MCPS is no longer a desirable school district

[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:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is still a top school system. Many still do very well and going to top schools.

For all those haters….. bye bye!

And do not last. The college drop out rate is high but never discussed.

[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:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

As they should have and as MCPS should do also. Most of these protest have no valid argument. School district is supposed to make the best use of it resources. And if adjusting the boundaries helps achieve that goal so be it.

[Anonymous]

MCPS parents don't know how or won't to advocate! Stop all the keyboard whining and organize, protest, and shutdown BoE and Council meetings when things are occurring that you don't like. Voters have enormous power when they use it.

[Anonymous]

The kids become experts at writing their name because that gets them 50%. The other 50 percent comes from parents complaining and trying to back teachers in corners. This is why teachers have no support and morale in the gutter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids become experts at writing their name because that gets them 50%. The other 50 percent comes from parents complaining and trying to back teachers in corners. This is why teachers have no support and morale in the gutter.

Kids getting an F- aren't the problem.

[Anonymous]

There is Churchill and Whitman then a big step down.

[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:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

As they should have and as MCPS should do also. Most of these protest have no valid argument. School district is supposed to make the best use of it resources. And if adjusting the boundaries helps achieve that goal so be it.

Do you not remember the upcounty boundary study and the parents who protested just like Howard County did? And just like Howard County, MCPS board didn't give a crap and went ahead and adjusted the boundary as they wanted.

[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:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

As they should have and as MCPS should do also. Most of these protest have no valid argument. School district is supposed to make the best use of it resources. And if adjusting the boundaries helps achieve that goal so be it.

Do you not remember the upcounty boundary study and the parents who protested just like Howard County did? And just like Howard County, MCPS board didn't give a crap and went ahead and adjusted the boundary as they wanted.

Why not? That's their job.

[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:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

As they should have and as MCPS should do also. Most of these protest have no valid argument. School district is supposed to make the best use of it resources. And if adjusting the boundaries helps achieve that goal so be it.

Do you not remember the upcounty boundary study and the parents who protested just like Howard County did? And just like Howard County, MCPS board didn't give a crap and went ahead and adjusted the boundary as they wanted.

Why not? That's their job.

Yes, that's my point. The PPs above were claiming that MCPS doesn't adjust boundaries but they absolutely do and they do it based on their own priorities. They especially care about demographics. So the argument that PPs were making above isn't valid.

[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:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

As they should have and as MCPS should do also. Most of these protest have no valid argument. School district is supposed to make the best use of it resources. And if adjusting the boundaries helps achieve that goal so be it.

Do you not remember the upcounty boundary study and the parents who protested just like Howard County did? And just like Howard County, MCPS board didn't give a crap and went ahead and adjusted the boundary as they wanted.

I do. And my point is they need to do a full county boundary adjustment and complete what is loong overdue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is great if you're a family who prioritizes education and is involved in their kid's lives. However, if you are one of those parents who expects the county to raise your kid then it's not so great.

I used to believe that until I learned that my one child, who got A's in maths in HS, had to retake math classes in college because she never really learned it in HS. What was really happening was/is, the classes were brought down to the lowest common denominators. They are running regular ed like they run special ed, LREs.

how if they offer accelerated classes for kids who need it? My kid has a math LD so she's not in the same class as your high-achieving kid. Maybe she just didn't pay attention in math class.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

Something something grade inflation.

Motivated parents crowd into the "desirable" districts, leaving poorer or less motivated parents to the other districts where most of the students don't receive A's.

Most places I have lived redistrict schools on a regular basis to prevent this from happening quite so much, but in the DC area regular redistricting isn't apparently a thing.

Where did you live that they regularly redistricted? I’ve lived in 5 different states and none did this. In most of America, it’s the biggest determinant of home value which is the biggest determinant of wealth accumulation for the middle class. I’m genuinely curious where they do this regularly and if it affects the real estate narket. They need a freakonomjcs episode about this!

DP. Howard County right next door redistricts every few years, to keep numbers from being too uneven.

+1. Loudon has been redistricting just to keep up with people moving there. If MCPS just bit the bullet and did the full county boundary study and then reviewed them every 5/6 years, they would be much better off.

I feel that parents in other counties accept redistricting better than we do here. Maybe because it's not part of the culture in MCPS? Parents here would protest it.

My friend in Loudoun will have her 6th & 7th grader going to 2 different middle schools in the fall. (Neither are in a special program)

Imagine how that would go here!

I met a parent whose non-magnet kid will be joining their magnet sibling due to not liking their HS. The sibling will not be in magnet. That kind of nonsense should stop.

Parents protested in Howard County in 2019. It got national news coverage. It didn't matter and they went ahead with the plans that were being protested against anyways.

As they should have and as MCPS should do also. Most of these protest have no valid argument. School district is supposed to make the best use of it resources. And if adjusting the boundaries helps achieve that goal so be it.

Do you not remember the upcounty boundary study and the parents who protested just like Howard County did? And just like Howard County, MCPS board didn't give a crap and went ahead and adjusted the boundary as they wanted.

Why not? That's their job.

Yes, that's my point. The PPs above were claiming that MCPS doesn't adjust boundaries but they absolutely do and they do it based on their own priorities. They especially care about demographics. So the argument that PPs were making above isn't valid.

The boundaries are going to be adjusted for Crown and Woodward. So we're on the verge of the boundary redistricting you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

According to some sources, MCPS is ranked lower than Howard County and Frederick County Public Schools. Oh, and Anne Arundel is #40 (MCPS is #220)

Just saying..
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/most-sought-after-school-districts-in-us-ranked-in-new-survey-see-where-yours-comes-in

most sought after (as determined by a sample from a test prep company) is very different than quality:

Test Prep Insight, a study and test prep company, spoke with 3,000 parents across the nation to find out which school districts they would most want their children to be in if they had the choice

The largest cohort at MCPS these days is Hispanic. MCPS's demographics have changed significantly. It's not that places like Howard do a better job; rather, their makeup is more similar to MCPS 30 years ago. In terms of educational opportunities though MCPS is mostly the same or even better than it was in the past.

This but it is also rose colored glasses. MoCo has been shifting for years and sliding down hill due to demographics. It had crappy kids filling its schools 30 years ago to the point they had a problem kid high school they since had to close to protect kids feeling which just leaves them in their home school. Blair, Kennedy and middles like Lee were a mess 30 years ago. They gave the magnet kids a different lunch, class bell timing and building at the old Blair so they didn’t have to be exposed to the general pop. That wasn’t because ALL of MoCo was great. Now there are even less schools performing at the old standards but there are a few but you have pay up to live there, hint none of them are in a consortium .

I hear what you're saying but it doesn't align with reality. Back when I was in school there were only a few dozen kids with an A average now I hear something like 50% of Wootton's class has a perfect 4.0. It sure seems like kids today are doing better than ever.

I want to laugh but the emoji isn't large enough. If you ask any veteran teacher to compare their students today to ten years ago, they will tell you brutally that today's crop is probably 3 grade levels behind their previous students. I am an AP teacher and on multiple teacher forums. The AP exams themselves are quickly devolving: calculator use, no passages written before the 19th century, four MC choices instead of five, all stimulus questions for history instead of relying on banked knowledge, rhetorical analysis that just relies on identifying an author's "purpose" instead of analyzing their actual rhetoric, etc. etc. The College Board is driving many classroom changes in the name of equity, but they aren't the only ones. Many teachers are moving away from grading, homework, summer assignments and now must make time to read any books they actually use in class. But, of course, the kids are so brilliant that they can cover the same amount of material as before.

[Anonymous]

Bye bye!