[Live stream] County Council Education Working Session

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

It came from councilmember Fani-Gonzales, who lives nearby. Watch the video.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were some strong hints there that County Council may be reluctant to fund budget increases for this if they don't think it's being done well (and they clearly, and I think correctly, don't think it's being done well so far.) Do we think MCPS leadership will care about that at all?

They probably think it's empty threats and are probably mostly right about that

Even if this is approved and funded, there's no way it will be in place in 2 years. What will happen is that they won't be able to hire the teachers for the 4 additional STEM magnets (and perhaps other programs, but I think most agree that's the hardest one to staff), and so they'll have to continue to have Blair and Poolesville open to applications from the same regions they have now. And then someone will say, "hmm, should we maybe have tried to build this incrementally one program at a time?"

Yes or even - gasp - continue utilizing regional programs that are working, like the DCC, and try to build other models based on those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

It came from councilmember Fani-Gonzales, who lives nearby. Watch the video.

Yes, but where did she get the number. Living nearby doesn't tell her that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were some strong hints there that County Council may be reluctant to fund budget increases for this if they don't think it's being done well (and they clearly, and I think correctly, don't think it's being done well so far.) Do we think MCPS leadership will care about that at all?

They probably think it's empty threats and are probably mostly right about that

Even if this is approved and funded, there's no way it will be in place in 2 years. What will happen is that they won't be able to hire the teachers for the 4 additional STEM magnets (and perhaps other programs, but I think most agree that's the hardest one to staff), and so they'll have to continue to have Blair and Poolesville open to applications from the same regions they have now. And then someone will say, "hmm, should we maybe have tried to build this incrementally one program at a time?"

Doubtful they'd let people keep going to countywide programs, for a number of reasons including that they will do applications in fall 2026 but keep telling themselves they have until fall 2027 to get staffed at which point everyone will already be assigned to programs. Instead they'll presumably just staff the programs with whoever they can get, and potentially have mandatory courses taught by under-qualified teachers with electives just not being offered if they can't find teachers for them. Real equitable of them, huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole program development process has been botched from the start, as the council members pointed out in so many words. Staff development and curriculum analysis, and a transportation analysis should have been conducted initially - these are the major components and they have yet to take place.

Correct. I don't know how they thought they could set a deadline and timeline without those key assets in place.

DP - they seem wedded to doing this at the same time as the boundary study, because of some flawed “foundations” metaphor that Essie McGuire keeps repeating.

They need to implement the boundary changes, wait a year or two to see how those shake out, and THEN begin the process of planning for regional programs. Not concurrently. To carry the foundations metaphor, they’re mixing novel ingredients they aren’t sure will combine to create a strong foundation. They need to take the time to determine what will make the strongest foundation.

Yeah. I get the argument that making the boundary changes is hard if the current state of magnets/regional programs is different than the future state, so the numbers will change as far as sending/receiving. But that doesn't make it possible for to do what they're trying to do in a 1-2 year time period just because they want it.

2 years is plety of time to roll out for one grade in 6 schools. Not sure the issue. Can you elaborate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

It came from councilmember Fani-Gonzales, who lives nearby. Watch the video.

Council member was talking non-sense. It not 60% under capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were some strong hints there that County Council may be reluctant to fund budget increases for this if they don't think it's being done well (and they clearly, and I think correctly, don't think it's being done well so far.) Do we think MCPS leadership will care about that at all?

They probably think it's empty threats and are probably mostly right about that

Even if this is approved and funded, there's no way it will be in place in 2 years. What will happen is that they won't be able to hire the teachers for the 4 additional STEM magnets (and perhaps other programs, but I think most agree that's the hardest one to staff), and so they'll have to continue to have Blair and Poolesville open to applications from the same regions they have now. And then someone will say, "hmm, should we maybe have tried to build this incrementally one program at a time?"

Yes or even - gasp - continue utilizing regional programs that are working, like the DCC, and try to build other models based on those.

DCC model is costly to implement for entire county. Fraankly it does not make any sense to allow a very large number of students to simply change high schools and provide bussing for all of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole program development process has been botched from the start, as the council members pointed out in so many words. Staff development and curriculum analysis, and a transportation analysis should have been conducted initially - these are the major components and they have yet to take place.

Correct. I don't know how they thought they could set a deadline and timeline without those key assets in place.

DP - they seem wedded to doing this at the same time as the boundary study, because of some flawed “foundations” metaphor that Essie McGuire keeps repeating.

They need to implement the boundary changes, wait a year or two to see how those shake out, and THEN begin the process of planning for regional programs. Not concurrently. To carry the foundations metaphor, they’re mixing novel ingredients they aren’t sure will combine to create a strong foundation. They need to take the time to determine what will make the strongest foundation.

Yeah. I get the argument that making the boundary changes is hard if the current state of magnets/regional programs is different than the future state, so the numbers will change as far as sending/receiving. But that doesn't make it possible for to do what they're trying to do in a 1-2 year time period just because they want it.

2 years is plety of time to roll out for one grade in 6 schools. Not sure the issue. Can you elaborate?

2 years are not enough to staffing 27 brand new programs even for just the 9th grade. And how to persuade students to become the lab rats given only one grade of teachers? And in another year, they got to double the number of teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeannie Franklin is a mess.

She is truly awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice work by Kristin Mink pushing them to get it on the record that the changes require Board of Ed approval.

Agreed.

So why the heck does the Board of Ed not know that and keep saying their remit is only restricted to voting on the Boundary Study?

Because they know if they are in the record and rubber stamp it as per usual people will be mad. They don’t want to be held accountable, which of course is precisely the problem with this BOE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

It came from councilmember Fani-Gonzales, who lives nearby. Watch the video.

Council member was talking non-sense. It not 60% under capacity.

Her point remains, that it’s under capacity. The solution needs to address the schools most in need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

It came from councilmember Fani-Gonzales, who lives nearby. Watch the video.

Council member was talking non-sense. It not 60% under capacity.

Her point remains, that it’s under capacity. The solution needs to address the schools most in need.

All of the new boundary options put Kennedy at greater than 100% capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeannie Franklin is a mess.

She is truly awful.

It’s clear they are in over their heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not realistic to implement so many big changes (6 regions, each with 6 core programs; 2 new high schools are up and running; running the grandfathered programs concurrently with the regional programs) in such a short time frame (they want to start signing students up NEXT FALL), given MCPS is still collecting data, does not have a staff or cost analysis, stakeholders have not been adequately engaged, and given the fiscal picture (the economy is shaky and our county is dependent on federal workers who are facing job loss). It is improbable that a fully fleshed out plan will be ready in December for BOE approval.

This enormous change is going to cost a lot of $$$$$$$ that the county does not have, if equity is the priority. Field trips need to be equitably executed. Admissions to the programs needs to be transparent. Specialty teaching positions are already difficult to staff as it is, not to mention multiplying this by six new regions, and the devil is in the details--planning and logistics. It is not probable that all programs in all six regions will be fully staffed and ready to go in 2027 in an equitable manner.

Cluster assignments should have a robust amount of community engagement. The region assignments seem very random and unfair. MCPS only held focus groups for students from Damascus, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Blake, Kennedy, Springbrook, and Richard Montgomery, which explains a lot. What about opinions from students from the 18 other high schools? And how were these students selected?

Moreover, the regional model is unlikely to improve the schools, such as Kennedy HS, which is 60% under capacity, that need the most help.

Jawando confirmed that all of the variables listed above need BOE approval.

I don't know where that figure came from. Kennedy is currently 14% under capacity according to the latest CIP. 1880 students, 2173 capacity, which puts it at 86% full, right inside the desired window.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP26_Chapter4DCC.pdf

It came from councilmember Fani-Gonzales, who lives nearby. Watch the video.

Council member was talking non-sense. It not 60% under capacity.

+1 have you not learned that politicians say false/incorrect stuff on the record all the time?