Blair as a whole school magnet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RM lets everyone take IB classes in the same way..but that doesn't get you an IB diploma. It is not the same thing.

I don't believe this is a correct statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's fix the elementary school immersion programs, that have much more obvious problems attracting URM students, first. Then use what we learn on HGCs. Then MS magnets and finally HS magnets.

Or get rid of them completely. It appears they have outlived their usefulness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will never happen. Blair pulls Takoma Park neighborhood. For those of us who live nearby, we understand that Takoma always gets what it wants from the BOE. There are neighborhoods closer to Blair (even people who are walking distance) who are zoned for Northwood so that Blair can take Takoma.

And as a parent of two magnet kids, I agree that the magnets are just about the only thing in MCPS that is working and that they need to be left alone.

But the closest high school to TP is Blair.

Sure, there is no other HS in that lower corner of the county but Blair is at the very tip of it's catchment, not at all central. Almost none of the neighborhoods within walking distance actually attend Blair. Woodmore is the one exception.

It's true. My kid could walk to Blair but will instead be bused to Einstein. I'm fine with Einstein, but the inefficiency of the situation is kind of irritating.

You totally sound fine with Einstein

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RM lets everyone take IB classes in the same way..but that doesn't get you an IB diploma. It is not the same thing.

I don't believe this is a correct statement.

My non-magnet RM son has taken 2 IB classes. It is correct!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for increasing spots for advanced students, but if you're going to do it, why not spread the programs to multiple schools in the county? Why concentrate it in one place, especially when that one place is the largest school in Maryland, which would mean many would be displaced under your idea?

It's not in the interest of MCPS to accommodate advanced students, who will be fine with or without the magnet programs. Blair exists to reduce the race segregation. If that purpose is not fulfilled, it makes no sense for MCPS to continue throwing money on these programs.

[Anonymous]

The magnet programs at Blair are considered very successful at bringing more diversity and strong academic students to Blair. That was the initial goal. The current goal is to make the magnets themselves more diverse which is entirely different. If the magnets are forced to mirror MCPS as a whole in acceptances, Blair will likely be more heavily minority by reducing the white/Asian populations which currently dominate the magnets...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The magnet programs at Blair are considered very successful at bringing more diversity and strong academic students to Blair. That was the initial goal. The current goal is to make the magnets themselves more diverse which is entirely different. If the magnets are forced to mirror MCPS as a whole in acceptances, Blair will likely be more heavily minority by reducing the white/Asian populations which currently dominate the magnets...

Are you suggesting that the program without as many whits/Asian won't do as well? Where did you get that idea from?

[Anonymous]

No..not at all. I am just pointing out that the initial goal and the new goal are different. Nowhere does my post attempt to predict how the new goals will affect the scores or the program. It is sad that you have jumped to this conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No..not at all. I am just pointing out that the initial goal and the new goal are different. Nowhere does my post attempt to predict how the new goals will affect the scores or the program. It is sad that you have jumped to this conclusion.

But to raise a different point, the initial goal was a failure from the start. There's a 1994 study, http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED374202.pdf, referenced in the Choice Study that reached this conclusion even twenty years ago. Comparing the demographics quoted in that study to the numbers today, it's pretty clear things haven't improved. From the conclusion of the earlier report:

The magnet school program and other self-regulated policies designed to foster racial integration are unreliable and ineffective means for achieving desegregated schools. The policies and programs as they are presently designed and administered in MCPS simply have not been strong or effective enough to offset the demographic change that contributes to school segregation and concentrations of poverty in the public schools.

Anyway, it is evidence of MCPS doing nothing in the face of criticism, so the folks reading doom into Recommendation 3A probably have little to worry about. But anyone who wants to support the magnets should just drop these claims of demographics and just argue on the merits of the actual programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The magnet programs at Blair are considered very successful at bringing more diversity and strong academic students to Blair. That was the initial goal. The current goal is to make the magnets themselves more diverse which is entirely different. If the magnets are forced to mirror MCPS as a whole in acceptances, Blair will likely be more heavily minority by reducing the white/Asian populations which currently dominate the magnets...

Are you suggesting that the program without as many whits/Asian won't do as well? Where did you get that idea from?

Life, history and common sense. Where is the school anywhere in the country that does better with less white people and Asians? Don't roll out the maybe 4 inner city charters that cherry pick their students and kick out the mistakes, that is only an example of over baring administrations governing to the ranking criteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The magnet programs at Blair are considered very successful at bringing more diversity and strong academic students to Blair. That was the initial goal. The current goal is to make the magnets themselves more diverse which is entirely different. If the magnets are forced to mirror MCPS as a whole in acceptances, Blair will likely be more heavily minority by reducing the white/Asian populations which currently dominate the magnets...

Are you suggesting that the program without as many whits/Asian won't do as well? Where did you get that idea from?

Life, history and common sense. Where is the school anywhere in the country that does better with less white people and Asians? Don't roll out the maybe 4 inner city charters that cherry pick their students and kick out the mistakes, that is only an example of over baring administrations governing to the ranking criteria.

So....we're talking about a test-in magnet, but you don't want to discuss test-in schools? What's even the point of you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No..not at all. I am just pointing out that the initial goal and the new goal are different. Nowhere does my post attempt to predict how the new goals will affect the scores or the program. It is sad that you have jumped to this conclusion.

But to raise a different point, the initial goal was a failure from the start. There's a 1994 study, http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED374202.pdf, referenced in the Choice Study that reached this conclusion even twenty years ago. Comparing the demographics quoted in that study to the numbers today, it's pretty clear things haven't improved. From the conclusion of the earlier report:

The magnet school program and other self-regulated policies designed to foster racial integration are unreliable and ineffective means for achieving desegregated schools. The policies and programs as they are presently designed and administered in MCPS simply have not been strong or effective enough to offset the demographic change that contributes to school segregation and concentrations of poverty in the public schools.

Anyway, it is evidence of MCPS doing nothing in the face of criticism, so the folks reading doom into Recommendation 3A probably have little to worry about. But anyone who wants to support the magnets should just drop these claims of demographics and just argue on the merits of the actual programs.

Depends on who you ask about that failure:

A 2006 Caltech study found that the magnet program at Montgomery Blair High School helped prevent or even reverse "white flight" from surrounding neighborhoods, and may have even played a role in the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring. If Montgomery County wants to revitalize communities like Glenmont or White Oak, schools like Kennedy and Springbrook must become attractive to higher-income families again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RM lets everyone take IB classes in the same way..but that doesn't get you an IB diploma. It is not the same thing.

I don't believe this is a correct statement.

My non-magnet RM son has taken 2 IB classes. It is correct!

You don't need a full diploma. You can earn an IB certificate in a subject area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No..not at all. I am just pointing out that the initial goal and the new goal are different. Nowhere does my post attempt to predict how the new goals will affect the scores or the program. It is sad that you have jumped to this conclusion.

But to raise a different point, the initial goal was a failure from the start. There's a 1994 study, http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED374202.pdf, referenced in the Choice Study that reached this conclusion even twenty years ago. Comparing the demographics quoted in that study to the numbers today, it's pretty clear things haven't improved. From the conclusion of the earlier report:

The magnet school program and other self-regulated policies designed to foster racial integration are unreliable and ineffective means for achieving desegregated schools. The policies and programs as they are presently designed and administered in MCPS simply have not been strong or effective enough to offset the demographic change that contributes to school segregation and concentrations of poverty in the public schools.

Anyway, it is evidence of MCPS doing nothing in the face of criticism, so the folks reading doom into Recommendation 3A probably have little to worry about. But anyone who wants to support the magnets should just drop these claims of demographics and just argue on the merits of the actual programs.

Depends on who you ask about that failure:

A 2006 Caltech study found that the magnet program at Montgomery Blair High School helped prevent or even reverse "white flight" from surrounding neighborhoods, and may have even played a role in the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring. If Montgomery County wants to revitalize communities like Glenmont or White Oak, schools like Kennedy and Springbrook must become attractive to higher-income families again.

I find it so ironic how whites are the cause for racism yet are the only ones to "revitalize" communities and restore rigor to schools.

Isn't that what magnets are really about? to desegregate?

Magnet and choice plans have become widespread across the nation and the great majority were devisedas ways to create desegregation, according to a 1994 federal assessment.

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED374202.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The magnet programs at Blair are considered very successful at bringing more diversity and strong academic students to Blair. That was the initial goal. The current goal is to make the magnets themselves more diverse which is entirely different. If the magnets are forced to mirror MCPS as a whole in acceptances, Blair will likely be more heavily minority by reducing the white/Asian populations which currently dominate the magnets...

Are you suggesting that the program without as many whits/Asian won't do as well? Where did you get that idea from?

But it's fair to say MCPS magnets are mostly whites/Asians. Lowing admission standards to have more PC mix of kids will lower the quality of magnet programs.