First hearing on districtwide boundary study is tonight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a way to see what the KP Garrett park presentation was about? Or can someone summarize?

Sure the actual meeting should be available online to watch and I can tell you that it was from a speaker towards the end of the meeting and that she had dark hair. That’s all the info I can remember.... she had a power point with data on the board.... great maps and data points

[Anonymous]

https://mcpsmd.new.swagit.com/videos/38068

[Anonymous]

Go to hour 1:57 ... she did a great job!

[Anonymous]

Here is one of secret that not that many people know and she revealed it:

"Depending on a family's exact address on
Farragut Street, students would either attend the coveted "W" school of Walter Johnson or the stigmatized
Down County Consortium School of Albert Einstein. Students attending Walter Johnson score, on average, 200
points higher on the SAT than students attending Einstein. A 200-point difference can dramatically affect
college acceptances and then future work opportunities."

[Anonymous]

This is her conclusion (from the written document):

As it stands, students are pigeon-holed along ethnic and economic lines. Study after study shows that students who are from low-Socioeconomic status households benefit from being around high SES students.

Additionally, studies have shown that high-SES students do not suffer from any academic loss. To show a true
commitment to diversity within the county, the boundaries should reflect the population of the county, and not just the pockets and ethnic enclaves that currently exist in the county.

[Anonymous]

If that is the case and her logic is correct, may i suggest everyone on the wrong portion of Farragut St to move to the right portion of the Farragut St. Instance 200+ points added to your kid's SAT. (no other action is required)

However, if one does not want to move because the house is $200k more expansive....(or ~$1100 per month extra for a 30 year mortgage). Well, the family as a whole need to decide if it wants to pay $1100 more a month for an extra 200 point difference in SAT, which according to this person "can dramatically affect
college acceptances and then future work opportunities"


If I have only 1 kid, maybe not. I will go to the private school.
If I have 2 to 3 kids, it may make sense to move.

People is free to decide which of the following is more important:
(1) leasing a new car and have an extra monthly payment
(2) sending money to my country every month
(3) kid's education and pay extra monthly mortgage

Anonymous wrote:Here is one of secret that not that many people know and she revealed it:

"Depending on a family's exact address on
Farragut Street, students would either attend the coveted "W" school of Walter Johnson or the stigmatized
Down County Consortium School of Albert Einstein. Students attending Walter Johnson score, on average, 200
points higher on the SAT than students attending Einstein. A 200-point difference can dramatically affect
college acceptances and then future work opportunities."

[Anonymous]

You can’t apply a group average to any particular individual in that way.

[Anonymous]

The students at Einstein aren’t “stigmatized.” This lady isn’t really helping.

[Anonymous]

I know some great kids from Einstein who have gone on to great universities - many at UMD. They don’t consider themselves “stigmatized.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

what makes you say that? What are some examples that make you think this? Do you think teens are just inherently selfish so there is no way that they would want equity? Doesn't the fact that they are students who go to these schools give them a more unique perspective than parents?

I'm not the PP but MCPS is VERY careful to coach, prep and supervise the testimony from these kids. Heck, they put on the pressure when parents testify on those regular rounds too. My friend agreed to testify once and our principal drove her nuts requiring all these prep phones calls, demanding to review her written testimony first, making edits and pressuring her for suggestions. She was so fed up she told her that next time they should have the PTA pay for actors.

They can't control the parents who don't agree with them so they do whatever they can to stack the deck with kiss ups. Its really crazy the degrees of charades these people go through for these events.

That wasn’t my experience at all when I spoke. Must be your administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is her conclusion (from the written document):

As it stands, students are pigeon-holed along ethnic and economic lines. Study after study shows that students who are from low-Socioeconomic status households benefit from being around high SES students.

Additionally, studies have shown that high-SES students do not suffer from any academic loss. To show a true
commitment to diversity within the county, the boundaries should reflect the population of the county, and not just the pockets and ethnic enclaves that currently exist in the county.

Did she link to these many studies? I'd be interested in reading them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is one of secret that not that many people know and she revealed it:

"Depending on a family's exact address on
Farragut Street, students would either attend the coveted "W" school of Walter Johnson or the stigmatized
Down County Consortium School of Albert Einstein. Students attending Walter Johnson score, on average, 200
points higher on the SAT than students attending Einstein. A 200-point difference can dramatically affect
college acceptances and then future work opportunities."

The interesting thing is that there sis research out there that basically show that schools have very little impact on student achievement, and it's the characteristics of the students entering the schools which causes the differences in outcomes.

So, moving low performers to high performing schools won't make a difference either way. Both sides are getting worked up by something that quite honestly won't make any actual difference in academic performance.

[Anonymous]

OK, that psych's speech was ridiculous. He's saying that teens shouldn't switch schools because it's too hard on their mental well being. That means that parents who move during their children's teens years are mentally abusing them. Yes, it's hard, but most teens adapt just fine. My DH moved during his teen years, from a lower income area to a higher income area, and it was the *best* thing his parents did for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, that psych's speech was ridiculous. He's saying that teens shouldn't switch schools because it's too hard on their mental well being. That means that parents who move during their children's teens years are mentally abusing them. Yes, it's hard, but most teens adapt just fine. My DH moved during his teen years, from a lower income area to a higher income area, and it was the *best* thing his parents did for him.

No, he is absolutely right, although some kids are more resilient than others. Actually, MCPS should consider letting more kids stay in the same school after a move. Frequent moves may be contributing to the achievement gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, that psych's speech was ridiculous. He's saying that teens shouldn't switch schools because it's too hard on their mental well being. That means that parents who move during their children's teens years are mentally abusing them. Yes, it's hard, but most teens adapt just fine. My DH moved during his teen years, from a lower income area to a higher income area, and it was the *best* thing his parents did for him.

No, he is absolutely right, although some kids are more resilient than others. Actually, MCPS should consider letting more kids stay in the same school after a move. Frequent moves may be contributing to the achievement gap.

How many times have those kids changed schools, "involuntarily"? And letting a kid stay after a move only adds to over crowding. Frequent moves may contribute to the achievement gap, but I'm willing to bet that is the least of the issues.

BTW, I grew up low income.