Blair as a whole school magnet?

[Anonymous]

Do you think it is possible to make Blair a whole school magnet? Are there enough students to qualify if the school had 3 programs like Poolesville? Could the remaining in boundary kids be spread out amongst the closest high schools in silver spring? If not the whole school, could the magnet program and CAP be significantly expanded (2-3 times as big)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think it is possible to make Blair a whole school magnet? Are there enough students to qualify if the school had 3 programs like Poolesville? Could the remaining in boundary kids be spread out amongst the closest high schools in silver spring? If not the whole school, could the magnet program and CAP be significantly expanded (2-3 times as big)?

I can't imagine this would work, there are nearly 3000 kids at Blair, less than a quarter of those are in the two programs. It's not even a matter of whether there are enough qualified students to fill a school that size, it's how do you displace so many students? Blair is the only HS for the extreme corner of the county, already several of the closest neighborhoods are assigned to other high schools. Poolesville is less than half the size.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

Definitely not- DCC high schools are going to be bursting at the seams in the next 5-10 years, as our elementary schools are now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think it is possible to make Blair a whole school magnet? Are there enough students to qualify if the school had 3 programs like Poolesville? Could the remaining in boundary kids be spread out amongst the closest high schools in silver spring? If not the whole school, could the magnet program and CAP be significantly expanded (2-3 times as big)?

No and no.

[Anonymous]

I'm confused by this question. To get the number of kids they want, they just have to change the acceptance standards. So if you want to triple it, let in the top 10% - not the top 3%, or whatever the current # is.

[Anonymous]

Poolsville needed to attract more kids. Blair does not. Why make it a whole school magnet?

[Anonymous]

All that will do is lower class size at the W's

[Anonymous]

Just do a whole school magnet at a different highschool, it doesn't have to be at Blair. Programs can be relocated.

[Anonymous]

What is OP's goal? Improve Blair? Increase magnet seats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is OP's goal? Improve Blair? Increase magnet seats?

I'd find it hard to imagine the OP wanted to improve Blair specifically, the best school in the DCC. There are plenty of highschools that need improving. I assume OP just wants to find more seats for the magnet to address concerns found in the choice study.

[Anonymous]

The next round of magnet applications is just a few months away. I wonder if we will hear about changes to the process soon or they will wait another year.

[Anonymous]

I don't see this happening. Making Blair like TJ is a terrible idea - yes, it will improve rankings, yes, it will raise avg SAT scores and what not but it will thin out the talent pool, like TJ.

[Anonymous]

TJ pulls from more than one county too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is OP's goal? Improve Blair? Increase magnet seats?

I'd find it hard to imagine the OP wanted to improve Blair specifically, the best school in the DCC. There are plenty of highschools that need improving. I assume OP just wants to find more seats for the magnet to address concerns found in the choice study.

OP here, yes more seats to address choice study.