All the boundary options are bad for the DCC-- how do we organize against that? (Any ideas for alternative options?)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

Why would the Kensington parents not want to go to Einstein? I’m not following.

DP. The Town of Kensington has been zoned to Walter Johnson HS for a long time, which has a better reputation than Einstein.

It’s part WJ part BCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

Why would the Kensington parents not want to go to Einstein? I’m not following.

DP. The Town of Kensington has been zoned to Walter Johnson HS for a long time, which has a better reputation than Einstein.

Einstein is a great school with a good reputation, FWIW. But it's 40% FARMS and only 25% white and that bothers some people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

In all the new options the Einstein FARMS and EML rates go up

Why would the Kensington parents not want to go to Einstein? I’m not following.

DP. The Town of Kensington has been zoned to Walter Johnson HS for a long time, which has a better reputation than Einstein.

Einstein is a great school with a good reputation, FWIW. But it's 40% FARMS and only 25% white and that bothers some people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

Why would the Kensington parents not want to go to Einstein? I’m not following.

DP. The Town of Kensington has been zoned to Walter Johnson HS for a long time, which has a better reputation than Einstein.

It’s part WJ part BCC.

TOK is all zoned to WJ, but some other Kensington neighborhoods are zoned to BCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

Why would the Kensington parents not want to go to Einstein? I’m not following.

DP. The Town of Kensington has been zoned to Walter Johnson HS for a long time, which has a better reputation than Einstein.

Einstein is a great school with a good reputation, FWIW. But it's 40% FARMS and only 25% white and that bothers some people.

It no longer has the academics some want. It’s not just a race issue.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It is reasonable for non-DCC parents to care about what the DCC parents might propose if that has an impact on the non-DCC. This thread early in had some significant negative comments from DCC parents regarding BCC and Whitman. Ergo one would expect DCC parents to propose changes that would negatively impact non-DCC.

I think you should stop reading this thread and determine how you feel about the MCPS regional program proposal on its merits. Don't worry , the DCC PTAs are mobilizing to advocate for ourselves. I know that may seem unbelievable to you but it is true. You should advocate for what you think is important.

I have been following those discussions as well. I’m happy that the DCC PTA are mobilizing around them. To me the magnet issues seem to only impact a select few (who can get into magnets/regional programs/whatever we are calling them now) and I therefore am not as moved by the issue (even for my own family).

The magnet is a separate issue and most families don't care as there are about 100 slots per grade. The bonus of the magnet and other programs is because of these programs those schools to offer higher-level courses that all families can try to lottery into. The lottery system with the DCC affords some kids the opportunity to go to schools that have the classes they need so they don't go without. The course offerings between your schools and our schools is very different.

But how many kids in the DCC go to a different school than their one assigned by boundary? That’s still a minority.

A good number.

So a good number bought in areas in order to not attend your neighborhood school but to attend a different school, and now are upset through the change in the regions and the end in the DCC this will be at least different? And what’s the issue with the boundaries? Is that a separate issue or overlapping?

So we moved to the area when my child was 2. She is 6 now. If the DCC were to continue, I have no idea which high school she'd list as her first choice in 7 years because it would depend on her interests. That's how the DCC works. As numerous people have explained, the proposed regional program model will reduce choice and flexibility for kids in the DCC to pursue their interests. Many people bought in the area after hearing about the benefits of the choice and the various programs from parents whose kids went through the programs.

But what in the new boundary options influences this? This sounds like you are upset in the regional program change. I am just trying to understand the DCC issues with these options.

DP but the issue is that both the boundary options and the program changes are bad for Einstein (boundary options all increase the FARMS rate at Einstein, some substantially.) Either one on its own might be tolerable, but the combination of the both of them (plus the drop in enrollment due to the boundary changes, which would be fine on its own but just further aggravates these issues in combination) is just going to be a really big blow to Einstein unless one or both of those things changes.

Sorry are you people who are zoned to Einstein don’t want to be and want to be able to go to a different school? Is it that bad of a school?

What are you talking about? We like Einstein now, and we don't want it to get worse. How hard is that to understand?

And it is getting worse how? More FARMS kids?

Yes. It's the path of least resistance. Increasing FARMs at a school with an already moderately high FARMs level is easier than the other way around. You see that same trend when boundaries are redrawn in other nearby school districts, like Arlington and Fairfax Counties. Even if options that balance demographics are initially presented, historically, they always get eliminated in favor of the ones that exacerbate the divide between wealthier and poorer schools. Wealthier neighborhoods tend to speak out more at the board meetings and community engagement events.

[Anonymous]

Bad look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

To the bolded: currently-zoned Einstein parents also want the same classes at each high school. It’s not the FARMS rate, it’s the possibility that Einstein won’t have the same classes as other schools because there would be less demand, i.e., your gripe.

[Anonymous]

BCC and Whitman parents will always win these battles. Been there, done that. So exhausting to watch this play out the same every 5-10 years.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t have kids lotterying to other schools and therefore reducing demand for advanced classes at the homeschool, you would presumably have more demand in the homeschool.

Unless you are saying something like FARMS kids won’t demand advanced classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t have kids lotterying to other schools and therefore reducing demand for advanced classes at the homeschool, you would presumably have more demand in the homeschool.

Unless you are saying something like FARMS kids won’t demand advanced classes.

Look at the test scores. MCPS does a terrible.job educating Black and Brown students regardless of income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t have kids lotterying to other schools and therefore reducing demand for advanced classes at the homeschool, you would presumably have more demand in the homeschool.

Unless you are saying something like FARMS kids won’t demand advanced classes.

Look at the test scores. MCPS does a terrible.job educating Black and Brown students regardless of income.

You are saying black and brown kids won’t demand advanced classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t have kids lotterying to other schools and therefore reducing demand for advanced classes at the homeschool, you would presumably have more demand in the homeschool.

Unless you are saying something like FARMS kids won’t demand advanced classes.

Look at the test scores. MCPS does a terrible.job educating Black and Brown students regardless of income.

You are saying black and brown kids won’t demand advanced classes?

No. We are saying: "MCPS does a terrible job educating Black and Brown students regardless of income."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in-bound for Einstein but my kids don’t attend yet. I don’t care about nimby Kensington parents who can’t handle the thought of being rezoned to Einstein. I don’t care about nimby currently zoned Einstein parents who can’t handle the thought of any higher FARMs schools being rezoned to Einstein. My gripe with MCPS is that they don’t have the same course offerings at all the schools. Offer the same classes at each high school and we’re good!

To the bolded: currently-zoned Einstein parents also want the same classes at each high school. It’s not the FARMS rate, it’s the possibility that Einstein won’t have the same classes as other schools because there would be less demand, i.e., your gripe.

Einstein, despite being a good school that families are happy with already has limited course offerings. If you make it smaller, it will lose staff which will decrease offerings. If you decrease offerings, it will be less diverse as families will move or go private if they cannot transfer to other schools. Right now the only option for advanced classes is MC which is a transportation and timing issue for some. It’s more doable senior year if you only need math and English, your child has a car and a flexible schedule or not a lot of activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t have kids lotterying to other schools and therefore reducing demand for advanced classes at the homeschool, you would presumably have more demand in the homeschool.

Unless you are saying something like FARMS kids won’t demand advanced classes.

Look at the test scores. MCPS does a terrible.job educating Black and Brown students regardless of income.

You are saying black and brown kids won’t demand advanced classes?

No. We are saying: "MCPS does a terrible job educating Black and Brown students regardless of income."

But how is that related to the prior comment? You brought in race and I’m trying to understand how that is pertinent.