10/16 Board of Ed meeting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

BCC has a foundation that spends close to a quarter of a million dollars a year on academic support for students.

Put that kind of money into Watkins Mill and see what happens.

Where does the foundation get the money?

Donations.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521948149/202500279349300010/full

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Did it? I was looking for details about that and didn't see anything.

On page 90 of the presentation they have a chart essentially saying that for region 4, which has 4 schools, each school will need 3 “program” buses. I am inferring that this means one bus for each set of students coming from the other high schools. Since all high schools have the same start time, students would not have enough time to ride their neighborhood route to their home school and then transfer to their program school. They would need their own transportation to their home school earlier. And same for the afternoon. The bus from the program would drop them at their home high school but they’d need their own transportation home from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

BCC has a foundation that spends close to a quarter of a million dollars a year on academic support for students.

Put that kind of money into Watkins Mill and see what happens.

Where does the foundation get the money?

Donations.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521948149/202500279349300010/full

That’s crazy. Their assists and fundraising and they cannot help other schools. That should not be allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Did it? I was looking for details about that and didn't see anything.

On page 90 of the presentation they have a chart essentially saying that for region 4, which has 4 schools, each school will need 3 “program” buses. I am inferring that this means one bus for each set of students coming from the other high schools. Since all high schools have the same start time, students would not have enough time to ride their neighborhood route to their home school and then transfer to their program school. They would need their own transportation to their home school earlier. And same for the afternoon. The bus from the program would drop them at their home high school but they’d need their own transportation home from there.

They also need their own transportation for sports, clubs and activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Did it? I was looking for details about that and didn't see anything.

On page 90 of the presentation they have a chart essentially saying that for region 4, which has 4 schools, each school will need 3 “program” buses. I am inferring that this means one bus for each set of students coming from the other high schools. Since all high schools have the same start time, students would not have enough time to ride their neighborhood route to their home school and then transfer to their program school. They would need their own transportation to their home school earlier. And same for the afternoon. The bus from the program would drop them at their home high school but they’d need their own transportation home from there.

They also need their own transportation for sports, clubs and activities.

True but you’d need your own transportation for that at your home school, too, in most cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

BCC has a foundation that spends close to a quarter of a million dollars a year on academic support for students.

Put that kind of money into Watkins Mill and see what happens.

Where does the foundation get the money?

Donations.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521948149/202500279349300010/full

That’s crazy. Their assists and fundraising and they cannot help other schools. That should not be allowed.

Why would any other schools expect or feel entitled to money raised by a school their kids don’t attend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are proposing folding education into public service.

For region 1, humanities moves to Whitman, medical science + healthcare moves to Einstein, Performing arts is split and Einstein gets music and Northwood keeps theater and dance

Does BCC keep IB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why separating music out of theatre and dance? That doesn’t make sense at all…

Trying to throw Einstein the smallest possible bone?

Why not give Einstein humanities??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Missed the meeting but are there slides posted (or will there be)?

There are no slides posted - it says it's only a discussion. For those who watched - did they have slides? If so we should push to see post them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I don’t know those schools or programs. That sounds like it’s less about course offerings and more about academic supports. I know that I think it’s unfair and makes no sense that high schools in MCPS don’t have equal course offerings so that some schools don’t go up as high in advanced course options, like I’ve heard about with Einstein and math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Then they really need to set criteria-based programs in high-FARM HSs.

They are thinking like consultants. They see that of the 400+ students in the current Blair SMCS program, only 37 are from Blair compared with 105 from Wootton and 77 from Churchill. In their minds, this is a supply and demand problem. It could not possibly be a result of their own failures.

They also haven't noticed that not too many kids from Whitman go to Blair. Why is this? Could it possibly be because Whitman already offers everything the kids there need and maybe they don't need any special programs?

Good point. That should be the focus—putting additional SMCS and other special programs where there is demand for it. Not enact this byzantine money pit of a plan that will worsen inequity.

[Anonymous]

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.

So why should taxpayers give millions more than we already pay for these underwhelming and inequitable programs?

We should focus on strengthening our core subjects, especially in K–8, which is where the inequity starts, as Maloo and I think Stewart pointed out. If we need to spend more taxpayer money, spend it on fixing the actual source of the inequity.

This is what is needed. Not a great program shuffle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WRT Crown, it seems like he was referencing lower enrollment and therefore a potential that they don't need an extra high school? Or did I misunderstand?

Or that they don't need it as immediately as they once projected.

But they want money to renovate Wootton which is so close to Churchill?

Wootton deserves a renovation, nothing to do with Churchill

They should close wootton and redistribute those kids to schools close like Churchill. He said enrollment is down. We have an almost finished new building and no money to rebuild wootton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Missed the meeting but are there slides posted (or will there be)?

There are no slides posted - it says it's only a discussion. For those who watched - did they have slides? If so we should push to see post them.

PP on page 11 : 10/16/2025 16:59
said the slides were up, but there is now an error message appears when you click on the link.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

BCC has a foundation that spends close to a quarter of a million dollars a year on academic support for students.

Put that kind of money into Watkins Mill and see what happens.

Where does the foundation get the money?

Donations.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521948149/202500279349300010/full

That’s crazy. Their assists and fundraising and they cannot help other schools. That should not be allowed.

Why would any other schools expect or feel entitled to money raised by a school their kids don’t attend?

They should not be allowed to hire staff. It’s the right thing to help others.