Superintendent's Recommendation for Richard Montgomery ES #5 Boundaries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people are really fighting for? 2 kids?? Everyone needs to get bussed further than their home school in Option E for 2 more kids per class? That doesn't even include the Chinese immersion families that are heavily invested in their school and community. Good God you people are strange. Who is behind this fight? What is the point. I am more confused now than ever. What is wrong with B again? My head hurts.

It is easy for a clueless individual to say that 2 extra kids won't make any difference, but ask any teacher what it means to have 8 instead of 6 FARMS kids in their class. At 25% FARMS 6 kids have the chance to be brought to the same level as their peers close to the end of the elementary school. At 33% most of the 8 kids will still be behind at the end of elementary school. It's not about 2 kids. It is about 6 kids succeeding or 8 kids not succeeding.

People are so caught up about the numbers of FARMS kids in regular classrooms at RM ES #5 and the difference in percentages with and without CI - but has anyone considered that the with and without CI numbers are snapshots of the demographics NOW when CI is at College Gardens? Once CI moves to RM ES #5, that opens up the possibility that more children in the new surrounding neighborhood/home school will apply to the program, including children receiving FARMS. That will potentially lead to a balancing of the FARMS rates both in the CI program and in the regular school program which would bring the percentage even in the regular classrooms down to the "perfect" number that some people desire. With the added benefit of potentially offering this wonderful curriculum to more children who may not have had the opportunity to apply/attend before due to transportation needs.

Are you really that clueless or you just pretend to be? CI is for the whole county and is based on a lottery system.

Yes, but distance is a factor in whether someone even applies for the lottery. Moving CI to the new school makes it more likely that people from the home school (including students receiving FARMS) will apply for a spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, but distance is a factor in whether someone even applies for the lottery. Moving CI to the new school makes it more likely that people from the home school (including students receiving FARMS) will apply for a spot.

That's not likely to happen. I am from CG and CI has negligible FARMs kids. FARMs kids do not have push from their parents to go for programs like CI, magnet etc. They are dealing with much bigger problems at home to push their kids for CI.

- CG parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, but distance is a factor in whether someone even applies for the lottery. Moving CI to the new school makes it more likely that people from the home school (including students receiving FARMS) will apply for a spot.

That's not likely to happen. I am from CG and CI has negligible FARMs kids. FARMs kids do not have push from their parents to go for programs like CI, magnet etc. They are dealing with much bigger problems at home to push their kids for CI.

- CG parent

I agree here. Magnets program within MCPS have very little FARMs kids. CI is not magnet, but I don't think that FARMs kids will be jumping on program like CI. It's mostly well do to families who go for immersion programs or magnets or anything similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's be honest here. RP PTA email clearly said that RP is near Potomac and even 7% is too high for us. We can be politically correct and not say it anymore, but that's the talking point given by PTA in email first time. I think it's not a wrong point.

I will send letter specifying that RP is in different neighborhood and 7% is not too low for our neighborhood. Enough of this political correct talk. It's reality that we don't have 20% FARMs in our neighborhood. We don't have even 7%. 7% is actually higher than what neighborhood looks like. We are already helping enough FARMs kids.

Some more RP parents need to speak up and not be afraid due to political nonsense.

I agree here as well. Enough of political correct talk. RP PTA first email was spot on.

- Another RP parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but distance is a factor in whether someone even applies for the lottery. Moving CI to the new school makes it more likely that people from the home school (including students receiving FARMS) will apply for a spot.

This is so out of touch with reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree here as well. Enough of political correct talk. RP PTA first email was spot on.

- Another RP parent

Was there a second email? I only read the one stating that 7% is already more than the neighboring schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's be honest here. RP PTA email clearly said that RP is near Potomac and even 7% is too high for us. We can be politically correct and not say it anymore, but that's the talking point given by PTA in email first time. I think it's not a wrong point.

I will send letter specifying that RP is in different neighborhood and 7% is not too low for our neighborhood. Enough of this political correct talk. It's reality that we don't have 20% FARMs in our neighborhood. We don't have even 7%. 7% is actually higher than what neighborhood looks like. We are already helping enough FARMs kids.

Some more RP parents need to speak up and not be afraid due to political nonsense.

I agree here as well. Enough of political correct talk. RP PTA first email was spot on.

- Another RP parent

How is that you are helping a neighborhood school? Is Ritchie Park a private school that is taking poor kids out of charity ?

This is a MCPS public school and is allocating my tax dollars to organize a private slice of heaven for a tiny ( half the size of all other schools in the cluster) white population.

There should be a cluster wide petition from all parents to sort this mess out !!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree here as well. Enough of political correct talk. RP PTA first email was spot on.

- Another RP parent

Was there a second email? I only read the one stating that 7% is already more than the neighboring schools.

Second was a toned down version to keep it politically correct. Anyway, RP Parents should speak up. IF WG can all that noise without having any valid concern, I think we have a good argument here. RP is near Potomac and not a typical Rockville neighborhood. 7% is already high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's be honest here. RP PTA email clearly said that RP is near Potomac and even 7% is too high for us. We can be politically correct and not say it anymore, but that's the talking point given by PTA in email first time. I think it's not a wrong point.

I will send letter specifying that RP is in different neighborhood and 7% is not too low for our neighborhood. Enough of this political correct talk. It's reality that we don't have 20% FARMs in our neighborhood. We don't have even 7%. 7% is actually higher than what neighborhood looks like. We are already helping enough FARMs kids.

Some more RP parents need to speak up and not be afraid due to political nonsense.

I agree here as well. Enough of political correct talk. RP PTA first email was spot on.

- Another RP parent

How is that you are helping a neighborhood school? Is Ritchie Park a private school that is taking poor kids out of charity ?

This is a MCPS public school and is allocating my tax dollars to organize a private slice of heaven for a tiny ( half the size of all other schools in the cluster) white population.

There should be a cluster wide petition from all parents to sort this mess out !!

WG made lots of speeches citing neighborhood school and lots of parents cheered it.

Why can't RP parents make the argument about neighborhood having less than 7% FARMs? We also pay taxes and probably pay higher taxes than other parts of RM cluster. It's not fair to get high FARMS rate in RP cluster just to balance things out. We are already helping entire cluster in many ways. First email from RP PTA was spot on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

WG made lots of speeches citing neighborhood school and lots of parents cheered it.

Why can't RP parents make the argument about neighborhood having less than 7% FARMs? We also pay taxes and probably pay higher taxes than other parts of RM cluster. It's not fair to get high FARMS rate in RP cluster just to balance things out. We are already helping entire cluster in many ways. First email from RP PTA was spot on.

It is all about the numbers dummy.

(RP1+RP3+RP4) are only 217 students , white and 0% FARMs . Your aging population can never sustain a neighborhood school so you reserve to busing children from Gaithersburg .

Shut down RP and move the kids to RMES#5 !!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

WG made lots of speeches citing neighborhood school and lots of parents cheered it.

Why can't RP parents make the argument about neighborhood having less than 7% FARMs? We also pay taxes and probably pay higher taxes than other parts of RM cluster. It's not fair to get high FARMS rate in RP cluster just to balance things out. We are already helping entire cluster in many ways. First email from RP PTA was spot on.

It is all about the numbers dummy.

(RP1+RP3+RP4) are only 217 students , white and 0% FARMs . Your aging population can never sustain a neighborhood school so you reserve to busing children from Gaithersburg .

Shut down RP and move the kids to RMES#5 !!!!

It is only 2 miles from the new school, practically a walking distance ))

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

WG made lots of speeches citing neighborhood school and lots of parents cheered it.

Why can't RP parents make the argument about neighborhood having less than 7% FARMs? We also pay taxes and probably pay higher taxes than other parts of RM cluster. It's not fair to get high FARMS rate in RP cluster just to balance things out. We are already helping entire cluster in many ways. First email from RP PTA was spot on.

It is all about the numbers dummy.

(RP1+RP3+RP4) are only 217 students , white and 0% FARMs . Your aging population can never sustain a neighborhood school so you reserve to busing children from Gaithersburg .

Shut down RP and move the kids to RMES#5 !!!!

Yes. That will certainly solve our cluster's overcrowding problem...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And what is the travel time for students on those buses now? It's not about bus pick up time, it's travel time. Are they 4 miles away from Beall (serious question, I have no idea)?

Since some trolls started talking that those bus route won't exist next year, let me stick to one example which will exist next year.

Route: 5313 - FALLSMEAD ES (GREEN) Start time : 8:07 A.M first stop End time 8:40 ..... That's 33 minutes of bus ride , right here in nearby school.

It was blown out of proportion by RP parents as if Fallsgrove is suffering too much and no other kids suffer this much and I actually believed it.

? I'm sorry, but why are you bringing in a different ES in a different cluster into this discussion? Lots of kids from all over have long bus rides because of the gerrymandering.

That area from Fallsmeade is so far away and will be rezoned to Crown as soon as it is built. It isn't like they had boundary studies done and made them go further. There is a boundary study NOW for the RM cluster and FG should not have to be bussed further, but sadly they are off in the corner really no where near any school. It is a shame how far they are already. Just keep them in their school and let that other section walk. I can't believe moving people further in all aspects should even be an option, especially for them. If they were 40% FARMS instead of only 13% people would be in an uproar how unfair it is to them. If they fight they look like elitists. They are in a no win situation. I say this as a walkable GC parent. If someone pulled me from walking or bussing further I would fight too.

I agree with this 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And what is the travel time for students on those buses now? It's not about bus pick up time, it's travel time. Are they 4 miles away from Beall (serious question, I have no idea)?

Since some trolls started talking that those bus route won't exist next year, let me stick to one example which will exist next year.

Route: 5313 - FALLSMEAD ES (GREEN) Start time : 8:07 A.M first stop End time 8:40 ..... That's 33 minutes of bus ride , right here in nearby school.

It was blown out of proportion by RP parents as if Fallsgrove is suffering too much and no other kids suffer this much and I actually believed it.

? I'm sorry, but why are you bringing in a different ES in a different cluster into this discussion? Lots of kids from all over have long bus rides because of the gerrymandering.

That area from Fallsmeade is so far away and will be rezoned to Crown as soon as it is built. It isn't like they had boundary studies done and made them go further. There is a boundary study NOW for the RM cluster and FG should not have to be bussed further, but sadly they are off in the corner really no where near any school. It is a shame how far they are already. Just keep them in their school and let that other section walk. I can't believe moving people further in all aspects should even be an option, especially for them. If they were 40% FARMS instead of only 13% people would be in an uproar how unfair it is to them. If they fight they look like elitists. They are in a no win situation. I say this as a walkable GC parent. If someone pulled me from walking or bussing further I would fight too.

So you also believe B7 should not have to go to the new school since they have a ride just as long? There is no option that gives RP5 the longest bus ride. Why is that zone so special and why is no one else complaining?

DP.. how do you know how long B7's bus ride will be to the new ES? On the map, the distance is really short. It looks about equidistant to Beall from the center of B7.

I am not the PP, but Beall is a much shorter ride than RM#5. Don't look at the map from air. That's the mistake folks make when they think about neat looking maps.

I live in B7. I actually timed it and it's a significantly longer ride to RM#5. Dept of transportation estimate for B7 zone is much higher as well for Rm#5 when compared to Beall. They gave those estimates a while back. B7 bus will have to first go to B5 to go to RM#5.

Where would the bus first/last hon if it went to Twinbrook in Option 7?

[Anonymous]

I am curious if this has been brought up as I haven't been really following since it doesn't affect my zone in all options. It seems that proximity is the highest want.

What about doing Option A that is the least disruptive and having a program in RM5 that is for cluster students ONLY. Whether that be an extended CI program for cluster ES kids or a gifted center since ours is so far away. Allow a certain percentage of kids based on school percentages of capacity so that CG and TB get more seats. That will decrease the capacity at both of those schools with an optional program and make the new school even more appealing. Then once the crazy new developments start building, it will be easier to decrease/increase spots as needed.

There are schools that have their own programs within them, just for them. Why not a cluster option?