Any high MAP+M(290+), straight As, and strong stem honor/award kids did not get in PHS/Blair SMACS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Nothing is a guarantee. Especially if the committee thinks the application is written by a striver mom, not the kid.

"290+" is a mid score, unless that "+" is doing a lot of work.

Or the committee thinks that the test score was lucky and not consistent with the rest of performance across other areas of evaluation.

It’s probably pretty rare to reject such students with strong stem awards and high MAP M. Outliers always exist but maybe with some reasons

There aren’t that many “strong STEM honors/awards” available to middle schoolers. So if the kids have them at that age, that’s more indicative of parental resources.

There are. Math Kangaroo, mathcount, mathleague, science bowl, AMC 8, Montgomery Blair math tournament, etc

These must be pay to play. Never heard of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Nothing is a guarantee. Especially if the committee thinks the application is written by a striver mom, not the kid.

"290+" is a mid score, unless that "+" is doing a lot of work.

Or the committee thinks that the test score was lucky and not consistent with the rest of performance across other areas of evaluation.

It’s probably pretty rare to reject such students with strong stem awards and high MAP M. Outliers always exist but maybe with some reasons

There aren’t that many “strong STEM honors/awards” available to middle schoolers. So if the kids have them at that age, that’s more indicative of parental resources.

There are. Math Kangaroo, mathcount, mathleague, science bowl, AMC 8, Montgomery Blair math tournament, etc

These must be pay to play. Never heard of them.

They’re not exactly pay to play in that you need thousands to enter. But without some extra coaching (which could be $$), most kids wouldn’t be able to stand out. And Montgomery Blair math tournament and science bowl are team competitions. You’d need a cohort of fellow smart students. My kid’s MCPS MS doesn’t send kids to science bowl and it requires a faculty sponsor so it’s not like a team of kids can enter on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re not “just curious.” You’re clearly upset your kid didn’t get in.

I'm not OP, but I'm definitely upset my 7th grade child (290+, all As, and various Math awards) won't even have an access to Blair magnet due to the stupid region thing.

It's not a big deal. Every region will have MV Calc and Linear Algebra.

MCPS can't even offer AP Calculus across the county. What makes you think they can evenly staff MVC or LA?

Because the regional magnets serve 4 schools each.

These magnets will be nothing like what there was at Blair. Blair will likely die a slow death too. Sad.

[Anonymous]

What’s happening to the Blair magnet that will result in the cohort of kids referenced in this thread being forced to leave? New to MCPS and there are so many threads about boundaries changing, curriculum changes, etc. it’s hard to keep up with what’s real, what’s an option etc. Sounds like the Blair magnet will be pulling from a different pool of kids at some point in the future?

[Anonymous]

Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

There is absolutely no way they will be able to rebuild these programs at 4 new schools. Look at what they did with CES. I had a kid get bused to a HGC and one go through a local CES. Night and day difference. I’d be surprised if this is not the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re not “just curious.” You’re clearly upset your kid didn’t get in.

I'm not OP, but I'm definitely upset my 7th grade child (290+, all As, and various Math awards) won't even have an access to Blair magnet due to the stupid region thing.

+100

Don't fret, The Blair Mag won't be the Blair Mag once the Bethesda Kids dropout, It will be like Northwood until the (upper middle class)Takoma Park Parents start catching wind of the true peer group of the school and when they stop moving in or opting into private the school will fall into a Kennedy peer.

There are some comfortable families at Blair. It will get better for many once out of consortium kids stop taking those spots.

Yah but they aren't the defining demographics and keeping them there is why the county sends so many good students form better areas there. When the pipeline dries up it remains to be seen if the small contingent of upper middle class from mostly TP and Silgo Park Hills sticks around. Or the weight of the rest of the area causes them to rethink. It isn't like the the University Corridor is getting better. How much has pride has the tiny SMCS program imparted to the school and the DCC. Without it Blair becomes just another silver spring school that contains some of the poorest & highest crime areas in the entire county. I bet there are more people just in Quebec Terrace than all the working millionaires in the few nice areas combined. Without the false premises that those UMC kids are sounded by STEM type peers, many new families wont move in. Maybe the chance to opt into BCC or Whitman keeps them, we will see.

There are many homes and families who warm as much as bcc or Whitman families but we choose very different lifestyle and save vs having our kids have to chase merit and other aid for college as we are not entitled.

"Many" is a bit of a stretch for an area where the very nicest homes barely cost as much as the entry level for Whitman. Some sure and I get the logic about being the richest of the poor VS the poorest of the rich as a life style choice or buying a cheaper house so not to be house poor like the squeakers in rich areas are but lets not forget most people in rich areas are actually rich. You having to scale back to also save for college means you found your comfortable level which isn't at the higher level. Your words reek of sour grapes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

Putting it a different way the vast majority of the Magnet kids come from Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville as designed and from mostly just a couple schools. None of those schools will be aligned with Blair in the new clusters and the two decent schools it is clustered with, one historically does not travel away to outside programs due to the strength of its local offerings and peer group. Coupled to the PP point that the new cluster programs will have to raid the staffing as well to set up, what do people expect to be left at Blair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

Good, that’s how it should be but no reason for Whitman to go. They have plenty as does bcc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

Putting it a different way the vast majority of the Magnet kids come from Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville as designed and from mostly just a couple schools. None of those schools will be aligned with Blair in the new clusters and the two decent schools it is clustered with, one historically does not travel away to outside programs due to the strength of its local offerings and peer group. Coupled to the PP point that the new cluster programs will have to raid the staffing as well to set up, what do people expect to be left at Blair?

The rich schools have so many resources. They will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re not “just curious.” You’re clearly upset your kid didn’t get in.

I'm not OP, but I'm definitely upset my 7th grade child (290+, all As, and various Math awards) won't even have an access to Blair magnet due to the stupid region thing.

+100

Don't fret, The Blair Mag won't be the Blair Mag once the Bethesda Kids dropout, It will be like Northwood until the (upper middle class)Takoma Park Parents start catching wind of the true peer group of the school and when they stop moving in or opting into private the school will fall into a Kennedy peer.

There are some comfortable families at Blair. It will get better for many once out of consortium kids stop taking those spots.

Yah but they aren't the defining demographics and keeping them there is why the county sends so many good students form better areas there. When the pipeline dries up it remains to be seen if the small contingent of upper middle class from mostly TP and Silgo Park Hills sticks around. Or the weight of the rest of the area causes them to rethink. It isn't like the the University Corridor is getting better. How much has pride has the tiny SMCS program imparted to the school and the DCC. Without it Blair becomes just another silver spring school that contains some of the poorest & highest crime areas in the entire county. I bet there are more people just in Quebec Terrace than all the working millionaires in the few nice areas combined. Without the false premises that those UMC kids are sounded by STEM type peers, many new families wont move in. Maybe the chance to opt into BCC or Whitman keeps them, we will see.

There are many homes and families who warm as much as bcc or Whitman families but we choose very different lifestyle and save vs having our kids have to chase merit and other aid for college as we are not entitled.

"Many" is a bit of a stretch for an area where the very nicest homes barely cost as much as the entry level for Whitman. Some sure and I get the logic about being the richest of the poor VS the poorest of the rich as a life style choice or buying a cheaper house so not to be house poor like the squeakers in rich areas are but lets not forget most people in rich areas are actually rich. You having to scale back to also save for college means you found your comfortable level which isn't at the higher level. Your words reek of sour grapes

Keep dreaming. I don’t have to scale back on anything and that’s the point. We did not stretch and aren’t saving any,ore for college as it can come from straight income. Tired of the overspenders who beg for aid and scream proverty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

Good, that’s how it should be but no reason for Whitman to go. They have plenty as does bcc.

So you think that Blair’s SMCS should only allow kids from Blair, Northwood, and Einstein?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Nothing is a guarantee. Especially if the committee thinks the application is written by a striver mom, not the kid.

"290+" is a mid score, unless that "+" is doing a lot of work.

Or the committee thinks that the test score was lucky and not consistent with the rest of performance across other areas of evaluation.

It’s probably pretty rare to reject such students with strong stem awards and high MAP M. Outliers always exist but maybe with some reasons

There aren’t that many “strong STEM honors/awards” available to middle schoolers. So if the kids have them at that age, that’s more indicative of parental resources.

There are. Math Kangaroo, mathcount, mathleague, science bowl, AMC 8, Montgomery Blair math tournament, etc

These must be pay to play. Never heard of them.

They’re not exactly pay to play in that you need thousands to enter. But without some extra coaching (which could be $$), most kids wouldn’t be able to stand out. And Montgomery Blair math tournament and science bowl are team competitions. You’d need a cohort of fellow smart students. My kid’s MCPS MS doesn’t send kids to science bowl and it requires a faculty sponsor so it’s not like a team of kids can enter on their own.

They are pay to play. Many MCPS schools don't offer or support stem. There are plenty of schools with a cohort, but people like you like to pretend that these other kids aren't qualified. But, that's MCPS equity for you which is why they probably stopped using the term, but unleashing potential is a joke when they hold our kids back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, starting in Fall '27, students from only 5 schools will be eligible for the Blair SMCS program: Blair, Northwood, Einstein, BCC, and Whitman.

I don't think that will "destroy" it as some claim, but it will undoubtedly dilute it do the reduced cohort and probably loss of teachers and electives to staff and build the 4 new programs.

I would have been in favor of changes/expansion to the different magnet programs, but building out as many new programs all at once the way they're doing it is reckless, IMO. But they're going full-steam ahead despite lots of voices warning them.

Good, that’s how it should be but no reason for Whitman to go. They have plenty as does bcc.

So you think that Blair’s SMCS should only allow kids from Blair, Northwood, and Einstein?

Yes, Einstein and Northwood have very few advanced classes. Whitman has everything and more. Those slots should be for kids with limited opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Nothing is a guarantee. Especially if the committee thinks the application is written by a striver mom, not the kid.

"290+" is a mid score, unless that "+" is doing a lot of work.

Or the committee thinks that the test score was lucky and not consistent with the rest of performance across other areas of evaluation.

It’s probably pretty rare to reject such students with strong stem awards and high MAP M. Outliers always exist but maybe with some reasons

There aren’t that many “strong STEM honors/awards” available to middle schoolers. So if the kids have them at that age, that’s more indicative of parental resources.

There are. Math Kangaroo, mathcount, mathleague, science bowl, AMC 8, Montgomery Blair math tournament, etc

These must be pay to play. Never heard of them.

They’re not exactly pay to play in that you need thousands to enter. But without some extra coaching (which could be $$), most kids wouldn’t be able to stand out. And Montgomery Blair math tournament and science bowl are team competitions. You’d need a cohort of fellow smart students. My kid’s MCPS MS doesn’t send kids to science bowl and it requires a faculty sponsor so it’s not like a team of kids can enter on their own.

They are pay to play. Many MCPS schools don't offer or support stem. There are plenty of schools with a cohort, but people like you like to pretend that these other kids aren't qualified. But, that's MCPS equity for you which is why they probably stopped using the term, but unleashing potential is a joke when they hold our kids back.

That’s the same for everything. You need to pay to play sports and instruments, with much more expensive tuition. Nothing is free.