MCPS to end areawide Blair Magnet and countywide Richard Montgomery's IB program

[Anonymous]

You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Per this report from Bethesda Magazine

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/07/25/mcps-end-countywide-program-consortia/

That's a really unfortunate quote from the superintendent. I guess competitive programs for highly accelerated learning are a problem.

MCPS is so f'ed. Sad day for families of smart kids, happy day for families with dumb kids. So glad we don't have to deal with MCPS any longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

For most of those regions, there will be a critical mass of highly able students. The question is whether the programs will have good strong leadership and whether teachers will be incentivized to make the programs amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this a surprise? Taylor didn't start off strong and now another leader failing our kids. Instead, they should be expanding it. No one wants their kids bussed. Better to offer the classes as the home schools to allow all kids the same opportunities. He hasn't completed any of his early promises, including transparency.

I think that Taylor is claiming the regional programs across the county will duplicate the competitive magnet programs. I think he may underestimate what it takes to successfully undertake these programs.

I don't give 2 sh*** about Taylor, but I do think he is quite aware that programs will not be duplicated exactly. Watered down magnets for more kids will keep the middle to upper class masses happier than a couple of signature programs that not as many kids can access. The magnets were a tool to diversify schools back in the day. They did their job. It is time for change.

BTW, all the things that people talk about with the magnets (regeneron winners, etc.) are really things that parents are facilitating. Those families will still be able to provide those opportunities to their children.

+1 I think it's fine, and in fact a social good, to provide more access to more kids. Yes, even if that means a slightly less rigorous experience for the 10 kids per year who sign up for the most rigorous classes at SMCS.

I agree with this, but I'm also worried about the feasibility of standing up, what - 30? new magnet programs in 2 years and having even decent quality for all of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is good news for rising 8th graders, assuming it’s true.

“ Beginning with the class of 2031, students would attend programs available in their specific regions.”

It’s good for rising 7th graders not 8th graders.

[Anonymous]

My rising 8th grader will miss it but as an easy county resident I think moving to regions like this is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

Please explain what you mean by "highly successful" and why they need to stay at their current locations and not be expanded. Will the current students not do well at other locations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is good news for rising 8th graders, assuming it’s true.

“ Beginning with the class of 2031, students would attend programs available in their specific regions.”

It’s good for rising 7th graders not 8th graders.

I meant that it’s good for rising 8th graders because it presumably means that whatever programs they select for freshman year will be maintained for them to complete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

Please explain what you mean by "highly successful" and why they need to stay at their current locations and not be expanded. Will the current students not do well at other locations?

I think the post that PP was agreeing with (the post 15:09 at the top of page 2) is answering your question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

Please explain what you mean by "highly successful" and why they need to stay at their current locations and not be expanded. Will the current students not do well at other locations?

Different person by the way.

Blair SMCS has courses that are "more advanced," but are actually unique and taught by very skilled teachers. Spreading the program thin into 5 regions would kill it. It would just be an illusion of "expanding opportunity." The program would just end up being like honors for all.

Also, these magnets are successful because they have many highly motivated and high achieving students in 1 program. That is why Blair has consistently been at the top of the nation in terms of academics and competitions. It is also why Blair's students are able to organize clubs and tournaments for the community, like their math tournament, which gets a few hundred participants every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are expanding these programs to more schools so more students can take advantage of them. Why should MC taxpayers continue to support these programs when there are so many kids that could benefit from a magnet, but there aren't enough spaces? Now hopefully they'll start working on middle school magnet issue.

We already support so many things with our taxes... I would put high achievers on my list of who to support.

The answer is expanding magnets. Create more. Not watered down programming for all.

Excellence. Quality. Back to basics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Enough with the prepping them garbage. What a myth you tell yourself. Smart kids are smart kids.

[Anonymous]

How sad... "If my kid can't have it, you can't have it either" families won the day.