Montoya is not fit for office

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the summary/ranking of 2024-2025 ELA 10 proficiency rates for the subgroups at Blair, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Springbrook and Paint Branch would be:

FARMS:
Springbrook 46.8
Paint Branch 46
Watkins Mill 43.7
Blair 40.3
Gaithersburg 35.2

EML:
Blair 14.3
Springbrook 7.3
Paint Branch 6.7
Watkins Mill 6.3
Gaithersburg 5.9

African American/Black
Springbrook 67.5
Blair 57.9
Paint Branch 51.6
Gaithersburg 48.8
Watkins Mill 48.3

Hispanic/Latino
Paint Branch 49.1
Blair 40.1
Springbrook 40
Watkins Mill 35.8
Gaithersburg 33.2

Also remember there are Black, Latino and FARMS students in the magnet program that are inflating the Blair scores

in measurable quantities?

Not really.

According to the MCPS slides on the existing magnet programs, Blair SMCS has 440 students of which 12% or about 53 are Black. That represents about 6-7% of the Black students at Blair. Some of those I am sure are local students. But if even 5% of Black students at Blair are non local students that are the best of the best then that would absolutely inflate proficiency rates for this group in "measurable quantities".

The magnet is not just about Blair or the DCC. It should have been but it wasn't.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

But hey, per the BOE, minus Julie Yang, this is all done in support of equity, so it is all good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

But hey, per the BOE, minus Julie Yang, this is all done in support of equity, so it is all good.

Yang is fully responsible as well. She only voted against Wootton for her own needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

But hey, per the BOE, minus Julie Yang, this is all done in support of equity, so it is all good.

Yang is fully responsible as well. She only voted against Wootton for her own needs.

I have it on good authority that Julie would have voted for the Crown boundary study had these numbnuts not agreed to the block vote. Sorry Wu-Tang Clan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

But hey, per the BOE, minus Julie Yang, this is all done in support of equity, so it is all good.

Yang is fully responsible as well. She only voted against Wootton for her own needs.

I have it on good authority that Julie would have voted for the Crown boundary study had these numbnuts not agreed to the block vote. Sorry Wu-Tang Clan.

Thanks for sharing, Rita.

[Anonymous]

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Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

MCPS has shared the price tag for this ever since BOE asked for it. Good news for them is that they are delaying any MA changes until MSDE figures out their IM stuff for math. This gives MCPS time to work on their consolidation and boundaries for elementary and middle schools. It also allows them to just shuffle around HS teachers.

Taylor said all along the county wide magnet teachers would be training the teachers new to those programs in other regions. They won’t be new to MCPS, so it can be a one day training over the summer like the ES ELA teachers got when they learned about the science of reading. I imagine a lot of shared Google docs being the lifeline for teachers moved into a magnet program.

These are mostly “programs in name only” as MCEA has shared. Very few programs have new courses such as the “musicianship” course in the music magnet.

The biggest expense will be transportation as Taylor says it will cost more until 2032. Maybe longer since we are delaying MS changes.

I see the biggest headache for MCPS being the involuntary transfers for teachers. Zimmerman has been soft on questioning Taylor about this at BOE meetings. Many teachers will have to move due to the boundary changes affected enrollment. But when and how remains to be seen.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school. We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute. Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987. These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.

PP here. I agree with the other PPs that the Blair magnet was not really about equity nor did it achieve that. That being said, I was trying unsuccessfully to say the regional program model proposal is also not designed with equity in mind as it does not acknowledge the impacts of putting criteria based magnet programs in wealthy schools that already have all the advanced coursework that highly motivated students need

Having more magnet programs is equity but like you said only putting stem and high-achieving programs at schools that already have them is not equity, and this new model really changes nothing for most of us except we are stuck at our home schools with little offerings. They are doing it to save money as they don't want to put actual money into this.

MCPS will have to put money into this. There has to be some level of training for teachers, even if out is of the variety of the usual lame MCPS training. And transportation will cost a lot - they can't even begin to figure this out - who knows what gasoline will cost in 2027, especially now that we have just purchased a lot more diesel-fueled buses.

Resources pertaining to the central office staff time probably won't even be counted. But it will be a lot to organize these regional programs for both high schools AND middle schools - the resolution recently passed referenced secondary schools to set up the framework to make middle school magnet program regional (and probably add some more programs too).

MCPS has shared the price tag for this ever since BOE asked for it. Good news for them is that they are delaying any MA changes until MSDE figures out their IM stuff for math. This gives MCPS time to work on their consolidation and boundaries for elementary and middle schools. It also allows them to just shuffle around HS teachers.

Taylor said all along the county wide magnet teachers would be training the teachers new to those programs in other regions. They won’t be new to MCPS, so it can be a one day training over the summer like the ES ELA teachers got when they learned about the science of reading. I imagine a lot of shared Google docs being the lifeline for teachers moved into a magnet program.

These are mostly “programs in name only” as MCEA has shared. Very few programs have new courses such as the “musicianship” course in the music magnet.

The biggest expense will be transportation as Taylor says it will cost more until 2032. Maybe longer since we are delaying MS changes.

I see the biggest headache for MCPS being the involuntary transfers for teachers. Zimmerman has been soft on questioning Taylor about this at BOE meetings. Many teachers will have to move due to the boundary changes affected enrollment. But when and how remains to be seen.

Blair has been packaging its magnet curriculum for use by other high schools. I guess schools can pick and choose from among that. I'm not sure what the appetite for Quantum Physics is outside of perhaps Region 4's STEM program at Wootton/Crown. With the cohort numbers for criteria-based programs so low, as well as a changed magnet catchment area, I anticipate that Blair's magnet will devolve into something less rigorous. The current magnet coordinator is an able administrator, but he was an English teacher. How does this work?