mcps. sounds about right. (GT admissions changes)
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Anonymous
Exactly! My 99% DC who didn't make it to a CES was placed in an 'advanced' ELA class - sort of a consolation prize for high-achievers. At this point, the class has 31 students in it. My guess is, other parents have lobbied for their children to be there, but I honestly don't understand how the school plans on properly challenging that many children. From what I've seen so far, the material taught is on grade level. |
Anonymous
I kind of disagree. I have a child at CES, and it is different than her experience at her home elementary. But also, her home elementary experience was solid, especially in reading and writing. Was she challenged by the curriculum? Not especially. But she was engaged in school and encouraged to learn and grow with a stimulating peer cohort that discussed math and games of strategy, read a LOT outside of the assigned classroom books, discussed and shared those outside books, played imaginative games, created their own little newsletter/newspaper, etc. They filled the in-between times at school with interesting, stimulating activities. My daughter learned extra math from one friend, and traded challenging books with another friend. She had a good peer cohort, and she learned a lot from them and was not bored and idle at school. She had reading groups and writing projects that were stimulating and interesting for her. Math was a bit of a different story, but no school is perfect. I do believe the math curriculum held my daughter back. But supplementing her math was/is way cheaper than paying for private school. And hopefully the math curriculum will improve in the future. |
Anonymous
That's the crux of it. |
Anonymous
OK, fine. That doesn't address the central point of my post, that the magnet curriculum (three classes at mininum in 6th, then 3 classes each in 7th and 8th) are not only advanced but also integrated with significant curriculum and teacher coordination. Which nobody is going to get from an "enriched" class at the home middle school. And the other central point of my post is that MCPS may be redistributing limited magnet spots but is more generally failing to provide adequate curricula and teaching at the home middle schools for the many students who could handle it and need more challenging material if they are not to just tread water. |
Anonymous
The reality is that MCPS had to use "peer cohort" to change the demographics of the magnet students. That was the only way to do it other than outright affirmative action. |
Anonymous
Bragging rights. Which is why many care about the Magnet cachet rather than the enriched course anyway. |
Anonymous
Segregated schools have fewer low SES students so have higher average stats. Marginally intelligent parents confuse this with school quality since it's been pushed by the real-estate industry for decades. Perhaps, education will improve someday to where parents are able to analyze data for themselves. |
Anonymous
Cohort is important. So is a challenging curriculum. Why do people separate these two things? Why can't a parent want both for their kids? And no, the "enriched" classes at the home school is no where near the level of the magnet program. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
A parent can want both, but in a county with very few middle school magnet slots, a parent cannot feel entitled to one of those slots. There are going to be more kids who could benefit from those slots than there are slots. And the value that parents in wealthier schools place on peer cohort suggests that kids at a home school where they do not have a peer cohort challenging them are more in need of the magnet slots than those who do have a challenging peer cohort. Because the home school is more likely to be directing instruction at a level appropriate to a cohort than at a level appropriate to 1 student. |
Anonymous
Another wacky and baseless conspiracy theory. Alex Jones would approve. |
Anonymous
When some parents were no longer to game admissions, it pushed them over the edge. Because of universal screening, there were roughly 10X the applicants this year which in years past was restricted to students whose parents nominated them. The result is admissions are more competitive. |
Anonymous
Amen PPP. We pulled out oldest out for private and are hoping our youngest can start K next year if MCPS improves itself. What a waste of K-2 for oldest. It was worse than treading water. Bethesda. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
exactly. Treading water while having fun with your friends. Meanwhile, your kid could be learning more subjects and learning them more deeply in an appropriate learning environment, curriculum and challenge level. But nevermind, you can make it all up in high school with AP tests and good ACTs. Maybe college will be where the real love of learning starts.... |