Blair CAP Program or RM's IB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would appreciate hearing from people whose children had to pick between these two programs and what they decided and why. Both programs look amazing. Acceptance letters/rejections come out at the end of January but there is a short turn-around period to accept.

Thank you.

Definitely, RM's IB. Blair CAP coordinator is now the same as the magnet coordinator and they have had difficulty getting teachers. Some believe that the magnet is being "becoming assimilated with the rest of the school"(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/12272). My observation is that they are quietly assimilating the magnet and CAP with the rest of the school. That would be tragic because the standard of instruction would be lower than that at, say, RM.

The safe bet is RM. The classwork wont be easy. Good luck.

I think this is kind of off the mark and rumor-based. Can you back it up? We met with the teachers and they seemed amazingly dedicated and excited about what they are doing.

I also think your assertion that the standard of instruction would be lower than RM is not based in reality. These are different courses, but Blair has plenty of very high level teaching going on in AP classes as well as the magnet classes.

And you would back up your arbitrary judgment with what facts??

As for Blair standards being lower-- the evidence is in. Read Dan Reed's blog, read about One Montgomery's efforts. If that isn't enough, read the news link from Blair's own newspaper about how students feel. The fact is that Blair is assimilating its programs with the general population. The level at which the general population can be taught will determine the level of instruction. The level of the general population's preparedness, according to research, is correlated with socioeconomic (SES) status. RM has a higher SES and therefore the level of instruction will be higher.

Blair is making a big mistake in assimilating its CAP and magnets into the general population. End story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would appreciate hearing from people whose children had to pick between these two programs and what they decided and why. Both programs look amazing. Acceptance letters/rejections come out at the end of January but there is a short turn-around period to accept.

Thank you.

Definitely, RM's IB. Blair CAP coordinator is now the same as the magnet coordinator and they have had difficulty getting teachers. Some believe that the magnet is being "becoming assimilated with the rest of the school"(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/12272). My observation is that they are quietly assimilating the magnet and CAP with the rest of the school. That would be tragic because the standard of instruction would be lower than that at, say, RM.

The safe bet is RM. The classwork wont be easy. Good luck.

I think this is kind of off the mark and rumor-based. Can you back it up? We met with the teachers and they seemed amazingly dedicated and excited about what they are doing.

I also think your assertion that the standard of instruction would be lower than RM is not based in reality. These are different courses, but Blair has plenty of very high level teaching going on in AP classes as well as the magnet classes.

And you would back up your arbitrary judgment with what facts??

As for Blair standards being lower-- the evidence is in. Read Dan Reed's blog, read about One Montgomery's efforts. If that isn't enough, read the news link from Blair's own newspaper about how students feel. The fact is that Blair is assimilating its programs with the general population. The level at which the general population can be taught will determine the level of instruction. The level of the general population's preparedness, according to research, is correlated with socioeconomic (SES) status. RM has a higher SES and therefore the level of instruction will be higher.

Blair is making a big mistake in assimilating its CAP and magnets into the general population. End story.

First of all, Dan Reed is one blogger. And I read the news link from Silver Chips -- it has one quote from one junior. Not exactly a survey.

Plus, what does "assimilate into the general population" even mean? CAP (and the Magnet, for that matter) have always been part-time programs. The rest of the time, kids take courses in the "general population." And if you don't think Blair has enough kids to populate plenty of AP classes, you are mistaken. A kid who enters Blair and does the CAP program, plus AP courses and advanced math is going to get a very rigorous education.

I do believe that Starr has an agenda to get rid of magnets. He snuck a line item into his newest budget that pays $200K for an "outside consultant" to analyze magnet and spcial program effectiveness. I don't think the parents of MoCo will let him succeed, but I think he's going to try. BUt if he does it to CAP, he will do it to RM too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would appreciate hearing from people whose children had to pick between these two programs and what they decided and why. Both programs look amazing. Acceptance letters/rejections come out at the end of January but there is a short turn-around period to accept.

Thank you.

Definitely, RM's IB. Blair CAP coordinator is now the same as the magnet coordinator and they have had difficulty getting teachers. Some believe that the magnet is being "becoming assimilated with the rest of the school"(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/12272). My observation is that they are quietly assimilating the magnet and CAP with the rest of the school. That would be tragic because the standard of instruction would be lower than that at, say, RM.

The safe bet is RM. The classwork wont be easy. Good luck.

I think this is kind of off the mark and rumor-based. Can you back it up? We met with the teachers and they seemed amazingly dedicated and excited about what they are doing.

I also think your assertion that the standard of instruction would be lower than RM is not based in reality. These are different courses, but Blair has plenty of very high level teaching going on in AP classes as well as the magnet classes.

And you would back up your arbitrary judgment with what facts??

As for Blair standards being lower-- the evidence is in. Read Dan Reed's blog, read about One Montgomery's efforts. If that isn't enough, read the news link from Blair's own newspaper about how students feel. The fact is that Blair is assimilating its programs with the general population. The level at which the general population can be taught will determine the level of instruction. The level of the general population's preparedness, according to research, is correlated with socioeconomic (SES) status. RM has a higher SES and therefore the level of instruction will be higher.

Blair is making a big mistake in assimilating its CAP and magnets into the general population. End story.

First of all, Dan Reed is one blogger. And I read the news link from Silver Chips -- it has one quote from one junior. Not exactly a survey.

Plus, what does "assimilate into the general population" even mean? CAP (and the Magnet, for that matter) have always been part-time programs. The rest of the time, kids take courses in the "general population." And if you don't think Blair has enough kids to populate plenty of AP classes, you are mistaken. A kid who enters Blair and does the CAP program, plus AP courses and advanced math is going to get a very rigorous education.

I do believe that Starr has an agenda to get rid of magnets. He snuck a line item into his newest budget that pays $200K for an "outside consultant" to analyze magnet and spcial program effectiveness. I don't think the parents of MoCo will let him succeed, but I think he's going to try. BUt if he does it to CAP, he will do it to RM too.

NP here. Why do you think this is true? What is the perceived benefit of eliminating magnet programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would appreciate hearing from people whose children had to pick between these two programs and what they decided and why. Both programs look amazing. Acceptance letters/rejections come out at the end of January but there is a short turn-around period to accept.

Thank you.

Definitely, RM's IB. Blair CAP coordinator is now the same as the magnet coordinator and they have had difficulty getting teachers. Some believe that the magnet is being "becoming assimilated with the rest of the school"(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/12272). My observation is that they are quietly assimilating the magnet and CAP with the rest of the school. That would be tragic because the standard of instruction would be lower than that at, say, RM.

The safe bet is RM. The classwork wont be easy. Good luck.

I think this is kind of off the mark and rumor-based. Can you back it up? We met with the teachers and they seemed amazingly dedicated and excited about what they are doing.

I also think your assertion that the standard of instruction would be lower than RM is not based in reality. These are different courses, but Blair has plenty of very high level teaching going on in AP classes as well as the magnet classes.

And you would back up your arbitrary judgment with what facts??

As for Blair standards being lower-- the evidence is in. Read Dan Reed's blog, read about One Montgomery's efforts. If that isn't enough, read the news link from Blair's own newspaper about how students feel. The fact is that Blair is assimilating its programs with the general population. The level at which the general population can be taught will determine the level of instruction. The level of the general population's preparedness, according to research, is correlated with socioeconomic (SES) status. RM has a higher SES and therefore the level of instruction will be higher.

Blair is making a big mistake in assimilating its CAP and magnets into the general population. End story.

First of all, Dan Reed is one blogger. And I read the news link from Silver Chips -- it has one quote from one junior. Not exactly a survey.

Plus, what does "assimilate into the general population" even mean? CAP (and the Magnet, for that matter) have always been part-time programs. The rest of the time, kids take courses in the "general population." And if you don't think Blair has enough kids to populate plenty of AP classes, you are mistaken. A kid who enters Blair and does the CAP program, plus AP courses and advanced math is going to get a very rigorous education.

I do believe that Starr has an agenda to get rid of magnets. He snuck a line item into his newest budget that pays $200K for an "outside consultant" to analyze magnet and spcial program effectiveness. I don't think the parents of MoCo will let him succeed, but I think he's going to try. BUt if he does it to CAP, he will do it to RM too.

You make a good case for the fact that Blair is not a good option. RM has to maintain certain standards to maintain IB school status. So, dismantling it will be difficult if not impossible. Dismantling Blair programs would be EASIER.
I think RM-IB is the better choice. The comment from the junior matters--she has been through the program. If you had children in the program you would know she was right. You would also know that the magnet coordinator is also the CAP coordinator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would appreciate hearing from people whose children had to pick between these two programs and what they decided and why. Both programs look amazing. Acceptance letters/rejections come out at the end of January but there is a short turn-around period to accept.

Thank you.

Definitely, RM's IB. Blair CAP coordinator is now the same as the magnet coordinator and they have had difficulty getting teachers. Some believe that the magnet is being "becoming assimilated with the rest of the school"(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/12272). My observation is that they are quietly assimilating the magnet and CAP with the rest of the school. That would be tragic because the standard of instruction would be lower than that at, say, RM.

The safe bet is RM. The classwork wont be easy. Good luck.

Any student at Blair can take a magnet class as long as there is space. Only difference with regular program is that the magnet kids take one extra class and have special internship opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would appreciate hearing from people whose children had to pick between these two programs and what they decided and why. Both programs look amazing. Acceptance letters/rejections come out at the end of January but there is a short turn-around period to accept.

Thank you.

Definitely, RM's IB. Blair CAP coordinator is now the same as the magnet coordinator and they have had difficulty getting teachers. Some believe that the magnet is being "becoming assimilated with the rest of the school"(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/12272). My observation is that they are quietly assimilating the magnet and CAP with the rest of the school. That would be tragic because the standard of instruction would be lower than that at, say, RM.

The safe bet is RM. The classwork wont be easy. Good luck.

I think this is kind of off the mark and rumor-based. Can you back it up? We met with the teachers and they seemed amazingly dedicated and excited about what they are doing.

I also think your assertion that the standard of instruction would be lower than RM is not based in reality. These are different courses, but Blair has plenty of very high level teaching going on in AP classes as well as the magnet classes.

And you would back up your arbitrary judgment with what facts??

As for Blair standards being lower-- the evidence is in. Read Dan Reed's blog, read about One Montgomery's efforts. If that isn't enough, read the news link from Blair's own newspaper about how students feel. The fact is that Blair is assimilating its programs with the general population. The level at which the general population can be taught will determine the level of instruction. The level of the general population's preparedness, according to research, is correlated with socioeconomic (SES) status. RM has a higher SES and therefore the level of instruction will be higher.

Blair is making a big mistake in assimilating its CAP and magnets into the general population. End story.

First of all, Dan Reed is one blogger. And I read the news link from Silver Chips -- it has one quote from one junior. Not exactly a survey.

Plus, what does "assimilate into the general population" even mean? CAP (and the Magnet, for that matter) have always been part-time programs. The rest of the time, kids take courses in the "general population." And if you don't think Blair has enough kids to populate plenty of AP classes, you are mistaken. A kid who enters Blair and does the CAP program, plus AP courses and advanced math is going to get a very rigorous education.

I do believe that Starr has an agenda to get rid of magnets. He snuck a line item into his newest budget that pays $200K for an "outside consultant" to analyze magnet and spcial program effectiveness. I don't think the parents of MoCo will let him succeed, but I think he's going to try. BUt if he does it to CAP, he will do it to RM too.

You make a good case for the fact that Blair is not a good option. RM has to maintain certain standards to maintain IB school status. So, dismantling it will be difficult if not impossible. Dismantling Blair programs would be EASIER.
I think RM-IB is the better choice. The comment from the junior matters--she has been through the program. If you had children in the program you would know she was right. You would also know that the magnet coordinator is also the CAP coordinator.

I do, and I do.

I just don't get why you feel it necessary to take this approach. It's odd. In truth, I have known a couple of kids who dropped out of RM despite good grades because it was such an awful grind, and they started to feel like it was work for work's sake. I will take CAP over that any day. I don't see any reason to put kids through the wringer so that, after high school, a competitive college seems easy. What's the point in that?

I suspect, anyway, that my CAP student is gong to find college fairly easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to be flamed. Kid is in RMIB. It is a lot of work - A LOT OF WORK. Work that will not help in getting to college, but once you are in college - it will be a breeze after this program.

Blair is also amazing. It just does not have the IB aspect of jumping through hoops, but it is a vigorous and hard program.

Now the question is - what does your DC wants to do? RMIB is harder because IB takes a lot of effort. Time I feel would be better served in working on stuff that the colleges are looking for.

Thanks for this. I have to ask -- was your child at eastern? My child was not in hgc and step up to eastern was a lot of work. People had told us horror stories about eastern's work load and it was initially tough but then son learned to balance it all. I imagine the step to RM from anywhere other than Eastern may be particularly brutal and may still be very tough from eastern.

DC likes both programs and frankly, we didn't fully investigate because it is very hard to get into either.

[Anonymous]

Please don't flame me for expressing an honest opinion. RM IB is hard and the competition is high. You must work hard and you do benefit from the experience---especially at a good university.

CAP was good but no longer has the excellence experienced a few years ago. Assimilating with the regular school may be the cause but I don't know. Sadly, it is not a rigorous program anymore.

If you look at the Blair magnet Intel prize winners you will notice that they are from outside the Blair catchment area. They would do well anywhere and their projects seem to have little to do with Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to be flamed. Kid is in RMIB. It is a lot of work - A LOT OF WORK. Work that will not help in getting to college, but once you are in college - it will be a breeze after this program.

Blair is also amazing. It just does not have the IB aspect of jumping through hoops, but it is a vigorous and hard program.

Now the question is - what does your DC wants to do? RMIB is harder because IB takes a lot of effort. Time I feel would be better served in working on stuff that the colleges are looking for.

Thanks for this. I have to ask -- was your child at eastern? My child was not in hgc and step up to eastern was a lot of work. People had told us horror stories about eastern's work load and it was initially tough but then son learned to balance it all. I imagine the step to RM from anywhere other than Eastern may be particularly brutal and may still be very tough from eastern.

DC likes both programs and frankly, we didn't fully investigate because it is very hard to get into either.

I find Eastern kids find it easier to adjust to RMIB. However, this is anecdotal. I am no expert. Best of luck. There are many, many, many paths to success. My kid was not in Eastern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't flame me for expressing an honest opinion. RM IB is hard and the competition is high. You must work hard and you do benefit from the experience---especially at a good university.

CAP was good but no longer has the excellence experienced a few years ago. Assimilating with the regular school may be the cause but I don't know. Sadly, it is not a rigorous program anymore.

If you look at the Blair magnet Intel prize winners you will notice that they are from outside the Blair catchment area. They would do well anywhere and their projects seem to have little to do with Blair.

I'm not flaming you but I wish you would back up your claims with some data or even anecdotes beyond one quote in Silver Chips and Dan Reed.

DC has gone from Eastern to CAP (after being admitted to both). After Eastern, CAP doesn't seem super difficult to her, but it certainly is interesting/challenging. She loves the interdisciplinary aspect, the opportunity to work on media projects, the integrated way the teachers teach, etc. Her non-CAP classes include lots of AP and a very challenging math class where she works two years ahead.

I'm sure CAP isn't as much work or as "hard" as RM is, and that's one of the reasons we chose CAP. Some kids will not want to be doing that much work, and may want to concentrate on extracurriculars too, in order to develop a certain kind of college application profile and just to become a well-rounded person.

I don't know if you are the same "Blair basher" that posted about the Magnet being not as good, Intel participants coming from outside the catchment area for Blair, etc. etc. but I don't really get why you have such a chip on your shoulder.

Sure, RM is a good school and it does have a higher SES profile than the Blair population. But for those of us that know and are positive about the many good things about our school, why can't you just accept that? The two programs are different -- one is certainly "harder" but that doesn't necessarily make it better -- and everyone needs to make their own choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't flame me for expressing an honest opinion. RM IB is hard and the competition is high. You must work hard and you do benefit from the experience---especially at a good university.

CAP was good but no longer has the excellence experienced a few years ago. Assimilating with the regular school may be the cause but I don't know. Sadly, it is not a rigorous program anymore.

If you look at the Blair magnet Intel prize winners you will notice that they are from outside the Blair catchment area. They would do well anywhere and their projects seem to have little to do with Blair.

Agreed.

By the way - this is not the school that is producing these sci competition winners. What they do is not part of their curriculum or even club. In this area, students end up interning at NIH or similar places because their parents, relatives are researchers there - many papers they write are on obscure topics that their parents are working on.

Still - I will give credit that these are kids know before they get into HS - what their precise path will be for next 4 years. AND they do work their butts off (especially the Blair SMACS kids).

Another thing is that Blair has lots of institutional knowledge on how to win these competitions, when to enter these, when to train, what to read. These guys train for Math and Sci competitions like athletes do in other schools. If you have a strong SMACS kid - go to Blair....

[Anonymous]

The institutional knowledge is also declining as magnet staff move on. The hostility towards the magnet from Principal Johnson-- a croney of Jeanette Dixon has created disallusionment. Magnet kid used to have their own councillors........NO MORE. They are dismantling it slowly so that it will be too late when anyone finds out it is gone.

[Anonymous]

i wish one of the PPs would clarify what they mean by assimilation.

It's my understanding that CAP (and Magnet) kids have always had their magnet classes separate and the rest of the classes they choose from the same course selection as all other kids. They can select AP level courses for much of these. So how are things different now?

I know they have stopped having a separate counselor for magnets and I can see where that's disadvantageous. But is that all you are referring to?

[Anonymous]

Both programs are good and have some pros and cons. Congratulations to your kid for getting into both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i wish one of the PPs would clarify what they mean by assimilation.

It's my understanding that CAP (and Magnet) kids have always had their magnet classes separate and the rest of the classes they choose from the same course selection as all other kids. They can select AP level courses for much of these. So how are things different now?

I know they have stopped having a separate counselor for magnets and I can see where that's disadvantageous. But is that all you are referring to?

As the student was quoted in the Silver Chips online edition as saying, the regular school kids are being allowed to take magnet courses. That necessarily means that they lower the standards for the course. A number of teachers have also left or retired resulting in inexperienced teachers taking over. RM, it seems, has a better retention rate for teachers. If you look at the staff directory you will see that most of the original teachers have left.

The fact that this may be a careful effort to dismantle the magnets is supported by the recent integration of magnet students with the counselors for all students in the school. Remember that Blair is a massive school and counselors have a big load. So, they don't get to give the magnet students the type of one-to-one service they used to receive.