more focused (must provide an academic reason for changing schools), but without the magnet level bar for changing schools. (Although it sounds like both interest and criteria based selection will exist depending on the program.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it confirmed that if/when they implement these regional programs that it means they will no longer have the countywide magnet/IB programs at Poolesvile, Richard Montgomery and Blair?

Because having students in those programs return to their home schools would affect both the schools they left and the schools they're going back to.

Definitely, it’ll end up W schools students will just give up magnet programs and stay in their home schools while rest of the county fill up the regional program seats.

Yeah the way I'm seeing it, it gives an easy way to go to another school in the region with having to get a COSA.

ie a family that lives in the Northwood area would be able to send their kids to Whitman, just by saying their kids are interested in the program that Whitman would have.

In the past I've heard of cases of COSAs being approved based on a class being offered at one school but not at the other.

So this would provide an easier process to allow students to attend other schools.

That’s why there are both supporters and opponents: some schools stand to lose, while others may benefit. In the end, everyone only cares about their own interests.