Magnet application result High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

Based on this week’s magnet update, it sounds like a lot of kids are in this position. I do think the chatter will settle once everyone’s made their decisions. I hope the hurt is easier to manage once everyone’s done talking about it.

Kids need to talk about these things. Banning the subject is the wrong decision.

Who said anything about banning the subject? But I don't think 8th grade is too young to learn a little about empathy and sensitivity.

ABSOLUTELY! But banning the subject doesn’t help develop empathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

Not really. It was more designed to filter out those who couldn't afford the prep classes in order to keep out the riff Raff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

Not really. It was more designed to filter out those who couldn't afford the prep classes in order to keep out the riff Raff.

OK. I see now we have riff-raff like you on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

I think the problem is that the previous process allowed tremendous room for bias and coaching. Teacher evaluations have been demonstrated to heavily favor white and Asian girls first, then white and Asian boys, and to disfavor other groups. For CES and MS magnets, weighting extracurricular activities confers a significant advantage onto kids whose parents can afford enrichment. It makes sense for HS because there are free opportunities for extracurricular engagement throughout middle school, but having extracurriculars in the mix for 3rd and 5th graders is going to really hurt kids whose parents can pay for private music/chess/computer programming lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

Not really. It was more designed to filter out those who couldn't afford the prep classes in order to keep out the riff Raff.

Exactly! It was just gatekeeping...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

Not really. It was more designed to filter out those who couldn't afford the prep classes in order to keep out the riff Raff.

Exactly! It was just gatekeeping...

As if the current system is immune to prepping?? There are kids that prep for MAP, there are kids who used writing coaches for the essay, and whether or not a kid gets straight As can depend a lot on the home environment as well as the degree to which parents are running support in the background. Also just look in this thread at how many parents cite their child’s unique extracurricular as helping their chances.

Don’t pretend the current system is any less gatekeeping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

Not really. It was more designed to filter out those who couldn't afford the prep classes in order to keep out the riff Raff.

Exactly! It was just gatekeeping...

As if the current system is immune to prepping?? There are kids that prep for MAP, there are kids who used writing coaches for the essay, and whether or not a kid gets straight As can depend a lot on the home environment as well as the degree to which parents are running support in the background. Also just look in this thread at how many parents cite their child’s unique extracurricular as helping their chances.

Don’t pretend the current system is any less gatekeeping.

There are limited spots, so there will necessarily be gatekeeping.

I do have doubts about this claim that people hire essay coaches for what is basically a paragraph (250 words). Does that industry actually exist?

[Anonymous]

The current system puts the emphasis on MAP and the short answer essay because so many kids have all As or basically all As. Children of immigrants from non-English speaking countries -and yes that includes some Asian students as well as students whose parents may speak Spanish at home- are at a tremendous disadvantage because they may not have someone to proofread their essays or help talk over the topics. I've seen this with several DD's classmates who are terrific students in that very high but not extraordinarily high MAP range. No the friends I am thinking of are not Asian but I personally think that if MCPS wants to bring more equity they would bring back the Cogat. There are several posters who claim that it can be prepped but it's not true and a smart child will usually do better than a prepped one anyway. If you really knew anything you'd see that very few kids from the prep programs get in to magnets. Those who do get in would have gotten in anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

800 kids apply to Blair, and there's only room for 100. It is also likely that more than 100 of these kids look the same on paper which makes selection a bit rnndom. I don't think most HSsl are all that bad at least most offer many of the same classes. Let your kids figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The current system puts the emphasis on MAP and the short answer essay because so many kids have all As or basically all As. Children of immigrants from non-English speaking countries -and yes that includes some Asian students as well as students whose parents may speak Spanish at home- are at a tremendous disadvantage because they may not have someone to proofread their essays or help talk over the topics. I've seen this with several DD's classmates who are terrific students in that very high but not extraordinarily high MAP range. No the friends I am thinking of are not Asian but I personally think that if MCPS wants to bring more equity they would bring back the Cogat. There are several posters who claim that it can be prepped but it's not true and a smart child will usually do better than a prepped one anyway. If you really knew anything you'd see that very few kids from the prep programs get in to magnets. Those who do get in would have gotten in anyway.

I don't know if the kid hasn't learned to write a simple 250-word essay by 8th grade a magnet program is probably a bad fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think being at TPMS or another magnet middle school makes the process that much harder from a social perspective because there will be a core group going to Blair and practically everyone applied.

My child got in from their regular MS and when they were trying to figure out if any friends got in the response she got most often was what are you talking about. They were paying no attention to the application process. These are top students who are in the cohorted math and history classes.

I'm the OP about social development. Yes that's the point I was trying to make about the magnet middle schools. Of course there's always reshuffling from every level, elementary to M, MS to HS, but the cohort from the magnet middle schools going on to these HS magnet programs is particularly large. I don't know how to explain to my child that they can do very well, as well as their peers, work hard, and they have a different result. And yes, that's the point I was making about the roll out of notifications. It was at the end of the school day and all the kids were talking about, checking their email, etc. When my kid was hearing all of their friends wonderful results, and happy for the, but with nothing themselves, you can imagine what that does for their self image, but also the bigger understanding that all of their friends would get to go on together, and they will be left out.

I agree with PP that likely 500 applicants "deserve" the invitation, and at some point with the vast majority of applications it is splitting hairs. Clearly one of the answers is having more magnet seats, including at the MS level. But this observation is of course not new, and is likely not the direction MCPS will head to in the future with the general hostility nationwide towards gifted and talented education.

I'll admit I'm also biased towards my own experiences in gifted education, which did wonderful things for me as someone coming from a background of poverty. In our school district children were identified as deserving gifted education at the elementary level and those resources were provided to us at every level. There wasn't the faux scarcity of opportunities that there is in MCPS. In elementary the gifted education was done as a pull out class several times during the week. In middle school and high school there were full magnet programs at specific schools that everyone identified as gifted moved through (if they wanted to). So there was none of this bloodbath at every level, competing against one another, we all moved together. I regret my child isn't in a district that provides the accelerated education and gifted learning cohort to every student that needs it or would benefit from it.

Congrats to the folks who 'got in". However, the way it has been handled is an absolute disaster. Making it so public by sending emails to kids in the middle of the week. Very thoughtless.
Completely isolating and disheartening for kids who don't now get to be with their friends even though they did the work and have the grades and scores. I absolutely wish I didn't send my kid to TPMS. Better to be in home school and have a few kids go the magnet rather than be in this situation. I don't know how the rest of the school year is going to unfold. I am frankly worried.

How else are they to handle it? Just give all the slots to the TPMS kids? What are you worried about for the rest of the school year? It is what it is.

Thanks for your opinion.

DP. There are 100 students in TPMS magnet program, and there are 100 slots at Blair SMAC for the ENTIRE Montgomery County. So it's only logical that the county will have to reject certain kids from TPMS, along with hundreds of others from other schools.

Granted, they definitely should have done it in a more thoughtful manner but if you thought your child would be guaranteed a spot at a HS magnet simply by virtue of going to a MS magnet.. well, you probably should have kept them at a home school.

Not the OP on the home school comment, but it's not a matter of going to a magnet HS "simply" because the child went to a magnet MS, but that the records of achievement are nearly identical. And then we get into the ridiculous splitting of hairs, which isn't a real reflection of whether one child should go and not another.

Yep. The previous evaluation system was definitely more comprehensive. The current watered-down system with grades and MAP (which wasn't meant for this purpose) doesn't provide rich enough data to make an informed decision. No one is expecting a guaranteed spot but definitely expecting a more thoughtful evaluation system and process.

Previous meaning including an external cogat/other test designed to measure potential fit. Not just a test like MAP which is not appropriate in the way it has been used. Better system elevates all participants.

Not really. It was more designed to filter out those who couldn't afford the prep classes in order to keep out the riff Raff.

Exactly! It was just gatekeeping...

As if the current system is immune to prepping?? There are kids that prep for MAP, there are kids who used writing coaches for the essay, and whether or not a kid gets straight As can depend a lot on the home environment as well as the degree to which parents are running support in the background. Also just look in this thread at how many parents cite their child’s unique extracurricular as helping their chances.

Don’t pretend the current system is any less gatekeeping.

You're really funny. Of course, it's far less gatekeeping.