New boundary study for Churchill, Clarksburg, Damascus, Gaithersburg, RM, Northwest, Poolesville, QO, SV, WM, Wootton

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Does this mean that the homes currently in the Churchill zone could be rezoned to a different school or are they protected?


Parts of Churchill could be rezoned to Wootton or RM, or perhaps Crown, but that seems less likely.

O M G


I’m thinking Seneca Valley
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


That ship has sailed.

This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%


Correlation does not mean causation
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%

These schools have large Hispanic student populations.

In 2023, the chronic absenteeism rate for Hispanic students in MCPS is 37.4%.
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/XXXX/2023

Bussing people who are chronically absent makes little difference to their education.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It is time to move Ritchie Park back into the Wootton Cluster. They never should have been moved out of it.

The old timers in my neighborhood still complain about this


Because it has dropped the home values by $50-90K. I would complain too! Not to mention Wootton is in walking distance to many of those neighborhoods and would save buses


It happened in 1987. Nineteen eighty seven. Almost 40 years ago. If you were a homeowner in Horizon Hill before 1987, and you're still complaining about it, you've led a fortunate life.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/05/25/school-shift-stirs-rockville-dispute/a460e6bd-9d22-4b6d-a490-c8aef025f231/


Here's a story I heard. I don't know if it's true or not?

Wootton was built to, at the time, separate the Asian community from other schools, hence the massively gerrymandered boundaries? I also heard that's why Wootton's renovation gets pushed back again, and again, and again?

At first I didn't believe it, but when I read this, I couldn't help remembering the story I heard?

2021:
https://woottoncommonsense.com/11948/opinion/montgomery-county-forgets-about-wootton-no-plans-for-renovation-in-sight/
2023:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yg-sU632OgaktZ8Z236CUxNotlrFFGy1/view

"the project has been delayed by eight years to August 2029 while others have jumped ahead"
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2024/20240206/testimony/Testimony93-MoniqueAshton-MCPS.pdf

I don't think the County Council will be happy until a Wootton student dies?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%

Seneca Valley High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 51.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0104/2023

Gaithersburg High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 55.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0551/2023

Watkins Mills High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 58.9%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0545/2023

When you move chronically absent students to a school farther away, will they suddenly show up for school?


Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Many of these schools lack real diversity and need some busing.


Busing is a band-aid. I'd rather see MCPS invest in well thought-out programs at specific schools that are attractive and open to students in upcounty/midcounty.


You notice how the two HS magnet programs are in opposite corners of the county that's inconvenient for the majority of the county? There was another thread a few months back about Crown. The capacity at Crown wasn't even necessary if current boundaries were shifted?

I want to know how many overpaid MCPS Central Office / BOE staff at Hungerford send their kids to College Gardens ES or live in Kings Farm? Someone on the thread was pushing hard to insist that those areas would 100% certain be part of Crown.


That’s funny because the word on the street is that the rest of King Farm will be shifted from RM to Gaithersburg, not exactly a “win”.


The crystal balls on the streets in King Farm are just as accurate as the crystal balls anywhere else.


No one would be happier to be wrong...
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It is time to move Ritchie Park back into the Wootton Cluster. They never should have been moved out of it.

The old timers in my neighborhood still complain about this


Because it has dropped the home values by $50-90K. I would complain too! Not to mention Wootton is in walking distance to many of those neighborhoods and would save buses


It happened in 1987. Nineteen eighty seven. Almost 40 years ago. If you were a homeowner in Horizon Hill before 1987, and you're still complaining about it, you've led a fortunate life.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/05/25/school-shift-stirs-rockville-dispute/a460e6bd-9d22-4b6d-a490-c8aef025f231/


Here's a story I heard. I don't know if it's true or not?

Wootton was built to, at the time, separate the Asian community from other schools, hence the massively gerrymandered boundaries? I also heard that's why Wootton's renovation gets pushed back again, and again, and again?

At first I didn't believe it, but when I read this, I couldn't help remembering the story I heard?

2021:
https://woottoncommonsense.com/11948/opinion/montgomery-county-forgets-about-wootton-no-plans-for-renovation-in-sight/
2023:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yg-sU632OgaktZ8Z236CUxNotlrFFGy1/view

"the project has been delayed by eight years to August 2029 while others have jumped ahead"
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2024/20240206/testimony/Testimony93-MoniqueAshton-MCPS.pdf

I don't think the County Council will be happy until a Wootton student dies?


This is false. Asians moved there because it was priced better than Potomac, but the school was strong academically. It's renovations get pushed back because other schools have bigger problems like overcrowding, but once schools like Crown and Woodward come online I can't imagine there would be any further excuses.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%

Seneca Valley High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 51.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0104/2023

Gaithersburg High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 55.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0551/2023

Watkins Mills High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 58.9%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0545/2023

When you move chronically absent students to a school farther away, will they suddenly show up for school?




No they won't, but the concern extends beyond them. In some ways, they're going to do what they want to do. It's really more about the ripple effect throughout the entire school. When a huge portion of the student body is plagued by chronic absenteeism the impact to the school is profound. For example, using Watkins Mills numbers- 1,715 students, 616 are chronically absent. Imagine what that does to the school. Teachers now have to dedicate significant time to help the absent students catch up, which disrupts classroom dynamics and affects the experience of the kids who consistently go to school and do want to learn. There's a high number of students who are disengaged and a high number of disciplinary issues. There's probably limited clubs and programs compared to the other schools that don't have this problem because the demand is low. There's probably very little to no school spirit. Very low parental engagement. A sense of apathy among a large number of students and staff. Higher than normal teacher turnover rates. What you end up with is a negative school culture that is not an ideal environment for learning. This is what MCPS cares about and why demographics is a big factor in boundary studies.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%

Seneca Valley High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 51.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0104/2023

Gaithersburg High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 55.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0551/2023

Watkins Mills High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 58.9%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0545/2023

When you move chronically absent students to a school farther away, will they suddenly show up for school?




No they won't, but the concern extends beyond them. In some ways, they're going to do what they want to do. It's really more about the ripple effect throughout the entire school. When a huge portion of the student body is plagued by chronic absenteeism the impact to the school is profound. For example, using Watkins Mills numbers- 1,715 students, 616 are chronically absent. Imagine what that does to the school. Teachers now have to dedicate significant time to help the absent students catch up, which disrupts classroom dynamics and affects the experience of the kids who consistently go to school and do want to learn. There's a high number of students who are disengaged and a high number of disciplinary issues. There's probably limited clubs and programs compared to the other schools that don't have this problem because the demand is low. There's probably very little to no school spirit. Very low parental engagement. A sense of apathy among a large number of students and staff. Higher than normal teacher turnover rates. What you end up with is a negative school culture that is not an ideal environment for learning. This is what MCPS cares about and why demographics is a big factor in boundary studies.


You move these kids to other schools so each school having 10-15% chronically absent is still causing issues, and more schools will have low moral. Possibly more Hispanic students will be absent due to the distance. The people who care about education will not accept their kids being bussed to poor performing schools so they will leave or go to private schools. Then none of the schools will be ideal environment for learning. It’s a lose lose situation. Seriously this is a problem that busing cannot solve.
Anonymous
I hear about zoning for a few years. When will all these talks or rumors or guess of this rezoning finalize and happen in real life? This year is 2024, are we talking about 5 years after or later? My kid is still in elementary school, I would lobe the rezoning happen before they are in high school the first year?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%

Seneca Valley High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 51.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0104/2023

Gaithersburg High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 55.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0551/2023

Watkins Mills High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 58.9%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0545/2023

When you move chronically absent students to a school farther away, will they suddenly show up for school?




No they won't, but the concern extends beyond them. In some ways, they're going to do what they want to do. It's really more about the ripple effect throughout the entire school. When a huge portion of the student body is plagued by chronic absenteeism the impact to the school is profound. For example, using Watkins Mills numbers- 1,715 students, 616 are chronically absent. Imagine what that does to the school. Teachers now have to dedicate significant time to help the absent students catch up, which disrupts classroom dynamics and affects the experience of the kids who consistently go to school and do want to learn. There's a high number of students who are disengaged and a high number of disciplinary issues. There's probably limited clubs and programs compared to the other schools that don't have this problem because the demand is low. There's probably very little to no school spirit. Very low parental engagement. A sense of apathy among a large number of students and staff. Higher than normal teacher turnover rates. What you end up with is a negative school culture that is not an ideal environment for learning. This is what MCPS cares about and why demographics is a big factor in boundary studies.


You move these kids to other schools so each school having 10-15% chronically absent is still causing issues, and more schools will have low moral. Possibly more Hispanic students will be absent due to the distance. The people who care about education will not accept their kids being bussed to poor performing schools so they will leave or go to private schools. Then none of the schools will be ideal environment for learning. It’s a lose lose situation. Seriously this is a problem that busing cannot solve.

In fact, Hispanic organizations have surveyed Hispanic students in MCPS and found that many immigrant Hispanic students don't go to school because they were poorly educated in their home countries and could not keep up with their grade-level work. You cannot solve this problem by bussing.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FARMS kids do not do better when they are bused.

That said, every child deserves to have fair access to a quality education. It looks bad when they have one school with a 1300 average SAT and one with a 950 SAT. But the kids with a 950 SAT would still score the same even if they moved to the 1300 average SAT school and vice versa.

I am a strong believer in the school within a school mindset that allows the ones that want to learn a separate peer group for their core classes.

People want stability in their schools. I hope the BOE doesn't go on a crusade to move kids around just because it's the "in thing to do"



Kids from poor families actually do do better when they attend low-poverty vs. high-poverty schools.

People are against change, period. But you can't have boundary changes without change.


This. The higher the poverty rate, the lower the performance. These need to be reduced:

SVHS- 49.9%
Gaithersburg- 57.6%
Watkins Mill- 64.4%

Seneca Valley High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 51.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0104/2023

Gaithersburg High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 55.0%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0551/2023

Watkins Mills High: 2023 Hispanic chronic absenteeism rate 58.9%:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Demographics/ChronicAbsenteeism/3/99/1/6/15/0545/2023

When you move chronically absent students to a school farther away, will they suddenly show up for school?




No they won't, but the concern extends beyond them. In some ways, they're going to do what they want to do. It's really more about the ripple effect throughout the entire school. When a huge portion of the student body is plagued by chronic absenteeism the impact to the school is profound. For example, using Watkins Mills numbers- 1,715 students, 616 are chronically absent. Imagine what that does to the school. Teachers now have to dedicate significant time to help the absent students catch up, which disrupts classroom dynamics and affects the experience of the kids who consistently go to school and do want to learn. There's a high number of students who are disengaged and a high number of disciplinary issues. There's probably limited clubs and programs compared to the other schools that don't have this problem because the demand is low. There's probably very little to no school spirit. Very low parental engagement. A sense of apathy among a large number of students and staff. Higher than normal teacher turnover rates. What you end up with is a negative school culture that is not an ideal environment for learning. This is what MCPS cares about and why demographics is a big factor in boundary studies.


You move these kids to other schools so each school having 10-15% chronically absent is still causing issues, and more schools will have low moral. Possibly more Hispanic students will be absent due to the distance. The people who care about education will not accept their kids being bussed to poor performing schools so they will leave or go to private schools. Then none of the schools will be ideal environment for learning. It’s a lose lose situation. Seriously this is a problem that busing cannot solve.

In fact, Hispanic organizations have surveyed Hispanic students in MCPS and found that many immigrant Hispanic students don't go to school because they were poorly educated in their home countries and could not keep up with their grade-level work. You cannot solve this problem by bussing.


Again, the issue isn't so much the kids who don't want to go to school. I agree we can't fix that. The significant issue is the ripple effect that having a large number of chronically absent kids have on a school and the resulting environment that it causes. It negatively impacts the other students, the staff, and the overall culture of the school.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I hear about zoning for a few years. When will all these talks or rumors or guess of this rezoning finalize and happen in real life? This year is 2024, are we talking about 5 years after or later? My kid is still in elementary school, I would lobe the rezoning happen before they are in high school the first year?


The rezoning decisions will be made in 2026, and start happening in real life in 2027.
Anonymous
agree that the current Stone Mill --> Cabin John MS --> Wootton is weird enough!

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Which God should I pray to for Stone Mill ES to stay districted to Wootton? Open to suggestions.


LOL, same here from Travilah ES, which god should we pray to stay with Wootton?


Are they going to send a whole ES to a different school? Or could be part of an ES?


I saw a message on FB said they are not touching Elementary Schools, but who knows what BOE will do.....


I guess it’s too hard to touch ES for such a large study. But I would hate split articulation for ES students to different MS and HS.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I hear about zoning for a few years. When will all these talks or rumors or guess of this rezoning finalize and happen in real life? This year is 2024, are we talking about 5 years after or later? My kid is still in elementary school, I would lobe the rezoning happen before they are in high school the first year?


The rezoning decisions will be made in 2026, and start happening in real life in 2027.

This is why it's critical we ensure the board candidates strongly support diversity-first zoning.
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