Profile of students accepted into selective magnet middle schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of at least 8 jewish boys in my sons grade at TPMS. The overwhelming majority of kids are Asian.

Don't know what TPMS you are attending, but when I looked around my son's magnet class, I saw a pretty diverse group of kids with no one in the majority.

The jewish population is about 4% of total population in DC and MD. If there are 8 jewish boys out of 125 at TPMS, that's only about 6% -- not overwhelmingly different from the general population.

The Jewish population in Montgomery County is actually around 10%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of at least 8 jewish boys in my sons grade at TPMS. The overwhelming majority of kids are Asian.

Don't know what TPMS you are attending, but when I looked around my son's magnet class, I saw a pretty diverse group of kids with no one in the majority.

The jewish population is about 4% of total population in DC and MD. If there are 8 jewish boys out of 125 at TPMS, that's only about 6% -- not overwhelmingly different from the general population.

You need glasses. It's overwhelmingly Asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know of at least 8 jewish boys in my sons grade at TPMS. The overwhelming majority of kids are Asian.

The year we applied TPMS specifically said 50 girls and 50 boys. I believe they aren't saying that now, but I actually like a 50/50 split. Anyways, that is at least 8 boys and I know of a handful of jewish girls too. The point I am making is that in my child's year, the overwhelming majority of kids are Asian and the majority of the white children are jewish. Not all, but a large percentage of the white boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of at least 8 jewish boys in my sons grade at TPMS. The overwhelming majority of kids are Asian.

The year we applied TPMS specifically said 50 girls and 50 boys. I believe they aren't saying that now, but I actually like a 50/50 split. Anyways, that is at least 8 boys and I know of a handful of jewish girls too. The point I am making is that in my child's year, the overwhelming majority of kids are Asian and the majority of the white children are jewish. Not all, but a large percentage of the white boys.

The majority of white kids are not Jewish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The profile of the students are Asian and Jewish.

Not true.

Actually it is true for Takoma Magnet among 100 kids from the county (not additional 25 local kids who are Spanish, white, black etc).
Most kids are Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese), some Indian.
Then you get small set of Jewish boys (very few Jewish girls since most do not focus on science),
plus small set of kids from parents who immigrated from Eastern Europe (Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Bulgarian etc.)
There are very few white kids who do not belong to categories mentioned above.
Parents whose kids are in Takoma have lists of magnet kids from all three grades.
Believe me you will have hard time to pronounce most First and Last names.

There are very few Spaniards in Takoma Park.

Many of the local kids are white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of at least 8 jewish boys in my sons grade at TPMS. The overwhelming majority of kids are Asian.

The year we applied TPMS specifically said 50 girls and 50 boys. I believe they aren't saying that now, but I actually like a 50/50 split. Anyways, that is at least 8 boys and I know of a handful of jewish girls too. The point I am making is that in my child's year, the overwhelming majority of kids are Asian and the majority of the white children are jewish. Not all, but a large percentage of the white boys.

The majority of white kids are not Jewish.

Given the number of Spaniards at TPMS (according to one PP), perhaps the other PP is referring to crypto-Jewish conversos? (Bad Spanish history joke, sorry.)

[Anonymous]

I was PTA President the first year of the TPMS magnet. The magnet was put at Takoma because it was the "blackest" of the junior highs/middle schools.The idea was to attract white kids from up county to come voluntarily rather than having forced busing for desegregation. How things have changed. Takoma Park is now a very high income school. Most of the black middle class has disappeared. And the kids being bused are largely Asian. There is really no rational for the magnets now. I believe they ought to be phased out and elements of the magnet programs should be offered at every middle school. There are certainly many kids who would benefit from the curriculum. But this won't happen because parents of high achieving kids are very vocal. Ironically my high achieving AA grandsons have chosen to go to private schools because there are so few black boys in the magnets that they had no peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was PTA President the first year of the TPMS magnet. The magnet was put at Takoma because it was the "blackest" of the junior highs/middle schools.The idea was to attract white kids from up county to come voluntarily rather than having forced busing for desegregation. How things have changed. Takoma Park is now a very high income school. Most of the black middle class has disappeared. And the kids being bused are largely Asian. There is really no rational for the magnets now. I believe they ought to be phased out and elements of the magnet programs should be offered at every middle school. There are certainly many kids who would benefit from the curriculum. But this won't happen because parents of high achieving kids are very vocal. Ironically my high achieving AA grandsons have chosen to go to private schools because there are so few black boys in the magnets that they had no peer group.

I would strongly disagree that Takoma is now High Income School. Just stop by at the school, and you will see this is not true. On top of it, Magnet kids are usually Middle class not High Income. High Income kids are at Witman and Chirchill and they do not need magnets. Parents of those kids will put them into Ivy with the help of tutors and money. Why would they be interested in bussing their kids to Takoma?
Magnet is really program for Immigrants from Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe who value education, but do not have much money. That is my experience with 2 kids in Takoma magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was PTA President the first year of the TPMS magnet. The magnet was put at Takoma because it was the "blackest" of the junior highs/middle schools.The idea was to attract white kids from up county to come voluntarily rather than having forced busing for desegregation. How things have changed. Takoma Park is now a very high income school. Most of the black middle class has disappeared. And the kids being bused are largely Asian. There is really no rational for the magnets now. I believe they ought to be phased out and elements of the magnet programs should be offered at every middle school. There are certainly many kids who would benefit from the curriculum. But this won't happen because parents of high achieving kids are very vocal. Ironically my high achieving AA grandsons have chosen to go to private schools because there are so few black boys in the magnets that they had no peer group.

A very high income school, except for the more than 1 in 4 students who are poor?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/03755.pdf

Or, to look at the elementary schools that go to TPMS:

East Silver Spring ES: 518 students, 60% FARMS (focus school)
Piney Branch ES: 526 students (grades 3-5), 35% FARMS
Takoma Park ES: 654 students (grades pre-K-2), 34% FARMS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would strongly disagree that Takoma is now High Income School. Just stop by at the school, and you will see this is not true. On top of it, Magnet kids are usually Middle class not High Income. High Income kids are at Witman and Chirchill and they do not need magnets. Parents of those kids will put them into Ivy with the help of tutors and money. Why would they be interested in bussing their kids to Takoma?
Magnet is really program for Immigrants from Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe who value education, but do not have much money. That is my experience with 2 kids in Takoma magnet.

If you're advocating for keeping the middle-school test-in magnet program, I don't think that this is necessarily the best argument to use.

[Anonymous]

The % of Asian (including Indian) kids at the TPMS magnet orientation was striking. I would have to say that it was 80-90%. I don't have any issue with it. Race/Sex/Religion should have zero to do with admissions to a competitive magnet program. My little Caucasoid is doing just fine and has got to know many nice kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The % of Asian (including Indian) kids at the TPMS magnet orientation was striking. I would have to say that it was 80-90%. I don't have any issue with it. Race/Sex/Religion should have zero to do with admissions to a competitive magnet program. My little Caucasoid is doing just fine and has got to know many nice kids.

+1

Caucasian here--DC's Asian friends at TPMS are much nicer than the entitled kids at our W feeder MS. Doesn't bother DC or us to be in the minority.

Also, to a PP, we are in a W feeder and are not struggling financially, and bus our child to TPMS for the excellent education. Simply not true that the western part of the county will think it's too far, not if one values education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The % of Asian (including Indian) kids at the TPMS magnet orientation was striking. I would have to say that it was 80-90%. I don't have any issue with it. Race/Sex/Religion should have zero to do with admissions to a competitive magnet program. My little Caucasoid is doing just fine and has got to know many nice kids.

+1

Caucasian here--DC's Asian friends at TPMS are much nicer than the entitled kids at our W feeder MS. Doesn't bother DC or us to be in the minority.

Also, to a PP, we are in a W feeder and are not struggling financially, and bus our child to TPMS for the excellent education. Simply not true that the western part of the county will think it's too far, not if one values education.

+1

My two Whitman zone kids are at the Blair and TPMS magnets. Their older sibling went to Pyle and Whitman.

The magnets are leagues ahead of any Pyle and Whitman classes. Night and day.

W parents cannot "get our kids into Ivies" by virtue of our buying power.

[Anonymous]

Back to the original question:

TPMS is all about the test.

Best guess is that EMS is more about teacher recs and the writing portion of the test. Reason I say that is I have a son who came from HGC who scored well above test median on math and reading and has high Map-R (248/end of grade 5). Scored 1 point below median on writing portion of the test (He didn't finish it and works at a slower pace than many kids.) He was rejected at EMS. MANY people who know him, his passions, his communication style, etc. were surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern has less kids apply, it's easier to get into and it's mostly girls. (If you have a boy, I've never heard of one getting rejected by eastern). Bus stop for my kids a mix- but yes- a lot of Asians. We are neither Asian nor Jewish.

There are fewer kids who apply to Eastern than Takoma but I know many boys from my child's HGC who were rejected. And the 6th grade class is only about 20% boys. They did not balance gender in admissions.

If MCPS selects based on income and geography, they really should consider balancing out the sex ratio a little more. 80 girls and 20 boys is not for the social aspects of middle school.

My child has two 6th grade magnet classes at Eastern (out of the 4 magnet classes) that have only 2 boys each (the same two boys). Definitely not great for those kids.

This doesn't even make sense. I personally know of 8 boys who go to eastern ms - I know there are more.