Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not push for a better magnet? There is your win-win for the entire region.

+1

This is the real elephant in the room. It’s the magnets at Woodward. Not the bean counting over FARMS.

I agree. And this is not the first time that point has been brought up on this forum. It is a high FARMS and a meaningless magnet combo that will give Woodward a horrible starting point. Having an important magnet (STEM, IB or humanities) will significantly improve school's chances to succeed.

If they really invest in it, the performing arts program could be an important magnet - like LaGuardia in NYC or Duke Ellington in DC. But they need a better balance between WJ and Woodward. Not that hard.

Easiest thing to do without any cost.

Is this still possible?

Off course. BOE decides and they have modified Super's recommendations in past when it comes to boundary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to see,

BCC
WJ
Woodward

3 solid schools around 20% FARMS. It will help all students. It's puzzling to see Super not go for this when there are no drawbacks of doing it.

Arbitrary 20% line is not what makes a good school or not

It does. once school having much higher percentage of FARMS it's not good for FARMS and non-FARMS both. Unfortunately we can't create around 20% FARMS for all schools in our county but whenever we can do it withoiut any negative, not doing it simply criminal.

Off course just having 20% does not mean you don't need to other things to have good schools. but it helps a lot.

DP I don't think there is any real tipping point that can be definitively known. The research is all observational, not to mention one group of kids that receive FARMS can be very different from another group of kids that receives FARMS. Same for non FARMS kids.

But what is obvious is that in general kids that receive FARMS have on average more needs than kids that don't receive FARMS. At the high school level schools receive no significant extra funding to address the needs associated with poverty. Spreading out those needs evenly across schools makes it easier to meet those needs absent additional resources. It is truly criminal to intentionally concentrate the needs in one of two schools that are so close together.

Woodward would have logical boundaries and a FARMS rate well below the overall MCPS rate under Taylor’s proposal. You’re just angry it won’t be a low FARMS school like WJ or Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not push for a better magnet? There is your win-win for the entire region.

+1

This is the real elephant in the room. It’s the magnets at Woodward. Not the bean counting over FARMS.

I agree. And this is not the first time that point has been brought up on this forum. It is a high FARMS and a meaningless magnet combo that will give Woodward a horrible starting point. Having an important magnet (STEM, IB or humanities) will significantly improve school's chances to succeed.

If they really invest in it, the performing arts program could be an important magnet - like LaGuardia in NYC or Duke Ellington in DC. But they need a better balance between WJ and Woodward. Not that hard.

Taylor has already shown he is only willing to support programs in name only. Have you looked at the “criteria” for these music programs? Just need a C or better. No audition required. No private lessons as part of the program, just dumb musicianship class. Taylor is purposely NOT following the successful model of Duke Ellington. He doesn’t want a full on art school. He wants a regular school with a handful of music kids so can dent allocations for music teachers at the other 5 schools ij the region.

These programs are a smokescreen for provided less to students, not more.

[Anonymous]

DP I don't think there is any real tipping point that can be definitively known. The research is all observational, not to mention one group of kids that receive FARMS can be very different from another group of kids that receives FARMS. Same for non FARMS kids.

But what is obvious is that in general kids that receive FARMS have on average more needs than kids that don't receive FARMS. At the high school level schools receive no significant extra funding to address the needs associated with poverty. Spreading out those needs evenly across schools makes it easier to meet those needs absent additional resources. It is truly criminal to intentionally concentrate the needs in one of two schools that are so close together.

Woodward would have logical boundaries and a FARMS rate well below the overall MCPS rate under Taylor’s proposal. You’re just angry it won’t be a low FARMS school like WJ or Whitman.

And by logical you mean it will keep high FARMS kids as far away from you as possible.

[Anonymous]

It’s outrageous that MCPS and local politicians are social engineering WJ and Woodward, two schools about a mile a part, into vastly different environments that will result in different outcomes for its students; and (since this is the Real Estate thread) the unfair effect it has on neighborhoods like Old Farm and Lux Manor. The school board and superintendent could easily equalize the FARMS distribution to make both schools better for all students, but they DIDN’T. They chose to concentrate FARMS kids in Woodward instead of a more even distribution with WJ. It makes no sense, so the question is WHY? Where do these decision makers or their love ones live? Did someone get a kickback?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It’s outrageous that MCPS and local politicians are social engineering WJ and Woodward, two schools about a mile a part, into vastly different environments that will result in different outcomes for its students; and (since this is the Real Estate thread) the unfair effect it has on neighborhoods like Old Farm and Lux Manor. The school board and superintendent could easily equalize the FARMS distribution to make both schools better for all students, but they DIDN’T. They chose to concentrate FARMS kids in Woodward instead of a more even distribution with WJ. It makes no sense, so the question is WHY? Where do these decision makers or their love ones live? Did someone get a kickback?

This is not the real estate thread. Maybe take a break from posting for a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It’s outrageous that MCPS and local politicians are social engineering WJ and Woodward, two schools about a mile a part, into vastly different environments that will result in different outcomes for its students; and (since this is the Real Estate thread) the unfair effect it has on neighborhoods like Old Farm and Lux Manor. The school board and superintendent could easily equalize the FARMS distribution to make both schools better for all students, but they DIDN’T. They chose to concentrate FARMS kids in Woodward instead of a more even distribution with WJ. It makes no sense, so the question is WHY? Where do these decision makers or their love ones live? Did someone get a kickback?

Thank you for letting us know that there is a real estate topic on this. I am heading there right away .

[Anonymous]

Just fyi, Luxmanor is one word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It’s outrageous that MCPS and local politicians are social engineering WJ and Woodward, two schools about a mile a part, into vastly different environments that will result in different outcomes for its students; and (since this is the Real Estate thread) the unfair effect it has on neighborhoods like Old Farm and Lux Manor. The school board and superintendent could easily equalize the FARMS distribution to make both schools better for all students, but they DIDN’T. They chose to concentrate FARMS kids in Woodward instead of a more even distribution with WJ. It makes no sense, so the question is WHY? Where do these decision makers or their love ones live? Did someone get a kickback?

Show us the maps and why what you want wouldn’t look more like overt “social engineering.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For a supposedly liberal county, you all sure have a lot of antipathy towards poorer people at your kids’ schools. Have you thought of joining ICE and cleaning up MoCo so it will have the demographics you covet again? At least that would be intellectually honest.

Yeah, this thread is pretty disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not push for a better magnet? There is your win-win for the entire region.

+1

This is the real elephant in the room. It’s the magnets at Woodward. Not the bean counting over FARMS.

I agree. And this is not the first time that point has been brought up on this forum. It is a high FARMS and a meaningless magnet combo that will give Woodward a horrible starting point. Having an important magnet (STEM, IB or humanities) will significantly improve school's chances to succeed.

If they really invest in it, the performing arts program could be an important magnet - like LaGuardia in NYC or Duke Ellington in DC. But they need a better balance between WJ and Woodward. Not that hard.

Taylor has already shown he is only willing to support programs in name only. Have you looked at the “criteria” for these music programs? Just need a C or better. No audition required. No private lessons as part of the program, just dumb musicianship class. Taylor is purposely NOT following the successful model of Duke Ellington. He doesn’t want a full on art school. He wants a regular school with a handful of music kids so can dent allocations for music teachers at the other 5 schools ij the region.

These programs are a smokescreen for provided less to students, not more.

The MBA Public School District.

[Anonymous]

I understand the logic of roughly equalizing the FARMS student population between WJ and Woodward.

But I’m trying to understand what the merit/logic is of the recommended plan. Setting aside diversity considerations, is there something compelling that is achieved under the current plan that wouldn’t be as good under the recommended plan? What’s the intellectually honest argument against equalizing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the logic of roughly equalizing the FARMS student population between WJ and Woodward.

But I’m trying to understand what the merit/logic is of the recommended plan. Setting aside diversity considerations, is there something compelling that is achieved under the current plan that wouldn’t be as good under the recommended plan? What’s the intellectually honest argument against equalizing?

Property values can't go as high if you don't have racial and economic segregation. We need to perpetuate racism in order to prop up the Bethesda real estate market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not push for a better magnet? There is your win-win for the entire region.

+1

This is the real elephant in the room. It’s the magnets at Woodward. Not the bean counting over FARMS.

I agree. And this is not the first time that point has been brought up on this forum. It is a high FARMS and a meaningless magnet combo that will give Woodward a horrible starting point. Having an important magnet (STEM, IB or humanities) will significantly improve school's chances to succeed.

If they really invest in it, the performing arts program could be an important magnet - like LaGuardia in NYC or Duke Ellington in DC. But they need a better balance between WJ and Woodward. Not that hard.

Taylor has already shown he is only willing to support programs in name only. Have you looked at the “criteria” for these music programs? Just need a C or better. No audition required. No private lessons as part of the program, just dumb musicianship class. Taylor is purposely NOT following the successful model of Duke Ellington. He doesn’t want a full on art school. He wants a regular school with a handful of music kids so can dent allocations for music teachers at the other 5 schools ij the region.

These programs are a smokescreen for provided less to students, not more.

Expecting kids to take private lessons is unreasonable given the cost. It would be nice to have a true arts school but its not going to happen. Most kids who are into music do outside programs. The music program really comes down to the teacher and students vs. calling it a magnet or not. Some schools have top music programs and others say they do and don't.

[Anonymous]

To the poster who referenced lowering property values in Kensington, I wonder how Wooten property values will change