Middle School Magnet Test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting into advanced English at our home middle school requires a MAP score of 215, not exactly high for 5th graders.

But if they are struggling in advanced English they can always be put in regular English later. At least give them a chance if they want to self select?

[Anonymous]

The point is that the home middle school doesn't offer much for students who need advanced and challenging work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The point is that the home middle school doesn't offer much for students who need advanced and challenging work.

Exactly, a map of 215 for advanced english doesn't give me a lot of confidence in the program. My son had that score in 3rd grade - first quarter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ridiculous

These magnets are about you, not your kids.

Admit it.

My kid's testing - only b/c her teachers encouraged her to do so. We haven't even looked at the testing packet with the sample questions.

Let your kids be kids.

bunch of neurotic parents turning their kids into lunatics

At least our kids don't have a hypocritical parent! Don't worry your D has zero chance of getting in.

That's nice. Thanks
I'm sure you're a compassionate parent.

not a hypocrite
a realist - unlike many of you

My daughter said the reading was easy and the Raven - toward the end - was challenging. She just barely completed the essay, but her idea was very creative.

not worried at all

don't care if she doesn't make
didn't put pressure on her in the least bit

She'll grow from this experience whether or not she gets in.

It's for her - not for me.

And whatever happens - even if she gets a spot and turns it down - she'll survive and move on.

But I'm sure many of you will be jumping off a bridge if your cherub doesn't make the cuts in February.

Really? I have never heard of anyone jumping off the bridge because their kid did not make the cut. So, your kid will survive if she does not get in but others will jump off the bridge? You said you were a teacher? Is this how you interact with your students and their parents? Can your kid survive having you for a parent? You are dripping with resentment and envy. Your unfortunate child! What a toxic and petty person to have for a mother!

My kids are great.

In fact, we're hands off, and the teachers have nothing but praise for them.

They are resourceful and resilient.

Good luck with yours, however. I couldn't believe what I saw today. Parents were neurotic and hovering over their kids - taking pictures as though this were prom night.
ridiculous

I am not envious or resentful. In fact, we're thrilled with our school cluster. So it's all good. My daughter decided to try for magnet after hearing that her friend's brother was accepted into Tk Pk. We didn't push her. She told her teachers who encouraged her to go for it.

If that's envy and resentment, then so be it. And if envy and resentment help to create happy and resourceful children, then I'm fine with being labeled a toxic parent. lol

Ha ha! What a liar!

Judgemental and obnoxious trolls like you spawn toxic and loser kids. But good attempt trying to sell us your cock and bull story.

Go away troll.

As a teacher, I have no reason to lie b/c I have the inside story.

I know what magnets are about. I know about the selection process.

If you think I'm a troll, so be it.

It's all good.

Enjoy biting your fingernails from now through February.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ridiculous

These magnets are about you, not your kids.

Admit it.

My kid's testing - only b/c her teachers encouraged her to do so. We haven't even looked at the testing packet with the sample questions.

Let your kids be kids.

bunch of neurotic parents turning their kids into lunatics

At least our kids don't have a hypocritical parent! Don't worry your D has zero chance of getting in.

That's nice. Thanks
I'm sure you're a compassionate parent.

not a hypocrite
a realist - unlike many of you

My daughter said the reading was easy and the Raven - toward the end - was challenging. She just barely completed the essay, but her idea was very creative.

not worried at all

don't care if she doesn't make
didn't put pressure on her in the least bit

She'll grow from this experience whether or not she gets in.

It's for her - not for me.

And whatever happens - even if she gets a spot and turns it down - she'll survive and move on.

But I'm sure many of you will be jumping off a bridge if your cherub doesn't make the cuts in February.

Sure, whatever. What irks me your attempt to somehow show you are better than other parents. You are no better so enough of you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ridiculous

These magnets are about you, not your kids.

Admit it.

My kid's testing - only b/c her teachers encouraged her to do so. We haven't even looked at the testing packet with the sample questions.

Let your kids be kids.

bunch of neurotic parents turning their kids into lunatics

At least our kids don't have a hypocritical parent! Don't worry your D has zero chance of getting in.

That's nice. Thanks
I'm sure you're a compassionate parent.

not a hypocrite
a realist - unlike many of you

My daughter said the reading was easy and the Raven - toward the end - was challenging. She just barely completed the essay, but her idea was very creative.

not worried at all

don't care if she doesn't make
didn't put pressure on her in the least bit

She'll grow from this experience whether or not she gets in.

It's for her - not for me.

And whatever happens - even if she gets a spot and turns it down - she'll survive and move on.


But I'm sure many of you will be jumping off a bridge if your cherub doesn't make the cuts in February.

My child had trouble completing the essay. What was her creative idea?

Specifics of the test shouldn't be discussed at this point. Kids are still taking the test next week.

[Anonymous]

Specifics of the test shouldn't be discussed at this point. Kids are still taking the test next week.

really? who?

[Anonymous]

yes, that's true. The makeup date is next Sat for people who were sick or couldn't make it yesterday, so it's probably best not to discuss the specifics of the test right at the moment.
Back to the question about improving middle schools, could parents perhaps ask if the school could offer a higher level math or English class, or an interesting elective that would attract motivated learners? Not sure whether administrators are open to that or even have the power to do that, or whether that would just be dismissed out of hand. I don't love the idea of being a pushy parent but I do want my kid to get a strong education if we end up at the home middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Specifics of the test shouldn't be discussed at this point. Kids are still taking the test next week.

really? who?

makeups and kids who received special accomodations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with this PP:
"Looking at the faces of all these children and parents I was struck anew that if the standards of education was high for each school then I would not have had to be part of this madness. There is something so messed up in the whole system, if the curriculum and teaching does not challenge each and every kid in entire MCPS to their abilities and needs. "
This is a crazy, almost cruel process that has gotten more insane as the number of applicants increase.
Clearly only a fraction of our kids will get into these programs, so what can we do to make the home middle schools more rigorous and attractive to families?
When I was in middle school, every public school I knew about had an intense gifted program, and this was in a state not known for its educational system. But I hear from other parents that the "honors/gifted" level classes at at least a couple of the regular middle schools are not even as challenging as the work the 5th graders at HGCs are doing. I don't understand why every school doesn't have truly rigorous and creative classes that will challenge kids, because clearly the demand is there.

The question is, what do we do about it?

It is a crazy and cruel system. All kids who took the exam today are interested in the rigor that this program offers. So, why not offer it to them? Either at the center or at their home schools. If you have to cut costs then there are other places that the county can cut costs. To deny any of these kids the opportunity is such a waste of brain power.

If you let everybody in, then there is screaming about the program being dumbed down and watered down. If you don't let everybody in, then there is screaming about children being denied opportunities. Which do you prefer?

Also, I think it's unrealistic to expect that MCPS's curriculum and teaching should challenge each of the 154,000 students in the system to their abilities and needs. If you want an education that challenges your individual child to your child's individual abilities and needs, you must home school. Any school system with more than one student will have to make compromises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with this PP:
"Looking at the faces of all these children and parents I was struck anew that if the standards of education was high for each school then I would not have had to be part of this madness. There is something so messed up in the whole system, if the curriculum and teaching does not challenge each and every kid in entire MCPS to their abilities and needs. "
This is a crazy, almost cruel process that has gotten more insane as the number of applicants increase.
Clearly only a fraction of our kids will get into these programs, so what can we do to make the home middle schools more rigorous and attractive to families?
When I was in middle school, every public school I knew about had an intense gifted program, and this was in a state not known for its educational system. But I hear from other parents that the "honors/gifted" level classes at at least a couple of the regular middle schools are not even as challenging as the work the 5th graders at HGCs are doing. I don't understand why every school doesn't have truly rigorous and creative classes that will challenge kids, because clearly the demand is there.

The question is, what do we do about it?

It is a crazy and cruel system. All kids who took the exam today are interested in the rigor that this program offers. So, why not offer it to them? Either at the center or at their home schools. If you have to cut costs then there are other places that the county can cut costs. To deny any of these kids the opportunity is such a waste of brain power.

If you let everybody in, then there is screaming about the program being dumbed down and watered down. If you don't let everybody in, then there is screaming about children being denied opportunities. Which do you prefer?

Also, I think it's unrealistic to expect that MCPS's curriculum and teaching should challenge each of the 154,000 students in the system to their abilities and needs. If you want an education that challenges your individual child to your child's individual abilities and needs, you must home school. Any school system with more than one student will have to make compromises.

There is validity to what you are saying. However, I have not really understood why there is not one curriculum per grade here. The world over the standard is that every child in a particular grade has the same textbooks, same curriculum, same exams and grades reported in percentages.

I also do not buy that the magnet curriculum is something extra-ordinary and can be handled only kids who are super intelligent. I feel that the magnet curriculum (especially when not tainted by 2.0) was the appropriate curriculum for kids of that grade. The fact that an not magnet kid may not be handle the magnet curriculum in higher grades is only because they were not given the foundational knowledge in lower grades.

The policy of not keeping kids back in the same grade if they do not meet a threshold in that grade is the reason we are actually dumbing down the curriculum for all children. I f MCPS wants to continue to have differentiation in curriculum then at the very least magnet curriculum should be what is taught to everyone. The variance should be given a choice of higher or lower curriculum. BUT a choice should be available to all. Not just a lucky few who do well on the day of the magnet exam.

[Anonymous]

^^ The fact that a non-magnet kid may not be able to handle the magnet curriculum in higher grades is only because they were not given the foundational knowledge in lower grades.


(fixed the typo..)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ridiculous

These magnets are about you, not your kids.

Admit it.

My kid's testing - only b/c her teachers encouraged her to do so. We haven't even looked at the testing packet with the sample questions.

Let your kids be kids.

bunch of neurotic parents turning their kids into lunatics

At least our kids don't have a hypocritical parent! Don't worry your D has zero chance of getting in.

That's nice. Thanks
I'm sure you're a compassionate parent.

not a hypocrite
a realist - unlike many of you

My daughter said the reading was easy and the Raven - toward the end - was challenging. She just barely completed the essay, but her idea was very creative.

not worried at all

don't care if she doesn't make
didn't put pressure on her in the least bit

She'll grow from this experience whether or not she gets in.

It's for her - not for me.

And whatever happens - even if she gets a spot and turns it down - she'll survive and move on.

But I'm sure many of you will be jumping off a bridge if your cherub doesn't make the cuts in February.

Really? I have never heard of anyone jumping off the bridge because their kid did not make the cut. So, your kid will survive if she does not get in but others will jump off the bridge? You said you were a teacher? Is this how you interact with your students and their parents? Can your kid survive having you for a parent? You are dripping with resentment and envy. Your unfortunate child! What a toxic and petty person to have for a mother!

My kids are great.

In fact, we're hands off, and the teachers have nothing but praise for them.

They are resourceful and resilient.

Good luck with yours, however. I couldn't believe what I saw today. Parents were neurotic and hovering over their kids - taking pictures as though this were prom night.
ridiculous

I am not envious or resentful. In fact, we're thrilled with our school cluster. So it's all good. My daughter decided to try for magnet after hearing that her friend's brother was accepted into Tk Pk. We didn't push her. She told her teachers who encouraged her to go for it.

If that's envy and resentment, then so be it. And if envy and resentment help to create happy and resourceful children, then I'm fine with being labeled a toxic parent. lol

Ha ha! What a liar!

Judgemental and obnoxious trolls like you spawn toxic and loser kids. But good attempt trying to sell us your cock and bull story.

Go away troll.

As a teacher, I have no reason to lie b/c I have the inside story.

I know what magnets are about. I know about the selection process.

If you think I'm a troll, so be it.

It's all good.

Enjoy biting your fingernails from now through February.

No one is buying your story. Go away troll. And you are a liar. You have the inside story of what exactly? You wanted to portray that you were unaware of what this whole process was but another teacher encouraged your daughter. And then the story changed and it was because your daughter learned about some other student who got in. You are pathetic. Go and troll somewhere else.

And if you are a teacher I feel bad for the students who are taught by you. What a troll!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many kids were from HGC? How many were from regular middle schools? Do you think that HGC kids have an advantage over non-HGC kids?

The kids who have the greatest statistical advantage for the Takoma Park magnet are those who live in the TPMS boundary area because a certain number of magnet slots are reserved just for them, so the odds shift dramatically in their favor.

[Anonymous]

The only advantage for the HGC kids is that they are good at tests and they have received a better education.