Race in MoCo magnets

[Anonymous]

The MSMC process uses different criteria from the application magnets. The MSMC was created through a federal grant to decrease socioeconomic isolation within those schools. For this reason, when they were opened transporation was provided from BCC/WJ clusters but not from the DCC. In addition, the critereon that is made explicit in the description of the choice process - namely the percentage of students on Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) at the applicant’s home school - is in place to insure that the MSMC does not inadvertantly increase socioeconomic isolation at neighborhing DCC middle schools. So I don't believe that FARMs is a proxy for race, but a way to help maintain more balanced SES elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

There is no lack of diversity in the Parkland/argyle/Loiederman cluster. All of the schools are highly diverse. To the point that they Ration the number of white kids in each school. I still want someone to explain why it's ok to penalize a white kid for his race. It's not right to do it to a minority chold and it's equally wrong to do it to a white child.

[Anonymous]

This may not be popular view here, but there is indeed discrimination going on in the "lottery". My son is in fifth grade in a consortium (Title 1) elementary school. His interest is in science. He's tested into honors programs (not MCPS) in math and science. He's been to Space Camp twice and won awards there for his work during those weeks. He's a smart kid. He's also not poor. Obviously his first choice was Parkland - for aerospace. He was one of two kids in his class that didn't get his first choice of middle schools. He was assigned to Loiderman. In the meantime they've let out of consortium kids into Parkland.

Can someone tell me how this is fair or how my son is not being penalized for not being poor?

What is the crtieria for entry and how did yoru son do based on that criteria?

Your post is riddled with your impression of your son but no hard, fast and concrete data?

For example, entrance exam scores and percentiles, grade point average and rank, letters of reference or recommendation (superlative or not)?

If entrance is by lottery then you have your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget the purposes of these magnets, which is to keep white kids in the east county schools. I think excluding them from the lottery would kind of defeat the purpose.

They Do't exclude them from the lottery, but they're less likelY to get in their first choice of school. And they DO look at the individual child - not just the FARMS stats at their elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What is the crtieria for entry and how did yoru son do based on that criteria?

Your post is riddled with your impression of your son but no hard, fast and concrete data?

For example, entrance exam scores and percentiles, grade point average and rank, letters of reference or recommendation (superlative or not)?

If entrance is by lottery then you have your answer.

My point is that this is supposed to be a lottery. To me that means it's supposed to be random. It's not. If he was a poor minority I have very little doubt that he would have gotten his first choice - as the vast majority of his classmates at his Title One school did. I still maintain that my kids should get their first choices before they admit a child from out of consortium. This is not the way to keep white kids in these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is being hispanic an advantage in getting a spot into a magnet program in MoCo. I'm really just curious.

I certainly hope not! That would be incredibly racist and unfair!

And you are delusional to think it doesn't happen all the time!

What do you mean? who are you calling delusional?

[Anonymous]

13:53 - you really need to call the consortium office; it is a lottery but there are clearly stated criteria used to sort applicants - including base middle school, FARMs, etc. So it is not entirely random. It is strange that students are not given preference within their own school base area as others have suggested; that is something that schould be clarified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:53 - you really need to call the consortium office; it is a lottery but there are clearly stated criteria used to sort applicants - including base middle school, FARMs, etc. So it is not entirely random. It is strange that students are not given preference within their own school base area as others have suggested; that is something that schould be clarified.

I have called the Consortium office. The first thing we have to do is wait for the results of the Round 2 "lottery". When I told her we wanted Parkland she wasn't hopeful. The next step is an appeals process. The principal has agreed to write a letter on our behalf, but she said she's never seen anyone be successful in the appeals process. At the moment all we can do is wait. It just burns me up that we have to jump through these hoops when we live within the consortium boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13:53 - you really need to call the consortium office; it is a lottery but there are clearly stated criteria used to sort applicants - including base middle school, FARMs, etc. So it is not entirely random. It is strange that students are not given preference within their own school base area as others have suggested; that is something that schould be clarified.

I have called the Consortium office. The first thing we have to do is wait for the results of the Round 2 "lottery". When I told her we wanted Parkland she wasn't hopeful. The next step is an appeals process. The principal has agreed to write a letter on our behalf, but she said she's never seen anyone be successful in the appeals process. At the moment all we can do is wait. It just burns me up that we have to jump through these hoops when we live within the consortium boundaries.

I don't think consortium boundaries play a role in the way that you think they do (or should?). They certainly don't e.g. for language immersion programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think consortium boundaries play a role in the way that you think they do (or should?). They certainly don't e.g. for language immersion programs.

I believe that the consortium is different than the language immersion programs. These are "whole school magnets" and the schools are our home schools. Our kids are guaranteed a spot in one of the three. What's not guaranteed is which one they get into. My point is that those of us in consortium should get our choices - up to the number of spaces in each school - before they let kids from out of consortium in. My other point is that the decisions are obviously largely based on SES and I believe my child has been discriminated against because he is not poor. Again, I can't prove it, but I will fight it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think consortium boundaries play a role in the way that you think they do (or should?). They certainly don't e.g. for language immersion programs.

I believe that the consortium is different than the language immersion programs. These are "whole school magnets" and the schools are our home schools. Our kids are guaranteed a spot in one of the three. What's not guaranteed is which one they get into. My point is that those of us in consortium should get our choices - up to the number of spaces in each school - before they let kids from out of consortium in. My other point is that the decisions are obviously largely based on SES and I believe my child has been discriminated against because he is not poor. Again, I can't prove it, but I will fight it.

If it is so obvious -- how come you cannot prove it?