Split articulation (bussing) for the new BCC Middle School?

[Anonymous]

I received a survey through both my school and neighborhood listserves. There are some loaded questions about "split articulation", which sounds like they want to split kids up in the elementary schools. disregard proximity and bus kids around. Is this their intention? Am I comprehending this correctly?

The description below is from the survey.

Given the overcrowding at Westland, as well as the plan for students at North Chevy Chase and Chevy Chase ES to attend Westland in 6th grade, MCPS has approved a new middle school located in the northern part of the cluster. In January 2016, a committee will be formed to address boundaries for both middle schools. This survey, sponsored by the NAACP Parents' Council, is being sent to every K-8 school in the cluster in an attempt to understand the opinion and values of members of the communities around a wide range of policy goals. Our goal is to gather input about the separate but often inter-locking issues (beyond mathematical balancing) that directly relate to how you view a boundary change and how MCPS can preserve diverse populations at Westland and BCC Middle School #2, as provided in the Superintendent's recommendation to the Board of Education.


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Bknz1ovS97sfqTjK5ce9xTZ4rC8HaNReKHsFT6-bF7Q/viewform?c=0&w=1

[Anonymous]

The survey is pretty straightforward. MCPS is looking for community input to help it decide which elementary schools should go to the new middle school and which should go to Westland. Does it surprise you that in this cluster, which includes the K-2/3-6 pairings of Rosemary Hills and Chevy Chase/North Chevy Chase and their split articulation, that there would be concerns about issues other than simply location?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The survey is pretty straightforward. MCPS is looking for community input to help it decide which elementary schools should go to the new middle school and which should go to Westland. Does it surprise you that in this cluster, which includes the K-2/3-6 pairings of Rosemary Hills and Chevy Chase/North Chevy Chase and their split articulation, that there would be concerns about issues other than simply location?

This split was the result of bussing in the 70s. CCES and RHPS used to be K through 6, they split the schools so instead of kids being able to walk to their home schools in their own neighborhoods, they were bussed to different neighborhoods.

There is not alot of racial or socio econic diversity in the BCC cluster as it is, what additional options aRe there to increase diversity?

[Anonymous]

This split was the result of bussing in the 70s. CCES and RHPS used to be K through 6, they split the schools so instead of kids being able to walk to their home schools in their own neighborhoods, they were bussed to different neighborhoods.

I went to CCES so I'm aware of that, thanks. You didn't answer my question.

[Anonymous]

The survey is not from MCPS. From NAACP. Whoever wrote it wasn't interested in a neutrally worded survey.

[Anonymous]

This survey is "sponsored by the NAACP Parents' Council". It says so right there in the document. Do they have an agenda? Of course they do. That is their purpose.

However,

1. Split articulation (as the survey itself explains) is not splitting kids up in the elementary schools. It's having one elementary school feed into two middle schools (or one middle school feed into two high schools).
2. If you think that proximity is the most important thing, the survey allows you to say so.
3. In general, I think that the survey gives you plenty of opportunities to state your opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The survey is pretty straightforward. MCPS is looking for community input to help it decide which elementary schools should go to the new middle school and which should go to Westland. Does it surprise you that in this cluster, which includes the K-2/3-6 pairings of Rosemary Hills and Chevy Chase/North Chevy Chase and their split articulation, that there would be concerns about issues other than simply location?

This split was the result of bussing in the 70s. CCES and RHPS used to be K through 6, they split the schools so instead of kids being able to walk to their home schools in their own neighborhoods, they were bussed to different neighborhoods.

There is not alot of racial or socio econic diversity in the BCC cluster as it is, what additional options aRe there to increase diversity?

Actually, there is quite a bit of racial and socioeconomic diversity in the cluster and it is all at the three schools that will be closest to the new MS - CC, NCC and RCF. That is why there are concerns. Should all three schools feed into it, Westland becomes very very white and the new MS will have a higher minority and poor population than many of the white and not-poor families may be willing to tolerate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The survey is pretty straightforward. MCPS is looking for community input to help it decide which elementary schools should go to the new middle school and which should go to Westland. Does it surprise you that in this cluster, which includes the K-2/3-6 pairings of Rosemary Hills and Chevy Chase/North Chevy Chase and their split articulation, that there would be concerns about issues other than simply location?

This split was the result of bussing in the 70s. CCES and RHPS used to be K through 6, they split the schools so instead of kids being able to walk to their home schools in their own neighborhoods, they were bussed to different neighborhoods.

There is not alot of racial or socio econic diversity in the BCC cluster as it is, what additional options aRe there to increase diversity?

Actually, there is quite a bit of racial and socioeconomic diversity in the cluster and it is all at the three schools that will be closest to the new MS - CC, NCC and RCF. That is why there are concerns. Should all three schools feed into it, Westland becomes very very white and the new MS will have a higher minority and poor population than many of the white and not-poor families may be willing to tolerate.

Willing to tolerate? Wow, that is some ugly language! I am in this cluster and all I care about is that my white kids don't get bussed off to integrate another school further away from our neighborhood. I'd rather my kids go to a racially integrated middle school than a very, very white Westland.

[Anonymous]

What will the point of paying premium money for that part of Silver Spring if you end up not really being in the BCC cluster except for High School.

[Anonymous]

The problem is they dipped the diversity ladle very strategically along east-west and which ever school that gets the pocket closet to 16th st is going to get all the "diversity". Mark my words, they will end up sending RCF with it's token middle class diversity to Westland and the rest will go to #2. That way they can show effort, claim compromise and keep the poorest east for as long as possible. Are we talking bets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What will the point of paying premium money for that part of Silver Spring if you end up not really being in the BCC cluster except for High School.

Why would the new middle school be less "in the BCC cluster" than Westland?

Other desirable clusters have multiple middle schools, all of which are considered part of the cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is they dipped the diversity ladle very strategically along east-west and which ever school that gets the pocket closet to 16th st is going to get all the "diversity". Mark my words, they will end up sending RCF with it's token middle class diversity to Westland and the rest will go to #2. That way they can show effort, claim compromise and keep the poorest east for as long as possible. Are we talking bets?

I would have to agree with that statement, at CCES the only socio-economic diversity comes from the segment of kids who live closest to 16th.

What about going further into Kensington/Wheaton to gain diversity for the new middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is they dipped the diversity ladle very strategically along east-west and which ever school that gets the pocket closet to 16th st is going to get all the "diversity". Mark my words, they will end up sending RCF with it's token middle class diversity to Westland and the rest will go to #2. That way they can show effort, claim compromise and keep the poorest east for as long as possible. Are we talking bets?

I would have to agree with that statement, at CCES the only socio-economic diversity comes from the segment of kids who live closest to 16th.

What about going further into Kensington/Wheaton to gain diversity for the new middle school?

That's not the B-CC cluster, which is what the new middle school is being built for. Do we have to talk about this multiple times in every thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is they dipped the diversity ladle very strategically along east-west and which ever school that gets the pocket closet to 16th st is going to get all the "diversity". Mark my words, they will end up sending RCF with it's token middle class diversity to Westland and the rest will go to #2. That way they can show effort, claim compromise and keep the poorest east for as long as possible. Are we talking bets?

I would have to agree with that statement, at CCES the only socio-economic diversity comes from the segment of kids who live closest to 16th.

What about going further into Kensington/Wheaton to gain diversity for the new middle school?

The new B-CC middle school is called the new B-CC middle school because it is the new middle school for the B-CC cluster. Here is a map of the B-CC cluster:

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/ServiceAreaMaps/BCCHS.pdf

[Anonymous]

Nobody wants a split articulation.

Say so loudly and repeatedly.