Why are we having so many regional magnets when the Watkins Mills and Seneca Valley programs were failures?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

This. We are at a non-RM school that offers the IB and my kid much prefers taking AP classes. Zero interest in IB.

Why? What about an IB class makes it less desirable than an AP class?

DP with no kids in high school yet so I can't speak to the class experience-- but I would prefer AP because way more colleges accept AP credit than IB credit and that could end up saving us many thousands of dollars in tuition.

Non issue. IP Students take AP exams.

What do you mean? Like, they self-study to cover the AP course content and then register for exams separately?

Yes. RMIB and Blair/Poolsville SMCS kids do this all the time. Those students on average finish 7-15 AP tests by graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

This. We are at a non-RM school that offers the IB and my kid much prefers taking AP classes. Zero interest in IB.

Why? What about an IB class makes it less desirable than an AP class?

DP with no kids in high school yet so I can't speak to the class experience-- but I would prefer AP because way more colleges accept AP credit than IB credit and that could end up saving us many thousands of dollars in tuition.

Non issue. IP Students take AP exams.

What do you mean? Like, they self-study to cover the AP course content and then register for exams separately?

Yes. RMIB and Blair/Poolsville SMCS kids do this all the time. Those students on average finish 7-15 AP tests by graduation.

That seems like a lot of extra time spent when you could just go to a school where your actual classes prepare you for the AP exam and you don't have to self-study?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

Hm.. is that why RMIB gets 1000 applications for 100 seats? All those high performing students think "it's a waste of time, but I'm gonna go there anyways."

As the SMOB kept trying to hammer through MCPS's head at the last board meeting, applying for RMIB doesn't always mean '"I really like IB and would be happy to take it anywhere else instead.". Sometimes kids are prioritizing a certain school or cohort or reputation. Doesn't mean they're in love with the IB model.

(If MCPS actually bothered to actually put out a well-designed survey gauging interest, we'd have much clearer answers on a lot of this. But if course they haven't.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

Hm.. is that why RMIB gets 1000 applications for 100 seats? All those high performing students think "it's a waste of time, but I'm gonna go there anyways."

As the SMOB kept trying to hammer through MCPS's head at the last board meeting, applying for RMIB doesn't always mean '"I really like IB and would be happy to take it anywhere else instead.". Sometimes kids are prioritizing a certain school or cohort or reputation. Doesn't mean they're in love with the IB model.

(If MCPS actually bothered to actually put out a well-designed survey gauging interest, we'd have much clearer answers on a lot of this. But if course they haven't.)

Yes, they think RMIB Is worth it and not a waste of time. Not all IB programs are created equal, that is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

Hm.. is that why RMIB gets 1000 applications for 100 seats? All those high performing students think "it's a waste of time, but I'm gonna go there anyways."

As the SMOB kept trying to hammer through MCPS's head at the last board meeting, applying for RMIB doesn't always mean '"I really like IB and would be happy to take it anywhere else instead.". Sometimes kids are prioritizing a certain school or cohort or reputation. Doesn't mean they're in love with the IB model.

(If MCPS actually bothered to actually put out a well-designed survey gauging interest, we'd have much clearer answers on a lot of this. But if course they haven't.)

Ironic. Several SMOBs were fine RMIB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

I don't think that will work. Look at the IB schools in Fairfax County which are open to transfers from neighboring AP schools. Many of them are perceived to be failures. And many more students transfer out to AP schools from IB schools.

A magnet IB program like the one at Richard Montgomery succeeds because it brings together academically competitive students who are fully invested in IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

As dual citizens we definitely want IB, which would make it much easier to get accepted to college in the EU. But I’m not willing to send my kid to Kennedy so no IB in the cards for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Add Kennedy to a failing or failed IB program

Don't forget Springbrook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

I don't think that will work. Look at the IB schools in Fairfax County which are open to transfers from neighboring AP schools. Many of them are perceived to be failures. And many more students transfer out to AP schools from IB schools.

A magnet IB program like the one at Richard Montgomery succeeds because it brings together academically competitive students who are fully invested in IB.

Yep, but Taylor is going to break-up that RM IB cohort because of his murky perception of equity. He will only not do it if the BOE votes in opposition to his regional program initiative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The regional programs were less successful because they did not signal "best in the County" as RMIB did.

And that is exactly what will happen with the proposed 6 regional magnets because they will not have the "best in the County". And their plan is to keep aside spots for the host school. How is that going to work out?

This whole 6 regional magnets is doomed for failure and my kid's class is the scapegoat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

I don't know how much it would change.


Seneca Valley regional IB - new and the biggest unknown.
Paint Branch regional IB - barely any change
Kennedy regional IB - biggest change with WJ being part of the region
Watkins Mill regional IB -- slight change with QO and some boundary changes from Crown

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DJVQ546789D4/$file/Attachment%20B%20Program%20Analysis%20Data%20Slides%20250724.pdf

RMIB has 475 students. 225 from the same region 4. Almost half of RMIB students come from this region.

110 from RM - region 4
63 from Churchill - region 4
62 from Wootton - region 4
42 Walter Johnson Kennedy region 3.
31 Northwest new SV IB region 6
28 Clarksburg new SVIB region 6 ( IMO, NW and Clarksburg would have the biggest loss here)
19 QO - region 5 Watkins IB regional
17 Damascus region 6 new SV IB
11 Macgruder region 5 Watkins IB regional)

The rest are < 10.

Region 1 BCC IB - no significant population in RMIB from this region. This region is mostly currently served by the current Kennedy region. So not much would change.

BCC
Whitman
Einstein
Blair
Northwood

Region 2
Springbrook IB new region would serve: Sherwood, Blake, Paint Branch.
Springbrook IB regional current enrollment 252 already serves those schools. Nothing would change. RMIB doesn't have any significant population from these schools.

Blake 74
Paint Branch 54
Springbrook 114
Sherwood < 10

Region 3
Kennedy IB regional would serve: Einstein, Woodward, WJ. This one may change due to the Woodward boundary changes.

Current Kennedy IB enrollment 196 total:
Kennedy 86
Einstein 17
WJ 42 from RMIB
Woodward ? -


Region 5
Watkins Mill IB would serve: QO, GHS, Seneca, Crown, Macgruder. This one may change slightly due to Crown.
Current enrollment 163
Current RMIB - 19 for QO
It doesn't appear that a significant portion of Wootton would go to Crown with the new boundary.

GHS 18
WM 111
Rest are < 10

So, out of the 4 current IB programs, I think only Kennedy would see a significant change.

I don’t think families zoned for WJ will willingly send their kids to Kennedy IB

This is the current regional program that encompasses WJ, and it has not been very popular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

Hm.. is that why RMIB gets 1000 applications for 100 seats? All those high performing students think "it's a waste of time, but I'm gonna go there anyways."

As the SMOB kept trying to hammer through MCPS's head at the last board meeting, applying for RMIB doesn't always mean '"I really like IB and would be happy to take it anywhere else instead.". Sometimes kids are prioritizing a certain school or cohort or reputation. Doesn't mean they're in love with the IB model.

(If MCPS actually bothered to actually put out a well-designed survey gauging interest, we'd have much clearer answers on a lot of this. But if course they haven't.)

Yes, they think RMIB Is worth it and not a waste of time. Not all IB programs are created equal, that is true.

I'm glad the SMOB is speaking up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The regional programs were less successful because they did not signal "best in the County" as RMIB did.

And that is exactly what will happen with the proposed 6 regional magnets because they will not have the "best in the County". And their plan is to keep aside spots for the host school. How is that going to work out?

This whole 6 regional magnets is doomed for failure and my kid's class is the scapegoat.

Currently, RMIB has an outsized set of locally reserved seats for those from JWMS.

Not saying that is a good thing -- having an outsized local set-aside is inequitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are differences between IB & AP? Is AP better than IB? I know that AP classes earn college credit.

IB is by far better but much more rigid so does not allow flexibility or choice like AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The regional programs were less successful because they did not signal "best in the County" as RMIB did.

If only they had signaled such similarity from the get-go by making the regional IBs offer similar breadth/levels of IB classes and ensuring similar wraparound experiences, resourcing them well enough to do so...