Cliff Notes summary of MCPS boundary study fight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Who is putting crappy curriculum and bad teachers/staff in some schools and quality in others?

Nobody, and that's the real crux of the issue. Poorer performing schools generally get more funding. The only real difference in the schools are the kids that attend them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Who is putting crappy curriculum and bad teachers/staff in some schools and quality in others?

Nobody, and that's the real crux of the issue. Poorer performing schools generally get more funding. The only real difference in the schools are the kids that attend them.

Really? I've often read here about the good schools and bad schools. I'm pretty sure a lot of parents here think there's a difference except when it comes to addressing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Who is putting crappy curriculum and bad teachers/staff in some schools and quality in others?

Nobody, and that's the real crux of the issue. Poorer performing schools generally get more funding. The only real difference in the schools are the kids that attend them.

Really? I've often read here about the good schools and bad schools. I'm pretty sure a lot of parents here think there's a difference except when it comes to addressing it.

Both of you are right. The problem is some schools have high concentrations of poverty which impacts their rating but this can be addressed by distributing those students more evenly then everyone gets to attend a good school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Who is putting crappy curriculum and bad teachers/staff in some schools and quality in others?

Nobody, and that's the real crux of the issue. Poorer performing schools generally get more funding. The only real difference in the schools are the kids that attend them.

Really? I've often read here about the good schools and bad schools. I'm pretty sure a lot of parents here think there's a difference except when it comes to addressing it.

Both of you are right. The problem is some schools have high concentrations of poverty which impacts their rating but this can be addressed by distributing those students more evenly then everyone gets to attend a good school.

You can't just distribute poor students "more evenly" without redistributing students from wealthier households = longer commutes for more students and higher transportation costs for MCPS. It's also highly debated whether such busing results in a net improvement in educational outcomes, or just hides problems.

MCPS doesn't have a lot of options. Only about 1/3 of its high schools are generally considered "good" now. Spread enough kids around and you get mediocrity across-the-board and more parents opting for privates or other jurisdictions. Some people here will say "don't let the door hit you on the way out," but they don't really mean it.

[Anonymous]

The MoCoShow put out a boundary analysis episode of their podcast. You can add them to you podcast app if you want to listen to other episodes about what’s happening in the county or listen to the specific episode here. https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/production/2019-11-23/40379263-44100-2-21f1a1adced36.mp3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

I have no problem with the boundary study. However, I have watched the BOE meetings and there is a warped tendency to retaliate against W schools...I even heard one board member say something to the effect that she would like to see those W school students NEED to get more exposure to brown kids. That's paraphrasing, but it's pretty blatant where their heads are. I think mostly they are frustrated because they can't really touch the W schools like Churchill and Whitman.

Wow. Exposure to brown kids is a form of retaliation from your perspective? That just says it all.

Signed,
A Whitman alum who wishes there had been more brown kids like her

I just don't see how they can pull off exposing the Churchill kids to any diversity. They are tucked in to an area that is not adjacent to any diversity...they would truly have to bus across the county to accomplish that. I think that is why the PP considers it to be retaliation. And I do think the BOE has it out for the W schools...they use the term with such disdain in those meetings.

It's easy to imagine how Churchill could pick up some diversity simply by adjusting the edges of its boundaries. It shares borders with both RMHS and Northwest HS. However, I suspect the most change will be around Woodward and the schools like Kennedy, Wheaton, Einstein and WJ that share boundaries. This will have an impact on other nearby schools like Churchill too.

Take a closer look. Churchill's only boundaries are with Wootton, RM, WJ, and Whitman. I would say there is not much room for diversity there. In order to increase diversity, they would need to "bus across the county. Northwest HS is 13 miles away from Churchill.

That's actually not true. Churchill borders Northwest on its SW edge and BCC on its SE. Further, Wootton's boundary is kind of oddly shaped and far from optimal.

Wrong and wrong. Churchill only borders Whitman, WJ, Wootton, and RM. Look at the map.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Are you for real??? No one is entitled to anything, you get what you pay for. Sad but true.

No, the public school system is not set up as a fee-for-service system. And especially not on a housing-fee-for-school-service system.

Very true but I think many of the posters here fail to grasp this.

My issue is that I bought my house by making an agreement with a bank. I got a loan for a house in a W cluster. I agreed to leverage my time and treasure to buy a house zoned for a school that was good for my child. I do not approve of the Montgomery county Board of Education deciding that my bank should charge me the same for a now cheaper house. All so the BoE can say they “ we got revenge on the W schools for being too homogeneous.” The bank doesn’t care and will still charge me the same every month.

And there it is, ladies and gents. Property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Are you for real??? No one is entitled to anything, you get what you pay for. Sad but true.

No, the public school system is not set up as a fee-for-service system. And especially not on a housing-fee-for-school-service system.

Very true but I think many of the posters here fail to grasp this.

My issue is that I bought my house by making an agreement with a bank. I got a loan for a house in a W cluster. I agreed to leverage my time and treasure to buy a house zoned for a school that was good for my child. I do not approve of the Montgomery county Board of Education deciding that my bank should charge me the same for a now cheaper house. All so the BoE can say they “ we got revenge on the W schools for being too homogeneous.” The bank doesn’t care and will still charge me the same every month.

And there it is, ladies and gents. Property values.

And as someone else said, this is really not the BOE's problem, nor should it be

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

I have no problem with the boundary study. However, I have watched the BOE meetings and there is a warped tendency to retaliate against W schools...I even heard one board member say something to the effect that she would like to see those W school students NEED to get more exposure to brown kids. That's paraphrasing, but it's pretty blatant where their heads are. I think mostly they are frustrated because they can't really touch the W schools like Churchill and Whitman.

Wow. Exposure to brown kids is a form of retaliation from your perspective? That just says it all.

Signed,
A Whitman alum who wishes there had been more brown kids like her

I just don't see how they can pull off exposing the Churchill kids to any diversity. They are tucked in to an area that is not adjacent to any diversity...they would truly have to bus across the county to accomplish that. I think that is why the PP considers it to be retaliation. And I do think the BOE has it out for the W schools...they use the term with such disdain in those meetings.

It's easy to imagine how Churchill could pick up some diversity simply by adjusting the edges of its boundaries. It shares borders with both RMHS and Northwest HS. However, I suspect the most change will be around Woodward and the schools like Kennedy, Wheaton, Einstein and WJ that share boundaries. This will have an impact on other nearby schools like Churchill too.

Take a closer look. Churchill's only boundaries are with Wootton, RM, WJ, and Whitman. I would say there is not much room for diversity there. In order to increase diversity, they would need to "bus across the county. Northwest HS is 13 miles away from Churchill.

That's actually not true. Churchill borders Northwest on its SW edge and BCC on its SE. Further, Wootton's boundary is kind of oddly shaped and far from optimal.

Wrong and wrong. Churchill only borders Whitman, WJ, Wootton, and RM. Look at the map.

I am looking at a map that shows it borders Northwest in its SW corner and BCC on its SE and seems like it would be super easy to diversify Churchill.

https://www.zipdatamaps.com/schools/maryland/county/map-of-montgomery-county-md-high-school-attendance-zones

[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:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

I have no problem with the boundary study. However, I have watched the BOE meetings and there is a warped tendency to retaliate against W schools...I even heard one board member say something to the effect that she would like to see those W school students NEED to get more exposure to brown kids. That's paraphrasing, but it's pretty blatant where their heads are. I think mostly they are frustrated because they can't really touch the W schools like Churchill and Whitman.

Wow. Exposure to brown kids is a form of retaliation from your perspective? That just says it all.

Signed,
A Whitman alum who wishes there had been more brown kids like her

I just don't see how they can pull off exposing the Churchill kids to any diversity. They are tucked in to an area that is not adjacent to any diversity...they would truly have to bus across the county to accomplish that. I think that is why the PP considers it to be retaliation. And I do think the BOE has it out for the W schools...they use the term with such disdain in those meetings.

It's easy to imagine how Churchill could pick up some diversity simply by adjusting the edges of its boundaries. It shares borders with both RMHS and Northwest HS. However, I suspect the most change will be around Woodward and the schools like Kennedy, Wheaton, Einstein and WJ that share boundaries. This will have an impact on other nearby schools like Churchill too.

Take a closer look. Churchill's only boundaries are with Wootton, RM, WJ, and Whitman. I would say there is not much room for diversity there. In order to increase diversity, they would need to "bus across the county. Northwest HS is 13 miles away from Churchill.

That's actually not true. Churchill borders Northwest on its SW edge and BCC on its SE. Further, Wootton's boundary is kind of oddly shaped and far from optimal.

Wrong and wrong. Churchill only borders Whitman, WJ, Wootton, and RM. Look at the map.

I am looking at a map that shows it borders Northwest in its SW corner and BCC on its SE and seems like it would be super easy to diversify Churchill.

https://www.zipdatamaps.com/schools/maryland/county/map-of-montgomery-county-md-high-school-attendance-zones

It does border Northwest in the corner and given the weird shape of Wotton it's close enough that I can see that boundary being in play. On the SW though that's Whitman not BCC, but totally understand how a person might confuse them since they're pretty interchangeable.

[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:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

I have no problem with the boundary study. However, I have watched the BOE meetings and there is a warped tendency to retaliate against W schools...I even heard one board member say something to the effect that she would like to see those W school students NEED to get more exposure to brown kids. That's paraphrasing, but it's pretty blatant where their heads are. I think mostly they are frustrated because they can't really touch the W schools like Churchill and Whitman.

Wow. Exposure to brown kids is a form of retaliation from your perspective? That just says it all.

Signed,
A Whitman alum who wishes there had been more brown kids like her

I just don't see how they can pull off exposing the Churchill kids to any diversity. They are tucked in to an area that is not adjacent to any diversity...they would truly have to bus across the county to accomplish that. I think that is why the PP considers it to be retaliation. And I do think the BOE has it out for the W schools...they use the term with such disdain in those meetings.

It's easy to imagine how Churchill could pick up some diversity simply by adjusting the edges of its boundaries. It shares borders with both RMHS and Northwest HS. However, I suspect the most change will be around Woodward and the schools like Kennedy, Wheaton, Einstein and WJ that share boundaries. This will have an impact on other nearby schools like Churchill too.

Take a closer look. Churchill's only boundaries are with Wootton, RM, WJ, and Whitman. I would say there is not much room for diversity there. In order to increase diversity, they would need to "bus across the county. Northwest HS is 13 miles away from Churchill.

That's actually not true. Churchill borders Northwest on its SW edge and BCC on its SE. Further, Wootton's boundary is kind of oddly shaped and far from optimal.

Wrong and wrong. Churchill only borders Whitman, WJ, Wootton, and RM. Look at the map.

I am looking at a map that shows it borders Northwest in its SW corner and BCC on its SE and seems like it would be super easy to diversify Churchill.

https://www.zipdatamaps.com/schools/maryland/county/map-of-montgomery-county-md-high-school-attendance-zones

It does border Northwest in the corner and given the weird shape of Wotton it's close enough that I can see that boundary being in play. On the SW though that's Whitman not BCC, but totally understand how a person might confuse them since they're pretty interchangeable.

This map was taken from the MCPS website...so I would guess it is the most accurate. Note there is no border between Churchill and Northwest. Case closed.

[Anonymous]

Here's the thing. Everyone is screaming at each other when all our anger should be directed at the BOE, who, through years of truly terrible decision making, have created the perception/reality that education in Montgomery County is a zero sum game.

Every single child in this County is entitled to a first-rate education. The improvement of the educational experience for some should not cost the decrease of the experience for others, but that's where we are thanks to the BOE's race to the bottom.

The reality is that even the W schools are declining. A huge number of families pay thousands of dollars a year to supplement the mediocre education the kids are getting. Curriculum 2.0 was a disaster. The BOE has done away with final exams, so that kids aren't learning how to study for and take exams in college. The teachers union has too much power, so we're stuck with teachers and administrators that are not great. We don't pay teachers enough, and thereby don't attract the good teachers. There are over 200 vacant teaching positions in the County. And the BOE has cut off the legs of even the good teachers, taking away their ability to control their classrooms, use creative teaching methods, etc. So yeah, as they see their schools already declining, W parents are losing their shit over yet more half-baked decisions from a BOE that has proven over and over again that it can't be trusted to make a good decision.

But what's a thousand times worse is the disservices the BOE has visited upon the schools with lower-income populations. The above problems with teachers are even more magnified. In a misguided effort to not single anyone out, the BOE has utterly forsaken it's obligation to actually give each kid what she needs to succeed, and instead sets them up to fail. We need to let go of the idea that splitting kids up by skill level is more damaging then the alternative, which is the potentially lifelong burden that comes from spending years feeling like you're not as smart as your peers.

Basically, every parent in the County has good reason to be pissed as hell. But that anger shouldn't be directed at other parents who also just want a decent education for their kids. It should be directed at the BOE for it's policies that have made a good education a finite resource in the County. Education should not be a zero sum game, where parents have to fight to get a share for their child. The BOE created this mess, and now they're sitting back and watching us year each other to pieces. And we're letting them, rather than holding the BOE responsible

[Anonymous]

I'm a parent in the county, and I have no reason to be "pissed as hell" at the BOE or MCPS. There are plenty of other things going on in the country and the world that are more deserving of my anger. I have kids, nieces and nephews in or recently graduated from MCPS, and they are all doing well. Has it been perfect? Of course not. Could it be better? Of course. I don't see how being "pissed as hell" is helping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing. Everyone is screaming at each other when all our anger should be directed at the BOE, who, through years of truly terrible decision making, have created the perception/reality that education in Montgomery County is a zero sum game.

Every single child in this County is entitled to a first-rate education. The improvement of the educational experience for some should not cost the decrease of the experience for others, but that's where we are thanks to the BOE's race to the bottom.

The reality is that even the W schools are declining. A huge number of families pay thousands of dollars a year to supplement the mediocre education the kids are getting. Curriculum 2.0 was a disaster. The BOE has done away with final exams, so that kids aren't learning how to study for and take exams in college. The teachers union has too much power, so we're stuck with teachers and administrators that are not great. We don't pay teachers enough, and thereby don't attract the good teachers. There are over 200 vacant teaching positions in the County. And the BOE has cut off the legs of even the good teachers, taking away their ability to control their classrooms, use creative teaching methods, etc. So yeah, as they see their schools already declining, W parents are losing their shit over yet more half-baked decisions from a BOE that has proven over and over again that it can't be trusted to make a good decision.

But what's a thousand times worse is the disservices the BOE has visited upon the schools with lower-income populations. The above problems with teachers are even more magnified. In a misguided effort to not single anyone out, the BOE has utterly forsaken it's obligation to actually give each kid what she needs to succeed, and instead sets them up to fail. We need to let go of the idea that splitting kids up by skill level is more damaging then the alternative, which is the potentially lifelong burden that comes from spending years feeling like you're not as smart as your peers.

Basically, every parent in the County has good reason to be pissed as hell. But that anger shouldn't be directed at other parents who also just want a decent education for their kids. It should be directed at the BOE for it's policies that have made a good education a finite resource in the County. Education should not be a zero sum game, where parents have to fight to get a share for their child. The BOE created this mess, and now they're sitting back and watching us year each other to pieces. And we're letting them, rather than holding the BOE responsible

I'm not. And I don't think that education in MCPS is a zero sum game.

-parent with two kids in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thing is about home values.

That's a big part of it, but it's also strongly connected to racism.

How will any of this change?

Even if we "brown out" the country, likes will attract likes. college educated? You'll have friends and colleagues who are also in white collar professions.

And if the schools are "leveled" by race and SES, you'll find ways to send your kids to private. And you'll still be in a neighborhood with others "like you." You'll find your people.

Humans are tribal by nature. We seek others who are like us. And sadly, money is one way to separate folks.

And everyone is also entitled to the same high-quality public education regardless where they live. Unfortunately, there are good and bad schools at least that’s what people on this board constantly say. Addressing this so all students can rise to their potential seem like the right thing to do.

Who is putting crappy curriculum and bad teachers/staff in some schools and quality in others?

Nobody, and that's the real crux of the issue. Poorer performing schools generally get more funding. The only real difference in the schools are the kids that attend them.

Really? I've often read here about the good schools and bad schools. I'm pretty sure a lot of parents here think there's a difference except when it comes to addressing it.

Both of you are right. The problem is some schools have high concentrations of poverty which impacts their rating but this can be addressed by distributing those students more evenly then everyone gets to attend a good school.

You can't just distribute poor students "more evenly" without redistributing students from wealthier households = longer commutes for more students and higher transportation costs for MCPS. It's also highly debated whether such busing results in a net improvement in educational outcomes, or just hides problems.

MCPS doesn't have a lot of options. Only about 1/3 of its high schools are generally considered "good" now. Spread enough kids around and you get mediocrity across-the-board and more parents opting for privates or other jurisdictions. Some people here will say "don't let the door hit you on the way out," but they don't really mean it.

Of course you can distribute poverty more evenly.