New middle school enriched and accelerated classes

[Anonymous]

Interesting that they skipped English. Math is already tracked and in our limited exeprience the social studies curriculum is pretty amenable to enrichment already. English seems to be the real problem in thwith current curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please realize these classes are already on the Middle School Course selection and have been for several years. So this is not new.

not new for test-in magnets

new for "the unwashed masses"

Get the difference?

No, these are standard class descriptions from Pyle as in Pyle for the past several years. That is not a test-in magnet nor is it new. Get it now?

I just found the 2016-17 registration guide for Pyle and can't find the new class descriptions: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/pylems/counseling/Pyle%20Registration%20Booklet%202016-2017%20FINAL%20Jan%2019.pdf

Also, not listed on the current registration booklet for next year. Is there a secret class description I'm missing? Please provide evidence of your assertion, otherwise, it is BS.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

Seems to me that Pyle feels they already provide a superior level of teaching to their students compared to other mcps schools. We always read that Pyle kids don't bother with magnets because they already have wonderful schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

Seems to me that Pyle feels they already provide a superior level of teaching to their students compared to other mcps schools. We always read that Pyle kids don't bother with magnets because they already have wonderful schools.

Pyle the "school" may feel that way, but plenty of Pyle families do not . I wish that were the case. The truth is that most Pyle families I interact with are basically biding time knowing they'll have Whitman on the other side, which with Dr. Goodwin has always been a solid bet. Love him. I'm hoping his replacement is smart and strong, because leadership is so important. I see that now in a new way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

No they don't. You obviously are not in the Pyle pyramid or else you missed the last several PTA meetings or Principal speeches.

Historically the magnets have not been applied to since they are a very long commute away in rush hour traffic. Many kids have to also drop their after school travel sports and activities.
But with common core the middle school experience has gotten so bad that now the community prefers magnet car pools and making it work. That or Pyle and MCPS can get its act together for its top half students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

Seems to me that Pyle feels they already provide a superior level of teaching to their students compared to other mcps schools. We always read that Pyle kids don't bother with magnets because they already have wonderful schools.

MS taught all student bodies well back when it could do tracking in all subject matter. Curriculum 2.0 dropped differentiation for ES and MS and many students became bored beyond belief, especially after coming from the highly engaged HGC student body, class and curriculum.
Pyle has gotten an earful and now MCPS may bring back more challenging ability tracking and classes to home MS's.

MCPS MS and HS magnets are a pretty moot offering if you live that far away from where it's stationed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

Seems to me that Pyle feels they already provide a superior level of teaching to their students compared to other mcps schools. We always read that Pyle kids don't bother with magnets because they already have wonderful schools.

MS taught all student bodies well back when it could do tracking in all subject matter. Curriculum 2.0 dropped differentiation for ES and MS and many students became bored beyond belief, especially after coming from the highly engaged HGC student body, class and curriculum.
Pyle has gotten an earful and now MCPS may bring back more challenging ability tracking and classes to home MS's.

MCPS MS and HS magnets are a pretty moot offering if you live that far away from where it's stationed.

Good! Bring it back for ES too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Pyle admin is resisting this as much as they possibly can--the school believes that anyone who wants extra rigor should go to a magnet, as if you can snap your fingers and go, particularly now.

No they don't. You obviously are not in the Pyle pyramid or else you missed the last several PTA meetings or Principal speeches.

Historically the magnets have not been applied to since they are a very long commute away in rush hour traffic. Many kids have to also drop their after school travel sports and activities.
But with common core the middle school experience has gotten so bad that now the community prefers magnet car pools and making it work. That or Pyle and MCPS can get its act together for its top half students.

Pyle kids still apply in very small numbers to the magnets compared to other schools. Partially it’s the commute, partially it’s the “smart cohort” concept, even without the differentiation. Pyle has resisted differentiation for years but now theyre saying what parents want to hear because those are now the orders from above. Remains to be seen how they’ll implement the classes or if it gets the job done. They don’t even really know exactly what’s going to happen yet. But make no mistake, they’re irritated as all get out that they have to do this, and what you’re hearing at those meetings is the party line.

[Anonymous]

Pyle teachers hate the one third top/middle/bottom student classes. Everyone just sits there!
The pod system is too big to form a sense of community, with no ability tracking there is a different set of 30 kids in each of your 7 classes.

[Anonymous]

So true. I think a lot of Pyle teachers want differentiation. Last minute rollout maybe not though. The administrators have dragged their heels for years. Years. But now they have their marching orders, so that’s where it’s heading. This is good, though Im skeptical about rollout. There are a couple outspoken leader-type people in the school who’ve opposed differentiation in the past.. Don’t know who is influencing who, just know that getting any differentiation has been a very frustrating uphill battle for years.The school is too big. Also agree that when there’s a different group of kids for all seven periods it undoes the point of having a pod/team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are they not going to do anything for the upcounty students? Does anyone know?

Presumably they will wait to see how the downcounty pilot program goes this year before expanding to upcounty. That's how the changes to the CES worked -- pilot area last year, all schools this year.

Once again, Northern Hinterlands gets screwed. Never anything for our kids.

Upcounty has the same magnet process as before, which many parents preferred.

So all downcounty kids who are judged able are going to get enriched MS classes this year, either in magnet or home school, while just the ones who get into upcounty magnets will get enriched classes? There are plenty of able upcounty kids who would benefit from these enriched classes, too! And we would love it if we don’t have to wait another year or three to get them, if we get them at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are they not going to do anything for the upcounty students? Does anyone know?

Presumably they will wait to see how the downcounty pilot program goes this year before expanding to upcounty. That's how the changes to the CES worked -- pilot area last year, all schools this year.

Once again, Northern Hinterlands gets screwed. Never anything for our kids.

Upcounty has the same magnet process as before, which many parents preferred.

Really? I'm in upcounty and would love to see enriched classes in MS for my kids. How do you know what the upcounty parents preference is? 7 in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are they not going to do anything for the upcounty students? Does anyone know?

Presumably they will wait to see how the downcounty pilot program goes this year before expanding to upcounty. That's how the changes to the CES worked -- pilot area last year, all schools this year.

Once again, Northern Hinterlands gets screwed. Never anything for our kids.

Upcounty has the same magnet process as before, which many parents preferred.

Really? I'm in upcounty and would love to see enriched classes in MS for my kids. How do you know what the upcounty parents preference is? 7 in

Well, have you followed the uproar over the changes to the magnet process downcounty? People have been livid over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are they not going to do anything for the upcounty students? Does anyone know?

Presumably they will wait to see how the downcounty pilot program goes this year before expanding to upcounty. That's how the changes to the CES worked -- pilot area last year, all schools this year.

Once again, Northern Hinterlands gets screwed. Never anything for our kids.

Upcounty has the same magnet process as before, which many parents preferred.

Really? I'm in upcounty and would love to see enriched classes in MS for my kids. How do you know what the upcounty parents preference is? 7 in

Well, have you followed the uproar over the changes to the magnet process downcounty? People have been livid over it.

Upcounty would love to have downcounty’s horrible problem of enriched MS classes for able kids in addition to magnets.