Initial boundary options for Woodward study area are up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Garrett Park and Tilden will get $300k cheaper soon.

Is that true if options other than 3? Because I don’t think MCPS can afford 3 so likey it will be off the table

Yes, because Woodward will be more than 30-47% FARMS in any scenario. Huge difference compared to a W school. At the very best, it will be another QO. At the worst, it will be another Einstein (and actually, Einstein would be the better school).

What do people have against medium-FARMS schools? Like, I get why folks would be nervous about high FARMS schools (and why white families might be hesitant about schools that are less than 10% white), but are there reasons (besides racism-- trying to give people the benefit of the doubt here) that medium FARMS schools with racial diversity reflective of the county are a problem too? We are a white middle-class family in a medium-FARMS elementary focus school with about 30% white kids, currently zoned for middle and high schools with similar demographics, and it all seems pretty great so far to us. Genuinely wondering why it would be so terrible for Woodward to be medium-FARMS instead of low-FARMS?

People are upset their property values might go down. Regardless of whether individuals are racist, home values in MoCo differ in part due to perceived school quality and fears about Black and Latino youth.

People are upset that their kids might be in school with kids and families who do not prioritize school and learning in general. Look at some of the truency rates in our county. Peers matter in school. Very valid concerns here.

Are these the same people saying the solution for low performing down county schools has nothing to do with trying to alter the demographic profile?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard some Bethesda parents are going to propose an alternative option where no DCC students attend Woodward and a new consortium is formed that consists of Whitman, WJ, Churchill, Wootton, RM, BCC, and Woodward.

How would that address overcrowding in the DCC? Isn’t that one of the main problems here?

They will demand that MCPS buy land in the DCC and build yet another high school. Knowing of course they will protest the massive tax increase needed to do that.

A little late for that too. Where were they when this was discussed previously? Any new builds will factor into the next boundary study.

They do not care. they don't actually want a new high school, they just want to hoard Woodward all for themselves, DCC kids be damned

I think you need a straw man.
This is not grounded in reality even if you manage to find some small group that says BS things like that.
Woodward reopening has always been for overcrowding and WJ and DCC and has clearly been expected to have impacts on boundaries all over a large part of the county.

I have seen people IRL complaining about how the FARMS rate at WJ will rise. As though certain MCPS schools are somehow reserved for certain people. Vomit.

I am zoned to Einstein. We bought our house in 1998 and have seen FARMS rate steadily rise for our ES, MS, and HS. I have complained about it. Call me a racist, I don't care. We decided to go private for HS for our two youngest after watching MCPS circle the drain for years. We considered moving to WJ. Just didn't seem worth it. WJ has 19% FARMS. I get why those parents don't want it any higher. It is okay for them to advocate for their school.

No: you are literally arguing that the key to good schools is appropriate segregation. Do you hear yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Garrett Park and Tilden will get $300k cheaper soon.

Is that true if options other than 3? Because I don’t think MCPS can afford 3 so likey it will be off the table

Yes, because Woodward will be more than 30-47% FARMS in any scenario. Huge difference compared to a W school. At the very best, it will be another QO. At the worst, it will be another Einstein (and actually, Einstein would be the better school).

What do people have against medium-FARMS schools? Like, I get why folks would be nervous about high FARMS schools (and why white families might be hesitant about schools that are less than 10% white), but are there reasons (besides racism-- trying to give people the benefit of the doubt here) that medium FARMS schools with racial diversity reflective of the county are a problem too? We are a white middle-class family in a medium-FARMS elementary focus school with about 30% white kids, currently zoned for middle and high schools with similar demographics, and it all seems pretty great so far to us. Genuinely wondering why it would be so terrible for Woodward to be medium-FARMS instead of low-FARMS?

People are upset their property values might go down. Regardless of whether individuals are racist, home values in MoCo differ in part due to perceived school quality and fears about Black and Latino youth.

People are upset that their kids might be in school with kids and families who do not prioritize school and learning in general. Look at some of the truency rates in our county. Peers matter in school. Very valid concerns here.

Are these the same people saying the solution for low performing down county schools has nothing to do with trying to alter the demographic profile?

Who is saying that?

[Anonymous]

NO ONE WANTS BUSING.

Low-income families may not have reliable transportation to attend meetings and events at faraway schools.

You need to balance that dislike of long commutes in traffic with the desire for mixed socio-economic demographics in school buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Garrett Park and Tilden will get $300k cheaper soon.

Is that true if options other than 3? Because I don’t think MCPS can afford 3 so likey it will be off the table

Yes, because Woodward will be more than 30-47% FARMS in any scenario. Huge difference compared to a W school. At the very best, it will be another QO. At the worst, it will be another Einstein (and actually, Einstein would be the better school).

What do people have against medium-FARMS schools? Like, I get why folks would be nervous about high FARMS schools (and why white families might be hesitant about schools that are less than 10% white), but are there reasons (besides racism-- trying to give people the benefit of the doubt here) that medium FARMS schools with racial diversity reflective of the county are a problem too? We are a white middle-class family in a medium-FARMS elementary focus school with about 30% white kids, currently zoned for middle and high schools with similar demographics, and it all seems pretty great so far to us. Genuinely wondering why it would be so terrible for Woodward to be medium-FARMS instead of low-FARMS?

Similar situation and perspective to yours. I don’t think everyone feels that way, but for those who do it’s not a good look.

you chose your crappy neighborhood so I'm glad you feel good about it

Hey guys, those of you saying it's just about proximity and wanting to walk to your school -- these guys are making you look bad. I don't even want Option 3 or think it makes much sense, but some of you deserve the option that makes you most unhappy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
NO ONE WANTS BUSING.

Low-income families may not have reliable transportation to attend meetings and events at faraway schools.

You need to balance that dislike of long commutes in traffic with the desire for mixed socio-economic demographics in school buildings.

Absolutely. But let's be clear that many on here are vociferously against mixed socio-economic demographics in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

I personally don’t care if more poor kids are bused to my within-walking distance school. I just dont think it makes sense to bus kids that currently walk to far away schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Garrett Park and Tilden will get $300k cheaper soon.

Is that true if options other than 3? Because I don’t think MCPS can afford 3 so likey it will be off the table

Yes, because Woodward will be more than 30-47% FARMS in any scenario. Huge difference compared to a W school. At the very best, it will be another QO. At the worst, it will be another Einstein (and actually, Einstein would be the better school).

What do people have against medium-FARMS schools? Like, I get why folks would be nervous about high FARMS schools (and why white families might be hesitant about schools that are less than 10% white), but are there reasons (besides racism-- trying to give people the benefit of the doubt here) that medium FARMS schools with racial diversity reflective of the county are a problem too? We are a white middle-class family in a medium-FARMS elementary focus school with about 30% white kids, currently zoned for middle and high schools with similar demographics, and it all seems pretty great so far to us. Genuinely wondering why it would be so terrible for Woodward to be medium-FARMS instead of low-FARMS?

Similar situation and perspective to yours. I don’t think everyone feels that way, but for those who do it’s not a good look.

you chose your crappy neighborhood so I'm glad you feel good about it

Hey guys, those of you saying it's just about proximity and wanting to walk to your school -- these guys are making you look bad. I don't even want Option 3 or think it makes much sense, but some of you deserve the option that makes you most unhappy.

You’ve got some wackadoodles on your side too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
NO ONE WANTS BUSING.

Low-income families may not have reliable transportation to attend meetings and events at faraway schools.

You need to balance that dislike of long commutes in traffic with the desire for mixed socio-economic demographics in school buildings.

I think there’s actually people who want busing but only if kids they perceive as privileged. There’s a real attitude of not just doing whats good for poor kids but doing something bad to the UMC/MC.

[Anonymous]

I thought I saw it all until I saw some WJ parents proposing adding Woodward to a new consortium with only rich schools to avoid having DCC kids attend the school, and then seeing Wayside families in Churchill who otherwise hate DEI using DEI and demographics-informed redistricting to make arguments about concentrations of Asian students.

[Anonymous]

It's wild that most of the people making the boundary decision are Silver Spring residents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought I saw it all until I saw some WJ parents proposing adding Woodward to a new consortium with only rich schools to avoid having DCC kids attend the school, and then seeing Wayside families in Churchill who otherwise hate DEI using DEI and demographics-informed redistricting to make arguments about concentrations of Asian students.

Let me guess. This was on a FB mommy board.

Didn’t we just have a discussion about straw men?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's wild that most of the people making the boundary decision are Silver Spring residents.

The school board mostly lives in SS? Is that what you are saying?

[Anonymous]

People in Garrett Park are more hipster and liberal, I don’t think they’re going to mind the demographics of Woodward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's wild that most of the people making the boundary decision are Silver Spring residents.

The school board mostly lives in SS? Is that what you are saying?

DP. That is a true statement. Four out of the seven non-student members live in SS.