Feedback about the newly split Roberto Clemente and Martin Luther King middle school magnet programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something is not right about this situation. The school can't discriminate against students in the program because they can't afford to spend $1200 on a field trip. That's extreme and many middle and upper middle class families may even have an issue with that. It doesn't matter that this trip was discussed at a meeting discussing the magnet program. Students cannot be excluded from the magnet program because they don't have the money for this (or parents have other priorities, like more than one child) and they certainly should not be discouraged from applying to the program. There has to be something more to this than what the OP has posted.

If you can't afford it, you're supposed to talk to the secretary, and then the magnet program coordinator sends out e-mails to the magnet program parents, saying, "Hey, we (still) need (more) money, please write checks," until there's enough money for the kids whose parents can't afford it to go..

Really.

It's possible that parents keep their kids out of the magnet program because they're worried about paying for the 8th grade field trip, but I don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something is not right about this situation. The school can't discriminate against students in the program because they can't afford to spend $1200 on a field trip. That's extreme and many middle and upper middle class families may even have an issue with that. It doesn't matter that this trip was discussed at a meeting discussing the magnet program. Students cannot be excluded from the magnet program because they don't have the money for this (or parents have other priorities, like more than one child) and they certainly should not be discouraged from applying to the program. There has to be something more to this than what the OP has posted.

How bout fundraising? Car wash, selling candy, Claire’s Gourmet, Skyzone tickets, Spirit Night at restaurants? So many ways to help defray the cost of these field trips. They can start in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:well the assumption is

how could these kids get into magnet ?
they were prep!

how did they get prep ?
their parents paid for it!

how could their parents afford ?
their parents have a lot money!

That may be the assumption, but the reality is that for at least the past 3 years, there have been parents who told the school that they didn't have the money for the trip.

[Anonymous]

The NYC trip is the cornerstone of the 8th grade humanities and media curriculum. On the trip, they conduct several interviews, visit several historical sites, and then they create two documentaries based on the footage and interviews. Is an excellent experience. The trip costs cover two broadway performances, transportation, lodging and food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The NYC trip is the cornerstone of the 8th grade humanities and media curriculum. On the trip, they conduct several interviews, visit several historical sites, and then they create two documentaries based on the footage and interviews. Is an excellent experience. The trip costs cover two broadway performances, transportation, lodging and food.

You can't do that locally - in DC, for example? Without also having to pay for a hotel and two Broadway performances? There are certainly people to interview in DC, as well as historical sites. worth making documentaries about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The NYC trip is the cornerstone of the 8th grade humanities and media curriculum. On the trip, they conduct several interviews, visit several historical sites, and then they create two documentaries based on the footage and interviews. Is an excellent experience. The trip costs cover two broadway performances, transportation, lodging and food.

You can't do that locally - in DC, for example? Without also having to pay for a hotel and two Broadway performances? There are certainly people to interview in DC, as well as historical sites. worth making documentaries about.

Of course it’s feasible to do this elsewhere. But as a parent of a child who went to NYC, there is really so much independence and confidence that is gained from this week (which is bolstered through the rest of the school year). As a pp said, it really is Outdoor Ed on steroids. I would send my child again in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The NYC trip is the cornerstone of the 8th grade humanities and media curriculum. On the trip, they conduct several interviews, visit several historical sites, and then they create two documentaries based on the footage and interviews. Is an excellent experience. The trip costs cover two broadway performances, transportation, lodging and food.

You can't do that locally - in DC, for example? Without also having to pay for a hotel and two Broadway performances? There are certainly people to interview in DC, as well as historical sites. worth making documentaries about.

Of course it’s feasible to do this elsewhere. But as a parent of a child who went to NYC, there is really so much independence and confidence that is gained from this week (which is bolstered through the rest of the school year). As a pp said, it really is Outdoor Ed on steroids. I would send my child again in a heartbeat.

The independence and confidence need to be balanced against the dollar cost. Because the dollar cost is a lot of money for a required school field trip, even for people who can afford it.

[Anonymous]

At Eastern, they start talking about paying for the trip at the start of 6th grade. They have optional fundraisers beginning in 6th that kids can apply to their individual accounts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Eastern, they start talking about paying for the trip at the start of 6th grade. They have optional fundraisers beginning in 6th that kids can apply to their individual accounts.

The fundraising is good, and better than they do at Clemente, but it shouldn't be something that just the non-affluent kids have to do for themselves. If this is a class/group field trip, it should be class/group fundraising.

[Anonymous]

Fundraising would need a parent or teacher to spearhead the operation. When we were at Clemente, I think I remember the administration asserting the fact we didn't have fundraising had to do with accounting - no fund MCPS would let us put the money in? probably explaining this very wrong...

The trip is very worthwhile. Could they do it in the DC area? probably. They'd give up the extreme bonding they gain on the trip, and the independence - the kids really are the leaders and their chaperone of their group of 7 or 8 just makes sure they are safe and helps them out as they navigate the city.

Parents have fought so hard over the years to have the trip, it'd be a shame to lose it. But whatever, I'm used to by now MCPS changing everything that was good. At least they've done it just after we leave that grade, school, etc. The fight's gone out in us, and if future families are ok with it, be complacent and it will go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fundraising would need a parent or teacher to spearhead the operation. When we were at Clemente, I think I remember the administration asserting the fact we didn't have fundraising had to do with accounting - no fund MCPS would let us put the money in? probably explaining this very wrong...

The trip is very worthwhile. Could they do it in the DC area? probably. They'd give up the extreme bonding they gain on the trip, and the independence - the kids really are the leaders and their chaperone of their group of 7 or 8 just makes sure they are safe and helps them out as they navigate the city.

Parents have fought so hard over the years to have the trip, it'd be a shame to lose it. But whatever, I'm used to by now MCPS changing everything that was good. At least they've done it just after we leave that grade, school, etc. The fight's gone out in us, and if future families are ok with it, be complacent and it will go away.

Whether the trip is worthwhile surely depends on whether you or not have the one thousand three hundred dollars to pay for it, and/or what else you were going to do with that money?

And can't kids be independent navigating the city in DC?

Clemente/MLK have a center program coordinator, who would be the logical person to be in charge of fundraising. Plus if Eastern can do fundraising, then so can Clemente.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fundraising would need a parent or teacher to spearhead the operation. When we were at Clemente, I think I remember the administration asserting the fact we didn't have fundraising had to do with accounting - no fund MCPS would let us put the money in? probably explaining this very wrong...

The trip is very worthwhile. Could they do it in the DC area? probably. They'd give up the extreme bonding they gain on the trip, and the independence - the kids really are the leaders and their chaperone of their group of 7 or 8 just makes sure they are safe and helps them out as they navigate the city.

Parents have fought so hard over the years to have the trip, it'd be a shame to lose it. But whatever, I'm used to by now MCPS changing everything that was good. At least they've done it just after we leave that grade, school, etc. The fight's gone out in us, and if future families are ok with it, be complacent and it will go away.

You could certainly put the fundraiser money in the school pta account. Our pta subsidizes some of the field trips at our school. With all the enthusiasm parents have for getting their children in these magnets there should be no problem getting parent help. The fundraised money should be split among all of the magnet kids, not just the students who cannot afford it. Done!

[Anonymous]

We loved the Magnet trips. There are a number of parents who will anonymously donate to cover any costs. The magnet secretary and coordinator will say that they are short by x number of dollars, and people will be ready to donate.

Don't worry about paying for it. You can certainly do carwashes and bake sales and sponsorships for it too. We were told to save $15 a week from the 6th grade and that was more than sufficient. However there are tons of money because MD state gives a lot of money to the school for special programs, and even when the school spreads it for everyone, there is a lot of money in the school which they do not want to spend on these students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fundraising would need a parent or teacher to spearhead the operation. When we were at Clemente, I think I remember the administration asserting the fact we didn't have fundraising had to do with accounting - no fund MCPS would let us put the money in? probably explaining this very wrong...

The trip is very worthwhile. Could they do it in the DC area? probably. They'd give up the extreme bonding they gain on the trip, and the independence - the kids really are the leaders and their chaperone of their group of 7 or 8 just makes sure they are safe and helps them out as they navigate the city.

Parents have fought so hard over the years to have the trip, it'd be a shame to lose it. But whatever, I'm used to by now MCPS changing everything that was good. At least they've done it just after we leave that grade, school, etc. The fight's gone out in us, and if future families are ok with it, be complacent and it will go away.

You could certainly put the fundraiser money in the school pta account. Our pta subsidizes some of the field trips at our school. With all the enthusiasm parents have for getting their children in these magnets there should be no problem getting parent help. The fundraised money should be split among all of the magnet kids, not just the students who cannot afford it. Done!

Actually, that is not true. Most of the time magnet parents are directly paying to the school for anything magnet related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fundraising would need a parent or teacher to spearhead the operation. When we were at Clemente, I think I remember the administration asserting the fact we didn't have fundraising had to do with accounting - no fund MCPS would let us put the money in? probably explaining this very wrong...

The trip is very worthwhile. Could they do it in the DC area? probably. They'd give up the extreme bonding they gain on the trip, and the independence - the kids really are the leaders and their chaperone of their group of 7 or 8 just makes sure they are safe and helps them out as they navigate the city.

Parents have fought so hard over the years to have the trip, it'd be a shame to lose it. But whatever, I'm used to by now MCPS changing everything that was good. At least they've done it just after we leave that grade, school, etc. The fight's gone out in us, and if future families are ok with it, be complacent and it will go away.

Whether the trip is worthwhile surely depends on whether you or not have the one thousand three hundred dollars to pay for it, and/or what else you were going to do with that money?

And can't kids be independent navigating the city in DC?

Clemente/MLK have a center program coordinator, who would be the logical person to be in charge of fundraising. Plus if Eastern can do fundraising, then so can Clemente.

The current coordinator is a complete moron with no experience. Interestingly has a kid in the magnet program too.