MCPS Is Broken What Are Your Ideas to Fix It?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Smaller district makes it more responsive to parents and the community.

A common excuse that I have seen on here about MCPS is it’s size. They have all these campuses, therefore it’s hard to implement you name it. A smaller district takes that issue away.

Schools don’t get smaller but the scope of responsibility gets smaller and the administrators and Board would certainly be more responsive.

Absolutely. You see the BOE members at the store or at games. You can build relationships and community on a personal level.

I have never once met a member of the BOE anywhere. Other than when I testify at a BOE meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Right, and you can't build more schools in the places that need them the most badly because there are no appropriately-sized lots for sale.

I mean, if folks want to use their precious time on planet Earth to try to change the Maryland state constitution and break up county schools, they can. They probably won't succeed, but they can try. However, folks need to understand that even if they get a smaller district, they won't get smaller schools.

First, you are completely missing the reason why people would want to break MCPS up. MCPS as a district is too big to be appropriately administered and this actually used by an excuse by MCPS itself and people on here for why things cannot be better. It’s in the top 20 largest school districts in the country by enrollment. None of the districts with higher enrollment are known for high quality education.

Second, this is a red herring but there are actually ridiculously a lot unutilized school facilities and MCPS property that can be reclaimed and used for schools, if that is the goal (it’s not). In the Bethesda alone off the top of my head there are: Radnor (unused), Lawton Rec Center (MCPS owned and former junior high), Lynnbrook (unused), Ayrlawn (rented to YMCA), Fernwood (leased to Woods Academy), Rollingwood (leased to Lycee Rochambeau), and Randolph Junior High (leased to Charles E Smith Jewish Day School).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Smaller district makes it more responsive to parents and the community.

A common excuse that I have seen on here about MCPS is it’s size. They have all these campuses, therefore it’s hard to implement you name it. A smaller district takes that issue away.

Schools don’t get smaller but the scope of responsibility gets smaller and the administrators and Board would certainly be more responsive.

Absolutely. You see the BOE members at the store or at games. You can build relationships and community on a personal level.

I have never once met a member of the BOE anywhere. Other than when I testify at a BOE meeting.

Or to take it up a level, actually get a response!

In all my years emailing the board (which goes back before Covid), Smonds and O'neill were the only ones that ever responded. And even that was hit or miss.

A smaller district will permit the board to engage more with the public. We wouldnt have to be a part of an official group to get time with them

[Anonymous]

There are good ideas proposed in this thread but none of it matters because no one in the BoE nor MCPS Central Office would support any of these changes; and the county council will back them up. They're all in bed together and are united in their mission to lower standards to close the achievement gap and to reduce reported disciplinary actions by not disciplining students even when they should be. The only way to fix MCPS is to replace most of the central staff and most of the BoE with people who actually do want to bring back a focus on quality education and achievement for all students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are good ideas proposed in this thread but none of it matters because no one in the BoE nor MCPS Central Office would support any of these changes; and the county council will back them up. They're all in bed together and are united in their mission to lower standards to close the achievement gap and to reduce reported disciplinary actions by not disciplining students even when they should be. The only way to fix MCPS is to replace most of the central staff and most of the BoE with people who actually do want to bring back a focus on quality education and achievement for all students.

LOL. What good ideas? Breaking up MCPS?? Segregation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Right, and you can't build more schools in the places that need them the most badly because there are no appropriately-sized lots for sale.

I mean, if folks want to use their precious time on planet Earth to try to change the Maryland state constitution and break up county schools, they can. They probably won't succeed, but they can try. However, folks need to understand that even if they get a smaller district, they won't get smaller schools.

First, you are completely missing the reason why people would want to break MCPS up. MCPS as a district is too big to be appropriately administered and this actually used by an excuse by MCPS itself and people on here for why things cannot be better. It’s in the top 20 largest school districts in the country by enrollment. None of the districts with higher enrollment are known for high quality education.

Second, this is a red herring but there are actually ridiculously a lot unutilized school facilities and MCPS property that can be reclaimed and used for schools, if that is the goal (it’s not). In the Bethesda alone off the top of my head there are: Radnor (unused), Lawton Rec Center (MCPS owned and former junior high), Lynnbrook (unused), Ayrlawn (rented to YMCA), Fernwood (leased to Woods Academy), Rollingwood (leased to Lycee Rochambeau), and Randolph Junior High (leased to Charles E Smith Jewish Day School).

Most of those sites are really small, not up to the 750 ES, 1200 MS and 2700 HS sizes we have now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are good ideas proposed in this thread but none of it matters because no one in the BoE nor MCPS Central Office would support any of these changes; and the county council will back them up. They're all in bed together and are united in their mission to lower standards to close the achievement gap and to reduce reported disciplinary actions by not disciplining students even when they should be. The only way to fix MCPS is to replace most of the central staff and most of the BoE with people who actually do want to bring back a focus on quality education and achievement for all students.

LOL. What good ideas? Breaking up MCPS?? Segregation?

Either you didn't read the thread or are just purposely focusing on the suggestion that mcps should be broken up. No one suggested segregation so that's a figment of your imagination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Right, and you can't build more schools in the places that need them the most badly because there are no appropriately-sized lots for sale.

I mean, if folks want to use their precious time on planet Earth to try to change the Maryland state constitution and break up county schools, they can. They probably won't succeed, but they can try. However, folks need to understand that even if they get a smaller district, they won't get smaller schools.

First, you are completely missing the reason why people would want to break MCPS up. MCPS as a district is too big to be appropriately administered and this actually used by an excuse by MCPS itself and people on here for why things cannot be better. It’s in the top 20 largest school districts in the country by enrollment. None of the districts with higher enrollment are known for high quality education.

Second, this is a red herring but there are actually ridiculously a lot unutilized school facilities and MCPS property that can be reclaimed and used for schools, if that is the goal (it’s not). In the Bethesda alone off the top of my head there are: Radnor (unused), Lawton Rec Center (MCPS owned and former junior high), Lynnbrook (unused), Ayrlawn (rented to YMCA), Fernwood (leased to Woods Academy), Rollingwood (leased to Lycee Rochambeau), and Randolph Junior High (leased to Charles E Smith Jewish Day School).

Most of those sites are really small, not up to the 750 ES, 1200 MS and 2700 HS sizes we have now.

There are also spots that have those signs as 'reserved for future use by MCPS'

I think of the big lot near Laytonsville golf course. That would be perfect for a new MS, where we wouldn't have to bus kids from the ag reserve all the way down to GMS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Right, and you can't build more schools in the places that need them the most badly because there are no appropriately-sized lots for sale.

I mean, if folks want to use their precious time on planet Earth to try to change the Maryland state constitution and break up county schools, they can. They probably won't succeed, but they can try. However, folks need to understand that even if they get a smaller district, they won't get smaller schools.

First, you are completely missing the reason why people would want to break MCPS up. MCPS as a district is too big to be appropriately administered and this actually used by an excuse by MCPS itself and people on here for why things cannot be better. It’s in the top 20 largest school districts in the country by enrollment. None of the districts with higher enrollment are known for high quality education.

Second, this is a red herring but there are actually ridiculously a lot unutilized school facilities and MCPS property that can be reclaimed and used for schools, if that is the goal (it’s not). In the Bethesda alone off the top of my head there are: Radnor (unused), Lawton Rec Center (MCPS owned and former junior high), Lynnbrook (unused), Ayrlawn (rented to YMCA), Fernwood (leased to Woods Academy), Rollingwood (leased to Lycee Rochambeau), and Randolph Junior High (leased to Charles E Smith Jewish Day School).

Most of those sites are really small, not up to the 750 ES, 1200 MS and 2700 HS sizes we have now.

First you say there is no land for schools and when it’s pointed out that there is a lot of MCPS land for schools all over, you excuse is a lane statement that the sites are too small?

The SCMS site was smaller than MCPS standards, which is what the neighbors used to complain about site selection and loss of a neighborhood park. But wow, they were able to actually build a functional school there without problem.

Whatever your point is, trust me it’s wrong. Give it a rest.

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I'd like to see MCPS follow MSDE's school size guidelines:

https://pgcabs.org/2015/07/21/smaller-is-better-maryland-state-department-of-education-publishes-school-size-study-pg-high-school-sizes-vary-widely/

The Maryland State Department of Education has released a report on school size and its impact on education. The study finds that after school enrollment reaches a point where economies of scale no longer decrease operating costs, smaller schools are usually better.

The research team recommends that enrollment limits be set according to school level (i.e. elementary, middle, high) with a maximum of 700 students per elementary school, 900 students per middle school, and 1,700 students per high school. The report clarifies that these are recommended maximum limits, not necessarily optimal enrollment numbers.

1,700 in a HS? Not 2500-3000? that would be wonderful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I'd like to see MCPS follow MSDE's school size guidelines:

https://pgcabs.org/2015/07/21/smaller-is-better-maryland-state-department-of-education-publishes-school-size-study-pg-high-school-sizes-vary-widely/

The Maryland State Department of Education has released a report on school size and its impact on education. The study finds that after school enrollment reaches a point where economies of scale no longer decrease operating costs, smaller schools are usually better.

The research team recommends that enrollment limits be set according to school level (i.e. elementary, middle, high) with a maximum of 700 students per elementary school, 900 students per middle school, and 1,700 students per high school. The report clarifies that these are recommended maximum limits, not necessarily optimal enrollment numbers.

1,700 in a HS? Not 2500-3000? that would be wonderful!

How will this ever be affordable considering the lastest immigrant influx?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are good ideas proposed in this thread but none of it matters because no one in the BoE nor MCPS Central Office would support any of these changes; and the county council will back them up. They're all in bed together and are united in their mission to lower standards to close the achievement gap and to reduce reported disciplinary actions by not disciplining students even when they should be. The only way to fix MCPS is to replace most of the central staff and most of the BoE with people who actually do want to bring back a focus on quality education and achievement for all students.

LOL. What good ideas? Breaking up MCPS?? Segregation?

Either you didn't read the thread or are just purposely focusing on the suggestion that mcps should be broken up. No one suggested segregation so that's a figment of your imagination.

What do you think breaking up MCPS would create? What do you see think the folks who advocate for breaking up MCPS want?
You ain't fooling anyone except yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are good ideas proposed in this thread but none of it matters because no one in the BoE nor MCPS Central Office would support any of these changes; and the county council will back them up. They're all in bed together and are united in their mission to lower standards to close the achievement gap and to reduce reported disciplinary actions by not disciplining students even when they should be. The only way to fix MCPS is to replace most of the central staff and most of the BoE with people who actually do want to bring back a focus on quality education and achievement for all students.

LOL. What good ideas? Breaking up MCPS?? Segregation?

Either you didn't read the thread or are just purposely focusing on the suggestion that mcps should be broken up. No one suggested segregation so that's a figment of your imagination.

What do you think breaking up MCPS would create? What do you see think the folks who advocate for breaking up MCPS want?
You ain't fooling anyone except yourself.

DP. You lack a good sense of the demographics of this county, have an overactive imagination and seem mentally stuck in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are good ideas proposed in this thread but none of it matters because no one in the BoE nor MCPS Central Office would support any of these changes; and the county council will back them up. They're all in bed together and are united in their mission to lower standards to close the achievement gap and to reduce reported disciplinary actions by not disciplining students even when they should be. The only way to fix MCPS is to replace most of the central staff and most of the BoE with people who actually do want to bring back a focus on quality education and achievement for all students.

LOL. What good ideas? Breaking up MCPS?? Segregation?

Either you didn't read the thread or are just purposely focusing on the suggestion that mcps should be broken up. No one suggested segregation so that's a figment of your imagination.

One of the smart things that the county has done that the current council and planning board want to end is to require developers to set aside land for schools. The Toll Brothers’s WMAL site development includes a lot set aside for a school. There is also a lot set aside for a school at White Flint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only thing that will fix MCPS is breaking it up into smaller districts.

No child should be in a building with 2000 other children on any given day.

The other students didn't care enough about the Magruder victim to let anyone know he was dying alone. Jailyn was left out in the woods under a bridge without a word from the school about him missing.
No one helped him at school.

Mcps is a machine that cates about tests and lowering the achievement gap and doesn't have a single God damn about the kids.

Children need schools that can space kids 3 feet apart.
Children need schools that know or care if they have been left for dead in a bathrooms or if their body is out in the woods for weeks.

Children need classrooms with connections and mentors.
There should be no 30 kids in a kindergarten class.

This doesn't even make any sense. Even if you broke MCPS into smaller districts, it would not mean the schools themselves are smaller. Let's say you make BCC, Whitman, and WJ and all of their feeders into one district. That does not actually make each individual school any smaller, nor does it reduce class size.

You are on a rant here, it's obvious, but you haven't even thought about it long enough to come up with a suggestion that would make a lick of difference.

Its not going to fix things and in schools, like down county where there is a consortium, it would then take away school choice. All it would do is seperate them under different leadership, but you'd still have the same everything except if they built more schools.

Right, and you can't build more schools in the places that need them the most badly because there are no appropriately-sized lots for sale.

I mean, if folks want to use their precious time on planet Earth to try to change the Maryland state constitution and break up county schools, they can. They probably won't succeed, but they can try. However, folks need to understand that even if they get a smaller district, they won't get smaller schools.

First, you are completely missing the reason why people would want to break MCPS up. MCPS as a district is too big to be appropriately administered and this actually used by an excuse by MCPS itself and people on here for why things cannot be better. It’s in the top 20 largest school districts in the country by enrollment. None of the districts with higher enrollment are known for high quality education.

Second, this is a red herring but there are actually ridiculously a lot unutilized school facilities and MCPS property that can be reclaimed and used for schools, if that is the goal (it’s not). In the Bethesda alone off the top of my head there are: Radnor (unused), Lawton Rec Center (MCPS owned and former junior high), Lynnbrook (unused), Ayrlawn (rented to YMCA), Fernwood (leased to Woods Academy), Rollingwood (leased to Lycee Rochambeau), and Randolph Junior High (leased to Charles E Smith Jewish Day School).

Most of those sites are really small, not up to the 750 ES, 1200 MS and 2700 HS sizes we have now.

First you say there is no land for schools and when it’s pointed out that there is a lot of MCPS land for schools all over, you excuse is a lane statement that the sites are too small?

The SCMS site was smaller than MCPS standards, which is what the neighbors used to complain about site selection and loss of a neighborhood park. But wow, they were able to actually build a functional school there without problem.

Whatever your point is, trust me it’s wrong. Give it a rest.

This was a land survey done in Silver Spring for potential sites for future elementary schools or middle schools. They would likely have to take over another community park

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/facilities/rem/Cluster_Report_Downcounty.pdf