MCPS High School Magnet Decisions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is very disturbing/disheartening for some of the parents to insinuate that "Black" kids are in these programs to fill spots. FYI, try asking your kids how these so-called "Black" children are performing. I have a Black child who is high performing and I must say performs better than some of your children. Let us give all children a benefit of doubt. I am a strong believer in all kids being able and capable given the proper support and environment. No wonder "Black" students feel the need to constantly validate themselves in these types of programs. The parents are out here sending kids into these program assuming "Black" children are less than. Please stop!

I did not see insinuation in this thread, but I think anyone who thinks this way is not a current magnet parent but someone whose child did not get in and they are trying to make up reasons why.

In my child's year it was well-known that the top scorer on standardized testing the year they applied from TPMS to Blair scored extremely high. This child happened to be Black as were some of the other top scorers. No thought about their race then, and I don't see them caring about it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very disturbing/disheartening for some of the parents to insinuate that "Black" kids are in these programs to fill spots. FYI, try asking your kids how these so-called "Black" children are performing. I have a Black child who is high performing and I must say performs better than some of your children. Let us give all children a benefit of doubt. I am a strong believer in all kids being able and capable given the proper support and environment. No wonder "Black" students feel the need to constantly validate themselves in these types of programs. The parents are out here sending kids into these program assuming "Black" children are less than. Please stop!

I did not see insinuation in this thread, but I think anyone who thinks this way is not a current magnet parent but someone whose child did not get in and they are trying to make up reasons why.

In my child's year it was well-known that the top scorer on standardized testing the year they applied from TPMS to Blair scored extremely high. This child happened to be Black as were some of the other top scorers. No thought about their race then, and I don't see them caring about it now.

+1 my own kid was told by a classmate who didn’t get in that he must have got in because of his race. It’s just bitterness from parents and kids who didn’t make it.

[Anonymous]

I am one of the posters that defended the TPMS parent with the inbound kid accepted to the magnet program. While I don't think (or rather hope) the "bitterness" from the negative posts are directed at the parent, the real travesty is the sheer incompetence of MCPS. For the amount of money that MCPS has, the fact that enriched curriculum is offered to only a select few makes absolutely no sense.

There is a definite 2 tier system of middle schools - schools that nurture students that need that enrichment and those that completely ignore them. I can totally understand why parents that end up in schools where their high performing kids get ignored are upset when factors like a lottery is the only way to get into the "other" tier school.

MCPS needs to step up its game badly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very disturbing/disheartening for some of the parents to insinuate that "Black" kids are in these programs to fill spots. FYI, try asking your kids how these so-called "Black" children are performing. I have a Black child who is high performing and I must say performs better than some of your children. Let us give all children a benefit of doubt. I am a strong believer in all kids being able and capable given the proper support and environment. No wonder "Black" students feel the need to constantly validate themselves in these types of programs. The parents are out here sending kids into these program assuming "Black" children are less than. Please stop!

I did not see insinuation in this thread, but I think anyone who thinks this way is not a current magnet parent but someone whose child did not get in and they are trying to make up reasons why.

In my child's year it was well-known that the top scorer on standardized testing the year they applied from TPMS to Blair scored extremely high. This child happened to be Black as were some of the other top scorers. No thought about their race then, and I don't see them caring about it now.

+1 my own kid was told by a classmate who didn’t get in that he must have got in because of his race. It’s just bitterness from parents and kids who didn’t make it.

Hopefully by the time that bitter classmate grows up they will have gained some perspective and stopped being angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am one of the posters that defended the TPMS parent with the inbound kid accepted to the magnet program. While I don't think (or rather hope) the "bitterness" from the negative posts are directed at the parent, the real travesty is the sheer incompetence of MCPS. For the amount of money that MCPS has, the fact that enriched curriculum is offered to only a select few makes absolutely no sense.

There is a definite 2 tier system of middle schools - schools that nurture students that need that enrichment and those that completely ignore them. I can totally understand why parents that end up in schools where their high performing kids get ignored are upset when factors like a lottery is the only way to get into the "other" tier school.

MCPS needs to step up its game badly!

This is spot and should be pinned to the MCPS forum. Also, I will add that MCPS is not transparent about how kids are admitted to the magnets causes a lot of unnecessary consternation. They should make it public-- list the students who were admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am one of the posters that defended the TPMS parent with the inbound kid accepted to the magnet program. While I don't think (or rather hope) the "bitterness" from the negative posts are directed at the parent, the real travesty is the sheer incompetence of MCPS. For the amount of money that MCPS has, the fact that enriched curriculum is offered to only a select few makes absolutely no sense.

There is a definite 2 tier system of middle schools - schools that nurture students that need that enrichment and those that completely ignore them. I can totally understand why parents that end up in schools where their high performing kids get ignored are upset when factors like a lottery is the only way to get into the "other" tier school.

MCPS needs to step up its game badly!

The problem comes in part from parents who see a value in something being rare and exclusive. It doesn't cost any more money to add more advanced classes, or to expand a program to different schools (as is being done with the IB), but you still have people who think their child's acceptance is proof of some kind of status they don't want just anyone to have.

[Anonymous]

Bumping this up since decisions are due today. How's it going for those of you weighing options?

My kid went back and forth about Blair SMCS vs home school, but the open house and the shadow day led them to accept Blair. They are excited about it, but also still a bit wary about commute/logistics and sad about giving up being at the home school with friends. It feels like the right choice, though.

[Anonymous]

We are choosing SMCS too.. we don't have the commute issue, as it is close to us, but had other magnet options so it was still a tough choice.

[Anonymous]

Blair +1

[Anonymous]

SMCS vs RMIB vs home W school; +Blair SMCS

[Anonymous]

another

SMCS vs RMIB vs home W school; +Blair SMCS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this up since decisions are due today. How's it going for those of you weighing options?

My kid went back and forth about Blair SMCS vs home school, but the open house and the shadow day led them to accept Blair. They are excited about it, but also still a bit wary about commute/logistics and sad about giving up being at the home school with friends. It feels like the right choice, though.

Was there a shadow day for Blair this year? I didn’t know that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this up since decisions are due today. How's it going for those of you weighing options?

My kid went back and forth about Blair SMCS vs home school, but the open house and the shadow day led them to accept Blair. They are excited about it, but also still a bit wary about commute/logistics and sad about giving up being at the home school with friends. It feels like the right choice, though.

Was there a shadow day for Blair this year? I didn’t know that.

There were shadow opportunities for various time blocks over the last week, not all consolidated in one day. They announced it at the open house and you had to email the coordinator to set it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very disturbing/disheartening for some of the parents to insinuate that "Black" kids are in these programs to fill spots. FYI, try asking your kids how these so-called "Black" children are performing. I have a Black child who is high performing and I must say performs better than some of your children. Let us give all children a benefit of doubt. I am a strong believer in all kids being able and capable given the proper support and environment. No wonder "Black" students feel the need to constantly validate themselves in these types of programs. The parents are out here sending kids into these program assuming "Black" children are less than. Please stop!

I did not see insinuation in this thread, but I think anyone who thinks this way is not a current magnet parent but someone whose child did not get in and they are trying to make up reasons why.

In my child's year it was well-known that the top scorer on standardized testing the year they applied from TPMS to Blair scored extremely high. This child happened to be Black as were some of the other top scorers. No thought about their race then, and I don't see them caring about it now.

Selection is a race-blind process. I saw a distribution of who applied a year or two ago. It was something like 50% Asian and 20% white; AA and Hispanic applicants were more like 5%.

The selection seemed to mirror interest levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am one of the posters that defended the TPMS parent with the inbound kid accepted to the magnet program. While I don't think (or rather hope) the "bitterness" from the negative posts are directed at the parent, the real travesty is the sheer incompetence of MCPS. For the amount of money that MCPS has, the fact that enriched curriculum is offered to only a select few makes absolutely no sense.

There is a definite 2 tier system of middle schools - schools that nurture students that need that enrichment and those that completely ignore them. I can totally understand why parents that end up in schools where their high performing kids get ignored are upset when factors like a lottery is the only way to get into the "other" tier school.

MCPS needs to step up its game badly!

The problem comes in part from parents who see a value in something being rare and exclusive. It doesn't cost any more money to add more advanced classes, or to expand a program to different schools (as is being done with the IB), but you still have people who think their child's acceptance is proof of some kind of status they don't want just anyone to have.

RMIB vs W school- chose home school