Errors in the new MCPS program website

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yet again, MCPS neglected business/entrepreneurship as a program option. I know so many high schoolers who want to go into business and have to do extra legwork to catch up to college peers who had DECA etc in their respective districts.

They are sorely lacking in stem and business. Business would be a good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/engineering/

The engineering at Wheaton is completely different from Engineering at the other 5 regions.

Oh wow, yeah. Only region 3 kids get a real engineering magnet program.

DP

So I understand, the concern is that the only engineering program that is criteria based and includes specific math and science requirements beyond the standard high school diploma requirements is Wheaton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet again, MCPS neglected business/entrepreneurship as a program option. I know so many high schoolers who want to go into business and have to do extra legwork to catch up to college peers who had DECA etc in their respective districts.

They are sorely lacking in stem and business. Business would be a good one.

They included business courses in all the arts magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me or are these programs not even close to the same, even though they have similar names and descriptions?

Environmental Science & Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/environmental-science--leadership/

Global Ecology and Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/global-ecology/

It's like Poolesville gets to keep the good ecology program and everyone else gets the Dollar Store version.

Like everything in MCPS they are trying to create a perception of uniformity and equal access, calling it "equity" and not achieving any of those things.

Who are all the community partners that will give hundreds of students internships?

That's what I was wondering. As it is now it's hard to place students in meaningful higher level internships in the RISE program. I believe last summer many kids were offered "internships" as camp counselors through the rec dept. A lot of the kids who are in the biomedical programs and wanted lab based internships were shut out.

Anonymous wrote:CAP: Only at Blair
Aviation: Only at Magruder
PTECH: Only at Clarksburg
Video and Audio Production: Only at Churchill
Machine Learning and Data Science: Only at Woodward
Pharmacy Tech: Only at Clarksburg
Global Ecology: On;y at Poolesville

No kids can apply to programs outside their region.

So much for "abundance" and "access."

I'll give Magruder a pass. The program needs access to the airport.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/engineering/

The engineering at Wheaton is completely different from Engineering at the other 5 regions.

Taking ap physics in 9th without calculus makes no sense.

AP Physics 1 is algebra based. Kids don't need calculus for it. But---algebra based physics is much harder because kids don't have the language (calculus) to express what is happening. Calculus is based on algebra so you can make the math work but it makes it harder than it needs to be. The AP Physics 1 exam is considered one of the hardest exams AND because it's algebra based, most colleges do not award credit for it. If you look further into the program requirements you'll see AP Physics C in 12th grade. Kids who are STEM based are currently being directed to H.Physics as the prereq for Physics C rather than AP P1. It's less complicated and since you're learning the conceptual ideas rather than focusing on the math, kids have a better idea of the concepts going into AP P (C). Very similar to H. PreCalc vs AP Prec--the honors course is better if you're going onward.

[Anonymous]

I think they missed an opportunity with SMCS
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/science-math--computer-science-smcs/

Kids are already required to do Research. Why not wrap it up with a pretty bow and offer AP Sem Eng 10 and AP Research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me or are these programs not even close to the same, even though they have similar names and descriptions?

Environmental Science & Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/environmental-science--leadership/

Global Ecology and Leadership
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/global-ecology/

It's like Poolesville gets to keep the good ecology program and everyone else gets the Dollar Store version.

Like everything in MCPS they are trying to create a perception of uniformity and equal access, calling it "equity" and not achieving any of those things.

Who are all the community partners that will give hundreds of students internships?

That's what I was wondering. As it is now it's hard to place students in meaningful higher level internships in the RISE program. I believe last summer many kids were offered "internships" as camp counselors through the rec dept. A lot of the kids who are in the biomedical programs and wanted lab based internships were shut out.

Anonymous wrote:CAP: Only at Blair
Aviation: Only at Magruder
PTECH: Only at Clarksburg
Video and Audio Production: Only at Churchill
Machine Learning and Data Science: Only at Woodward
Pharmacy Tech: Only at Clarksburg
Global Ecology: On;y at Poolesville

No kids can apply to programs outside their region.

So much for "abundance" and "access."

I'll give Magruder a pass. The program needs access to the airport.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/engineering/

The engineering at Wheaton is completely different from Engineering at the other 5 regions.

Taking ap physics in 9th without calculus makes no sense.

AP Physics 1 is algebra based. Kids don't need calculus for it. But---algebra based physics is much harder because kids don't have the language (calculus) to express what is happening. Calculus is based on algebra so you can make the math work but it makes it harder than it needs to be. The AP Physics 1 exam is considered one of the hardest exams AND because it's algebra based, most colleges do not award credit for it. If you look further into the program requirements you'll see AP Physics C in 12th grade. Kids who are STEM based are currently being directed to H.Physics as the prereq for Physics C rather than AP P1. It's less complicated and since you're learning the conceptual ideas rather than focusing on the math, kids have a better idea of the concepts going into AP P (C). Very similar to H. PreCalc vs AP Prec--the honors course is better if you're going onward.

+1 On the Physics. Honors Physics is the better course of you’re going on ward to AP Physics C.

[Anonymous]

Look---visual art doesn't require English and somehow they only have 2 spots for the 3 required electives (PE, Health, and Tech)


https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/visual-art/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wanna have some fun? Look through the new regional program website for all the errors MCPS didn't catch before taking it live. My favorite is the front page on the button for regions where they left template text in so it says "This is a wider card with supporting text below as a natural lead-in to additional content. This card has even longer content than the first to show that equal height action."

"AP Enrollment in Music Theory junior year" is another good one.



https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/program-themes/

Ap music theory junior year can happen if you plan right but the joke is some of the schools don’t offer it with their music program.

What is musicianship? How are they going to offer these classes without more staff?

There is no new staffing associated with these programs (besides one program coordinator per school.) So they will have to cut staff from the regular high school classes that the local students take, in order to be able to offer all these program classes. With that combined with enrollment drops, expect the course selections offered outside of these programs to plummet. Electives will probably be the most likely place to cut, but really any course that was previously borderline will now probably be gone for local students.

There is no way to keep all the current local programming and do the new regional program well. They reality is that some local program need to be folded into the regional programs.

And whoever is the school program coordinator is going to need to be fully released from other teaching duties in order to be effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/engineering/

The engineering at Wheaton is completely different from Engineering at the other 5 regions.

Oh wow, yeah. Only region 3 kids get a real engineering magnet program.

DP

So I understand, the concern is that the only engineering program that is criteria based and includes specific math and science requirements beyond the standard high school diploma requirements is Wheaton?

Yep. The other engineering programs are not as rigorous as Wheaton’s and students won’t need prerequisites in math to qualify. It’s more like the engineering academy at Wheaton, which is open to all students in the building.

MCPS took access to a high-level engineering program away from Blair, Northwood and Einstein, and gave it to WJ instead. Blair, Northwood and Einstein kids will have to apply to the less advanced program at BCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wanna have some fun? Look through the new regional program website for all the errors MCPS didn't catch before taking it live. My favorite is the front page on the button for regions where they left template text in so it says "This is a wider card with supporting text below as a natural lead-in to additional content. This card has even longer content than the first to show that equal height action."

"AP Enrollment in Music Theory junior year" is another good one.



https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/program-themes/

Ap music theory junior year can happen if you plan right but the joke is some of the schools don’t offer it with their music program.

What is musicianship? How are they going to offer these classes without more staff?

There is no new staffing associated with these programs (besides one program coordinator per school.) So they will have to cut staff from the regular high school classes that the local students take, in order to be able to offer all these program classes. With that combined with enrollment drops, expect the course selections offered outside of these programs to plummet. Electives will probably be the most likely place to cut, but really any course that was previously borderline will now probably be gone for local students.

There is no way to keep all the current local programming and do the new regional program well. They reality is that some local program need to be folded into the regional programs.

And whoever is the school program coordinator is going to need to be fully released from other teaching duties in order to be effective.

The coordinator positions starts in 2026-27 as a .4 FTE at each school. They won’t be full time positions until 2031. I don’t know if they’re expected to teach as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/regional-programs-and-themes/engineering/

The engineering at Wheaton is completely different from Engineering at the other 5 regions.

Oh wow, yeah. Only region 3 kids get a real engineering magnet program.

DP

So I understand, the concern is that the only engineering program that is criteria based and includes specific math and science requirements beyond the standard high school diploma requirements is Wheaton?

Yep. The other engineering programs are not as rigorous as Wheaton’s and students won’t need prerequisites in math to qualify. It’s more like the engineering academy at Wheaton, which is open to all students in the building.

MCPS took access to a high-level engineering program away from Blair, Northwood and Einstein, and gave it to WJ instead. Blair, Northwood and Einstein kids will have to apply to the less advanced program at BCC.

Yeah that's annoying. Also BCC and Whitman kids get engineering at their home schools and Einstein Northwood and Blair kids have to travel further now mostly on their own to access a watered down program, if they can get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So does this mean a school like rockville that offered the IB diploma will no longer since it’s in the same region as RM?

They said local IB programs can continue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet again, MCPS neglected business/entrepreneurship as a program option. I know so many high schoolers who want to go into business and have to do extra legwork to catch up to college peers who had DECA etc in their respective districts.

They are sorely lacking in stem and business. Business would be a good one.

Typical Montgomery County. Not pro-business ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CAP: Only at Blair
Aviation: Only at Magruder
PTECH: Only at Clarksburg
Video and Audio Production: Only at Churchill
Machine Learning and Data Science: Only at Woodward
Pharmacy Tech: Only at Clarksburg
Global Ecology: On;y at Poolesville

No kids can apply to programs outside their region.

So much for "abundance" and "access."

Let’s give Woodward a pass, shall we? New school, new performing arts program. This ML program should be wildly popular.

[Anonymous]

We are Chinese family, but our kids are not interested in learning chinese culture & languages. They cannot speak or understand them. May I ask why is there an introduction of chinese program in the HS region? Is there an increase demand from parents? I am considering to put them back in weekend chinese school.