MCPS to end areawide Blair Magnet and countywide Richard Montgomery's IB program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How sad... "If my kid can't have it, you can't have it either" families won the day.

Wow that is an unhinged take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How sad... "If my kid can't have it, you can't have it either" families won the day.

Wow that is an unhinged take.

Maybe... but not wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Enough with the prepping them garbage. What a myth you tell yourself. Smart kids are smart kids.

And smart kids exist all throughout the county. We're not going to continue to pretend like only 90 kids out of a class of 10K+ are the only ones that deserves access to opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Agreed. Taylor will be known as the guy who threw away the most renowned MCPS programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Enough with the prepping them garbage. What a myth you tell yourself. Smart kids are smart kids.

And smart kids exist all throughout the county. We're not going to continue to pretend like only 90 kids out of a class of 10K+ are the only ones that deserves access to opportunity.

The big difference is the W and a few other schools have lots of opportunities for smart kids whereas other schools offer very little. Instead of this non-sense they should offer classes at other schools, bus those kids for classes at other schools or offer it virtually so all kids who need/want higher level classes have the opportunities to take them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

There is a 1000 students apply for 125 slots at RM, and 800+ for 90 at Poolesville Ecology. It seems we have the students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thankful that both of my kids benefited from highly competitive magnet programs in MCPS, before it started to get watered down and now dismantled.

+1 And thankfully my youngest will be out of mcps next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Enough with the prepping them garbage. What a myth you tell yourself. Smart kids are smart kids.

Kids have to be a baseline smart but if you work ahead in math/english at home they can do much better on the map tests. You can just get soem workbooks and fun apps, you don't need a center or tutor at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Enough with the prepping them garbage. What a myth you tell yourself. Smart kids are smart kids.

And smart kids exist all throughout the county. We're not going to continue to pretend like only 90 kids out of a class of 10K+ are the only ones that deserves access to opportunity.

The big difference is the W and a few other schools have lots of opportunities for smart kids whereas other schools offer very little. Instead of this non-sense they should offer classes at other schools, bus those kids for classes at other schools or offer it virtually so all kids who need/want higher level classes have the opportunities to take them.

Looks like they are planning to offer classes at others schools, via a new region model and proposing DE/Distance and Virtual Learning for some higher level. So looks like they are doing exactly what you suggest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They won't be county wide anymore. So the very very top percent will be less served. But it will allow for more spaces for the rest of the top 10-15% kids in the regions to go to programs closer to home. Will it be better? Unknown for a while. I'm not sure they will be able to get enough qualified and dedicated teachers for these regional programs though.

+1 ITA. Finding STEM teachers is hard enough. Finding qualified STEM teachers to teach magnet level classes across six regions will be 6x as hard.

Let's be honest.. some of these programs will be "magnets" in name only. The teaching quality and peer level won't be equal across the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

There is a 1000 students apply for 125 slots at RM, and 800+ for 90 at Poolesville Ecology. It seems we have the students.

you mean you have the numbers but not enough high performing kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Middle school magnets are on the chopping block next year. I haven't heard about the gifted and talented programs at the elementary school levels, but it makes sense those will be cancelled after the middle school programs are unwound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How sad... "If my kid can't have it, you can't have it either" families won the day.

Wow that is an unhinged take.

Maybe... but not wrong.

dp. I had one kid go through a magnet and one not. I would rather keep the magnets for super high achieving kids than water it down. These magnets are one of the few shining stars in MCPS. Watering it down, and yes, it will get watered down if you try to create six regional programs, will effectively kill that shining star.

Such a shame.

I'm all for creating additional programs, but not getting rid of the county wide magnets that attract the very top achieving students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need a critical mass of highly able students in the same classroom, a good program, and good teachers for this to be successful. Montgomery county benefited from the national awards won by Blair, Poolesville, and RM students, by increased tax revenue for instance. It is simply not possible to achieve the same level of success with regional programs. There won't be enough interested and capable students to justify the same level of classes at the same number of classes. There won't be enough teachers capable of teaching these classes at the same level they are taught today. For all practical purposes, this is the end of a very successful program. Sad.

Totally agree. It’s just impossible to duplicate those highly successful programs across all six regions. Eventually, the so-called magnet programs in each region will become just regular programs with a few advanced classes.

But I guess no one cares.

People don't care because the few magnets slots are placed in the far eastern part of the county or upper Northwest part of the county. For the vast majority of us, our kids either didn't qualify because we haven't been prepping them since the age of 5 AND/OR we live far away and travel time isn't worth it. What is the plan for middle school magnets? IMO, that is the level where we most need reform.

Enough with the prepping them garbage. What a myth you tell yourself. Smart kids are smart kids.

And smart kids exist all throughout the county. We're not going to continue to pretend like only 90 kids out of a class of 10K+ are the only ones that deserves access to opportunity.

The big difference is the W and a few other schools have lots of opportunities for smart kids whereas other schools offer very little. Instead of this non-sense they should offer classes at other schools, bus those kids for classes at other schools or offer it virtually so all kids who need/want higher level classes have the opportunities to take them.

Looks like they are planning to offer classes at others schools, via a new region model and proposing DE/Distance and Virtual Learning for some higher level. So looks like they are doing exactly what you suggest.

Did we learn nothing from the pandemic? Virtual learning is not effective and hands-on learning can't occur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They won't be county wide anymore. So the very very top percent will be less served. But it will allow for more spaces for the rest of the top 10-15% kids in the regions to go to programs closer to home. Will it be better? Unknown for a while. I'm not sure they will be able to get enough qualified and dedicated teachers for these regional programs though.

+1 ITA. Finding STEM teachers is hard enough. Finding qualified STEM teachers to teach magnet level classes across six regions will be 6x as hard.

Let's be honest.. some of these programs will be "magnets" in name only. The teaching quality and peer level won't be equal across the board.

Right. I think that's what MCPS wants: have the "magnet" in name for many students, but the quality? They will turn a blind eye.

And it seems no one has mentioned how MCPS plans to address transportation for the magnet programs across the six regions. I bet it will be a mess.