Sign Petition Asking for Boundaries Now, Programs Later

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

The time complaints ring hollow when many of the DCC kids already choose 45+ minute bus rides.

What you are saying is: "A small number of DCC kids currently in high school have chosen long commutes to access the same courses Whitman and BCC kids have at their home schools, so it's okay to make future DCC kids travel further". What kind of a POS are you?

Whitman and BCC kids will not be traveling, just the DCC kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

The time complaints ring hollow when many of the DCC kids already choose 45+ minute bus rides.

What you are saying is: "A small number of DCC kids currently in high school have chosen long commutes to access the same courses Whitman and BCC kids have at their home schools, so it's okay to make future DCC kids travel further". What kind of a POS are you?

Whitman and BCC kids will not be traveling, just the DCC kids.

+1 very true and appalling they are planning this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

I see. Yes, Einstein and Wheaton are very close, so I can see the frustration in those schools not being in the same region and the loss of access from that. On the other hand, BCC becomes an option, and there might be more spots available at Blair since it's only open to 5 schools. And COSA will always be an option, that's not dependent on the DCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone just make a countywide petition already calling to push back the program analysis a year and gather more community feedback on it, so we can stop arguing about why a petition written to maximize the number of DCC signers doesn't talk much about and resonate with people elsewhere in the county?

Nobody is stopping you from doing this except you.

I do not have the time to invest in making and promoting a countywide petition when I and everyone I know is in the DCC area and this current petition works fine for us so a new one would feel redundant to most people in my personal networks. (I also don't have a detailed enough understanding of the specific ways schools in other parts of the county will be harmed by rushing the current plans through, just the more general reasons that affect all of us-- although maybe it's fine for the countywide petition to just be very simple and general regarding the need to slow down and get community input before finalizing anything, maybe copying some of the language from the MCCPTA resolution?)

I can see that a countywide one is needed, and will help spread the word if one is created, but I'm not the one to write it and advance it. (But all these people who keep saying "I support pausing the program analysis but don't want to sign this petition because it's too DCC-focused" seem like the perfect people to do it?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

I see. Yes, Einstein and Wheaton are very close, so I can see the frustration in those schools not being in the same region and the loss of access from that. On the other hand, BCC becomes an option, and there might be more spots available at Blair since it's only open to 5 schools. And COSA will always be an option, that's not dependent on the DCC.

I would choose Wheaton over BCC given the choice. I don't get the assumption that Einstein and Northwood families want BCC? It's very difficult to COSA and it may not be allowed in a different region.

There are also very few regional spots for kdis so what's going to happen to the kids left behind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

The time complaints ring hollow when many of the DCC kids already choose 45+ minute bus rides.

The regional model only provides bus service from the home schools - that means your child has to get there by either walking or you (and we are talking about kids getting there at 6-6:30 AM across dangerous roads). The DCC has centralized bus stops to pick up kids, especially at local elementary schools, which is a safer walk. Some of these communities don't have sidewalks and other safety measures in place.

There is a big difference from a 45-minute bus ride that has multiple stops to a 15-minute car ride.

You also need to factor in kids staying late or go in early for sports, activities, and extra assistance from teachers, and it requires parent transportation to those schools and that's not realistic for most families.

Many of the DCC families are lower income so when kids are driving age, they cannot afford to buy the kids a car, insurance, gas, maintenance and many schools don't have parking.

It's also a big cultural difference between Whitman and the other W schools and the DCC schools.

It's great if you can make all that driving work, on top of outside activities and sports but many cannot.

The other issue is friendships. Given the distance, it's very hard for kids to maintain friendships out of school and would you allow your child to visit a friend in their community that you would never live in and spend hours on here bashing? Of course not.

DCC schools are nice as there isn't the same culture in terms of material things, how kids dress, expensive sneakers and everyone outdoing each other.

You are just making stuff up now. The walk zone roads to high school are dangerous but the roads to walk to elementary schools are safe? What?

The kids would also need their own transportation to any school if they stayed late for sports, etc. Yes it will probably be closer to home and less inconvenient, but if they have sports practice at their home school, they need a way home and people somehow figure this out at all schools.

And this whole materialistic thing is made up with the fancy sneakers, etc. They all dress like slobs in sweats and look the exact same in schools all across the county. No one is showing up with a Gucci bag in 2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone just make a countywide petition already calling to push back the program analysis a year and gather more community feedback on it, so we can stop arguing about why a petition written to maximize the number of DCC signers doesn't talk much about and resonate with people elsewhere in the county?

Nobody is stopping you from doing this except you.

I do not have the time to invest in making and promoting a countywide petition when I and everyone I know is in the DCC area and this current petition works fine for us so a new one would feel redundant to most people in my personal networks. (I also don't have a detailed enough understanding of the specific ways schools in other parts of the county will be harmed by rushing the current plans through, just the more general reasons that affect all of us-- although maybe it's fine for the countywide petition to just be very simple and general regarding the need to slow down and get community input before finalizing anything, maybe copying some of the language from the MCCPTA resolution?)

I can see that a countywide one is needed, and will help spread the word if one is created, but I'm not the one to write it and advance it. (But all these people who keep saying "I support pausing the program analysis but don't want to sign this petition because it's too DCC-focused" seem like the perfect people to do it?)

You have time to post here, so if the petition is important to you, you'll advertise it and get support. I didn't sign it nor did anyone I know, as the wording made no sense, and it didn't represent everyone, just a select few. Separating the boundary study and programs, yes, but some of the other stuff, no.

I don't think the program analysis needs to be paused, and changes do need to be made, but the regional model fails many and creates more obstacles than it helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

I see. Yes, Einstein and Wheaton are very close, so I can see the frustration in those schools not being in the same region and the loss of access from that. On the other hand, BCC becomes an option, and there might be more spots available at Blair since it's only open to 5 schools. And COSA will always be an option, that's not dependent on the DCC.

But with this new plan you can't even get into BCC unless you want the IB program, apply for and get accepted into one of a fairly small number of spots in the IB program (which BCC kids get extra preference for), and decide you're going to stick with the IB program all 4 years. (Also presumably means you have to do IB rather than AP math and science, which not everyone wants.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

The time complaints ring hollow when many of the DCC kids already choose 45+ minute bus rides.

The regional model only provides bus service from the home schools - that means your child has to get there by either walking or you (and we are talking about kids getting there at 6-6:30 AM across dangerous roads). The DCC has centralized bus stops to pick up kids, especially at local elementary schools, which is a safer walk. Some of these communities don't have sidewalks and other safety measures in place.

There is a big difference from a 45-minute bus ride that has multiple stops to a 15-minute car ride.

You also need to factor in kids staying late or go in early for sports, activities, and extra assistance from teachers, and it requires parent transportation to those schools and that's not realistic for most families.

Many of the DCC families are lower income so when kids are driving age, they cannot afford to buy the kids a car, insurance, gas, maintenance and many schools don't have parking.

It's also a big cultural difference between Whitman and the other W schools and the DCC schools.

It's great if you can make all that driving work, on top of outside activities and sports but many cannot.

The other issue is friendships. Given the distance, it's very hard for kids to maintain friendships out of school and would you allow your child to visit a friend in their community that you would never live in and spend hours on here bashing? Of course not.

DCC schools are nice as there isn't the same culture in terms of material things, how kids dress, expensive sneakers and everyone outdoing each other.

You are just making stuff up now. The walk zone roads to high school are dangerous but the roads to walk to elementary schools are safe? What?

The kids would also need their own transportation to any school if they stayed late for sports, etc. Yes it will probably be closer to home and less inconvenient, but if they have sports practice at their home school, they need a way home and people somehow figure this out at all schools.

And this whole materialistic thing is made up with the fancy sneakers, etc. They all dress like slobs in sweats and look the exact same in schools all across the county. No one is showing up with a Gucci bag in 2025.

There is a big difference in the dress, regardless if they are slobs, between the schools.

The transportation is a huge issue if you are trying to get from Silver Spring to Whitman during rush hour vs. a DCC school.

The walk zone roads are very dangerous for some. There have been multiple accidents with kids and adults, some resulting in death. There are no crossing guards for the University, Randolph, Conn. Ave, Georgia, Colesville, for the high school students. Some of the communities don't have sidewalks, so yes, even walking to the elementary school isn't safe, but at least it's not crossing major roads. MCPS should provide bus transportation like they do for the DCC.

It also makes it hard when kids have outside activities as well. There is only so much time in the day.

So, what might be 15-30 minutes round trip can easily be an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

I see. Yes, Einstein and Wheaton are very close, so I can see the frustration in those schools not being in the same region and the loss of access from that. On the other hand, BCC becomes an option, and there might be more spots available at Blair since it's only open to 5 schools. And COSA will always be an option, that's not dependent on the DCC.

But with this new plan you can't even get into BCC unless you want the IB program, apply for and get accepted into one of a fairly small number of spots in the IB program (which BCC kids get extra preference for), and decide you're going to stick with the IB program all 4 years. (Also presumably means you have to do IB rather than AP math and science, which not everyone wants.)

Yeah, I agree that's a limitation. BCC not only will have IB, but they also have more APs than 3 of the Region 1 schools, but you can't go to BCC for "more APs."

Actually, has anyone asks what happens if someone drops out of a program after 9th or 10th grade - do they have to transfer back to their home school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

I see. Yes, Einstein and Wheaton are very close, so I can see the frustration in those schools not being in the same region and the loss of access from that. On the other hand, BCC becomes an option, and there might be more spots available at Blair since it's only open to 5 schools. And COSA will always be an option, that's not dependent on the DCC.

But with this new plan you can't even get into BCC unless you want the IB program, apply for and get accepted into one of a fairly small number of spots in the IB program (which BCC kids get extra preference for), and decide you're going to stick with the IB program all 4 years. (Also presumably means you have to do IB rather than AP math and science, which not everyone wants.)

Once you are in, they probably wouldn't kick you out if you did AP vs. IB, but that's a good point. Schools already have IB so there is no point switching schools for IB that already have it. So, the only stem option would be Whitman, which would be a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone just make a countywide petition already calling to push back the program analysis a year and gather more community feedback on it, so we can stop arguing about why a petition written to maximize the number of DCC signers doesn't talk much about and resonate with people elsewhere in the county?

Nobody is stopping you from doing this except you.

I do not have the time to invest in making and promoting a countywide petition when I and everyone I know is in the DCC area and this current petition works fine for us so a new one would feel redundant to most people in my personal networks. (I also don't have a detailed enough understanding of the specific ways schools in other parts of the county will be harmed by rushing the current plans through, just the more general reasons that affect all of us-- although maybe it's fine for the countywide petition to just be very simple and general regarding the need to slow down and get community input before finalizing anything, maybe copying some of the language from the MCCPTA resolution?)

I can see that a countywide one is needed, and will help spread the word if one is created, but I'm not the one to write it and advance it. (But all these people who keep saying "I support pausing the program analysis but don't want to sign this petition because it's too DCC-focused" seem like the perfect people to do it?)

You have time to post here, so if the petition is important to you, you'll advertise it and get support. I didn't sign it nor did anyone I know, as the wording made no sense, and it didn't represent everyone, just a select few. Separating the boundary study and programs, yes, but some of the other stuff, no.

I don't think the program analysis needs to be paused, and changes do need to be made, but the regional model fails many and creates more obstacles than it helps.

So you think they should go ahead with the regional program changes rather than pause them, even though you think it creates more obstacles than it helps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how the DCC makes it a lot easier to access high-level STEM classes than the proposed new model. As far as I can tell, the 2 schools in the DCC that have a lot of STEM classes are Blair and Wheaton- is that right? Now these 2 schools will be in different regions, but there will be other schools in those regions with strong STEM offerings.

Also the DCC doesn't mean you can choose whichever school you want; you have to be selected from the lottery.

Location and with the new model less kids will have the opportunity to go. Bussing kids to Whitman is a nightmare. You have to get them back and forth to their home school and for when they go late or early you are fully responsible for transportation regardless of your job, other kids, and going cross county in traffic. Wheaton and Whitman are much closer. Plus, the culture is very different. We could afford to live in a w school area and choose not to.

And, if you don’t get into the magnets you can try to lottery or cosa in and still take stem. Wheaton and Blair are 10-15 one way, Whitman could easily be 30 minutes driving directly. More either way traffic.

I see. Yes, Einstein and Wheaton are very close, so I can see the frustration in those schools not being in the same region and the loss of access from that. On the other hand, BCC becomes an option, and there might be more spots available at Blair since it's only open to 5 schools. And COSA will always be an option, that's not dependent on the DCC.

But with this new plan you can't even get into BCC unless you want the IB program, apply for and get accepted into one of a fairly small number of spots in the IB program (which BCC kids get extra preference for), and decide you're going to stick with the IB program all 4 years. (Also presumably means you have to do IB rather than AP math and science, which not everyone wants.)

Yeah, I agree that's a limitation. BCC not only will have IB, but they also have more APs than 3 of the Region 1 schools, but you can't go to BCC for "more APs."

Actually, has anyone asks what happens if someone drops out of a program after 9th or 10th grade - do they have to transfer back to their home school?

Right now, if you are at Blair SMCS, RMIB, etc and you leave the program, you have to return to your home school. They have not stated the details for this new set of programs. It would be important to know.

[Anonymous]

Idk it sounds like Blair, Northwood, and Einstein just want more APs at their home schools. Like that’s it. Forget all this busing around and lotterying and programs. More APs than the baseline from what is presently proposed. This does run into the question of demand, and I would agree that if there isn’t demand you shouldn’t offer the course. Idk maybe just stick all the money into dedicated bus service for MC for when the classes don’t have enough demand.

[Anonymous]

Kennedy appears to be another set of unspeakable issues such that a magnet or more APs would not lead to more kids staying at the school.