BOE/MCPS is a mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does MCPS and the BOE have a plan for the spike in COVID after Winter Break? Cases are already spiking across the entire school system after Thanksgiving. Combine that with out of state travel plans during Winter Break, it’s going to be a sh$t show of COVID spread in January.

If if the case rate is already spiking, then hooray, the next thing to happen is that the case rate will come down again. Or did you mean that the case rate is increasing?

I'm old enough to remember all the way back to August 2021, when every second post on DCUM solemnly averred that MCPS was going to be a huge mess within 2 weeks of school starting.

Also, how do you know cases are rising? MoCo data hasn't been updated in 10 days. State data is only current for hospitalizations. The local case could have plummeted (unlikely). But you can't also assert that cases are spiking if the data hasn't been updated since 12/4

It makes for a better gripe narrative, obvs.

Really? You want to hang your hat on the argument that the explained absence of data suggests that cases have gone down? We don't have the data, and that is a problem. However, it's been over 10 days since the data became inaccessible, and hospitalizations have been rising at a steadly clip. Given that hospitalizations are a lagging indicator, that suggests that cases have been rising over this period.

I don't know if MCPS has been reporting the number of positive tests, but Howard and Anne Arundel County public schools have, and both have seen a tremendous increase with the highest number of positive cases so far this year.

No. In fact, I even said its unlikely. But you're hard to take seriously when you say "Cases are SPIKING" when they aren't currently reporting case counts...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This was a small scale boundary study so there wasn't an opportunity to bus very many kids yet they bused as many as they could get away with. The boundary policy changes in 2018 also allow for MCPS to bus kids to adjoining clusters. When there's a large enough study like there will be for Crown or Woodward there'll be a LOT of busing. Had Covid not hit, the BOE was set to tee up a countywide boundary study with the specific purpose of moving as many boundaries as possible to make MCPS as diverse as possible with as little care for proximity as they could get away with. Busing is still coming. It'll probably just take 15 years. Thankfully my kids will be well out of MCPS by then but I feel bad for people with small children who are blissfully unaware of what the pro-busing boundary policy has in store for them.

Nope, here in the real world that was never even suggested. Just another one of your fever dreams.

It was suggested right in the boundary analysis resolution.

https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/B8C2XD77A17C/$file/20190108%20ADOPTED%20Rev%20Boundary%20Assessment%20Study-FAA.pdf

"It may not be feasible to revise all boundaries, however, there are many schools in MCPS with
adjacent school boundaries that have both significant disparities in socioeconomic and racial demographics and disparities in facility utilization. Examining the possibility of altering the
boundaries for these schools can present opportunities for progress toward ensuring that all
students are able to reap the significant benefits of attending school with a diverse student body,"

Be honest with yourself, does this section sound like something an organization would write if they intended to sit on their hands or does it sound like the precursor to revise as many boundaries as possible?

Did you not see where it says "many schools" and "for these schools"? That is not evidence of your claim that "the BOE was set to tee up a countywide boundary study."

Did you not see where it says ""It may not be feasible to revise all boundarie?" That means they'd revise them all if it was possible. The only way it's possible is with a countywide study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

ya that person is delusional

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

This person who keeps trying to make imaginary busing a thing is kind of annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

And the boundary analysis report found that doing this would nearly double the number of overcrowded elementary schools:

Rezoning students to their closest school has a drastic negative impact on utilization rates

Rezoning elementary school students to their closest school in Step One widens the total range of utilization rates from 62% - 200% to 34% - 225%. This increases the total number of overutilized elementary schools from 20 to 38. The effect is similar at the middle and high school levels, with more schools becoming significantly under- and overutilized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

And the boundary analysis report found that doing this would nearly double the number of overcrowded elementary schools:

Rezoning students to their closest school has a drastic negative impact on utilization rates

Rezoning elementary school students to their closest school in Step One widens the total range of utilization rates from 62% - 200% to 34% - 225%. This increases the total number of overutilized elementary schools from 20 to 38. The effect is similar at the middle and high school levels, with more schools becoming significantly under- and overutilized.

And yet no one on the BOE thought that utilization rate should be the priority...or proximity. The elevated the one factor hardly anyone cares about, diversity. This shows how woefully out of touch the BOE is with the overwhelming majority of residents in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

This person who keeps trying to make imaginary busing a thing is kind of annoying.

Ah right. Sorry. I know you pro-busers hate the term busing. I'll edit.

In either case I think we can agree that, one way or the other, there will be a lot of kids sent to schools a lot farther from home because of the color of their skin and their family's income on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

And the boundary analysis report found that doing this would nearly double the number of overcrowded elementary schools:

Rezoning students to their closest school has a drastic negative impact on utilization rates

Rezoning elementary school students to their closest school in Step One widens the total range of utilization rates from 62% - 200% to 34% - 225%. This increases the total number of overutilized elementary schools from 20 to 38. The effect is similar at the middle and high school levels, with more schools becoming significantly under- and overutilized.

And yet no one on the BOE thought that utilization rate should be the priority...or proximity. The elevated the one factor hardly anyone cares about, diversity. This shows how woefully out of touch the BOE is with the overwhelming majority of residents in MoCo.

Of course they did/do. In every boundary study, utilization has always been a priority, both before and after the policy revision. One could even argue it is the top priority, because this factor has been used to support or reject most of the options presented. The selected option is always a compromise among the four factors, but in most cases, utilization rates are improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Ah right. Sorry. I know you pro-busers hate the term busing. I'll edit.

In either case I think we can agree that, one way or the other, there will be a lot of kids sent to schools a lot farther from home because of the color of their skin and their family's income on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

This person who keeps trying to make imaginary busing a thing is kind of annoying.

Ah right. Sorry. I know you pro-busers hate the term busing. I'll edit.

In either case I think we can agree that, one way or the other, there will be a lot of kids sent to schools a lot farther from home because of the color of their skin and their family's income on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Fear mongering at it's best

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With Northwood HS, Woodward HS and Crown HS coming on line in just a few years, the time is now for a county wide boundary study. But that would be too much common sense, so no, MCPS won't do it.

How would that be common sense? Common sense would be to conduct two smaller (but still quite large) boundary studies, one for each set of schools that will be affected by the construction of these new buildings: in 2023-24, a Woodward study to include WJ, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton; and in 2024-25, a Crown study to include Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, RM, and Wootton.

I can't see anything sensible about throwing in all other schools' boundaries too.

In either case, I think we can agree that one way or the other, there will be busing on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

Schools are too overcrowded for this to occur.

This person who keeps trying to make imaginary busing a thing is kind of annoying.

Ah right. Sorry. I know you pro-busers hate the term busing. I'll edit.

In either case I think we can agree that, one way or the other, there will be a lot of kids sent to schools a lot farther from home because of the color of their skin and their family's income on a large scale after these two studies are complete unless we elect candidates who will comit to sending kids to their nearest school like 90% of the county wants.

This. But honestly, how else can we fix it? We know that schools with a significant number of poor students experience a lot more challenges than schools with low FARMS. We also know that the neighborhood you live in for the most part is a reflection of your SES. I think it's appalling that a school can have a 15% FARMS rate and a few miles away, there's one that is 60%. I get why people are furious at the idea that their kids must be bussed further away to resolve this issue but I just don't see how else to fix it unless we implement school choice which I personally think is a much better and equitable approach.

[Anonymous]

Newsflash : we do not currently and will never have a system where all children can attend the closest school to them. We currently bus many kids to school. This idea that "busing" is some new and dangerous idea is preposterous. And the idea that reducing segregation has no benefits goes against decades of research. The "anti-busing" movement is racist at its core. I know many of you have convinced yourselves you just want "neighborhood schools" but that is simply not a coherent argument.