Do the recommendations re: BCC boundary study come out today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the situation: higher FARMS means more attention needed for academic issues, ESOL, below grade level in math, less advanced classes, so yes it does make a difference for the quality of the schools. The goal should be that both MS for b-cc cluster produce kids ready for the rigor of B-CC. Option 1 gives the best chance of this IMHO.

And if BCC was its own, stand-alone district, this would make sense. But it isn't - it's a county-wide district, and MCPS is making decisions based on all the clusters and kids in the county. Hence the need to keep space at Westland for the inevitable influx of kids from the Westbard development that will be redistricted to go to Westland and BCC.

I don't think it's fair to assume that it is "inevitable" that new Westbard development gets redistricted to BCC. The BCC cluster does not have room for more students with THREE development projects in the pipeline as it is: Bethesda, Chevy Chase Lake and Lyttonsville.

Why do you think they are leaving room at Westland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the situation: higher FARMS means more attention needed for academic issues, ESOL, below grade level in math, less advanced classes, so yes it does make a difference for the quality of the schools. The goal should be that both MS for b-cc cluster produce kids ready for the rigor of B-CC. Option 1 gives the best chance of this IMHO.

And if BCC was its own, stand-alone district, this would make sense. But it isn't - it's a county-wide district, and MCPS is making decisions based on all the clusters and kids in the county. Hence the need to keep space at Westland for the inevitable influx of kids from the Westbard development that will be redistricted to go to Westland and BCC.

I don't think it's fair to assume that it is "inevitable" that new Westbard development gets redistricted to BCC. The BCC cluster does not have room for more students with THREE development projects in the pipeline as it is: Bethesda, Chevy Chase Lake and Lyttonsville.

Why do you think they are leaving room at Westland.

The problem is not Wesland, the problem is BCC. After the current addition that is going on now, BCC has zero more room to expand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is unfair. We live in Kensington, but are zoned for Newport Mills. However, children living in Silver Spring will be able to attend B-CC middle school.

Yes, but aren't some of the Silver Spring kids practically as close? It's all one school district and one county, so no one should have "dibs" on a certain school just because their town shares a name with another town.

/no dog in this fight

No, we can safely walk to the new school but cannot safely walk to Newport Mills without crossing Conn. Ave. We also don't have a lot of sidewalks to walk to Newport Mills, vs. we do to walk to the new school. No one in Kensington is going to the new school that is built in our community. We will have to deal with all the traffic and noise for something that has no benefit to our kids.

are you kidding? Many kids have no community school to walk to and this was done specifically to deal with overcrowding at Westland and at CCES and NCC where 6th graders are still in ES. But no, let's hear about what you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the "triad" wants everything their way and is trying to pull in the Western half of the cluster when they really don't care. Yes, Somerset, Westbrook and Bethesda all supported Option #1 for the same reason that RCF supported Option #6, i.e. they want to stay at the closest school first and foremost. Now that Option #7 has been pushed forward, Somerset Westbrook and Bethesda are basically shrugging their shoulders because it doesn't look that much different to them than Option #1. However, CCES and NCC are now upset that they have to go to school with poor kids.

You are so ignorant.

I've now spent 6 years of my life driving past my local primary CC school to go support my children and others in Silver Spring. For you to downgrade and to call these children poor kids is just classless and distasteful. CCES and NCC have been split to integrate ALL of our children affluent or not into one community. It's not about CCES not wanting to be integrated, we are and we also have more sensitivity when it comes to describing the economic status of children.

For your information, I was one of those poor kids without a father growing up. My mom used to tell me "we may not have much money, but you always have your pride and dignity". You just took that away from those children.

There are many CCES families that are not upset with the option chosen BECAUSE our number 1 priority is keeping our kids together-- this means the CC kids with the Silver Spring kids; this whole discussion is spinning to make it sound like all CC families are against this. not true. What most CC families did not want is for split articulation once again. Our kids are split from Rosemary Hills to NCC and CCES in 3rd grade-- we don't want the kids to have to split again. Some of the options would have clearly used the lower income kids as pawns to create what all of you are talking about as equity--equal FARMS rates--and that would have meant some kids get split up from their peers multiple times. Many of us support the option put forth and think it works. We want a diverse school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all so crazy. Both schools are going to be great and successful and majority wealthy (and white). The vast majority of the county would love to go to either one. It's stunning that people think they're somehow burdened by having something like 15% poor kids. Grow up and see how fortunate you all are.

Exactly.

Amen (from a CC parent)

[Anonymous]

I don't agree with some people here that want to end the articulation that exists between NCC and RHES. I also don't necessarily have a problem with the demographic result from Option 7. My concern is that the superintendent says the east school would be at maximum capacity in five years, and Westland will be at a little over 80% capacity. Maybe that's because the east school is just smaller. But, from a facility standpoint, that seems unbalanced and unfair.

I don't understand why Option 1 must be dismissed. Under that option, there's breathing room for the smaller school, and Westland can grow. The smaller school will probably get new students from Chevy Chase Lake. If some of the people here are right, Westland is going to have to grow anyway to handle the students from all the new development around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all so crazy. Both schools are going to be great and successful and majority wealthy (and white). The vast majority of the county would love to go to either one. It's stunning that people think they're somehow burdened by having something like 15% poor kids. Grow up and see how fortunate you all are.

Exactly.

Amen (from a CC parent)

Wait until the flight begins. You are taking it for granted these parents won't go private. It is already beginning. I know of several parents, involved PTA members who have been instrumental in RHPS's successful PTA are already touring private schools since the decision came down. Hope RCF is ready to pick up the slack. I know it is going to make some people mad to hear this, especially those who want everyone to see everything their way but parents who have the means will look out for their own children first.

The good news is this is a solid case to break up the RHPS Triad. If equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does, then that should be the rule everywhere and the children of Chevy Chase should not be unfairly burdened when no one else in the county has this arrangement. I am already encouraging parents with babies and small children in my neighborhood to start sowing the seeds and campaign to end RHPS busing and revert to neighborhood schools since this ruling came down. MCPS shouldn't be able to have it both ways at the expense of small children.

RHPS Parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all so crazy. Both schools are going to be great and successful and majority wealthy (and white). The vast majority of the county would love to go to either one. It's stunning that people think they're somehow burdened by having something like 15% poor kids. Grow up and see how fortunate you all are.

Exactly.

Amen (from a CC parent)

Wait until the flight begins. You are taking it for granted these parents won't go private. It is already beginning. I know of several parents, involved PTA members who have been instrumental in RHPS's successful PTA are already touring private schools since the decision came down. Hope RCF is ready to pick up the slack. I know it is going to make some people mad to hear this, especially those who want everyone to see everything their way but parents who have the means will look out for their own children first.

The good news is this is a solid case to break up the RHPS Triad. If equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does, then that should be the rule everywhere and the children of Chevy Chase should not be unfairly burdened when no one else in the county has this arrangement. I am already encouraging parents with babies and small children in my neighborhood to start sowing the seeds and campaign to end RHPS busing and revert to neighborhood schools since this ruling came down. MCPS shouldn't be able to have it both ways at the expense of small children.

RHPS Parent

Cauldrons already boiling huh?

[Anonymous]

Maybe the whole point of the plan is to get some of the wealthy parents who can't stand a school with a 15% fARMS rate to go private and then the school won't be at capacity. Win-win!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all so crazy. Both schools are going to be great and successful and majority wealthy (and white). The vast majority of the county would love to go to either one. It's stunning that people think they're somehow burdened by having something like 15% poor kids. Grow up and see how fortunate you all are.

Exactly.

Amen (from a CC parent)

Wait until the flight begins. You are taking it for granted these parents won't go private. It is already beginning. I know of several parents, involved PTA members who have been instrumental in RHPS's successful PTA are already touring private schools since the decision came down. Hope RCF is ready to pick up the slack. I know it is going to make some people mad to hear this, especially those who want everyone to see everything their way but parents who have the means will look out for their own children first.

The good news is this is a solid case to break up the RHPS Triad. If equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does, then that should be the rule everywhere and the children of Chevy Chase should not be unfairly burdened when no one else in the county has this arrangement. I am already encouraging parents with babies and small children in my neighborhood to start sowing the seeds and campaign to end RHPS busing and revert to neighborhood schools since this ruling came down. MCPS shouldn't be able to have it both ways at the expense of small children.

RHPS Parent

Oh the drama!! If people are leaving for private then great...less crowded! Maybe that was all part of the evil plan.... But I love the hyperbole here, and in many other posts on this thread, like "if equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does..." - people, it is a balancing act! Everyone puts slightly different weight on the various considerations. It doesn't mean other factors don't matter. And honestly the two schools won't be all that different, really, in the scheme of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all so crazy. Both schools are going to be great and successful and majority wealthy (and white). The vast majority of the county would love to go to either one. It's stunning that people think they're somehow burdened by having something like 15% poor kids. Grow up and see how fortunate you all are.

Exactly.

Amen (from a CC parent)

Wait until the flight begins. You are taking it for granted these parents won't go private. It is already beginning. I know of several parents, involved PTA members who have been instrumental in RHPS's successful PTA are already touring private schools since the decision came down. Hope RCF is ready to pick up the slack. I know it is going to make some people mad to hear this, especially those who want everyone to see everything their way but parents who have the means will look out for their own children first.

The good news is this is a solid case to break up the RHPS Triad. If equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does, then that should be the rule everywhere and the children of Chevy Chase should not be unfairly burdened when no one else in the county has this arrangement. I am already encouraging parents with babies and small children in my neighborhood to start sowing the seeds and campaign to end RHPS busing and revert to neighborhood schools since this ruling came down. MCPS shouldn't be able to have it both ways at the expense of small children.

RHPS Parent

Oh the drama!! If people are leaving for private then great...less crowded! Maybe that was all part of the evil plan.... But I love the hyperbole here, and in many other posts on this thread, like "if equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does..." - people, it is a balancing act! Everyone puts slightly different weight on the various considerations. It doesn't mean other factors don't matter. And honestly the two schools won't be all that different, really, in the scheme of things.

Keep telling yourself that! It's not a balancing act when one community is consistently railroaded because their name happens to be "Chevy Chase" even though we have as much, if not more, diversity and Farms than RCF. And do I need to point out the people leaving are the ones that put the time money and effort into the schools to make them better. You can't be that naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all so crazy. Both schools are going to be great and successful and majority wealthy (and white). The vast majority of the county would love to go to either one. It's stunning that people think they're somehow burdened by having something like 15% poor kids. Grow up and see how fortunate you all are.

Exactly.

Amen (from a CC parent)

Wait until the flight begins. You are taking it for granted these parents won't go private. It is already beginning. I know of several parents, involved PTA members who have been instrumental in RHPS's successful PTA are already touring private schools since the decision came down. Hope RCF is ready to pick up the slack. I know it is going to make some people mad to hear this, especially those who want everyone to see everything their way but parents who have the means will look out for their own children first.

The good news is this is a solid case to break up the RHPS Triad. If equity and diversity doesn't matter and proximity does, then that should be the rule everywhere and the children of Chevy Chase should not be unfairly burdened when no one else in the county has this arrangement. I am already encouraging parents with babies and small children in my neighborhood to start sowing the seeds and campaign to end RHPS busing and revert to neighborhood schools since this ruling came down. MCPS shouldn't be able to have it both ways at the expense of small children.

RHPS Parent

I am just surprised there are parents at RHPS that can afford private that haven't already. I always assumed that is what the Chevy chase proper parents did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the situation: higher FARMS means more attention needed for academic issues, ESOL, below grade level in math, less advanced classes, so yes it does make a difference for the quality of the schools. The goal should be that both MS for b-cc cluster produce kids ready for the rigor of B-CC. Option 1 gives the best chance of this IMHO.

And if BCC was its own, stand-alone district, this would make sense. But it isn't - it's a county-wide district, and MCPS is making decisions based on all the clusters and kids in the county. Hence the need to keep space at Westland for the inevitable influx of kids from the Westbard development that will be redistricted to go to Westland and BCC.

I don't think it's fair to assume that it is "inevitable" that new Westbard development gets redistricted to BCC. The BCC cluster does not have room for more students with THREE development projects in the pipeline as it is: Bethesda, Chevy Chase Lake and Lyttonsville.

Why do you think they are leaving room at Westland.

Not PP, but the question was already answered. Westland capacity is needed to accommodate downtown Bethesda sector plan. The projections for BES have always been off because it was wrongly assumed families don't live in apartments. I guarantee that Westland will be over capacity without Westbard in just a couple years. To give you some indication, BES is now over capacity just 12 months after expanding.

Second, BCC itself is undergoing expansion right now that when completed will have exhausted its physical footprint. There will be no more space and it will be expected to be at 100% capacity as soon as it is done. They cannot expand the BCC cluster boundaries if the kids cannot even fit at BCC.

I suspect that we may eventually see a new HS built at Tilden MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the situation: higher FARMS means more attention needed for academic issues, ESOL, below grade level in math, less advanced classes, so yes it does make a difference for the quality of the schools. The goal should be that both MS for b-cc cluster produce kids ready for the rigor of B-CC. Option 1 gives the best chance of this IMHO.

And if BCC was its own, stand-alone district, this would make sense. But it isn't - it's a county-wide district, and MCPS is making decisions based on all the clusters and kids in the county. Hence the need to keep space at Westland for the inevitable influx of kids from the Westbard development that will be redistricted to go to Westland and BCC.

I don't think it's fair to assume that it is "inevitable" that new Westbard development gets redistricted to BCC. The BCC cluster does not have room for more students with THREE development projects in the pipeline as it is: Bethesda, Chevy Chase Lake and Lyttonsville.

Why do you think they are leaving room at Westland.

Not PP, but the question was already answered. Westland capacity is needed to accommodate downtown Bethesda sector plan. The projections for BES have always been off because it was wrongly assumed families don't live in apartments. I guarantee that Westland will be over capacity without Westbard in just a couple years. To give you some indication, BES is now over capacity just 12 months after expanding.

Second, BCC itself is undergoing expansion right now that when completed will have exhausted its physical footprint. There will be no more space and it will be expected to be at 100% capacity as soon as it is done. They cannot expand the BCC cluster boundaries if the kids cannot even fit at BCC.

I suspect that we may eventually see a new HS built at Tilden MS.

Comments are still being accepted on the Bethesda Plan. For those of you concerned that school infrastructure should be expanded to match the increase in residential development so our schools do not become even more overcrowded please email [e-mail] before November 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is the best way to express concern about the superintendent's decision?

Can someone address this question? thanks

Send an email to the individual Board Members, or [e-mail]. Conveniently for the Board, their vote on this issue is after the November 8th election so don't have to hear backlash at the polls in two weeks.