Can we make a list of things for DCC families can come together to advocate for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually do think we should fight to keep the DCC model.

No, it's been horrible for Kennedy.

School choice is a conservative approach to education that treats schools like businesses that have to compete with one another. It doesn't work. The kids that most need better schools don't have the resources to travel to a further school.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Performing arts, especially theater, criteria program to Northwood.

This NEVER should have been changed and we will fight for it.

See this is why this whole thing sucks -Einstein needs that program to remain viable.

The board has actual middle class families fighting over non-academic programs in a zero sum game while rich families know their schools will be fine and get all the academic programs. It’s gross.

Yes, exactly. For this thread at least, can we stay away from the nuances of the Einstein vs Northwood fight over performing arts (which I also hate they set us up to fight over) and towards bigger picture stuff we can agree on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is closing SSIMS something we can oppose? I realize there are issues with the space, but I am really against this area losing a middle school.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually do think we should fight to keep the DCC model.

No, it's been horrible for Kennedy.

School choice is a conservative approach to education that treats schools like businesses that have to compete with one another. It doesn't work. The kids that most need better schools don't have the resources to travel to a further school.

How is it horrible beyond no one picksit and kids lottery out?

[Anonymous]

A brand new school for Eastern.

Not a renovation and then stuff half the SSIMS community there.

Tear it down entirely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Performing arts, especially theater, criteria program to Northwood.

This NEVER should have been changed and we will fight for it.

Why? Northwood’s theatre program is about on the same level as Blair’s — kind of like fast food: not terrible, not gourmet, just decent.

Completely false and just ignorant.

OP is has a point. My child isn’t zoned for either Northwood or Einstein, but if I had to choose, I’d go with Einstein. Even then, I’d try to see if my child could stay at their home school for part of the day and take arts classes at Einstein in the afternoon.
Also, I don’t think Whitman should hand over Humanities to Northwood when most of their students end up at MC anyway. The MC College program is pitch perfect for Northwood. I really don’t get what the complaints are about.

This sounds really ignorant from someone whose kid isn't in the schools we're talking about. Whitman would not be "handing over" their Humanities magnet, because it doesn't exist yet. MCPS has proposed to give them one, and no one understands why.

As to "most students end up at MC" I'd be interested to see where you got the numbers to support that. In addition, Northwood has a new, larger building scheduled for opening in 2027, and the boundary of its catchment area is being redrawn to fill the building and relieve overcrowding from other schools. The academic profile of the Northwood HS students will be a lot different in 5-10 years than what it is today.

This is a gross misunderstanding of the middle college program. It’s a way for kids to do their associate’s while still in high school and then only need 2-2.5 years at a four year school. For my child, MC2 meant getting to UMD with enough credits that she could graduate only five semesters after high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is closing SSIMS something we can oppose? I realize there are issues with the space, but I am really against this area losing a middle school.

+1

Yes!! People need to speak up on this issue. Write to the BOE, Council, etc and say they don’t want SSIMS to close. The west side of the county is much better at this than the east side. Even if you’re not sure what the ideal outcome is, please speak up that you don’t want two larger muddle schools instead of three already big ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually do think we should fight to keep the DCC model.

No, it's been horrible for Kennedy.

School choice is a conservative approach to education that treats schools like businesses that have to compete with one another. It doesn't work. The kids that most need better schools don't have the resources to travel to a further school.

How has it been horrible for Kennedy? How would not being part of the DCC have been better?

I am a Kennedy fan, btw. Sometimes I feel like the only one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually do think we should fight to keep the DCC model.

No, it's been horrible for Kennedy.

School choice is a conservative approach to education that treats schools like businesses that have to compete with one another. It doesn't work. The kids that most need better schools don't have the resources to travel to a further school.

How has it been horrible for Kennedy? How would not being part of the DCC have been better?

I am a Kennedy fan, btw. Sometimes I feel like the only one.

Low enrollment, horrifically bad test scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A brand new school for Eastern.

Not a renovation and then stuff half the SSIMS community there.

Tear it down entirely.

Eastern is already proposed to get a brand new, and larger, school.

[Anonymous]

If there is one thing I think most of us can agree on, it's signing this petition: https://form.jotform.com/onestepatatime/fairboundaries. please speak up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there is one thing I think most of us can agree on, it's signing this petition: https://form.jotform.com/onestepatatime/fairboundaries. please speak up!

You mean this one? https://form.jotform.com/onestepatatime/fairboundaries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually do think we should fight to keep the DCC model.

No, it's been horrible for Kennedy.

School choice is a conservative approach to education that treats schools like businesses that have to compete with one another. It doesn't work. The kids that most need better schools don't have the resources to travel to a further school.

How has it been horrible for Kennedy? How would not being part of the DCC have been better?

I am a Kennedy fan, btw. Sometimes I feel like the only one.

Low enrollment, horrifically bad test scores

There's more to a school than test scores. More of you should take the tour, look those kids in the eye and then go on about how their hard work and the work of their educators doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is one thing I think most of us can agree on, it's signing this petition: https://form.jotform.com/onestepatatime/fairboundaries. please speak up!

You mean this one? https://form.jotform.com/onestepatatime/fairboundaries

Yes! My bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is closing SSIMS something we can oppose? I realize there are issues with the space, but I am really against this area losing a middle school.

I agree with you completely.

+1. Simply making Eastern and Sligo bigger is such a poor solution. Middle school is traumatic enough. Is it the norm in other areas to have MS with 1,200+ kids?

Tinfoil hat tangent:

I know there are a million legal steps that need to be taken to sell that land, but let's be real. SSIMS is in a prime spot. Close to DTSS and a cute neighborhood primarily dominated by SFHs. Steps to the Purple line and Sligo Creek Park and trail. So how long will it actually remain a holding school? Any bets on what will really be on that property in the next decade?

Exactly. The whole thing stinks.