Middle school magnet results?

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you should let MCPS know about your kid so that they can place someone else in that spot. Thiese kids that we are talking about are already recognized by the MCPS as gifted learners. Only due to the lottery these kids are at a disadvantage and have to attend high FARM schools with no local cohort. someone argues that gifted kids from high FARMS deserve to be in regional program beacuse they do not have a local cohort. But then why does MCPS send gifted kids with 99th percentile to that very same high FARMS school with no local cohort? MCPS is failing these kids and If you teach these kids that the merit and their academic achievement does not matter, then in the future, they will receprocate the same way once they grow up and become the decision makers.

Okay, so I think you are conflating a few issues here and making some unfounded assumptions.

First of all, MCPS *formerly* had a system that to some degree prioritized the magnets for kids with no home school cohort. That's no longer true. Now they have a lottery. So you are right that some kids are going to have more of a peer group, and others won't.

However, you are wrong to assume that a child attending a high-FARMS school will have zero academic peers. Actual test scores released by MCPS at one point showed that pretty much every school could scrape together a cohort if they tried hard enough. The point is that they need to try hard enough. There are bright kids in every school, so now your job is to stop complaining about how unfair the lottery is and start talking to the MS administration about how they are going to put the "highly able" kids together.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how many kids were selected for each lottery pool? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

There seems to be a misunderstanding of the definition of objective

The criteria may not be entirely *clear* -- they haven't laid out exactly what schools are in what tranches for local norms, the extent of the percentile difference due to local norming or the algorithms for weighting from FARMS/ESOL/IEP/504. The evaluatuon may not be *deterministic* due to the lottery. The results are not available for public scrutiny. (What proportion of MAP 99%ers were left out?) The alternative offerings at local schools appear to be neither well described, nor relatively equivalent to magnet programming, nor uniformly available across schools.

However, the criteria laid out are relatively *objective* -- grades may depend to a degree on a teacher's point of view towards a student, but are in lage part based on standard curricular assessments, MAP percentile scores, despite norming and weighting, are not subject to an evaluator's further adjustment based on liking (or not) certain characteristics of an evaluated student, etc.

There are flaws in, but not so much subjectivity to, the evaluation process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Okay, so I think you are conflating a few issues here and making some unfounded assumptions.

First of all, MCPS *formerly* had a system that to some degree prioritized the magnets for kids with no home school cohort. That's no longer true. Now they have a lottery. So you are right that some kids are going to have more of a peer group, and others won't.

However, you are wrong to assume that a child attending a high-FARMS school will have zero academic peers. Actual test scores released by MCPS at one point showed that pretty much every school could scrape together a cohort if they tried hard enough. The point is that they need to try hard enough. There are bright kids in every school, so now your job is to stop complaining about how unfair the lottery is and start talking to the MS administration about how they are going to put the "highly able" kids together.

+1. I'm pretty sure both Takoma and Eastern have local cohorts so I'm not sure why PP is assuming they don't. In a few individual elementary schools, cohorting might be an issue (emphasis on "might"), but by middle school, enough students are gathered together that your child will find a group of peers.

PP, use your energy to advocate for your local MS to put the lottery-qualifying (i.e., highly-abled) kids together in advanced classes in MS. The mix-ability classes currently used in MS are not helpful. This is the best use of your energy unless you plan to transfer to private.

[Anonymous]

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

I am wondering what you are talking about and why you think it’s important or relevant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

So are you saying to give up? I think the current set up is more a function of prioritizing equity (not necessarily all bad) on the part of BOE and MCPS, and not necessarily a failure of parents' efforts all those years ago. There will be no change unless parents ask for it, and the potential upside for students is high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

Thank you for raising this. The PPPs childish insults aside, they are just factually incorrect. No parent wants to have their kid on a bus 2 hours a day to attend Eastern instead of going to Pyle. I would be surprised if Eastern has any students in the Whitman cluster at all. People, particularly those in the Whitman cluster, have always wanted more home school accelerated programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

So are you saying to give up? I think the current set up is more a function of prioritizing equity (not necessarily all bad) on the part of BOE and MCPS, and not necessarily a failure of parents' efforts all those years ago. There will be no change unless parents ask for it, and the potential upside for students is high.

MCPS sees this as a social justice issue following national trends, see San Francisco. It’s also an organization oriented towards having a disrespectful attitude towards those who they view as “privileged”. So good luck trying to reason with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

Thank you for raising this. The PPPs childish insults aside, they are just factually incorrect. No parent wants to have their kid on a bus 2 hours a day to attend Eastern instead of going to Pyle. I would be surprised if Eastern has any students in the Whitman cluster at all. People, particularly those in the Whitman cluster, have always wanted more home school accelerated programs.

Yes, there are students from the Whitman cluster attending Eastern, in fact from all over down county, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac. I'm surprised you're surprised.

- parent with a magnet directory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

Thank you for raising this. The PPPs childish insults aside, they are just factually incorrect. No parent wants to have their kid on a bus 2 hours a day to attend Eastern instead of going to Pyle. I would be surprised if Eastern has any students in the Whitman cluster at all. People, particularly those in the Whitman cluster, have always wanted more home school accelerated programs.

If memory serves me correctly, Pyle had a surprisingly lower number of students (relative to other MS) identified as "highly able" by MCPS when they came out with a chart back in 2017-18. Can anyone post that chart? My husband went to Pyle and I remember being surprised by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

Thank you for raising this. The PPPs childish insults aside, they are just factually incorrect. No parent wants to have their kid on a bus 2 hours a day to attend Eastern instead of going to Pyle. I would be surprised if Eastern has any students in the Whitman cluster at all. People, particularly those in the Whitman cluster, have always wanted more home school accelerated programs.

If memory serves me correctly, Pyle had a surprisingly lower number of students (relative to other MS) identified as "highly able" by MCPS when they came out with a chart back in 2017-18. Can anyone post that chart? My husband went to Pyle and I remember being surprised by it.

It wasn't Pyle, it was Westland

[Anonymous]

I think it was Pyle. Where's that chart ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Having more seats would help. But if the pro-magnet crowd takes the stance that whatever happens in a home school is never going to be good enough, the effort to get more seats gets derailed quickly.

This is a very good point. You had parents a few years ago acting like being FORCED to attend Pyle or Frost or whatever highly segregated home MS they were assigned was basically consigning their child to a life of drudgery and wage slavery.

If those parents spend 1/10th of their efforts trying to get home school differentiation, it would be a win-win for everyone.

A few years ago, numerous motivated parents tried to get home school differentiation and this is where we are today. They spent significant time meeting with middle school principals and CES teachers along with writing letters and emails to AEI. They wanted their kids in their home school with enriched classes, not necessarily at the magnets.

Thank you for raising this. The PPPs childish insults aside, they are just factually incorrect. No parent wants to have their kid on a bus 2 hours a day to attend Eastern instead of going to Pyle. I would be surprised if Eastern has any students in the Whitman cluster at all. People, particularly those in the Whitman cluster, have always wanted more home school accelerated programs.

And they should have them, as long as all the highly able kids across the system have reasonably equivalent availability of/access to the same.