Residents appeal MCPS boundary changes, challenge legality of diversity focus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rocky Hill MS
Currently: 25% black, 30% Asian-American, 17% Hispanic, 21% white, 7% more than one
With the boundary decision: 32% black, 21% Asian-American, 19% Hispanic, 14% white, 5% more than one

Neelsville MS
Currently: 30% black, 9% Asian-American, 53% Hispanic, 5% white, 3% more than one
With the boundary decision: 21% black, 17% Asian-American, 46% Hispanic, 11% white, 5% more than one

Those are the numbers you consider to be prima facie evidence that the boundary decision was unconstitutional racial discrimination.

You have a typo:

Rocky Hill MS
Currently: 25% black, 30% Asian-American, 17% Hispanic, 21% white, 7% more than one
With the boundary decision: 32% black, 21% Asian-American, 29% Hispanic, 14% white, 5% more than one

Neelsville MS
Currently: 30% black, 9% Asian-American, 53% Hispanic, 5% white, 3% more than one
With the boundary decision: 21% black, 17% Asian-American, 46% Hispanic, 11% white, 5% more than one

Thank you for the correction, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Again, this is what to watch for in the hearings. Checks and balances.

How does "checks and balances" apply to a state board of education decision about a county board of education decision?

C’mon now, you know the answer to that.

Now about Neelesville. Why doesn’t MCPS talk to the teachers and principal to figure out the needs. We have kids crying out for attention (if they don’t get positive, it will be negative) is my best guess as a parent. Social workers, school psychologists, volunteers, soccer teams, after school activities. A lot of elbow grease. Swapping out kids is a quick fix at best - if that’s the way the state board comes out on this. Those kids need help.

Answer the question, please. Or don't, if you don't want to.

Yes, Neelsville MS needs attention and funding. That's not an argument against the boundary decision, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Again, this is what to watch for in the hearings. Checks and balances.

How does "checks and balances" apply to a state board of education decision about a county board of education decision?

C’mon now, you know the answer to that.

Now about Neelesville. Why doesn’t MCPS talk to the teachers and principal to figure out the needs. We have kids crying out for attention (if they don’t get positive, it will be negative) is my best guess as a parent. Social workers, school psychologists, volunteers, soccer teams, after school activities. A lot of elbow grease. Swapping out kids is a quick fix at best - if that’s the way the state board comes out on this. Those kids need help.

Have you ever talked to or coached a teenager who doesn’t get a lot (or any) positive feedback in his life? If you do, give them some honest, positive feedback (like about being a hard worker or kind or honest) and see how they light up. It’s amazing to see. That’s what we need more of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

So what's the difference between Option 11 and Option 5, for Seneca Valley HS?

[Anonymous]

As far as I understand, there were options on the table that would have produced MORE racial and economic diversity, but they were not selected because the cost of those options in terms of geography were not worth the gains in diversity.

If that's correct, I don't see how this appeal goes anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

So what's the difference between Option 11 and Option 5, for Seneca Valley HS?

Look it up. Option 5 has all of Gibbs, option 11 has non walkers of Gibbs. Option 11 also includes rural Boyds. Option 11a was actually what was selected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

So what's the difference between Option 11 and Option 5, for Seneca Valley HS?

Look it up. Option 5 has all of Gibbs, option 11 has non walkers of Gibbs. Option 11 also includes rural Boyds. Option 11a was actually what was selected.

Those aren't major differences. The Gibbs (future) walkers come from couple of streets on the south side of West Old Baltimore Rd. And there's only a handful of kids from Boyds.

So ok, if you subtract Option 5 from Option 11, you don't get exactly Cabin Branch. But pretty much what you get is Cabin Branch.

[Anonymous]

They did a great job with this. I can't wait for them to bring this type of help to the rest of the county!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not about racial discrimination PP. it’s about whether MCPS is trying to racially balance the two middle schools. Look at the numbers above. Trying to racially balance a school or use racial quotas is unconstitutional, like it or not. See what you think.

Discriminating (or "balancing") on the basis of race is racism.

um - so you believe that desegregation was racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as I understand, there were options on the table that would have produced MORE racial and economic diversity, but they were not selected because the cost of those options in terms of geography were not worth the gains in diversity.

If that's correct, I don't see how this appeal goes anywhere.

Yes, that is correct. From the superintendent's recommendation:

As mentioned previously, Option 4 does the best to bring the FARMS disparity among the three
high schools closest together from 16.5 percent to 5.9 percent. However, this option is not effective
at advancing the geography factor, as it would require busing walkers from Little Bennett
Elementary School and busing the students who live furthest away in Northwest High School from
Darnestown Elementary to Seneca Valley High School. Both of these points are counter to my
goal of maximizing walkers, and lead to negative impacts on students and families, as well as on
transportation resources and the environment. Therefore, I could not recommend this option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

So what's the difference between Option 11 and Option 5, for Seneca Valley HS?

Look it up. Option 5 has all of Gibbs, option 11 has non walkers of Gibbs. Option 11 also includes rural Boyds. Option 11a was actually what was selected.

Those aren't major differences. The Gibbs (future) walkers come from couple of streets on the south side of West Old Baltimore Rd. And there's only a handful of kids from Boyds.

So ok, if you subtract Option 5 from Option 11, you don't get exactly Cabin Branch. But pretty much what you get is Cabin Branch.

.

Option 11 was not selected. It was option 11a which also included Germantown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not about racial discrimination PP. it’s about whether MCPS is trying to racially balance the two middle schools. Look at the numbers above. Trying to racially balance a school or use racial quotas is unconstitutional, like it or not. See what you think.

Discriminating (or "balancing") on the basis of race is racism.

um - so you believe that desegregation was racist?

Desegregation & the Brown case were specific remedies to address the specific problem of de jure segregation. The law (the Supreme Court) has moved away from those remedies over the years. This is why, for example, racial balancing and quotas are unconstitutional. Each time they look at it, they get closer to a race blind standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

So what's the difference between Option 11 and Option 5, for Seneca Valley HS?

Look it up. Option 5 has all of Gibbs, option 11 has non walkers of Gibbs. Option 11 also includes rural Boyds. Option 11a was actually what was selected.

Those aren't major differences. The Gibbs (future) walkers come from couple of streets on the south side of West Old Baltimore Rd. And there's only a handful of kids from Boyds.

So ok, if you subtract Option 5 from Option 11, you don't get exactly Cabin Branch. But pretty much what you get is Cabin Branch.

.

Option 11 was not selected. It was option 11a which also included Germantown.

The point is not, which was selected. The point is, who's coming from Cabin Branch (or rather, who does MCPS project to be coming from Cabin Branch). Various PPs have characterized the reassignment as race-based discrimination against white and Asian-American students. But MCPS's numbers suggest that most of the students reassigned to Neelsville/Seneca Valley from Cabin Branch are black or Hispanic.

And while MCPS's numbers might be nonsense, they're the numbers MCPS is using.

It's also quite possible that the various PPs are greatly overestimating the proportion of their Cabin Branch neighbors who are white or Asian-American.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. Please tell me how you got the racial make up of the students who live in Cabin Branch by those numbers. There is NO racial breakdown of kids from that neighborhood (yes I live there and yes Central Office confirmed they don't have that racial breakdown).

For Seneca Valley HS, Option 11 = Option 5 + Cabin Branch. Right? So if you subtract the Option 5 numbers from the Option 11 numbers, you get Cabin Branch.

No. That's not option 11.

So what's the difference between Option 11 and Option 5, for Seneca Valley HS?

Look it up. Option 5 has all of Gibbs, option 11 has non walkers of Gibbs. Option 11 also includes rural Boyds. Option 11a was actually what was selected.

Those aren't major differences. The Gibbs (future) walkers come from couple of streets on the south side of West Old Baltimore Rd. And there's only a handful of kids from Boyds.

So ok, if you subtract Option 5 from Option 11, you don't get exactly Cabin Branch. But pretty much what you get is Cabin Branch.

.

Option 11 was not selected. It was option 11a which also included Germantown.

The point is not, which was selected. The point is, who's coming from Cabin Branch (or rather, who does MCPS project to be coming from Cabin Branch). Various PPs have characterized the reassignment as race-based discrimination against white and Asian-American students. But MCPS's numbers suggest that most of the students reassigned to Neelsville/Seneca Valley from Cabin Branch are black or Hispanic.

And while MCPS's numbers might be nonsense, they're the numbers MCPS is using.

It's also quite possible that the various PPs are greatly overestimating the proportion of their Cabin Branch neighbors who are white or Asian-American.

Did you read the appeal? Not about Seneca valley.