Brookings Institution article about the new MCPS middle school magnet selection process

[Anonymous]

Haven’t read all the comments yet in this thread, but did read the article and thought it was well done. Much better than the N.Y. Times article!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Article by Jishnu Das, a senior economist at the World Bank

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/09/21/magnets-for-discrimination-affirmative-action-in-maryland/

Just had a chance to re-read the article. Thank you for posting, OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read all the comments yet in this thread, but did read the article and thought it was well done. Much better than the N.Y. Times article!

Not surprising.

The NYT does amazing articles...when it fits their ideological agenda.

Otherwise forget it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For every magnet student who is selected for the program there are many more who are not. Just because there isn't room in the magnet program for everybody who might benefit from it.

Fixed that for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For every magnet student who is selected for the program there are many more who are not. Just because there isn't room in the magnet program for everybody who might benefit from it.

Fixed that for you.

Yes, magnet does not have space for everyone. That was the case before Metis too. However, now it is also very much based on race.

Asians are the convenient scapegoats because they were out performing Whites as well.

My statement did not need fixing. Asians will continue to outperform at every level regardless of the attempts to keep them down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For every magnet student who is selected for the program there are many more who are not. Just because there isn't room in the magnet program for everybody who might benefit from it.

Fixed that for you.

Yes, magnet does not have space for everyone. That was the case before Metis too. However, now it is also very much based on race.

Asians are the convenient scapegoats because they were out performing Whites as well.

My statement did not need fixing. Asians will continue to outperform at every level regardless of the attempts to keep them down.

No, it's not -- unless you exclude "Asian-Americans who don't live in Potomac" from the category of Asian-Americans.

(Wasn't there going to be a lawsuit about race discrimination that MCPS was certain to lose? I kept reading about it on DCUM, last spring. Whatever happened to that lawsuit?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For every magnet student who is selected for the program there are many more who are not. Just because there isn't room in the magnet program for everybody who might benefit from it.

Fixed that for you.

Yes, magnet does not have space for everyone. That was the case before Metis too. However, now it is also very much based on race.

Asians are the convenient scapegoats because they were out performing Whites as well.

My statement did not need fixing. Asians will continue to outperform at every level regardless of the attempts to keep them down.

Do you have any evidence to support this assertion or is this just another wacky conspiracy theory born from sour grapes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The home school classes are not magnet math and magnet global studies, and MCPS doesn't claim they are. They are "enriched," whatever that means. I'm happy that you and your dc are having a good experience with them, but again, they are not magnet classes or programs.

Nobody cares, pp.

Sure they do. People like me care -- I've had a kid go through a (highly regarded) home middle school, which was a joke academically, and one go through a magnet middle school program. The difference in the quality of the curriculum and the quality of the teaching is night and day. I've also had the opportunity to compare home elementary school instruction to CES instruction. Same thing. The home schools are failing to educate everyone to their potential. Why would any parent *not* care that their students are not being challenged?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The home school classes are not magnet math and magnet global studies, and MCPS doesn't claim they are. They are "enriched," whatever that means. I'm happy that you and your dc are having a good experience with them, but again, they are not magnet classes or programs.

Nobody cares, pp.

Sure they do. People like me care -- I've had a kid go through a (highly regarded) home middle school, which was a joke academically, and one go through a magnet middle school program. The difference in the quality of the curriculum and the quality of the teaching is night and day. I've also had the opportunity to compare home elementary school instruction to CES instruction. Same thing. The home schools are failing to educate everyone to their potential. Why would any parent *not* care that their students are not being challenged?

Have you had a kid go through the new home school classes?

[Anonymous]

Next year I probably will, since my youngest will likely not get selected for a magnet middle school even if s/he qualifies on test scores based on the strength of the "cohort" at the home middle school.

Regardless, having experienced the integrative and advanced nature of the magnet curriculum -- an enriched class or two won't compare. S/he will have to be in "advanced" English, which is still a complete joke. "Enrichment" in social studies and math is not going to make up for a terrible curriculum in English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The home school classes are not magnet math and magnet global studies, and MCPS doesn't claim they are. They are "enriched," whatever that means. I'm happy that you and your dc are having a good experience with them, but again, they are not magnet classes or programs.

I have a friend whose kid is at TPMS and we compared the math class syllabus and materials to date with the enriched class at my kids MS. They are the same.

Have you compared with the syllabus of the regular class? Maybe they are the same too? It’s all about the depth of teaching certain topic.

[Anonymous]

I think the enriched class will be better than regular classes. Yet when some school is able to offer it to all students, the instructional level will not satisfy the top of the grade. Even MCPS said it would not be magnet level. It’s very normal to see some parents happy with these enriched classes while others eager to have more rigorous classes. Those are not the key in this article. The article is on the fair and transparent selection to the most challenging academic programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The home school classes are not magnet math and magnet global studies, and MCPS doesn't claim they are. They are "enriched," whatever that means. I'm happy that you and your dc are having a good experience with them, but again, they are not magnet classes or programs.

I have a friend whose kid is at TPMS and we compared the math class syllabus and materials to date with the enriched class at my kids MS. They are the same.

Have you compared with the syllabus of the regular class? Maybe they are the same too? It’s all about the depth of teaching certain topic.

I don't know what the other syllabus contains. However, during BTSN the teacher explained that the students would go more in-depth on topics compared to the regular IM class. My child has already started a group project and two individual projects that engage the topic in depth (and in the real world) compared to DC's experience in compacted math, which was just acceleration and worksheets. I don't think my child's experience is exactly like DC's friend's experience at TPMS. However, my child is engaged in math class and with HGC peers and new kids that DC describes as smart and excited about math. Our family didn't want the bus ride, wanted more time for afterschool activities and my child wanted to stay with friends. I am secure in our educational choices and pleased that MCPS added the classes at our home MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible that mcps is finally moving towards a magnet program for the best and brightest per test scores rather than skewing heavily towards privileged kids with parents equipped to advocate?

And, is there anything wrong with that?

Is this failed sarcasm? Did you actually read the *****g article?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible that mcps is finally moving towards a magnet program for the best and brightest per test scores rather than skewing heavily towards privileged kids with parents equipped to advocate?

And, is there anything wrong with that?

Is this failed sarcasm? Did you actually read the *****g article?

You must be one of the "parents equipped to advocate."