Middle school magnet waitlist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received two emails directly to our email addresses (both parents), yesterday from Eastern and today from Takoma Park. Nothing has been posted anywhere in ParentVUE. We have until Monday to decide by filling out a google form.

Wow, that’s pretty insane luck to win the lottery for both schools on a waitlist round which has presumably way fewer seats bouncing around. We were lottery losers but have a few friends who accepted spots last year. The vibe we’ve gotten is the math/sci/comp sci is great at TKPK but the other courses not so great, same spiel but the reverse for Eastern, and the kids we know all had rougher social starts to middle school than the kids who matriculated to home school middle schools. Lots of HW at Eastern.

I have a kid at TPMS and do not agree with that assessment. The non magnet teachers are without exception excellent too.

Same and we've been really impressed with the overall quality of the school as a whole.

Us too, great experience all around!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received two emails directly to our email addresses (both parents), yesterday from Eastern and today from Takoma Park. Nothing has been posted anywhere in ParentVUE. We have until Monday to decide by filling out a google form.

Wow, that’s pretty insane luck to win the lottery for both schools on a waitlist round which has presumably way fewer seats bouncing around. We were lottery losers but have a few friends who accepted spots last year. The vibe we’ve gotten is the math/sci/comp sci is great at TKPK but the other courses not so great, same spiel but the reverse for Eastern, and the kids we know all had rougher social starts to middle school than the kids who matriculated to home school middle schools. Lots of HW at Eastern.

I have a kid at TPMS and do not agree with that assessment. The non magnet teachers are without exception excellent too.

Same and we've been really impressed with the overall quality of the school as a whole.

That’s great. It’s entirely possible the friends were trying to be humble/not brag to us since our child didn’t have luck with the lottery and theirs did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The presentation about the magnet says that the Magnet enrolls 137 students.

Is that just for 6th grade or is that total at the school?

I thought that was admitted students so they could try to hit a size of 100.

Just incoming 6th grade. Would be two additional classes going forward.

so a total of 150 students?

Wow. I’m not sure whether anything has happened with Eastern’s enrollment numbers or facilities, but when my kid was there a few years ago, it was incredibly crowded. Like, can’t get through the hallways, classes being held in hallways (no portables), and they had to have three lunch periods (one year my kid ate lunch before 11am).

I can’t believe they’re deliberately adding another 37 kids to the population, let alone 137 over the next three years.

Three lunches is the norm for MS in MCPS. Eastern has 4 lunches. The school building is a disaster from the middle third of the 20th century.

[Anonymous]

Eastern seems to be bursting at the seams. I don’t understand how they can add spots. That’s crazy.

[Anonymous]

Just to be clear, if there are 137 seats, they are only adding 25 (about one extra class). Eastern had 112 seats before. Also, I have heard a lot of people are getting both offers. It is starting to look intentional on MCPS’s part. Maybe to make to make the waitpool more predictable. You have to decline the other offer so there’s less likelihood of last minute changes, eg if your child really wanted STEM but got into Humanities first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear, if there are 137 seats, they are only adding 25 (about one extra class). Eastern had 112 seats before. Also, I have heard a lot of people are getting both offers. It is starting to look intentional on MCPS’s part. Maybe to make to make the waitpool more predictable. You have to decline the other offer so there’s less likelihood of last minute changes, eg if your child really wanted STEM but got into Humanities first.

Oh wow. That makes a lot of sense.

So maybe there are 3 pulls - kids who are in both lotteries, and kids who are in one lottery only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The interesting thing about Eastern allegedly expanding is that classes are "paired." Kids have English and World Studies in classrooms that expand, and are sometimes combined.

So, adding just one more class would throw off the math. Did they add 50 whole slots?

Just a comment on this - I went to the Eastern magnet in the early 90s and the pairing of English/humanities happened even back then. There was a room divider between the two classes and it was sometimes removed. So not sure this has anything to do with lottery numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The interesting thing about Eastern allegedly expanding is that classes are "paired." Kids have English and World Studies in classrooms that expand, and are sometimes combined.

So, adding just one more class would throw off the math. Did they add 50 whole slots?

Just a comment on this - I went to the Eastern magnet in the early 90s and the pairing of English/humanities happened even back then. There was a room divider between the two classes and it was sometimes removed. So not sure this has anything to do with lottery numbers.

It doesn’t have anything to do with the lottery numbers. Classes will be paired whether 99, 112, 125, or 137 students accept offers. If 112 or fewer students accept, there will be 4 pairs. If 113+ students accept, there will be 6 pairs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eastern seems to be bursting at the seams. I don’t understand how they can add spots. That’s crazy.

Parent demand is the driver. Nearly any thread about the lottery includes a complaint there are so few seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received two emails directly to our email addresses (both parents), yesterday from Eastern and today from Takoma Park. Nothing has been posted anywhere in ParentVUE. We have until Monday to decide by filling out a google form.

Wow, that’s pretty insane luck to win the lottery for both schools on a waitlist round which has presumably way fewer seats bouncing around. We were lottery losers but have a few friends who accepted spots last year. The vibe we’ve gotten is the math/sci/comp sci is great at TKPK but the other courses not so great, same spiel but the reverse for Eastern, and the kids we know all had rougher social starts to middle school than the kids who matriculated to home school middle schools. Lots of HW at Eastern.

I have a kid at TPMS and do not agree with that assessment. The non magnet teachers are without exception excellent too.

Same and we've been really impressed with the overall quality of the school as a whole.

That’s great. It’s entirely possible the friends were trying to be humble/not brag to us since our child didn’t have luck with the lottery and theirs did.

It's a great program if you happen to get in but you could easily supplement to achieve comparable math and CS. Comparable science is less available to my knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern seems to be bursting at the seams. I don’t understand how they can add spots. That’s crazy.

Parent demand is the driver. Nearly any thread about the lottery includes a complaint there are so few seats.

They could easily add a 3rd or 4th stem magnet, and there would be plenty of kids up to the challenge able to fill those seats. Seems like a no-brainer and would make many parents happy, but the county is more focused on things like honors for all, bathroom security, and RJ than providing for the needs of all their students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern seems to be bursting at the seams. I don’t understand how they can add spots. That’s crazy.

Parent demand is the driver. Nearly any thread about the lottery includes a complaint there are so few seats.

I agree they have too few seats, but then they should create another program at another school. Or better yet, from my perspective, add meaningful options at home schools -- like an enriched English class for those who qualify. "Advanced English for all" is what is driving so many people to seek out the humanities magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received two emails directly to our email addresses (both parents), yesterday from Eastern and today from Takoma Park. Nothing has been posted anywhere in ParentVUE. We have until Monday to decide by filling out a google form.

Wow, that’s pretty insane luck to win the lottery for both schools on a waitlist round which has presumably way fewer seats bouncing around. We were lottery losers but have a few friends who accepted spots last year. The vibe we’ve gotten is the math/sci/comp sci is great at TKPK but the other courses not so great, same spiel but the reverse for Eastern, and the kids we know all had rougher social starts to middle school than the kids who matriculated to home school middle schools. Lots of HW at Eastern.

I have a kid at TPMS and do not agree with that assessment. The non magnet teachers are without exception excellent too.

The MCCPTA GEC FB group said that Takoma no longer offers a different science class. It is the same science class offered across MCPS, but it includes only kids in the magnet so probably is. a bit more rigorous. But it's no longer a separate curriculum. This is a real bummer for those of us with kids who really are into science.

Same and we've been really impressed with the overall quality of the school as a whole.

That’s great. It’s entirely possible the friends were trying to be humble/not brag to us since our child didn’t have luck with the lottery and theirs did.

It's a great program if you happen to get in but you could easily supplement to achieve comparable math and CS. Comparable science is less available to my knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received two emails directly to our email addresses (both parents), yesterday from Eastern and today from Takoma Park. Nothing has been posted anywhere in ParentVUE. We have until Monday to decide by filling out a google form.

Wow, that’s pretty insane luck to win the lottery for both schools on a waitlist round which has presumably way fewer seats bouncing around. We were lottery losers but have a few friends who accepted spots last year. The vibe we’ve gotten is the math/sci/comp sci is great at TKPK but the other courses not so great, same spiel but the reverse for Eastern, and the kids we know all had rougher social starts to middle school than the kids who matriculated to home school middle schools. Lots of HW at Eastern.

I have a kid at TPMS and do not agree with that assessment. The non magnet teachers are without exception excellent too.

Same and we've been really impressed with the overall quality of the school as a whole.

That’s great. It’s entirely possible the friends were trying to be humble/not brag to us since our child didn’t have luck with the lottery and theirs did.

It's a great program if you happen to get in but you could easily supplement to achieve comparable math and CS. Comparable science is less available to my knowledge.

The MCCPTA GEC FB group said that Takoma no longer offers a different science class. It is the same science class offered across MCPS, but it includes only kids in the magnet so probably is. a bit more rigorous. But it's no longer a separate curriculum. This is a real bummer for those of us with kids who really are into science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear, if there are 137 seats, they are only adding 25 (about one extra class). Eastern had 112 seats before. Also, I have heard a lot of people are getting both offers. It is starting to look intentional on MCPS’s part. Maybe to make to make the waitpool more predictable. You have to decline the other offer so there’s less likelihood of last minute changes, eg if your child really wanted STEM but got into Humanities first.

Oh wow. That makes a lot of sense.

So maybe there are 3 pulls - kids who are in both lotteries, and kids who are in one lottery only.

NP. My DC also got invites to both EMS (on Wed.) and TPMS (yesterday). DC feels torn having to choose one over the other, or neither.