Size & placement of regional magnet programs set to decimate non-host, non-rich schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

They'll go if the host school offers better opportunities than the home school and they can swing the commute.

We are zoned for Einstein. I have hope that Einstein will be a good place for my DC, especially since it will be a relatively smaller school. DC is pretty average academically and will probably be well served with standard MCPS courses available at every high school. But BCC and Blair definitely offer a wider variety of courses, and there are public buses to both of these schools with stops near our home. Whitman would probably be too difficult, nor is it the environment I'd want for DC especially away from all their friends.

For kids who don't want STEM, Einstein is perfect.

[Anonymous]

If you look at what is happening now as far as AP/IBs, you can see what's going to happen here. Most non-rich, non-magnet schools only have a few dozen kids taking AP or IB math or science classes. They will not be able to maintain these classes if they lose kids to regional magnets: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2025/240206_2024_APIB_Exam%20Enroll%20Part%20and%20Perf.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not understanding your point as this isn't something new and many kids lack the opportunities who don't get into these programs in the DCC and other areas. This isn't anything new but this new regional plan isn't going to help those kids and they will continue to go without and make due with what their schools have to offer. You are just realizing this now?

Right now there is a trickle of the most advanced students leaving these schools for a few magnets. With the massive size of the new regional program pulling away most of the top 15% or more of kids, it will be a flood of kids leaving and will cut those schools off at the knees. This is going to tank the offerings and the reputations of a bunch of MCPS high schools for years. It's a real shame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

They will if it the magnet is placed in a good school. And they will do it in large numbers.

For example: the region with WJ, Woodward (weak under the recommendation), Wheaton, Kennedy. Even STEM kids will be applying to WJ humanities magnet - why not, it will be by far the top school in the region.

WJ, Woodward and Wheaton have or will have advanced classes. Kennedy will continue to have very little, but that's what they already have. As a STEM family, I have no interest in WJ or Woodward and we chose where we live as we wanted a different culture.

Your priorities are your priorities. But most driven kids don't care about culture; they care to be challenged with advanced classes. Wheaton already has established engineering program so it may attract some non-Wheaton STEM students, but the numbers will be nowhere near today when it is a fairly popular option for DCC students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The list of schools that look likely to be hit by this appear to be: Einstein, Northwood, Blake, Paint Branch, Woodward, Rockville, Magruder, Quince Orchard, Clarksburg, Damascus, and Northwest.

This is a lot of schools which are set to be hurt by the regional model. Do the families at these schools realize it yet? Is there a way we could all come together to fight for changes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It appears that MCPS is planning on 60 out-of-bounds students per grade for each of the three core academic criteria-based programs (SMCS, IB, and humanities.) if they draw roughly equally from each school, that would be around 45-60 high-achieving kids per grade leaving each school, or roughly 10-15% of the most advanced kids in each grade, which is a very big number. (And if some of the kids at rich schools with strong local offerings opt out, it'll be an even larger share of the kids at the other schools who leave ). Schools who host one of those programs will "receive" 60 advanced and motivated kids from out of bounds in return, of course, but those who don't won't.

The richest schools may be able to handle losing that many motivated kids interested in advanced classes (although none of them will have to because they all get one or more of these programs anyway), but it will be a real blow to most ordinary schools which don't have huge numbers of kids taking advanced classes to begin with. Sure, they may have a few bright kids coming to whatever other programs they're hosting, at least at the start, but if those schools can't field a reasonable number of challenging classes for those kids, loving the arts (or whatever) isn't going to be enough for a kid to choose that school over one where they can take advanced classes.

The list of schools that look likely to be hit by this appear to be: Einstein, Northwood, Blake, Paint Branch, Woodward, Rockville, Magruder, Quince Orchard, Clarksburg, Damascus, and Northwest.

Basically, it seems to me that there are two pathways here: 1) almost half of MCPS schools are seriously harmed by losing a large chunk of top students to attractive academic programs at other schools; and/or 2) the regional pathways are such a disaster that no one wants to leave and so local schools are safe. (Or, frankly, it could be a combination of the two, which could be even worse for some schools-- if a program in your region is successful and draws top kids from your school, while the programs at your school are a flop and don't draw many kids in, you're even worse off.)

Am I wrong here, or is this what other folks think too?

Families will gravitate to whatever proven, high achieving choices there are at high achieving schools. Taylor is upending multiple schools with great programs. People will stampede west, if they can make it to the buses, and the eastside schools will be left picked bare. We will be more segregated than ever. Thanks Taylor you a____e

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

They'll go if the host school offers better opportunities than the home school and they can swing the commute.

We are zoned for Einstein. I have hope that Einstein will be a good place for my DC, especially since it will be a relatively smaller school. DC is pretty average academically and will probably be well served with standard MCPS courses available at every high school. But BCC and Blair definitely offer a wider variety of courses, and there are public buses to both of these schools with stops near our home. Whitman would probably be too difficult, nor is it the environment I'd want for DC especially away from all their friends.

For kids who don't want STEM, Einstein is perfect.

Please compare non-STEM advanced courses available at B-CC, next door to Einstein and also with an IB offering, to those available at Einstein. Which offers more to the Humanities-seeking, academically minded student? And then what about kids who might want STEM but assigned to Einstein (whether they focus on STEM or just are well rounded students seeking rigor across the board)?

Are these supposed to hope for magnet admission elsewhere just to have access to advanced coursework that other schools provide to their general population? Or move?

Or should our public school system be making sure that it delivers educational options in a manner that makes one's home address within the county irrelevant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you look at what is happening now as far as AP/IBs, you can see what's going to happen here. Most non-rich, non-magnet schools only have a few dozen kids taking AP or IB math or science classes. They will not be able to maintain these classes if they lose kids to regional magnets: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2025/240206_2024_APIB_Exam%20Enroll%20Part%20and%20Perf.pdf

That’s because they don’t offer them it kids leave for other schools. Many kids don’t want to go to other schools and transportation is a huge issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

They'll go if the host school offers better opportunities than the home school and they can swing the commute.

We are zoned for Einstein. I have hope that Einstein will be a good place for my DC, especially since it will be a relatively smaller school. DC is pretty average academically and will probably be well served with standard MCPS courses available at every high school. But BCC and Blair definitely offer a wider variety of courses, and there are public buses to both of these schools with stops near our home. Whitman would probably be too difficult, nor is it the environment I'd want for DC especially away from all their friends.

For kids who don't want STEM, Einstein is perfect.

Please compare non-STEM advanced courses available at B-CC, next door to Einstein and also with an IB offering, to those available at Einstein. Which offers more to the Humanities-seeking, academically minded student? And then what about kids who might want STEM but assigned to Einstein (whether they focus on STEM or just are well rounded students seeking rigor across the board)?

Are these supposed to hope for magnet admission elsewhere just to have access to advanced coursework that other schools provide to their general population? Or move?

Or should our public school system be making sure that it delivers educational options in a manner that makes one's home address within the county irrelevant?

I don’t need to compare. What will happen is what happens now. Kids leave for other schools, go without, Mc or parents move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

They will if it the magnet is placed in a good school. And they will do it in large numbers.

For example: the region with WJ, Woodward (weak under the recommendation), Wheaton, Kennedy. Even STEM kids will be applying to WJ humanities magnet - why not, it will be by far the top school in the region.

WJ, Woodward and Wheaton have or will have advanced classes. Kennedy will continue to have very little, but that's what they already have. As a STEM family, I have no interest in WJ or Woodward and we chose where we live as we wanted a different culture.

Your priorities are your priorities. But most driven kids don't care about culture; they care to be challenged with advanced classes. Wheaton already has established engineering program so it may attract some non-Wheaton STEM students, but the numbers will be nowhere near today when it is a fairly popular option for DCC students.

Yes they care about culture. Wheaton is a great school. We are very happy with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It appears that MCPS is planning on 60 out-of-bounds students per grade for each of the three core academic criteria-based programs (SMCS, IB, and humanities.) if they draw roughly equally from each school, that would be around 45-60 high-achieving kids per grade leaving each school, or roughly 10-15% of the most advanced kids in each grade, which is a very big number. (And if some of the kids at rich schools with strong local offerings opt out, it'll be an even larger share of the kids at the other schools who leave ). Schools who host one of those programs will "receive" 60 advanced and motivated kids from out of bounds in return, of course, but those who don't won't.

The richest schools may be able to handle losing that many motivated kids interested in advanced classes (although none of them will have to because they all get one or more of these programs anyway), but it will be a real blow to most ordinary schools which don't have huge numbers of kids taking advanced classes to begin with. Sure, they may have a few bright kids coming to whatever other programs they're hosting, at least at the start, but if those schools can't field a reasonable number of challenging classes for those kids, loving the arts (or whatever) isn't going to be enough for a kid to choose that school over one where they can take advanced classes.

The list of schools that look likely to be hit by this appear to be: Einstein, Northwood, Blake, Paint Branch, Woodward, Rockville, Magruder, Quince Orchard, Clarksburg, Damascus, and Northwest.

Basically, it seems to me that there are two pathways here: 1) almost half of MCPS schools are seriously harmed by losing a large chunk of top students to attractive academic programs at other schools; and/or 2) the regional pathways are such a disaster that no one wants to leave and so local schools are safe. (Or, frankly, it could be a combination of the two, which could be even worse for some schools-- if a program in your region is successful and draws top kids from your school, while the programs at your school are a flop and don't draw many kids in, you're even worse off.)

Am I wrong here, or is this what other folks think too?

Families will gravitate to whatever proven, high achieving choices there are at high achieving schools. Taylor is upending multiple schools with great programs. People will stampede west, if they can make it to the buses, and the eastside schools will be left picked bare. We will be more segregated than ever. Thanks Taylor you a____e

No, you do, and some of us avoid it. East side are already bare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

They'll go if the host school offers better opportunities than the home school and they can swing the commute.

We are zoned for Einstein. I have hope that Einstein will be a good place for my DC, especially since it will be a relatively smaller school. DC is pretty average academically and will probably be well served with standard MCPS courses available at every high school. But BCC and Blair definitely offer a wider variety of courses, and there are public buses to both of these schools with stops near our home. Whitman would probably be too difficult, nor is it the environment I'd want for DC especially away from all their friends.

For kids who don't want STEM, Einstein is perfect.

Please compare non-STEM advanced courses available at B-CC, next door to Einstein and also with an IB offering, to those available at Einstein. Which offers more to the Humanities-seeking, academically minded student? And then what about kids who might want STEM but assigned to Einstein (whether they focus on STEM or just are well rounded students seeking rigor across the board)?

Are these supposed to hope for magnet admission elsewhere just to have access to advanced coursework that other schools provide to their general population? Or move?

Or should our public school system be making sure that it delivers educational options in a manner that makes one's home address within the county irrelevant?

I don’t need to compare. What will happen is what happens now. Kids leave for other schools, go without, Mc or parents move.

So, not perfect for kids who don't want STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would any parent send their kids to a watered down “magnet”. Won’t happen. Look at what they tried to do the IB programs at Watkins mill and Kennedy.

If the watered-down magnet offers much better classes than the home school does, then parents who can swing the logistics and have kids who want to get into selective colleges will almost feel like they have to send their kids to the magnets to get classes they can't get at the home school and have a peer group of academically focused and motivated kids.

How do you know they will be watered down?

Even the bare bones curriculum outlines that MCPS presented are watered down versions of the current programs. When they find the smaller cohorts do not have enough students to participate successfully in the current curriculum, they will water it down even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, there’s a whole thread right now worrying that the regional magnets will be watered down because they will allegedly admit students by a lottery of only moderately qualified applicants: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/105/1317129.page

And yet this thread claims there will be a major brain drain from the other schools.

So both of these worries can’t be true.

No, they actually go hand in hand. If the regional programs were only enrolling the top 2-3% of kids, there would still be plenty of kids at home schools who are interested in and can succeed in advanced classes. But since they're set to instead enroll the top 10-15% of kids, that simultaneously leads both to a less rigorous experience in the magnet programs than there currently is, and a less rigorous experience at the home schools who have lost the top 10-15% of their students.

This. MCPS has managed to screw everyone who doesn’t live in Potomac on this one. It’s actually fairly impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, there’s a whole thread right now worrying that the regional magnets will be watered down because they will allegedly admit students by a lottery of only moderately qualified applicants: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/105/1317129.page

And yet this thread claims there will be a major brain drain from the other schools.

So both of these worries can’t be true.

No, they actually go hand in hand. If the regional programs were only enrolling the top 2-3% of kids, there would still be plenty of kids at home schools who are interested in and can succeed in advanced classes. But since they're set to instead enroll the top 10-15% of kids, that simultaneously leads both to a less rigorous experience in the magnet programs than there currently is, and a less rigorous experience at the home schools who have lost the top 10-15% of their students.

This. MCPS has managed to screw everyone who doesn’t live in Potomac on this one. It’s actually fairly impressive.

What do you mean "on this one?" Isn't that what they've done consistently?