Magnets, Regions, and the Future of MCPS Gifted Kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Blair Magnet is not going to be the Blair magnet as it us now It will be a STEM program that ya nut based on the old magnet. Blair will probably be better then the other ones to be start to because of the existing teachers and facilities.

At least IB has an outside standard to meet.

The Blair magnet will have legacy classes, teachers, and reputation and will be in a much better position than new fangled stem magnets in other regions. Since it is clearly very important to MCPS that B-CC and Whitman kids have access to highest quality STEM it's quite likely that they will put some effort into preserving as much of Blair magnet as possible.

But the STEM curriculum will be totally different and the students will be chosen by lottery.

Not lottery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Blair Magnet is not going to be the Blair magnet as it us now It will be a STEM program that ya nut based on the old magnet. Blair will probably be better then the other ones to be start to because of the existing teachers and facilities.

At least IB has an outside standard to meet.

The Blair magnet will have legacy classes, teachers, and reputation and will be in a much better position than new fangled stem magnets in other regions. Since it is clearly very important to MCPS that B-CC and Whitman kids have access to highest quality STEM it's quite likely that they will put some effort into preserving as much of Blair magnet as possible.

"Legacy" didn't save TPMS from collapse when The Lottery arrived

How did TPMS collapse?

[Anonymous]

I was in the first class of RMIB. When my mom sent me to RM, the IB magnet was untested. And they were going to use a curriculum that was new to Mont Cty.

35 yrs later you are touting the rigor and value of RMIB. Someone has to be in the first class of the new magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I former RM IB kid with two kids who graduated from Blair I have to say that the desire to hog resources for the few slots in the IB / Blair STEM programs is not the right move and the new regional will be better with more slots and locations closer to where people live.

The dirty secret is that most of the magnet kids can and will excel at whatever high school they choose. Many of those kids who go to MIT from Blair will still get into MIT (just from different high schools). More kids should be given opportunities for advance coursework if they want to go down that path closer to home.

This is how alumni do by pointing figures at the programs that you and your kids took full benefits from? Can’t you see a tiny bit that the new regional magnets will not create the same quality nor enhancing the access (through using a low bar and then lottery)? Shame on you.

I’m the RMIB guy. Guess what … my kids were NOT in the Blair magnet program or CAP. Take your shame elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Also, those programs (RM/Blair), while definitely rigorous, create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and obnoxiousness for some of those students who participate (as well as their parents). No doubt many of the kids are lovely, but not sure I love some of the parents asking me if my kid was in Gen Pop.

Spread out the resources these program take so more kids can get access to them.

[Anonymous]

Families will probably bail from MCPS. We will. The two magnets serve very few and with the home school model, some schools don't have enough course offerings. Our oldest wanted the home school, so we agreed and they cannot meet even graduation requirements there. What will happen? Nothing, kids will go without the classes they need, just like now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the first class of RMIB. When my mom sent me to RM, the IB magnet was untested. And they were going to use a curriculum that was new to Mont Cty.

35 yrs later you are touting the rigor and value of RMIB. Someone has to be in the first class of the new magnets.

So what is your point? That we should dismantle a perfectly fine and successful magnet program so that new generations can go through your experience? Maybe we should also stop driving cars and start riding horses instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, those programs (RM/Blair), while definitely rigorous, create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and obnoxiousness for some of those students who participate (as well as their parents). No doubt many of the kids are lovely, but not sure I love some of the parents asking me if my kid was in Gen Pop.

Spread out the resources these program take so more kids can get access to them.

But this plan is not spreading resources. Have you seen in their presentation any resources being spread? No new teachers, no new investments, nothing. Just creating 30 new magnets out of thin air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I former RM IB kid with two kids who graduated from Blair I have to say that the desire to hog resources for the few slots in the IB / Blair STEM programs is not the right move and the new regional will be better with more slots and locations closer to where people live.

The dirty secret is that most of the magnet kids can and will excel at whatever high school they choose. Many of those kids who go to MIT from Blair will still get into MIT (just from different high schools). More kids should be given opportunities for advance coursework if they want to go down that path closer to home.

I like this, I totally agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the first class of RMIB. When my mom sent me to RM, the IB magnet was untested. And they were going to use a curriculum that was new to Mont Cty.

35 yrs later you are touting the rigor and value of RMIB. Someone has to be in the first class of the new magnets.

MCPS didn’t write the IB curriculum. Who will be writing the curricula for these new programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, those programs (RM/Blair), while definitely rigorous, create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and obnoxiousness for some of those students who participate (as well as their parents). No doubt many of the kids are lovely, but not sure I love some of the parents asking me if my kid was in Gen Pop.

Spread out the resources these program take so more kids can get access to them.

But this plan is not spreading resources. Have you seen in their presentation any resources being spread? No new teachers, no new investments, nothing. Just creating 30 new magnets out of thin air.

If your kid is such a high flyer take some math classes at MC or Maryland. Every school will have AP Calculus BC and probably local options to take the more rigorous math and science classes. And guess what, if your kid is crazy talented and at Northwood (a lower performing school) they could be #1 at Northwood! That actually means something in the college process and could get them into a better school. The idea that you cannot succeed outside the magnet is a fallacy. Further, at Blair, if you are an average magnet kid your profile actually doesn’t look so great when compared to the really high flyers in the program. Average Blair magnet kids are not getting into Ivy’s and some are not even getting into UMD for those precious engineering and computer science slots. The program is not overrated, it just does not need to be as consolidated and exclusive as currently constructed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the first class of RMIB. When my mom sent me to RM, the IB magnet was untested. And they were going to use a curriculum that was new to Mont Cty.

35 yrs later you are touting the rigor and value of RMIB. Someone has to be in the first class of the new magnets.

How about we get Kennedy and Rockville IBs up to RM IB standards first, then we can talk about making more new first classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, those programs (RM/Blair), while definitely rigorous, create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and obnoxiousness for some of those students who participate (as well as their parents). No doubt many of the kids are lovely, but not sure I love some of the parents asking me if my kid was in Gen Pop.

Spread out the resources these program take so more kids can get access to them.

But this plan is not spreading resources. Have you seen in their presentation any resources being spread? No new teachers, no new investments, nothing. Just creating 30 new magnets out of thin air.

If your kid is such a high flyer take some math classes at MC or Maryland. Every school will have AP Calculus BC and probably local options to take the more rigorous math and science classes. And guess what, if your kid is crazy talented and at Northwood (a lower performing school) they could be #1 at Northwood! That actually means something in the college process and could get them into a better school. The idea that you cannot succeed outside the magnet is a fallacy. Further, at Blair, if you are an average magnet kid your profile actually doesn’t look so great when compared to the really high flyers in the program. Average Blair magnet kids are not getting into Ivy’s and some are not even getting into UMD for those precious engineering and computer science slots. The program is not overrated, it just does not need to be as consolidated and exclusive as currently constructed.

MC doesn't offer these courses at the same level of rigor.

Does Maryland offer these courses in Montgomery County? (Shady Grove?) I don't think they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Blair Magnet is not going to be the Blair magnet as it us now It will be a STEM program that ya nut based on the old magnet. Blair will probably be better then the other ones to be start to because of the existing teachers and facilities.

At least IB has an outside standard to meet.

The Blair magnet will have legacy classes, teachers, and reputation and will be in a much better position than new fangled stem magnets in other regions. Since it is clearly very important to MCPS that B-CC and Whitman kids have access to highest quality STEM it's quite likely that they will put some effort into preserving as much of Blair magnet as possible.

"Legacy" didn't save TPMS from collapse when The Lottery arrived

How did TPMS collapse?

Half the kids can't keep up with the curriculum, so the curriculum had to be slowed and shrunk down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, those programs (RM/Blair), while definitely rigorous, create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and obnoxiousness for some of those students who participate (as well as their parents). No doubt many of the kids are lovely, but not sure I love some of the parents asking me if my kid was in Gen Pop.

Spread out the resources these program take so more kids can get access to them.

But this plan is not spreading resources. Have you seen in their presentation any resources being spread? No new teachers, no new investments, nothing. Just creating 30 new magnets out of thin air.

If your kid is such a high flyer take some math classes at MC or Maryland. Every school will have AP Calculus BC and probably local options to take the more rigorous math and science classes. And guess what, if your kid is crazy talented and at Northwood (a lower performing school) they could be #1 at Northwood! That actually means something in the college process and could get them into a better school. The idea that you cannot succeed outside the magnet is a fallacy. Further, at Blair, if you are an average magnet kid your profile actually doesn’t look so great when compared to the really high flyers in the program. Average Blair magnet kids are not getting into Ivy’s and some are not even getting into UMD for those precious engineering and computer science slots. The program is not overrated, it just does not need to be as consolidated and exclusive as currently constructed.

I can accept this. I just don't see how the proposed plan provides value to anybody. Why even bother with magnets. We have regular programs at all schools. They are neither consolidated nor exclusive. MCPS can simply add a couple of courses in low performing schools and achieve the same effect as this 30 magnets charade.