What is going to happen to CAP & VAC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that CAP is currently a regional program, why wouldn’t they at the very least keep it for region 1?

It’s listed as a criteria-based regional program in the latest slide. They haven’t said how big it will be, though. At the last BoE meeting they said RMIB will only accept about 60 kids per year (down from over 100) so I’m sure they’ll cut CAP and SMCS at Blair, too.

Also, the communications programs in other regions are listed as interest based, not criteria based. MCPS hasn’t given details for those but they probably won’t be as robust as CAP.

This will depend on the boundaries, too. 3 out of the 4 options leave Blair at 100% utilization, so I don't know how they'd have a meaningful cohort for 2 magnet programs if Options A, C, or D are chosen.

What do people think of the idea of moving CAP to Northwood to create space for more seats at SMCS?

There is 0 chance Blair people are going to give up CAP. CAP and SMCS are their sacred cows that can't be moved. We could have moved CAP and SMCS to Kennedy years ago to help alleviate overcrowding.

I was under the impression that SMCS was the really prized shining star.

Regardless, for people who care about keeping even 1 strong program at Blair, they should advocate for the Boundary Option B so that there's room for it.

They don't need to leave a ton of extra space for the magnets-- the magnets are getting smaller and the idea is that it will cancel itself out as some kids leave Blair for regional programs and others come to Blair for regional programs. Even if that is untrue, MCPS is going to insist it will be true and put the programs where it wants to put them regardless of what boundary options are chosen. If they needed more space for SMCS and CAP at Blair which they're saying they're keeping, they would have asked for that in the boundary study options.

And anyway the current set of options are rigged-- there's no reason any DCC school has to be that close to capacity while there are 1000 empty spaces at WJ and Woodward. Folks shouldn't be focusing on which of the options to vote for but on changing the choices entirely: https://form.jotform.com/252966011384155

I assume you are a DCC parent. I am too. Inbounds for Einstein. With all kindness, you are delusional that the vast majority of MCPS families care about these program changes at all. The only people these changes impact are folks who want their children to have access to competitive county-wide magnets, and higher and middle income DCC families who aren't happy with their inbound schools. This is not a lot of people even within the DCC, let alone, when considered as a percentage of the entire county.

+1000 Thank you that someone else gets it. Many families do not care about these changes at all. In fact the idea that the programs will be in greater numbers and spread throughout the county is a positive. It is especially a positive for people who have felt ignored regarding resources for a very long time.

Yes, you can make the case that this doesn't necessarily come with more resources. But they will feel that it does and at the least gives them better reason and data to advocate for more.

+100000
I support the regional model. It doesn't have to be perfect, the current system is not.

Are you at a W school where your kids have tons of classes and opportunities?

There are more schools in MCPS than DCC and "W schools".

Thats great that your children's schools have the classes and opportunities that they need. Many others don't.

Exactly. That. Is. Why. We. Need. A. New. Model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of confusion. VAC is a longstanding, countywide pre-professional VISUAL arts magnet that students must prepare a portfolio for to be admitted. It has always been at Einstein and will remain at Einstein in its current form.

Einstein will continue to offer performing arts classes to its student body as it has always done. "VAPA", Einstein's performing arts "academy" was never more than a way to organize students. It isn't different than performing arts classes at other schools. In fact, many MCPS schools offer more performing arts classes than Einstein.

What schools?

Go look at each school and their courses and you can see it. Einstein is very limited due to the lack fo teachers.

You made that statement with nothing to back it up. I know it’s false — I just wanted to know where you pulled that from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find all these changes overwhelming. Do i have this right:

--CAP program will stay the same, but will be just for in-boundary Blair students, not for students elsewhere in DCC?
--VAC: unclear, because there will be an investment in the arts at Northwood? Will in-boundary Einstein students still have a VAC? Or will they have VAC but not the arts academy?

My kid is in 8th grade, so i know both these programs will technically still be there, but i am concerned about the programs being dismantled.

VAC remains at Esintein. From a straight enrollment perspective, it will probably be about the same, since a lot of the kids in VAC are already from nearby clusters (VAC doesn’t have transportation). Because of the way VAC classes are structured (double periods), they’re only open to magnet students, not the rest for the school.

There will be criteria based art magnets in each region but I’m doubtful that any of them will be as good as VAC, at least in the first few years.

Einstein will also have an interest-based Design pathway, which will be cool. I think those classes will be open to the full student body if there’s space after the magnet kids get their seats.

Northwood will have theatre and dance and Einstein will have music. They’ll technically be criteria programs but the baseline criteria will probably be participation in music, dance, or theatre in middle school. Again, those classes - band, orchestra, drama class- are likely to be open to all students. I don’t think magnet kids would get automatic placement in audition-only ensembles like the jazz bands at Einstein or the dance companies at Northwood. Hopefully MCPS will let the teachers handle those details.

As for the pathways diluting each other, MCPS only plans to let 15 kids per year into each performing arts pathway of its not at their home school. There so much overlap between dance, vocal music, and theatre that kids will probably apply to both schools in the hopes of getting one of those very few spots. Instrumental music kids will probably gravitate to Einstein.

It sucks because in the DCC now, a couple hundred kids per year choose Einstein and Northwood for their arts programs. In the new model, maybe 45 kids per year will get those options.

And Loiderman kids won’t have access to either Einstein or Northwood. They’re in region 3, so they’ll all be competing for limited spots at Woodward. They rest will go to Kennedy or Wheaton.

Abundance and opportunity, my ass.

I know firsthand how committed and invested Kennedy's arts teachers are, but they don't have a lot of resources. In an ideal world they would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of confusion. VAC is a longstanding, countywide pre-professional VISUAL arts magnet that students must prepare a portfolio for to be admitted. It has always been at Einstein and will remain at Einstein in its current form.

Einstein will continue to offer performing arts classes to its student body as it has always done. "VAPA", Einstein's performing arts "academy" was never more than a way to organize students. It isn't different than performing arts classes at other schools. In fact, many MCPS schools offer more performing arts classes than Einstein.

What schools?

Go look at each school and their courses and you can see it. Einstein is very limited due to the lack fo teachers.

You made that statement with nothing to back it up. I know it’s false — I just wanted to know where you pulled that from.

No look at the course offerings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that CAP is currently a regional program, why wouldn’t they at the very least keep it for region 1?

It’s listed as a criteria-based regional program in the latest slide. They haven’t said how big it will be, though. At the last BoE meeting they said RMIB will only accept about 60 kids per year (down from over 100) so I’m sure they’ll cut CAP and SMCS at Blair, too.

Also, the communications programs in other regions are listed as interest based, not criteria based. MCPS hasn’t given details for those but they probably won’t be as robust as CAP.

This will depend on the boundaries, too. 3 out of the 4 options leave Blair at 100% utilization, so I don't know how they'd have a meaningful cohort for 2 magnet programs if Options A, C, or D are chosen.

What do people think of the idea of moving CAP to Northwood to create space for more seats at SMCS?

There is 0 chance Blair people are going to give up CAP. CAP and SMCS are their sacred cows that can't be moved. We could have moved CAP and SMCS to Kennedy years ago to help alleviate overcrowding.

I was under the impression that SMCS was the really prized shining star.

Regardless, for people who care about keeping even 1 strong program at Blair, they should advocate for the Boundary Option B so that there's room for it.

They don't need to leave a ton of extra space for the magnets-- the magnets are getting smaller and the idea is that it will cancel itself out as some kids leave Blair for regional programs and others come to Blair for regional programs. Even if that is untrue, MCPS is going to insist it will be true and put the programs where it wants to put them regardless of what boundary options are chosen. If they needed more space for SMCS and CAP at Blair which they're saying they're keeping, they would have asked for that in the boundary study options.

And anyway the current set of options are rigged-- there's no reason any DCC school has to be that close to capacity while there are 1000 empty spaces at WJ and Woodward. Folks shouldn't be focusing on which of the options to vote for but on changing the choices entirely: https://form.jotform.com/252966011384155

I assume you are a DCC parent. I am too. Inbounds for Einstein. With all kindness, you are delusional that the vast majority of MCPS families care about these program changes at all. The only people these changes impact are folks who want their children to have access to competitive county-wide magnets, and higher and middle income DCC families who aren't happy with their inbound schools. This is not a lot of people even within the DCC, let alone, when considered as a percentage of the entire county.

+1000 Thank you that someone else gets it. Many families do not care about these changes at all. In fact the idea that the programs will be in greater numbers and spread throughout the county is a positive. It is especially a positive for people who have felt ignored regarding resources for a very long time.

Yes, you can make the case that this doesn't necessarily come with more resources. But they will feel that it does and at the least gives them better reason and data to advocate for more.

-1 "some families aren't concerned so you shouldn't be either" is a ridiculous attempt to gaslight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that CAP is currently a regional program, why wouldn’t they at the very least keep it for region 1?

It’s listed as a criteria-based regional program in the latest slide. They haven’t said how big it will be, though. At the last BoE meeting they said RMIB will only accept about 60 kids per year (down from over 100) so I’m sure they’ll cut CAP and SMCS at Blair, too.

Also, the communications programs in other regions are listed as interest based, not criteria based. MCPS hasn’t given details for those but they probably won’t be as robust as CAP.

This will depend on the boundaries, too. 3 out of the 4 options leave Blair at 100% utilization, so I don't know how they'd have a meaningful cohort for 2 magnet programs if Options A, C, or D are chosen.

What do people think of the idea of moving CAP to Northwood to create space for more seats at SMCS?

There is 0 chance Blair people are going to give up CAP. CAP and SMCS are their sacred cows that can't be moved. We could have moved CAP and SMCS to Kennedy years ago to help alleviate overcrowding.

I was under the impression that SMCS was the really prized shining star.

Regardless, for people who care about keeping even 1 strong program at Blair, they should advocate for the Boundary Option B so that there's room for it.

They don't need to leave a ton of extra space for the magnets-- the magnets are getting smaller and the idea is that it will cancel itself out as some kids leave Blair for regional programs and others come to Blair for regional programs. Even if that is untrue, MCPS is going to insist it will be true and put the programs where it wants to put them regardless of what boundary options are chosen. If they needed more space for SMCS and CAP at Blair which they're saying they're keeping, they would have asked for that in the boundary study options.

And anyway the current set of options are rigged-- there's no reason any DCC school has to be that close to capacity while there are 1000 empty spaces at WJ and Woodward. Folks shouldn't be focusing on which of the options to vote for but on changing the choices entirely: https://form.jotform.com/252966011384155

I assume you are a DCC parent. I am too. Inbounds for Einstein. With all kindness, you are delusional that the vast majority of MCPS families care about these program changes at all. The only people these changes impact are folks who want their children to have access to competitive county-wide magnets, and higher and middle income DCC families who aren't happy with their inbound schools. This is not a lot of people even within the DCC, let alone, when considered as a percentage of the entire county.

+1000 Thank you that someone else gets it. Many families do not care about these changes at all. In fact the idea that the programs will be in greater numbers and spread throughout the county is a positive. It is especially a positive for people who have felt ignored regarding resources for a very long time.

Yes, you can make the case that this doesn't necessarily come with more resources. But they will feel that it does and at the least gives them better reason and data to advocate for more.

+100000
I support the regional model. It doesn't have to be perfect, the current system is not.

Are you at a W school where your kids have tons of classes and opportunities?

There are more schools in MCPS than DCC and "W schools".

Thats great that your children's schools have the classes and opportunities that they need. Many others don't.

Exactly. That. Is. Why. We. Need. A. New. Model.

How does adding a bunch of regional programs help all schools give kids the classes and opportunities they need? Seems more likely to undermine that instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that CAP is currently a regional program, why wouldn’t they at the very least keep it for region 1?

It’s listed as a criteria-based regional program in the latest slide. They haven’t said how big it will be, though. At the last BoE meeting they said RMIB will only accept about 60 kids per year (down from over 100) so I’m sure they’ll cut CAP and SMCS at Blair, too.

Also, the communications programs in other regions are listed as interest based, not criteria based. MCPS hasn’t given details for those but they probably won’t be as robust as CAP.

This will depend on the boundaries, too. 3 out of the 4 options leave Blair at 100% utilization, so I don't know how they'd have a meaningful cohort for 2 magnet programs if Options A, C, or D are chosen.

What do people think of the idea of moving CAP to Northwood to create space for more seats at SMCS?

There is 0 chance Blair people are going to give up CAP. CAP and SMCS are their sacred cows that can't be moved. We could have moved CAP and SMCS to Kennedy years ago to help alleviate overcrowding.

I thought SMCS was going to become STEM an entirely different thing with little relation to the current prigram

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of confusion. VAC is a longstanding, countywide pre-professional VISUAL arts magnet that students must prepare a portfolio for to be admitted. It has always been at Einstein and will remain at Einstein in its current form.

Einstein will continue to offer performing arts classes to its student body as it has always done. "VAPA", Einstein's performing arts "academy" was never more than a way to organize students. It isn't different than performing arts classes at other schools. In fact, many MCPS schools offer more performing arts classes than Einstein.

What schools?

Go look at each school and their courses and you can see it. Einstein is very limited due to the lack fo teachers.

You made that statement with nothing to back it up. I know it’s false — I just wanted to know where you pulled that from.

No look at the course offerings.

Most MCPS schools don’t offer dance courses. Einstein currently doesn’t have enough performing arts teachers to meet student demand. That said, Einstein and Blake offer the widest range of performing arts courses in the county.

[Anonymous]

I must have missed something in one of the MCPS slide decks. Where did it say that criteria-based music would be at Einstein in the new regional model? All I have found (and the presentations I have reviewed) has simply said that "Performing Arta" would be at Northwood. Music being a performing art, I think I might have just assumed - or maybe something has been updated? It seems pretty hair-splitting for MCPS to separate vocal music and musical theater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I must have missed something in one of the MCPS slide decks. Where did it say that criteria-based music would be at Einstein in the new regional model? All I have found (and the presentations I have reviewed) has simply said that "Performing Arta" would be at Northwood. Music being a performing art, I think I might have just assumed - or maybe something has been updated? It seems pretty hair-splitting for MCPS to separate vocal music and musical theater.

See page 23:

https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DMJHXR4AA9BD/$file/Boundary%20Studies%20Program%20Analysis%20Update%20251016%20PPT%20REV.pdf#page=33

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must have missed something in one of the MCPS slide decks. Where did it say that criteria-based music would be at Einstein in the new regional model? All I have found (and the presentations I have reviewed) has simply said that "Performing Arta" would be at Northwood. Music being a performing art, I think I might have just assumed - or maybe something has been updated? It seems pretty hair-splitting for MCPS to separate vocal music and musical theater.

See page 23:

https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DMJHXR4AA9BD/$file/Boundary%20Studies%20Program%20Analysis%20Update%20251016%20PPT%20REV.pdf#page=33

Thanks! That does represent a tweak in the arts plans for Einstein vs Northwood from what I saw earlier, and a change in theater from criteria to interest, as well.