MCPS BOE petition re: making student demographics the primary factor in redistricting decisions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.change.org/p/boe-mcpsmd-org-oppose-long-distance-busing-in-mcps-to-foster-communities-through-neighborhood-schools-9ee170ce-ce71-40de-9df5-182d62a4e24d

Vote is tonight, Mon Sept 24th.

Please sign or disseminate if you are a supporter of building communities through investing in neighborhood schools.

You may refer to Cambridge MA for an example of failed school system following universal integration and lottery-based school assignments.

But there is nothing of the sort in the proposed policy change. So it's irrelevant. Nobody is proposing to get rid of neighborhood schools or to dismantle communities.

A lack of facts never stopped the DCUM community from getting riled up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Yes, you are

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

But I thought that you were talking about long-distance busing, across the county? That's a long walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

I assume proximity will be part of the equation so I think you may be exaggerating the length of bus routes.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

I assume proximity will be part of the equation so I think you may be exaggerating the length of bus routes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

But I thought that you were talking about long-distance busing, across the county? That's a long walk.

A few miles means at least 30 minutes on a bus during rush hour, and that's within current clusters. My friend's kids' bus takes 40 minutes for one mile. Busing across current clusters might take an hour or more, as the magnet busing shows - Bethesda to Takoma Park is 90 minutes in the afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Yes, you are

Do you have data to bolster your opinion? I quoted an actual PTA cluster representative who was present at the MCPS meeting where busing was discussed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

While you may actually be concerned about the "hardships faced by lower income families" - I assure you that most parents posting just want their schools to stay as white as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A few miles means at least 30 minutes on a bus during rush hour, and that's within current clusters. My friend's kids' bus takes 40 minutes for one mile. Busing across current clusters might take an hour or more, as the magnet busing shows - Bethesda to Takoma Park is 90 minutes in the afternoon.

By all means, go to the BoE meeting and say that you're opposed to this change because kids are already getting bused long distances (of one mile) and it's already too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

I assume proximity will be part of the equation so I think you may be exaggerating the length of bus routes.

Then you weren't paying attention when they were discussing the RM ES#5 boundaries, nor what this thread is about. They are going to give diversity more weight than proximity.

In case you were not aware, prior to this new "policy" of putting more weight on diversity than proximity, they looked at an option where a neighborhood in the lower income area was being rezoned to an upper income area and vice versa. Basically, a switcharoo to even out the FARMS rate. It's 5.2 miles between the two ES, and would take 1.5 hours to walk it, for an adult. Think about a 5 year old having to walk it because they don't have a car. It would take 45 min by mass transit. No one from either school wanted to move. The lower income families did not want to break up their community, whom they also rely on.

Thankfully, this boundary study happened before this new policy. If this policy had been in place during the RMES#5 study, I think this option would've been given a lot more serious merit by the BOE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Yes, you are

Do you have data to bolster your opinion? I quoted an actual PTA cluster representative who was present at the MCPS meeting where busing was discussed.

See the thread that you started

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the OP of the previous "Alert" thread about busing.

Thanks, I just signed the petition.

And to address some of the concerns that others may have as to my agenda -
First, I am not spreading disinformation. I have been on the PTA board of my children's school for many years, and hear a lot of information that doesn't trickle down immediately to the rest of the community. I wrote one post, the OP of the Alert thread. I make no claims beyond that.
Second, I believe long-distance busing has more practical disadvantages (traffic gridlock, wasted time, pollution) than advantages (diversity and closing the gap). The disadvantages will be felt immediately. The achievement gap is an incredibly complex problem that cannot be solved by one measure. Injecting exaggerations, emotions and racism into the conversation is a distraction.

Really - you think busing issues are more important than diversity and the achievement gap. I don't.

I think you underestimate hardships faced by lower income families when their assigned schools are further away. I understand you are well intentioned, but well intentioned policies can hurt the very people whom you were trying to help. Many low income families do not have cars. They take public transport or walk to school. How do you want these parents to be involved in their kids' schools if they can't get there easily? If a child is sick, and the parents have to come pick them up from school, you realize that this child will have to walk further home from school? I guess for the good of the whole county, it's worth it for these families to face a bit more hardships.

I assume proximity will be part of the equation so I think you may be exaggerating the length of bus routes.

I wish I did! Please keep in mind that the notion of proximity takes on a drastically different meaning in rush hour in urban areas. I used to live in one area of downtown Silver Spring, and it took me 30 minutes to reach the other side of downtown in a bad traffic jam.

When Silver Spring residents were bused to Bethesda Elementary, parents were unhappy at the length of the bus route, and the hurdles they faced at not living near their children's school (a lot of them didn't have cars, and those who did couldn't easily make it to school meetings on time what with getting from work to their home to pick up their other kids and then dealing with traffic to get to the school).