Why are the East County schools the way they are?

[Anonymous]

Paint Branch has been doing a lot better recently. Less issues there than some of the schools in west county. MCPS has problems but they’re not specific to east county schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are a reflection of the parents in the neighborhood.

It's this. The impoverished schools actually receive more resources from the federal government, not less. It's not the teachers or the admin, it's the kids and parents/families.

“They get more money per pupil” is not a valid argument. The needs are greater per pupil. They may get more funding but it still falls short of making up for the lack of community support and resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are a reflection of the parents in the neighborhood.

It's this. The impoverished schools actually receive more resources from the federal government, not less. It's not the teachers or the admin, it's the kids and parents/families.

“They get more money per pupil” is not a valid argument. The needs are greater per pupil. They may get more funding but it still falls short of making up for the lack of community support and resources.

MCPS is the lack of support and resources. Our school doesn't offer a lot of AP classes or advanced classes in math/sciences. It really sucks. Kids are forced onto a slower track or to MC, which logistically is difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are a reflection of the parents in the neighborhood.

It's this. The impoverished schools actually receive more resources from the federal government, not less. It's not the teachers or the admin, it's the kids and parents/families.

“They get more money per pupil” is not a valid argument. The needs are greater per pupil. They may get more funding but it still falls short of making up for the lack of community support and resources.

MCPS is the lack of support and resources. Our school doesn't offer a lot of AP classes or advanced classes in math/sciences. It really sucks. Kids are forced onto a slower track or to MC, which logistically is difficult.

Both the extra funding and the base funding are spent in line with the emphases chosen by the BOE and by past administrations. Those emphases have included academic excellence in name only, redefining it for those schools as avoiding academic failure.

The new budget doesn't come close to the level needed to keep those emphases while affording access to advanced classes/ensuring diligent provision of available enrichments across the system. Choices include raising taxes, re-examining priorities, re-jiggering the funding algorithms from central to the individual schools better to achieve parity of opportunity or accepting the status quo. The first and third likely would be opposed by those with relatively high-performing school pyramids, while the second and fourth likely would be opposed by the opposite.

[Anonymous]

East county housing & schools would have really benefited from FBI jobs in Prince George’s.

Too bad #47 doesn’t like that Maryland is blue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools are a reflection of the parents in the neighborhood.

It's this. The impoverished schools actually receive more resources from the federal government, not less. It's not the teachers or the admin, it's the kids and parents/families.

“They get more money per pupil” is not a valid argument. The needs are greater per pupil. They may get more funding but it still falls short of making up for the lack of community support and resources.

MCPS is the lack of support and resources. Our school doesn't offer a lot of AP classes or advanced classes in math/sciences. It really sucks. Kids are forced onto a slower track or to MC, which logistically is difficult.

Both the extra funding and the base funding are spent in line with the emphases chosen by the BOE and by past administrations. Those emphases have included academic excellence in name only, redefining it for those schools as avoiding academic failure.

The new budget doesn't come close to the level needed to keep those emphases while affording access to advanced classes/ensuring diligent provision of available enrichments across the system. Choices include raising taxes, re-examining priorities, re-jiggering the funding algorithms from central to the individual schools better to achieve parity of opportunity or accepting the status quo. The first and third likely would be opposed by those with relatively high-performing school pyramids, while the second and fourth likely would be opposed by the opposite.

If only they could cut the CO waste and redirect those funds to classrooms and program unlike Honors for all that actually help students.

[Anonymous]

I think it's because there is a much higher concentration of families of uneducated recent immigrants (and even many undocumented people) living in those areas because housing is less.

Many of these people don't have the background or current ability to prioritize education for themselves and their kids.

Lots of undocumented people, people who are illiterate in their own languages, struggling to communicate and navigate the many complexities of being a poor immigrant, little to no schooling for themselves, etc. etc.

It sucks, because kids are plopped down in the schools, can't speak English, haven't been read to, don't have books at home, can't get help on homework, often miss a lot of school, rarely hear or speak English at home, don't have parent role models for obtaining education and having a professional job, and on and on.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher, I’m happy to see the many community programs my Title 1 school offers (weekly food pantry, sending food home over weekends, diaper bank, free extensive community market once a month, free presents around the holidays, dental clinic, free afterschool activities, etc.). However, where is the line drawn? We have extensive behavior issues and are very low academically per reading and math scores. I can’t believe how much food is thrown away at every lunch period (something needs to change - either change the menu or offer additional healthy snacks). We also have multiple homeless kids that are provided Ubers or their own bus to attend our school (I understand why this is important but also wonder how frequently this occurs at other schools, and how much is this expense?).

I’m not happy with my property taxes going up 30%, and, as a single mom, this is not financially sustainable. Many of the parents at my school drive much nicer cars than me and the kids talk about all the places they travel (no judgement because I know each family has reasons) but MCPS can’t do it all - we need to focus on educating all kids. While there are some programs that are proven to make a measurable impact (such as free breakfast and lunch for all students, something I 💯 suppport) I haven’t seen actual research showing the benefits of providing SO MANY wrap around services…certainly, at our school, this hasn’t resulted in students being able to better regulate their emotions / outbursts / heavier OR demonstrate a better understanding of foundational math and reading concepts.

[Anonymous]

What do poor people with less educated parents have a harder time in school? It makes no sense?!

Why don't they just be wealthier? That's what I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Redlining determined the residential patterns of concentrated poverty. Kids living in concentrated poverty face more challenges than any school system can effectively address. Right now, these schools are doing their best.

I would generally agree with that, but there is so much poverty right up the 270 corridor, in new communities built after redlining. Like Montgomery Village. We've had a massive influx of Latino immigrants, and they weren't subject to redlining at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do poor people with less educated parents have a harder time in school? It makes no sense?!

Why don't they just be wealthier? That's what I did.

gmab. My very poor father graduated at the top of his class, in a lousy hs, with poor uneducated parents who worked all the time. He was dedicated to school--and worked--and studied his a** off. Graduated from ugrad and grad schools considered top tier by this board.

[Anonymous]

East County has a lot of affordable apartments
Families struggling to make ends meet.


West County is sfh for the most part. Very few apartments (except in BCC). Highly educated, have time to be involved & know how to navigate the complicated mcps systems and just because of sharing with fellow hhi families about resources available in general.

I wish there was more of a balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:East County has a lot of affordable apartments
Families struggling to make ends meet.


West County is sfh for the most part. Very few apartments (except in BCC). Highly educated, have time to be involved & know how to navigate the complicated mcps systems and just because of sharing with fellow hhi families about resources available in general.

I wish there was more of a balance.

It isn’t redlining it’s economics. If you have 10mil for poor families you can help many more with cheaper real estate development in the cheaper part of town. That in turns keeps it the cheaper part of town. But there are other reasons like location. Silver spring was designed for working class and lower income residents and is next to some of the worst parts of PG and NW and far from many of the Job centers in DC. People notice your neighbors matter but so do neighboring areas. Silver Spring just isn’t that great of a spot relative to the metro area’s hot spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do poor people with less educated parents have a harder time in school? It makes no sense?!

Why don't they just be wealthier? That's what I did.

gmab. My very poor father graduated at the top of his class, in a lousy hs, with poor uneducated parents who worked all the time. He was dedicated to school--and worked--and studied his a** off. Graduated from ugrad and grad schools considered top tier by this board.

No one said poor people couldn’t, the point is they don’t most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:East County has a lot of affordable apartments
Families struggling to make ends meet.


West County is sfh for the most part. Very few apartments (except in BCC). Highly educated, have time to be involved & know how to navigate the complicated mcps systems and just because of sharing with fellow hhi families about resources available in general.

I wish there was more of a balance.

It isn’t redlining it’s economics. If you have 10mil for poor families you can help many more with cheaper real estate development in the cheaper part of town. That in turns keeps it the cheaper part of town. But there are other reasons like location. Silver spring was designed for working class and lower income residents and is next to some of the worst parts of PG and NW and far from many of the Job centers in DC. People notice your neighbors matter but so do neighboring areas. Silver Spring just isn’t that great of a spot relative to the metro area’s hot spots.

You are absolutely right, definitely don't move here. It's not nice at all. Stay away.