If Your Bethesda/Potomac Kid Goes to Blair Magnet, How Do You Handle After-School Activities?

[Anonymous]

I’m sure there’s also a bus down University from Blair to Wheaton, and the 34 runs from Wheaton to Medical Center, Bethesda metro, and Friendship Heights. I also went to Blair in the 90s and we did get rides from parents and friends but also took public transportation. That was the old Blair to it wasn’t in exactly the same place. Might have been an easier walk to SS metro than it is from Four Corners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sure there’s also a bus down University from Blair to Wheaton, and the 34 runs from Wheaton to Medical Center, Bethesda metro, and Friendship Heights. I also went to Blair in the 90s and we did get rides from parents and friends but also took public transportation. That was the old Blair to it wasn’t in exactly the same place. Might have been an easier walk to SS metro than it is from Four Corners.

There is a bus right from Blair to Twinbrook metro too. Not a short ride but it does work.

[Anonymous]

AND as of July 1, kids ride free all the time on all RideOn and Metro buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AND as of July 1, kids ride free all the time on all RideOn and Metro buses.

I'm pretty sure this is only RideOn and not metro busses. Are Metro busses in the County included? I have only heard it described as RideOn are free to students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AND as of July 1, kids ride free all the time on all RideOn and Metro buses.

I'm pretty sure this is only RideOn and not metro busses. Are Metro busses in the County included? I have only heard it described as RideOn are free to students.

"All Metro bus trips that originate in Montgomery County are covered under the Kids Ride Free program."

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/kidsridefree/index.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AND as of July 1, kids ride free all the time on all RideOn and Metro buses.

I'm pretty sure this is only RideOn and not metro busses. Are Metro busses in the County included? I have only heard it described as RideOn are free to students.

"All Metro bus trips that originate in Montgomery County are covered under the Kids Ride Free program."

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/kidsridefree/index.html

Cool, thanks, that is good info to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uber it is trackable and cheaper than a car plus insurance. Why waste any more time than necessary.

This is pathetic

[Anonymous]

If you have the money to buy a million dollar house you should have enough to pay for transportation. Its absurd to take away downcountry slots from downcountry kids when the "W" schools are "far superior." If you want your kid to go to Blair figure it out or move. You can afford to buy them a car/insurance and yes, you can afford to send them to private school - you can take money out from the house... should have equity.

This is ridiculous. These aren't downcountry spots. Its not the down county regular program. Its a test-in magnet designed to attract the smartest kids who primarily come from outside the DCC.

The equity drivers for the magnet program was and still is to lure high performing non minority kids into a lower performing school to bump of the scores. In fact, the magnets were and are the MCPS solution for achieving more integration. Since the white kids already in the DCC who perform well but not as well as the OOB kids are already there what value would there ever be in taking away spots from higher qualified white kids for DCC white kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you have the money to buy a million dollar house you should have enough to pay for transportation. Its absurd to take away downcountry slots from downcountry kids when the "W" schools are "far superior." If you want your kid to go to Blair figure it out or move. You can afford to buy them a car/insurance and yes, you can afford to send them to private school - you can take money out from the house... should have equity.

This is ridiculous. These aren't downcountry spots. Its not the down county regular program. Its a test-in magnet designed to attract the smartest kids who primarily come from outside the DCC.

The equity drivers for the magnet program was and still is to lure high performing non minority kids into a lower performing school to bump of the scores. In fact, the magnets were and are the MCPS solution for achieving more integration. Since the white kids already in the DCC who perform well but not as well as the OOB kids are already there what value would there ever be in taking away spots from higher qualified white kids for DCC white kids?

I was going to ask you for evidence to support this assertion, but if I did that, then the thread will head straight for another round of Blair Is A Horrible School That Nobody Wants To Go To And Also The Smartest Kids There Are Actually From Bethesda/Is Not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You bought in Bethesda/Potomac for the great schools. Keep your kids at their home school and leave Blair for the poors you hate so much or move.

99% of them do

It doesn't always work out the way the parents expect. We bought a home in a "W" HS area for the schools. We expected all of our children would go to local schools. So far, we have had one DC go through W HS and another DC go to magnet HS. Some parents can afford to send their children to private schools when public options don't work. We can't. It's also not fair to our younger children to take them away from friends at the middle school to move to Silver Spring for older sibling to attend Blair.

This board is for all MD schools, and if you’re living in one of the top rich clusters in one of the top school systems I don’t think what seems fair to you or not regarding after-school activities at a magnet you chose to send your child to is really relevant to most of us. To complain that you can’t afford to send them to an even richer private school also doesn’t help.

I wrote the post you quote. I wasn't OP -- just responding to the comment that people who live in Bethesda/Potomac shouldn't send their kids to magnets. Most parents who have sent kids to magnets have made a lot of sacrifices to make it work. But logistics for afterschool activities aren't just for Blair, Poolesville, or RM. a kid living in Potomac Village who goes to Churchill and has two parents who work full time would have the same issue. The only difference about Blair or Poolesville or RM is that there is a smaller group to form carpools with.

[Anonymous]

Back to the OP's question, it depends on how far out you live. Most of the magnet kids are not local so you will meet many people in the exact same boat. If you are in closer in Potomac, Bethesda or Rockville this is easier but even if you are farther out people will car pool with you. The other car pool option is to have someone drop your kid off closer to you where you meet up after work. This gets tricky with traffic but can work too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the OP's question, it depends on how far out you live. Most of the magnet kids are not local so you will meet many people in the exact same boat. If you are in closer in Potomac, Bethesda or Rockville this is easier but even if you are farther out people will car pool with you. The other car pool option is to have someone drop your kid off closer to you where you meet up after work. This gets tricky with traffic but can work too.

That's untrue in fact the largest cohort lives relatively near.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to the OP's question, it depends on how far out you live. Most of the magnet kids are not local so you will meet many people in the exact same boat. If you are in closer in Potomac, Bethesda or Rockville this is easier but even if you are farther out people will car pool with you. The other car pool option is to have someone drop your kid off closer to you where you meet up after work. This gets tricky with traffic but can work too.

That's untrue in fact the largest cohort lives relatively near.

You think the program designed to get middle class kids to opt into low demographics schools from nicer areas is mostly filled with the local kids? It is like you’re in denial with who the program is trying to attract with it’s magnet. The only reason people think it isn’t all OOB kids is so many come from the Takoma and Eastern programs which are local.... although filled with lots of OOB kids too. If it wasn’t mostly OOB kids Takoma middle wouldn’t have to set aside 25 seats to ensure some local kids make it into the program.

Just look at the Magnet demographics, they look nothing like Blair’s local population. Just sayin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uber it is trackable and cheaper than a car plus insurance. Why waste any more time than necessary.

This is pathetic

Why is Uber pathetic, jealous much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to the OP's question, it depends on how far out you live. Most of the magnet kids are not local so you will meet many people in the exact same boat. If you are in closer in Potomac, Bethesda or Rockville this is easier but even if you are farther out people will car pool with you. The other car pool option is to have someone drop your kid off closer to you where you meet up after work. This gets tricky with traffic but can work too.

That's untrue in fact the largest cohort lives relatively near.

You think the program designed to get middle class kids to opt into low demographics schools from nicer areas is mostly filled with the local kids? It is like you’re in denial with who the program is trying to attract with it’s magnet. The only reason people think it isn’t all OOB kids is so many come from the Takoma and Eastern programs which are local.... although filled with lots of OOB kids too. If it wasn’t mostly OOB kids Takoma middle wouldn’t have to set aside 25 seats to ensure some local kids make it into the program.

Just look at the Magnet demographics, they look nothing like Blair’s local population. Just sayin

I think you're living in the past. A lot has changed in the 30 years since this was true.