MCPS should reduces its HS magnet and special profesms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. They should have more.

-parent of former RMIB student

Why should there be more of them? Most districts in the county don’t have as many special and magnet programs. Folks here complain about cost, not focusing on the basics, bussing, etc etc. Getting rid of these extra programs would allow more teachers to focus on “the basics” and lower the cost of transportation because kids wouldn’t be going to programs all across the county.

Howard and Frederick county don’t have all these specialized and magnet programs but are supposedly great school districts. Why should MCPS keep this up?

MCPS is a lot bigger than either of those districts. There are a lot of educated parents around here with high achieving students, but also a lot of low income students who not only can't perform at grade level but whose parents don't speak English, and a ton of kids in between.

There is no way to have high standards for all without causing even more students to not be able to achieve at grade level. HoCo can do have high standards because they have lower FARMS population compared to MCPS.

Taking away magnet programs hurts the high achieving students. We moved here specifically for the magnets because the wealthy school district we moved from lacked the population size to have gifted programs; it was a tiny school district, and the state kept cutting school funding (CA). Despite being wealthy, there weren't that many gifted students.

Very glad that MCPS has magnet programs. I have a lot of criticism for MCPS, but the special programs isn't one of them. Rather, I think they should have more so even more kids who can and want to can have the opportunity to be in those special programs.

But you clearly highlighted the problem. How is it you expect MCPS to have more programs despite not being a homogeneous population of wealth or even UMC? Further it’s a school district like any other that faces budget cuts and policies it must follow. Not to mention the general mandate to educate all kids in the district to a pre-determined state basic level.

They managed to open up the regional IBs. They are going to put some special program in Woodward and Crown.

They seem to be able to figure it out.

"Educating" students seems to be a loose term to some. Lowering the bar is still "educating" all students, but is that what a top notch school district should be aiming for?

As a PP stated, if all schools can provide actual differentiation in the classroom, then you might have a point. But, that's not what's happening. The Global Humanities program that MCPS tried to provide as a conciliation prize for the MS magnet lottery is a joke. My kid was in it. And some schools have such a small high achieving group there is no way to provide such differentiation instruction; they don't have the space or the staff to do so.

So, tell me how MCPS could provide the type of differentiation instruction in all schools without increasing the budget for staff and space?

You say that as if it’s not costing them budget and resources now? Or as if they aren’t r currently having problems recruiting staff for secondary science, math and electives. How do you expect them to expand any further?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they get rid of magnets and special programs, the school district will go down the tubes even further and quickly. You'll see more educated parents pull their kids out and put them in private, or move (I'd move; we both wfh). Test scores will go down even more. If you think spending an additional $2K per child is going to raise test scores, you are deluded.

Where? You greatly under estimate how many applications competitive privates in DMV are already getting for a small number of seats. And some that expanded their class sizes during Covid are already shrinking them back to pre-covid size both because of families withdrawing back to public and also because school families complained about the additional size. We’ve already noted that not even all wealthy districts offer magnet and specialized programs. So what you’re saying is people are going to lower their expectations and move to districts and schools that don’t offer the same things as MCPS? And even all educated parents are not ready to pay 40-60k+ for K-12 education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. They should have more.

-parent of former RMIB student

+1

- parent of former Blair Magnet students

Education is the whole purpose of our schools and should not be rationed. We should make sure that any child who wants to learn more can have that opportunity. These kids are our future. They’re the ones who will be researching cancer, fighting global warming, governing the nation, and negotiating for peace. It’s up to us, right now, to give them the tools they’ll need to face those challenges. We can’t afford NOT to invest in them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Education is the whole purpose of our schools and should not be rationed. We should make sure that any child who wants to learn more can have that opportunity. These kids are our future. They’re the ones who will be researching cancer, fighting global warming, governing the nation, and negotiating for peace. It’s up to us, right now, to give them the tools they’ll need to face those challenges. We can’t afford NOT to invest in them.

So well put. Yes x 100! We need educated students!!

[Anonymous]

There is really no need for a central program.
Each school can have its own advanced classes.

This would greatly reduce the cost, while kids can still receive good education.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the above.
I would recommend eliminating all ES/MS/HS central programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. They should have more.

-parent of former RMIB student

+1

- parent of former Blair Magnet students

Education is the whole purpose of our schools and should not be rationed. We should make sure that any child who wants to learn more can have that opportunity. These kids are our future. They’re the ones who will be researching cancer, fighting global warming, governing the nation, and negotiating for peace. It’s up to us, right now, to give them the tools they’ll need to face those challenges. We can’t afford NOT to invest in them.

PREACH. The dismantling of rigorous secondary academics is just absolutely nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is really no need for a central program.
Each school can have its own advanced classes.

This would greatly reduce the cost, while kids can still receive good education.

They “can” but they do not/will not. And there’s merit in having a larger program focused on rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. They should have more.

-parent of former RMIB student

Why should there be more of them? Most districts in the county don’t have as many special and magnet programs. Folks here complain about cost, not focusing on the basics, bussing, etc etc. Getting rid of these extra programs would allow more teachers to focus on “the basics” and lower the cost of transportation because kids wouldn’t be going to programs all across the county.

Howard and Frederick county don’t have all these specialized and magnet programs but are supposedly great school districts. Why should MCPS keep this up?

MCPS is a lot bigger than either of those districts. There are a lot of educated parents around here with high achieving students, but also a lot of low income students who not only can't perform at grade level but whose parents don't speak English, and a ton of kids in between.

There is no way to have high standards for all without causing even more students to not be able to achieve at grade level. HoCo can do have high standards because they have lower FARMS population compared to MCPS.

Taking away magnet programs hurts the high achieving students. We moved here specifically for the magnets because the wealthy school district we moved from lacked the population size to have gifted programs; it was a tiny school district, and the state kept cutting school funding (CA). Despite being wealthy, there weren't that many gifted students.

Very glad that MCPS has magnet programs. I have a lot of criticism for MCPS, but the special programs isn't one of them. Rather, I think they should have more so even more kids who can and want to can have the opportunity to be in those special programs.

But you clearly highlighted the problem. How is it you expect MCPS to have more programs despite not being a homogeneous population of wealth or even UMC? Further it’s a school district like any other that faces budget cuts and policies it must follow. Not to mention the general mandate to educate all kids in the district to a pre-determined state basic level.

They managed to open up the regional IBs. They are going to put some special program in Woodward and Crown.

They seem to be able to figure it out.

"Educating" students seems to be a loose term to some. Lowering the bar is still "educating" all students, but is that what a top notch school district should be aiming for?

As a PP stated, if all schools can provide actual differentiation in the classroom, then you might have a point. But, that's not what's happening. The Global Humanities program that MCPS tried to provide as a conciliation prize for the MS magnet lottery is a joke. My kid was in it. And some schools have such a small high achieving group there is no way to provide such differentiation instruction; they don't have the space or the staff to do so.

So, tell me how MCPS could provide the type of differentiation instruction in all schools without increasing the budget for staff and space?

You say that as if it’s not costing them budget and resources now? Or as if they aren’t r currently having problems recruiting staff for secondary science, math and electives. How do you expect them to expand any further?

It's easier for them to hire secondary math, science teachers than sped teachers. Just take a look at their job site.

They may not be able to expand further, but reducing it isn't the right answer, either, unless you just want a school district full of lower performing kids because so many of the higher achieving kids get pulled out for greener pastures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like someone's kid didn't get into RM or Blair.

Bingo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they get rid of magnets and special programs, the school district will go down the tubes even further and quickly. You'll see more educated parents pull their kids out and put them in private, or move (I'd move; we both wfh). Test scores will go down even more. If you think spending an additional $2K per child is going to raise test scores, you are deluded.

Where? You greatly under estimate how many applications competitive privates in DMV are already getting for a small number of seats. And some that expanded their class sizes during Covid are already shrinking them back to pre-covid size both because of families withdrawing back to public and also because school families complained about the additional size. We’ve already noted that not even all wealthy districts offer magnet and specialized programs. So what you’re saying is people are going to lower their expectations and move to districts and schools that don’t offer the same things as MCPS? And even all educated parents are not ready to pay 40-60k+ for K-12 education.

You are missing the point and did not understand (or read) the pps about HoCo.

1. HoCo doesn't offer magnets because 1. they have a smaller school district 2. they don't have as many low achieving kids so their baseline is higher.

2. private schools are shrinking again because the covid blip is over (not unlike big tech that over hired) and because people have decent public school choices. If you read the private school forum, some parents with very high achieving kids will pull their kids out of private and put them in public magnet.

If you take the magnets away from MCPS, no parent who has high achieving kids would choose MCPS given the choice. I sure wouldn't. My younger DC is not in a magnet program (older one was in magnet), however, they had the option. That's what keeps us and many here.. that there are options. You take that away and many high achieving students will go elsewhere.

MCPS will then be left with a larger imbalance of lower achieving kids to higher to higher achieving kids. What do you think that will do to MCPS' precious test score numbers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is really no need for a central program.
Each school can have its own advanced classes.

This would greatly reduce the cost, while kids can still receive good education.

each school cannot have its own advanced classes because some schools do not have enough high achieving kids to warrant a whole class just for like 10 kids. That is the whole reason why MCPS moved to the new model of selecting kids who did not have a similar cohort to the ES/MS magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is really no need for a central program.
Each school can have its own advanced classes.

This would greatly reduce the cost, while kids can still receive good education.

each school cannot have its own advanced classes because some schools do not have enough high achieving kids to warrant a whole class just for like 10 kids. That is the whole reason why MCPS moved to the new model of selecting kids who did not have a similar cohort to the ES/MS magnets.

If a school has hundreds of kids, why should the resource tilt to less than 10 kids? That does not make sense!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they get rid of magnets and special programs, the school district will go down the tubes even further and quickly. You'll see more educated parents pull their kids out and put them in private, or move (I'd move; we both wfh). Test scores will go down even more. If you think spending an additional $2K per child is going to raise test scores, you are deluded.

Where? You greatly under estimate how many applications competitive privates in DMV are already getting for a small number of seats. And some that expanded their class sizes during Covid are already shrinking them back to pre-covid size both because of families withdrawing back to public and also because school families complained about the additional size. We’ve already noted that not even all wealthy districts offer magnet and specialized programs. So what you’re saying is people are going to lower their expectations and move to districts and schools that don’t offer the same things as MCPS? And even all educated parents are not ready to pay 40-60k+ for K-12 education.

PP is talking about the cream of the crop leaving MCPS for privates. That would alter the private landscape for sure. If privates can’t expand enrollment, the competition for spots will become even fiercer. Their standards for admission will rise even higher. Some families who would have chosen privates instead of MCPS will get shut out. Some kids who have already attended privates for K-8 would not make the cut for private high schools. Therefore, some families will move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While they’re at it, they can break up mcps—it’s too big. And widen access to sports—it is unfair that so few can be on the team. And increase the quality of ELA in MS so that it’s rigorous and challenging. Offer vouchers so students aren’t stuck in a classroom full of disruptive students where little learning can be done, or with a bad teacher, etc.

Listen if you're mad that your kid can't get into a magnet or get on to even a JV sports team, move to someplace like Charles, Calvert, or Carroll. Your kid will be top of the pile and never have to learn that not everyone gets to do everything until they're 18, and the real world comes crashing down.

Or just move to Poolesville.