10/16 Board of Ed meeting

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What are the program groupings for region 1?

Brand new and not up online yet. The changes I remember is that they are sending the criteria-based humanities program from BCC (bad) to Whitman (much worse), and that they are letting Einstein keep only the music part of the performing arts magnet (theater and dance at Northwood.)

Einstein also has medical science and healthcare

Einstein has no advanced science and math classes so what does this look like.

9th and 10th grade - honors bio and honors chem, cohorted
11th and 12 grade science are IB Bio and IB Physics
And a "Biomedical" sequence

Math is Algebra 1 in 9th grade, Algebra 2 in 10th, and then for 11th and 12th it says "secondary math pathway"

So, they aren’t adding any5ing. Algebra in 9th is the slowest path.

Yes, this is also my observation. This "special biomedical science program" is subpar than what a normal HS can offer to a high-achiever. For a student who would like to become a doctor, they'd better stay in local HS, take AP classes, and their resume would look better than those go through this program.

I'm curious - is IB Bio and IB Physics less advanced than the AP versions?

Depends on who you ask but no, nor is in math. This will not help kids trying to get into medical school.

Correct. IB courses are generally less advanced than AP versions, but IB does have HL courses which are deeper.

Ah okay the slide says the 11th and 12 grade science classes for the biomedical science pathway are supposed to be HL IB (Bio or Physics)

If they are serious about making rigorous criteria-based biomedical science program, they should at least offer also organic chemistry, bio chem, cell biology, etc., some more specific high-level courses. Everyone in their local schools can take AP bio and AP Physics so what's the point to join a different program in a different school why the math pathway is soooooo lame?

I share your concerns. I think they are making this up as they go along which is concerning. Just to clarify from the slide, it looks like in addition to the standard science classes that I've mentioned there would also be specific "biomedical" classes that are part of the pathway but these do not see to be defined as of yet.

If they could copy Blair SMCS chemistry and biology course curriculum to those "biomedical" classes, then yes, it might worths to be called a specialized criteria-based program. However, I don't know how many current MCPS teachers can teach those courses without heavy training. The ones in Blair came from NIH postdoc background.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Rita Montoya is ripping into their community engagement efforts. Thank you Ms. Montoya.

Genuine question, what would you like to see for community engagement? What would work? Seems like they are trying the same things over and over and they may not be working, but I haven't seen/heard any suggestions of what would work. I also wonder how it could be staffed, MCPS employees have regular business hours, so who would volunteer to do additional night meetings? Even paid, that's a big ask.

Literally anything. They have done basically zero community engagement on the program analysis. They host "information sessions" to tell people what they've already decided, and don't make any effort to ask people for any input on changes. Heck, a single online feedback form or survey would be a huge leap forward from what they've done so far.

+1 True, but also I think it was Montoya who made the point that even the boundary study community engagement has been terrible. Why are they doing it at high schools of current high school students won't be impacted? Why are they holding in person sessions at BCC when they are proposing "options" that all leave BCC's boundaries exactly the same? They claim they are trying but I don't see it.

I think Stewart, Maloo, and someone else also pointed out that it is kids in grades 4–7 who will be most impacted, and yet there has not been any engagement with ES and MS parents and students.

Also note on the slides it says the boundary study office hours are for people who "need support" . They are the ones that need support! Talk about devaluing community engagement as though they are trying to do us a favor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whoa, they're considering making Crown a holding school rather than redo boundaries right now.

We need a holding school. Wooton is in terrible shape and we have no holding schools now for middle or high schools. Damascus HS is being rebuilt, but evidently that school is on sufficient acreage to build a new facility on the current property as school continues at the old Damascus HS.

Crown was built on a developer timeline -- either build a school on the required "donation" of land from developers within 10 years, or lose the property back to developers. So MCPS built. But, overcrowding in nearby high schools isn't significant enough yet to require that Crown open immediately as its own HS. Using the property as a holding school makes a lot of sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the program groupings for region 1?

Brand new and not up online yet. The changes I remember is that they are sending the criteria-based humanities program from BCC (bad) to Whitman (much worse), and that they are letting Einstein keep only the music part of the performing arts magnet (theater and dance at Northwood.)

Einstein also has medical science and healthcare

Einstein has no advanced science and math classes so what does this look like.

9th and 10th grade - honors bio and honors chem, cohorted
11th and 12 grade science are IB Bio and IB Physics
And a "Biomedical" sequence

Math is Algebra 1 in 9th grade, Algebra 2 in 10th, and then for 11th and 12th it says "secondary math pathway"

So, they aren’t adding any5ing. Algebra in 9th is the slowest path.

Yes, this is also my observation. This "special biomedical science program" is subpar than what a normal HS can offer to a high-achiever. For a student who would like to become a doctor, they'd better stay in local HS, take AP classes, and their resume would look better than those go through this program.

I'm curious - is IB Bio and IB Physics less advanced than the AP versions?

Depends on who you ask but no, nor is in math. This will not help kids trying to get into medical school.

Correct. IB courses are generally less advanced than AP versions, but IB does have HL courses which are deeper.

Ah okay the slide says the 11th and 12 grade science classes for the biomedical science pathway are supposed to be HL IB (Bio or Physics)

If they are serious about making rigorous criteria-based biomedical science program, they should at least offer also organic chemistry, bio chem, cell biology, etc., some more specific high-level courses. Everyone in their local schools can take AP bio and AP Physics so what's the point to join a different program in a different school why the math pathway is soooooo lame?

I share your concerns. I think they are making this up as they go along which is concerning. Just to clarify from the slide, it looks like in addition to the standard science classes that I've mentioned there would also be specific "biomedical" classes that are part of the pathway but these do not see to be defined as of yet.

If they could copy Blair SMCS chemistry and biology course curriculum to those "biomedical" classes, then yes, it might worths to be called a specialized criteria-based program. However, I don't know how many current MCPS teachers can teach those courses without heavy training. The ones in Blair came from NIH postdoc background.

Blair magnet teachers shared an instructional leadership team with Poolesville educators to build the Poolesville magnet program. That kind of process is a good idea to build high quality STEM programs elsewhere. No one at MCPS involved with the program analysis/building process has ANY experience developing programs/curriculum for secondary schools. Why were these MCPS central office staff charged with this duty? It's been flawed from the start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Made sense when they did that for Woodward because Northwood also needed expansion.

What HS would use Crown?

He mentioned Wootton and Magruder

Yes, both Wootton and magrudedr are in bad shape. We need a holding school for these two high schools more than we need Crown to open immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the program groupings for region 1?

Brand new and not up online yet. The changes I remember is that they are sending the criteria-based humanities program from BCC (bad) to Whitman (much worse), and that they are letting Einstein keep only the music part of the performing arts magnet (theater and dance at Northwood.)

Einstein also has medical science and healthcare

There’s no interest at Einstein to hold that magnet!

Speak for yourself. My kids would love that and as a parent of kids inbounds for Einstein, I think it’s a great switch!

That’s great for YOUR kid but majority of Einstein students are into the arts. Almost 700 students are enrolled into The Visual and Performing Arts Academy. A medical program will not survive there.

Huh? VAPA kids also take other classes and also full scale programs in other academies/IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS's goal is to stop fighting for seats for magnet programs, it can just add programs. It does not need to enact a regional model.

Or, they can have advanced and equal course offerings at all schools.

Equality is not equitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are 4 academic criteria based programs in each region. They should all be at the highest FARMS schools in each region.

Humanities is at the richest schools in each region. Because equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS's goal is to stop fighting for seats for magnet programs, it can just add programs. It does not need to enact a regional model.

Or, they can have advanced and equal course offerings at all schools.

Equality is not equitable.

What is the context for your comment? Maybe it’s not serious. I think having advanced and equal course offerings at all schools would be both equal and equitable. More importantly, we could dispense with either word and call it fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe they are literally naming their upcoming engagement as "information sessions" yet pretending they collect feedback at them, and the board seems to be buying it.

I'm very disappointed to the board reaction today. BOE doesn't know how to express criticism at all, or they truly love this model whole heartedly. I like county council meeting much better.

Yeah. Laura Stewart and the SMOB were the only ones I noticed showing any backbone, and not vene that much from them.

I don't know how Julie Yang and Karla Silvestre hope to build county council campaigns out of being door mats for MCPS staff, but it looks like what they are attempting to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the program groupings for region 1?

Brand new and not up online yet. The changes I remember is that they are sending the criteria-based humanities program from BCC (bad) to Whitman (much worse), and that they are letting Einstein keep only the music part of the performing arts magnet (theater and dance at Northwood.)

Einstein also has medical science and healthcare

Einstein has no advanced science and math classes so what does this look like.

9th and 10th grade - honors bio and honors chem, cohorted
11th and 12 grade science are IB Bio and IB Physics
And a "Biomedical" sequence

Math is Algebra 1 in 9th grade, Algebra 2 in 10th, and then for 11th and 12th it says "secondary math pathway"

So, they aren’t adding any5ing. Algebra in 9th is the slowest path.

Yes, this is also my observation. This "special biomedical science program" is subpar than what a normal HS can offer to a high-achiever. For a student who would like to become a doctor, they'd better stay in local HS, take AP classes, and their resume would look better than those go through this program.

I'm curious - is IB Bio and IB Physics less advanced than the AP versions?

Depends on who you ask but no, nor is in math. This will not help kids trying to get into medical school.

Correct. IB courses are generally less advanced than AP versions, but IB does have HL courses which are deeper.

A teacher who testified today noted that IB lets kids take the exam in their first language. AP exams don’t have that option. So in high ELL schools, IB has a benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not likely that many URM would apply to go to BCC iB. This would make BCC less diverse.

They should put iB, SMCS, and Humanities in the high URM schools.

Are you aware that they did put regional IBs in high URM schools? They are undersubscribed because qualified kids do not want to attend and the kids who do attend, who are mostly local students, do not perform well on the exams. If you want more failing programs and unfilled seats, by all means locate them in schools where there is not demonstrated interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS's goal is to stop fighting for seats for magnet programs, it can just add programs. It does not need to enact a regional model.

Or, they can have advanced and equal course offerings at all schools.

Equality is not equitable.

What is the context for your comment? Maybe it’s not serious. I think having advanced and equal course offerings at all schools would be both equal and equitable. More importantly, we could dispense with either word and call it fair.

I am entirely serious. Let's take a look at regional IB programs (NOT Richard Montgomery), beginning on testing results starting at Table D3.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2025/240206_2024_APIB_Exam%20Enroll%20Part%20and%20Perf.pdf

Compare BCC results and for example, Springbrook results. Equal IB programs, but not equal results. Now I ask you to reflect on why that occurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoa, they're considering making Crown a holding school rather than redo boundaries right now.

We need a holding school. Wooton is in terrible shape and we have no holding schools now for middle or high schools. Damascus HS is being rebuilt, but evidently that school is on sufficient acreage to build a new facility on the current property as school continues at the old Damascus HS.

Crown was built on a developer timeline -- either build a school on the required "donation" of land from developers within 10 years, or lose the property back to developers. So MCPS built. But, overcrowding in nearby high schools isn't significant enough yet to require that Crown open immediately as its own HS. Using the property as a holding school makes a lot of sense.

Agree completely. Is there any reason why they wouldn’t do this? It seems like the obvious choice, it’s what the county actually needs.

[Anonymous]

Did you all catch the transportation slide? This confirmed the dcum rumor that students would need their own transportation to their home high school (earlier than the regular neighborhood bus) and then would ride to the program high school from there. That is actually worse than the current not-awesome magnet bus transportation set up. Only families who can accommodate this can consider these programs.