How are the 6th grade enrichment classes for cohort kids who were not accepted to magnet programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

I thought Geometry and some World Language classes were the only official honors classes offered in middle school, as they are for HS credit. There are also Advanced classes at middle schools, like Advanced English 6 as opposed to English 6.

IMO "honors" and "advanced" aren't that different. Math is a different ball game because the advanced math pathway already puts you in an advanced group.

There are no advanced or honor science classes, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

So what you're saying is, your son is a bright kid who didn't get into the MS magnet program under the previous admissions process, went to his home middle school, and would have benefited from the math and English classes for the gifted cohort at the home middle school -- except that there wasn't such a thing for him then, but now there is, so that's an improvement, yay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

So what you're saying is, your son is a bright kid who didn't get into the MS magnet program under the previous admissions process, went to his home middle school, and would have benefited from the math and English classes for the gifted cohort at the home middle school -- except that there wasn't such a thing for him then, but now there is, so that's an improvement, yay?

You need to follow the thread. I was answering a PP's question about "honors" classes, which my DC has been in since 6th grade, every single one.

What I am saying is that the one or two classes being offered to these students who didn't get in because of "peer cohort" is insulting to those students. And I never stated that my DC applied to MS magnet. DC didn't because DC didn't want to go that far. That was DC's choice. Others don't and didn't feel the same and applied, but got rejected because of "peer cohort", and somehow these one or two classes, the classes that others have been saying are lackluster and not any different than the regular classes, are supposed to make up for the rejection because of "peer cohort".

If you can prove otherwise, that these classes are on par with the magnet classes offered in TPMS or Eastern, please do provide that evidence. I'm sure many parents would be very appreciative and interested in your feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

So what you're saying is, your son is a bright kid who didn't get into the MS magnet program under the previous admissions process, went to his home middle school, and would have benefited from the math and English classes for the gifted cohort at the home middle school -- except that there wasn't such a thing for him then, but now there is, so that's an improvement, yay?

You need to follow the thread. I was answering a PP's question about "honors" classes, which my DC has been in since 6th grade, every single one.

What I am saying is that the one or two classes being offered to these students who didn't get in because of "peer cohort" is insulting to those students. And I never stated that my DC applied to MS magnet. DC didn't because DC didn't want to go that far. That was DC's choice. Others don't and didn't feel the same and applied, but got rejected because of "peer cohort", and somehow these one or two classes, the classes that others have been saying are lackluster and not any different than the regular classes, are supposed to make up for the rejection because of "peer cohort".

If you can prove otherwise, that these classes are on par with the magnet classes offered in TPMS or Eastern, please do provide that evidence. I'm sure many parents would be very appreciative and interested in your feedback.

Nobody knows why kids didn't get in. Most of the "peer cohort" kids weren't real outliers or they'd be in these programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

So what you're saying is, your son is a bright kid who didn't get into the MS magnet program under the previous admissions process, went to his home middle school, and would have benefited from the math and English classes for the gifted cohort at the home middle school -- except that there wasn't such a thing for him then, but now there is, so that's an improvement, yay?

I love the new classes too! It's like going to a magnet but without having to sit on the bus for 40 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You need to follow the thread. I was answering a PP's question about "honors" classes, which my DC has been in since 6th grade, every single one.

What I am saying is that the one or two classes being offered to these students who didn't get in because of "peer cohort" is insulting to those students. And I never stated that my DC applied to MS magnet. DC didn't because DC didn't want to go that far. That was DC's choice. Others don't and didn't feel the same and applied, but got rejected because of "peer cohort", and somehow these one or two classes, the classes that others have been saying are lackluster and not any different than the regular classes, are supposed to make up for the rejection because of "peer cohort".

If you can prove otherwise, that these classes are on par with the magnet classes offered in TPMS or Eastern, please do provide that evidence. I'm sure many parents would be very appreciative and interested in your feedback.

Not if they're in 8th grade, they didn't.

Here's what there used to be in middle schools, for kids who were rejected from the middle-school magnet programs: nothing. Here's what there now is in middle schools, for kids who were rejected from the middle-school magnet programs: something. Something > nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

So what you're saying is, your son is a bright kid who didn't get into the MS magnet program under the previous admissions process, went to his home middle school, and would have benefited from the math and English classes for the gifted cohort at the home middle school -- except that there wasn't such a thing for him then, but now there is, so that's an improvement, yay?

I love the new classes too! It's like going to a magnet but without having to sit on the bus for 40 minutes.

How wonderful. Please tell us more about what your child is experiencing in these new classes in their home MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You need to follow the thread. I was answering a PP's question about "honors" classes, which my DC has been in since 6th grade, every single one.

What I am saying is that the one or two classes being offered to these students who didn't get in because of "peer cohort" is insulting to those students. And I never stated that my DC applied to MS magnet. DC didn't because DC didn't want to go that far. That was DC's choice. Others don't and didn't feel the same and applied, but got rejected because of "peer cohort", and somehow these one or two classes, the classes that others have been saying are lackluster and not any different than the regular classes, are supposed to make up for the rejection because of "peer cohort".

If you can prove otherwise, that these classes are on par with the magnet classes offered in TPMS or Eastern, please do provide that evidence. I'm sure many parents would be very appreciative and interested in your feedback.

Not if they're in 8th grade, they didn't.

Here's what there used to be in middle schools, for kids who were rejected from the middle-school magnet programs: nothing. Here's what there now is in middle schools, for kids who were rejected from the middle-school magnet programs: something. Something > nothing.

OMG... you are dense. OP is asking if the new classes for the MS for those rejected due to peer cohort are any good. Some folks have stated that they see no difference.

So, in this case.. Something = "not that different from the nothing".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you clarify what you mean by regular honors-type classes?

DP.. most of the MS have classes designated as "honors". They are a joke. My DC is now in 8th grade, was in every honors class available, and he mostly slept through the classes (figuratively) and got straight As. He had previously been in HGC. And my DC is not really "gifted", just really really bright.

This is why so many parents are angry about what happened with the change in the MS magnet admissions. The one or two class offerings in the home MS to placate the parents was pretty insulting.

Some people on the forum kept saying "oh, isn't wonderful now kids can stay in their home MS and not have to commute to get an enriched curriculum". I snorted at their naivete.

So what you're saying is, your son is a bright kid who didn't get into the MS magnet program under the previous admissions process, went to his home middle school, and would have benefited from the math and English classes for the gifted cohort at the home middle school -- except that there wasn't such a thing for him then, but now there is, so that's an improvement, yay?

I love the new classes too! It's like going to a magnet but without having to sit on the bus for 40 minutes.

How wonderful. Please tell us more about what your child is experiencing in these new classes in their home MS

Yes, I keep asking this to those rah rah folks but all we get is a "oh. it's so wonderful", with no details. How wonderful is it that you can't even mention one thing that's so wonderful about the actual new curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone provide any details on the actual differences between the new classes and the existing classes? Anyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone provide any details on the actual differences between the new classes and the existing classes? Anyone?

It’s wonderful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone provide any details on the actual differences between the new classes and the existing classes? Anyone?

+1

Deafening silence.

[Anonymous]

At pyle the two classes are exactly the same. Admin and teachers resented the whole business to begin with. Are you really surprised this is how it turned out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At pyle the two classes are exactly the same. Admin and teachers resented the whole business to begin with. Are you really surprised this is how it turned out?

The classes aren't exactly the same - even if it were/is true the only difference is that the enriched class is made up of highly able learners instead of some other mix. My DC's favorite class of all time in MCPS, by a large margin, is one of the enriched classes in 6th. I have no idea whether the class assignments differ from the non-enriched classes. Maybe that doesn't matter as much as cohort.

[Anonymous]

So far in this thread all we have is multiple people reporting that Pyle MS hasn't implemented anything different. In other words, the teachers at a well-performing, UMC school didn't really see the need to change what they were doing, and the administration doesn't see a problem with that. If parents believe differently, then they need to complain to the school. This isn't an MCPS issue - it is a Pyle issue.

FWIW, I know several former consulting teachers and they get an interesting insight into how different the middle schools and high schools are actually run, and how curriculum is or is not implemented in different departments. One CT reported that in one of the W schools (I don't remember which) they were teaching science curriculum from 20 years ago (two revisions ago) because they saw no need to change. If MCPS said your students are going to get a different curriculum, then go an make sure that is happening. Go observe, go ask for reports, get your PTA involved, get the department head involved, get the principal involved. Unless the teachers want to change, they won't. They'll do what is easiest, which is teach the same thing they taught before.