Seeking Insights on MCPS Magnet Middle School Selection Process

[Anonymous]

Just ignore the crazy, racist, anti-Semitic poster, folks.

(Also, honestly, who really believes MCPS central office is competent enough to successfully cover up a major conspiracy like this for years with no leaks?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore the crazy, racist, anti-Semitic poster, folks.

(Also, honestly, who really believes MCPS central office is competent enough to successfully cover up a major conspiracy like this for years with no leaks?)

LOL. That's the most convincing argument so far.

[Anonymous]

My daughter got accepted for both middle school humanities enrichment and middle school mathematics enrichment. She was previously placed in CES program too in elementary school. And we are immigrants but my daughter born here. My daughter never ever get any B in his whole academic life and her score in map M and map R is always 99%. And last, we never been into her school ever.

[Anonymous]

Thank you central office for your testimonials

[Anonymous]

My daughter is also in the pool for math and humanities.

[Anonymous]

My daughter got a spot at Takoma park but we are declining it. Too long of a commute, and she is in the Whitman cluster so I feel good about her home middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don’t need to be 99% to get into the pool. I’m another parent who found out my child wasn’t even placed in the pool despite meeting every criteria.

There are more than you know. Sorry you did not kiss ass with your school's administrators et al. Find out why kid not placed in pool. You have a RIGHT to know if they met every "criteria" (well, except that you didn't kiss ass). And what about the race you identify with, were the kids who were placed and selected same or different than your kid (yes we did just go all up in there with race b/c no one wants to bring it up!)?

NP here. I have had three kids in the magnets and no one would ever, ever, ever describe me as someone who “kisses ass” with the administrators.

It’s bizarre that so much nefarious intent is assumed.

Which race are you claiming benefits, btw? I genuinely am not sure what you are suggesting and the program itself is fairly diverse.

Yep Lots different types of Asians and white kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got a spot at Takoma park but we are declining it. Too long of a commute, and she is in the Whitman cluster so I feel good about her home middle school.

When you got a letter of acceptance for Takoma park? We received the lottery result on last Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi Parents, I’m seeking advice and insights regarding the process for identifying fifth-grade students for enrichment programs and magnet middle schools in MCPS.

My son has consistently performed exceptionally well academically. His MAP Math and Reading scores have been above the 95th percentile for the past two years (2023 and 2024), and his MCAP scores are in the top 4%. Despite this, he was not selected for a magnet middle school program.
By the way, we live in up county, and do not have FARM.

Did you get a letter explaining that your kid was entered into a lottery but not selected in the lottery?

That's the insight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The criteria is for the pool. Then it's a lottery from within the pool. Criteria is not just scores, also recs from teachers and consideration if their needs can be met at the home school.

BS. Does a lottery pick several friends from same class at same school while students of same "criteria" in a different class are not chosen?

Ok, we get it, you keep insisting that it’s not a real lottery. The truth is they’ve had a hard time filling spots since the lottery and most kids get offered a place.

No they have not "since the lottery."

Yes, they have.
1. Families with low scores who won the lottery tend to decline, because it's not useful.

2. Families with high scores at high performing schools far away: When you look around and see that more highly-cademic peers lost the lottery than won, you realize that its better to stay with your cohort at home school.
More students/parents are declining invitations now. (And this is fine! The higher performing kids at low performing schools need the magnet. What's not fine is when the 90+%ile kids at high FARMS school lose the lottery to 70%ile kids who can't make use of the magnet programming)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The criteria is for the pool. Then it's a lottery from within the pool. Criteria is not just scores, also recs from teachers and consideration if their needs can be met at the home school.

BS. Does a lottery pick several friends from same class at same school while students of same "criteria" in a different class are not chosen?

Find a magnet child and ask them to explain it to you. Yes, that's how randomness works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The criteria is for the pool. Then it's a lottery from within the pool. Criteria is not just scores, also recs from teachers and consideration if their needs can be met at the home school.

BS. Does a lottery pick several friends from same class at same school while students of same "criteria" in a different class are not chosen?

Ok, we get it, you keep insisting that it’s not a real lottery. The truth is they’ve had a hard time filling spots since the lottery and most kids get offered a place.

No they have not "since the lottery."

Yes, they have.
1. Families with low scores who won the lottery tend to decline, because it's not useful.

2. Families with high scores at high performing schools far away: When you look around and see that more highly-cademic peers lost the lottery than won, you realize that its better to stay with your cohort at home school.
More students/parents are declining invitations now. (And this is fine! The higher performing kids at low performing schools need the magnet. What's not fine is when the 90+%ile kids at high FARMS school lose the lottery to 70%ile kids who can't make use of the magnet programming)

This is the important part - while my kid was selected last year, we are pretty far away (and both H and I work in opposite directions even further away) and the home middle is quite good and meeting their needs. High performers at low performing schools are the intended targets of the magnet programs and while the lottery system and localized norms are not perfect I think the intent of the system is true. It just may need to be adjusted a bit. I understand that i am saying this because I believe the best decision for my child was their home school, but I think if the home school is good parents, should leave the seats at the middle school magnets for the low performing home school students.

[Anonymous]

If any of your students got letter of acceptance at either Takoma park or Eastern.