First hearing on districtwide boundary study is tonight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think the allure of an IB program itself is that strong. That seems to seldom be a reason per se that people choose BCC over other options. If it becomes a magnet filled with top caliber students who strongly outperform other cohorts in academics/college placement, then it may have real appeal.

Are there enough kids from Clarksburg to make a meaningful difference overall? And the Clarksburg home school is arguably not as strong as the schools now in the Kennedy cluster, meaning they may be a little more willing to put up with the commute for a magnet.

Oh for pete's sake.

Right or wrong, that is a lot of people's perception and that's what would matter here. Many people who buy in those areas do it specifically for the schools. It will take a lot for them to decide that, after paying a real premium for the local school, it is worth sending their kid across the county.

Have you ever met anyone from Clarksburg? And if so, did you tell them that you consider Clarksburg HS to be weaker than Kennedy HS? And if so, how did they respond?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did they group Wooten for Watkins Mill IB and Magruder for Springbrook? That doesn’t fit their usual groupings.

Presumably, the western part of the county, Wootton, Gaithersburg, QO, etc.. is being served by WM, while the eastern part is being served by Springbrook.

You have to draw the lines somewhere. There are no regional IB programs on the western side, and that was done on purpose, ie, to draw western side towards the eastern side. Remember, RMIB is a county wide IB program. I think eventually, they will do away with a county IB program and force everyone into regional programs. RMIB may become a regional program, which means they will have to redraw the service area for IB regional again at some point.

Per MCPS website:

Kennedy regional serves: BCC, Churchill, Whitman, Walter Johnson, Downcounty Consortium- Blair, Einstein, Northwood, Kennedy, Wheaton

Springbrook: Magruder, Rockville, Sherwood, Northeast Consortium (NEC)- Blake, Paint Branch, Springbrook

Watkins Mill: Clarksburg, Damascus, Gaithersburg, Northwest, Poolesville, Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley, Watkins Mill, Wootton

Maybe PP is upset that the regional IB for Wootton is Watkins Mill, because the regional IB for the other 3 wealthy/white schools is Kennedy, which will lead to further discussion about who is really a wealthy/white school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think the allure of an IB program itself is that strong. That seems to seldom be a reason per se that people choose BCC over other options. If it becomes a magnet filled with top caliber students who strongly outperform other cohorts in academics/college placement, then it may have real appeal.

Are there enough kids from Clarksburg to make a meaningful difference overall? And the Clarksburg home school is arguably not as strong as the schools now in the Kennedy cluster, meaning they may be a little more willing to put up with the commute for a magnet.

Oh for pete's sake.

Right or wrong, that is a lot of people's perception and that's what would matter here. Many people who buy in those areas do it specifically for the schools. It will take a lot for them to decide that, after paying a real premium for the local school, it is worth sending their kid across the county.

Have you ever met anyone from Clarksburg? And if so, did you tell them that you consider Clarksburg HS to be weaker than Kennedy HS? And if so, how did they respond?

That's not what I was saying at all. I was saying that many people view Clarksburg as weaker than, for example, Whitman or Churchill. Therefore, a Clarksburg parent might be more willing to have their kid endure a longer commute for the benefit of a magnet program than a parent from Whitman or Churchill. There is, at least arguably, a greater amount to be gained by making the switch.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but what are UMC kids and DCC UMC families? I keep seeing these acronyms in the posts above but don’t know them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, in Howard County, the vote to bus kids district by district is happening as we speak. https://hcpsstv.new.swagit.com/events/4336

The district is HCPSS.

OK, then, polygon by polygon. Polygon is what MCPS refers to as cluster.

Report back - how did the vote go?

It passed of course. Check this news story out...it looks like a crystal ball for MCPS. https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/11/21/howard-county-school-board-redistricting-plan-latest/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but what are UMC kids and DCC UMC families? I keep seeing these acronyms in the posts above but don’t know them.

UMC = upper middle class (DCUM jargon for "we have a lot of money but we consider ourselves to be middle class")
DCC = downcounty consortium

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but what are UMC kids and DCC UMC families? I keep seeing these acronyms in the posts above but don’t know them.

Upper Middle Class and Downcounty Consortium (which consists of 5 high school clusters: Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood and Wheaton).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, in Howard County, the vote to bus kids district by district is happening as we speak. https://hcpsstv.new.swagit.com/events/4336

The district is HCPSS.

OK, then, polygon by polygon. Polygon is what MCPS refers to as cluster.

Report back - how did the vote go?

It passed of course. Check this news story out...it looks like a crystal ball for MCPS. https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/11/21/howard-county-school-board-redistricting-plan-latest/

You can feel reassured that they will make this transcription ‘as smooth as possible’.

Maybe MCPS can wait and see how it works out and then decide what to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy IB isn't new it has always been open to the DCC kids. What is new is that it is open to several W schools now.

I am sure a lots of WJ, Whitman,and churchill kids who could not get into RMIB or Blair due to cohort effect will choose Kennedy’s new IB regional magnet. I am not sure if kids from BCC would come unless MCPS terminate the IB there. Actually, if MCPS waters down the acadamic programs in WJ, Whitam, Churchill, and BCC, more MC and UMC kids will choose a regional magnet in DCC. This is a way to reach diversity without forced bussing.

If people choose Kennedy for IB over their own W school, they are seriously misinformed. What a joke.

That's what some people said about RM when the IB magnet started there.

Indeed. The old timers still lament being zoned out of Wootton to RM, and some did pull their kids out and put them in private. BUT, some of those same kids who are now adults live in this area and choose to send their kids to RM and like it. And some people even choose to live in this cluster to give their kids the advantage of set aside seats for the RMIB magnet.

However, I think RM is a different story in that it is surrounded by enough wealthier areas to make the school not have such a high FARMs rate. Yes, it only does so because the wealthier area was rezoned to RM from Wootton, even though Wootton is closer. Still, RM is a success story in that regard. I don't know if this would work in other areas, though. Do those other HSs have enough of a wealthier area somewhat close by such that it could have the areas zoned to those schools? I believe those regional IBs have set aside seats for in cluster students as well. Will that be enough of a draw 20 years later like RMIB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy IB isn't new it has always been open to the DCC kids. What is new is that it is open to several W schools now.

I am sure a lots of WJ, Whitman,and churchill kids who could not get into RMIB or Blair due to cohort effect will choose Kennedy’s new IB regional magnet. I am not sure if kids from BCC would come unless MCPS terminate the IB there. Actually, if MCPS waters down the acadamic programs in WJ, Whitam, Churchill, and BCC, more MC and UMC kids will choose a regional magnet in DCC. This is a way to reach diversity without forced bussing.

If people choose Kennedy for IB over their own W school, they are seriously misinformed. What a joke.

That's what some people said about RM when the IB magnet started there.

Indeed. The old timers still lament being zoned out of Wootton to RM, and some did pull their kids out and put them in private. BUT, some of those same kids who are now adults live in this area and choose to send their kids to RM and like it. And some people even choose to live in this cluster to give their kids the advantage of set aside seats for the RMIB magnet.

However, I think RM is a different story in that it is surrounded by enough wealthier areas to make the school not have such a high FARMs rate. Yes, it only does so because the wealthier area was rezoned to RM from Wootton, even though Wootton is closer. Still, RM is a success story in that regard. I don't know if this would work in other areas, though. Do those other HSs have enough of a wealthier area somewhat close by such that it could have the areas zoned to those schools? I believe those regional IBs have set aside seats for in cluster students as well. Will that be enough of a draw 20 years later like RMIB?

There are quite a few newer and pricier homes near Kennedy in Poplar Run. https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/13216-Redspire-Dr-20906/home/147606182
It's already zoned to Kennedy, but if the reputation of the school improves as a result of the regional IB program, that would suggest more of the nearby UMC residents would send their kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy IB isn't new it has always been open to the DCC kids. What is new is that it is open to several W schools now.

I am sure a lots of WJ, Whitman,and churchill kids who could not get into RMIB or Blair due to cohort effect will choose Kennedy’s new IB regional magnet. I am not sure if kids from BCC would come unless MCPS terminate the IB there. Actually, if MCPS waters down the acadamic programs in WJ, Whitam, Churchill, and BCC, more MC and UMC kids will choose a regional magnet in DCC. This is a way to reach diversity without forced bussing.

If people choose Kennedy for IB over their own W school, they are seriously misinformed. What a joke.

That's what some people said about RM when the IB magnet started there.

Indeed. The old timers still lament being zoned out of Wootton to RM, and some did pull their kids out and put them in private. BUT, some of those same kids who are now adults live in this area and choose to send their kids to RM and like it. And some people even choose to live in this cluster to give their kids the advantage of set aside seats for the RMIB magnet.

However, I think RM is a different story in that it is surrounded by enough wealthier areas to make the school not have such a high FARMs rate. Yes, it only does so because the wealthier area was rezoned to RM from Wootton, even though Wootton is closer. Still, RM is a success story in that regard. I don't know if this would work in other areas, though. Do those other HSs have enough of a wealthier area somewhat close by such that it could have the areas zoned to those schools? I believe those regional IBs have set aside seats for in cluster students as well. Will that be enough of a draw 20 years later like RMIB?

There are quite a few newer and pricier homes near Kennedy in Poplar Run. https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/13216-Redspire-Dr-20906/home/147606182
It's already zoned to Kennedy, but if the reputation of the school improves as a result of the regional IB program, that would suggest more of the nearby UMC residents would send their kids there.

then I think it's certainly possible in several years, Kennedy could be a different school, much like RM was about years ago.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/05/25/school-shift-stirs-rockville-dispute/a460e6bd-9d22-4b6d-a490-c8aef025f231/

same story, 30 years later, just a different neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy IB isn't new it has always been open to the DCC kids. What is new is that it is open to several W schools now.

I am sure a lots of WJ, Whitman,and churchill kids who could not get into RMIB or Blair due to cohort effect will choose Kennedy’s new IB regional magnet. I am not sure if kids from BCC would come unless MCPS terminate the IB there. Actually, if MCPS waters down the acadamic programs in WJ, Whitam, Churchill, and BCC, more MC and UMC kids will choose a regional magnet in DCC. This is a way to reach diversity without forced bussing.

If people choose Kennedy for IB over their own W school, they are seriously misinformed. What a joke.

That's what some people said about RM when the IB magnet started there.

Indeed. The old timers still lament being zoned out of Wootton to RM, and some did pull their kids out and put them in private. BUT, some of those same kids who are now adults live in this area and choose to send their kids to RM and like it. And some people even choose to live in this cluster to give their kids the advantage of set aside seats for the RMIB magnet.

However, I think RM is a different story in that it is surrounded by enough wealthier areas to make the school not have such a high FARMs rate. Yes, it only does so because the wealthier area was rezoned to RM from Wootton, even though Wootton is closer. Still, RM is a success story in that regard. I don't know if this would work in other areas, though. Do those other HSs have enough of a wealthier area somewhat close by such that it could have the areas zoned to those schools? I believe those regional IBs have set aside seats for in cluster students as well. Will that be enough of a draw 20 years later like RMIB?

There are quite a few newer and pricier homes near Kennedy in Poplar Run. https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/13216-Redspire-Dr-20906/home/147606182
It's already zoned to Kennedy, but if the reputation of the school improves as a result of the regional IB program, that would suggest more of the nearby UMC residents would send their kids there.

then I think it's certainly possible in several years, Kennedy could be a different school, much like RM was about years ago.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/05/25/school-shift-stirs-rockville-dispute/a460e6bd-9d22-4b6d-a490-c8aef025f231/

same story, 30 years later, just a different neighborhood.

Thanks for digging out that article. I noticed that, to implement the boundary change, students switched schools only when they went into 6th grade. A much kinder and gentler transition on the affected students.

[Anonymous]

Do these meetings discuss specific schools yet, or are they right now gathering to gauge public mood and support for the initiative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do these meetings discuss specific schools yet, or are they right now gathering to gauge public mood and support for the initiative?

Neither.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do these meetings discuss specific schools yet, or are they right now gathering to gauge public mood and support for the initiative?

Neither.

Then what are they for?