Montgomery county's new SJ program

[Anonymous]

Lumping

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS wants to meet kids where they are, and if what is being proposed will truly work (cough, cough), the achievement gap will not close until current kindergartners graduate from high school. Because the county needs to meet high achievers where they are just like they have to meet low achievers where they are if they are going to be truly equitable.

In all honesty, MCPS is not at all interested in meeting the needs of high achieving kids. That would go against the very mission of closing the Achievement Gap. How can you close the gap if you encourage the kids at the top to do even better?

MCPS has reiterated over and over that it’s priority is closing the Achievement Gap. Equity is not about helping ALL students. It’s only about adding supports for certain students, or a certain race or ethnicity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being announced today by the council. How wil it impact schools? Sounds like they want equality if outcome really badly

It's about equity - not equality. There is a fundamental difference.

It's not about lowering standards, watering anything down, or whatever other euphemisms you'd like to use. It's about meeting kids where they are and ensuring everyone is supported and successful.

Except that’s not really what MCPD wants to do.

If they really wanted to ‘meet kids where they are’, there would be more focus on demonstrating improvement for kids of ALL races and ALL abilities.

Instead, MCPS has made it clear that it wants to focus on the Achievement Gap and making sure certain groups of students perform ‘better’.

MCPS doesn’t care about everyone being supported. If it really wanted to create a better learning environment for ALL students, it wouldn’t be supporting these useless Restorative Justice initiatives and would implement a true disciplinary policy that ensures kids who violate behavioral policies were actually given negative consequences.

This. I understand the desire to lower suspension rates, particularly as suspension and expulsion are disproportionately levied against kids of color. However, they have introduced these asinine practices with no training or support for school staff. Basically, they took away one tool (suspension) but never actually replaced it with anything. So now instead of having one kid acting out, and having their education disrupted by suspension, you have one kid acting out and disrupting the educations of the entire class, in perpetuity.

[Anonymous]

It's all a lost cause in MCPS. They are bound and determined to burn down all that is good in the name of Social Justice.

I am just praying that they don't make any substantial changes to the Blair SMCS program before my DC graduates in 2 years. It feels like a race to the finish.

[Anonymous]

There are several schools in Texas near the Rio Grande where the URM kids are outscoring the wealthy white kids in the rest of Texas. The school is predominantly poor too so it isn't that the presence of white kids is miraculously raising up the poor minority kids. There are no data games or diversions.

The biggest difference seems to be the leadership which is laser focused on embracing and helping these kids succeed in the school. It isn't managed from above in a central office. The principals are not bureaucrats hired based on their connection to someone in the central office. What is interesting is that MCPS has many of the types of program that the Rio Grande schools use to raise performance but the difference is that the Rio Grande schools actually execute the programs. MCPS announces something on twitter and then fails to re-allocate resources into the schools to carry it out. In Rio Grande they put the resources into the schools to carry out the programs.

You can address the achievement gap but you can't do it with twitter and drive by trainings while all the resources sit in a central office. Put the resources into the poor schools. Hire principals with energy who are capable and care about the students not just keeping their job. Let teachers teach. Engage the community in meaningful not fake ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's all a lost cause in MCPS. They are bound and determined to burn down all that is good in the name of Social Justice.

I am just praying that they don't make any substantial changes to the Blair SMCS program before my DC graduates in 2 years. It feels like a race to the finish.

I feel the same way - my youngest graduated in May and I'm elated to be done with MCPS. Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard people suggest the German system of Realschule or Gymnasium and they know it could never happen here because not enough of this and that group will do well enough to get into a Gymnasium.

[Anonymous]

Remember there are 5 groups MCPS focuses on (this was in a handout online... dont' have time to dig up the link):
1. Blacks, non FARMS
2. Blacks, FARMS
3. Hispanics, non-FARMs
4. Hispaniscs, FARMS
5. Asian and White non-FARMS

So if you are Asian or white and not FARMS, they don't care about tracking you at all. And if you are black or hispanic, you are tracked regardless of income. They just assume Hispanics are going to do poorly, even though they are not a minority in MCPS.

How about dropping the racial bit and focus on FARMs kids overall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Awesome. Should be an amazing success.

Just like when Nancy Navarro turned Rockville into a Destination with her professional soccer team taking over Richard Montgomery High School!

? what's this about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS wants to meet kids where they are, and if what is being proposed will truly work (cough, cough), the achievement gap will not close until current kindergartners graduate from high school. Because the county needs to meet high achievers where they are just like they have to meet low achievers where they are if they are going to be truly equitable.

In all honesty, MCPS is not at all interested in meeting the needs of high achieving kids. That would go against the very mission of closing the Achievement Gap. How can you close the gap if you encourage the kids at the top to do even better?

MCPS has reiterated over and over that it’s priority is closing the Achievement Gap. Equity is not about helping ALL students. It’s only about adding supports for certain students, or a certain race or ethnicity.

You are right and that is exactly the point I was trying to make as well as pointing out the hypocrisy of equity.

[Anonymous]

So crime will increase, schools will get worse taxes will go up and even more as productive people flee

[Anonymous]

I have liberal friends who base where they live in FARMs rates and that makes it non racist of them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MCPS has been trying to close the gap for how many years now? And what has it resulted in? some kids still doing poorly and brighter kids not being challenged. MCPS has been meeting some populations where they are by providing free meals, free clothes, free medical care, extra classes, but none of this is working and it is impacting other populations. it would be fantastic if these dollars would go to hiring more teachers. Smaller classrooms will benefit all. how about more classes to challenge brighter kids?? Not the dumbed down versions of honors classes we have today where 75% of the grade is in them. Bring back tracking so that all the kids in a classroom have a chance to move at the same.pace. how about more extracurricular activities? face it, some kids are not destined for success as you and I envision it. And as outsiders, we can't fix what is going on at home. There are some problems that MCPS will never be able to fix.

You're saying that, based on what? The argument seems to be: MCPS tried x, y, and z, and it didn't solve the a big, complex, societal problem completely, so MCPS should just stop doing all of those things. (What free clothes and free medical care is MCPS providing, by the way?)

"Some kids are not destined for success" is what people say about the kids of those people - you know, them. I could say the same with equal validity about your kids - my kids are doing fine in school, so if yours aren't, I guess they're just not destined for success, sorry. Right?

my daughters elem school - titlen1 had a nurse who did physicals and checkups, including immunizations. there was also a large room set aside with clothing, etc. that parents can go and shop for their kids. kids also received grocery bags of food to take home. so this does exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Awesome. Should be an amazing success.

Just like when Nancy Navarro turned Rockville into a Destination with her professional soccer team taking over Richard Montgomery High School!

? what's this about?

Also wondering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MCPS has been trying to close the gap for how many years now? And what has it resulted in? some kids still doing poorly and brighter kids not being challenged. MCPS has been meeting some populations where they are by providing free meals, free clothes, free medical care, extra classes, but none of this is working and it is impacting other populations. it would be fantastic if these dollars would go to hiring more teachers. Smaller classrooms will benefit all. how about more classes to challenge brighter kids?? Not the dumbed down versions of honors classes we have today where 75% of the grade is in them. Bring back tracking so that all the kids in a classroom have a chance to move at the same.pace. how about more extracurricular activities? face it, some kids are not destined for success as you and I envision it. And as outsiders, we can't fix what is going on at home. There are some problems that MCPS will never be able to fix.

You're saying that, based on what? The argument seems to be: MCPS tried x, y, and z, and it didn't solve the a big, complex, societal problem completely, so MCPS should just stop doing all of those things. (What free clothes and free medical care is MCPS providing, by the way?)

"Some kids are not destined for success" is what people say about the kids of those people - you know, them. I could say the same with equal validity about your kids - my kids are doing fine in school, so if yours aren't, I guess they're just not destined for success, sorry. Right?

my daughters elem school - titlen1 had a nurse who did physicals and checkups, including immunizations. there was also a large room set aside with clothing, etc. that parents can go and shop for their kids. kids also received grocery bags of food to take home. so this does exist.

MCPS offers free food all summer for kids who need it. And flu shots in certain schools. Not unheard of.