279 Early College graduates honored in 2023

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virtual middle college and middle college were designed to funnel more students into MC as community college enrollment has been declining.
The goal is to help MC stay afloat more than it is to benefit students

Hopefully you’re aware that MC is a nonprofit.

If MC provides classes that MCPS won't, or provides them cheaper, and money moves from MCPS budget to MC budget to make MC look better to the Legislature, it's a win-win that defends MC from being shut down for cost-efficiency reasons.

MC is not going to get shut down. Who even by, anyway? Good grief.

It is not about shutting down. They have declining numbers and the push by MCPS for MC courses is directly linked to boosting MC admissions.
MC professors probably make less than MCPS teachers although I’m not 100% sure of that. The adjuncts certainly make less

Of course the adjuncts make less. Adjuncts make less than everyone, everywhere. Similarly, college enrollment is down everywhere. What are the downsides, for anybody, if MCPS students have the possibility of enrolling in MC during high school? I can't think of any.

When you speak to students who are taking MC courses, they will tell you the quality varies widely. The classes seem to range from bad to ok for the most part. Some are good but I mostly hear kids say that classes are meh. Why are we creating all this upheaval for HS students just to shove them in lack lustre classes. Again, I’m not saying they are all bad. But for some reason, most of the reviews are so-so. I work at a HS and have asked 15-20 kids about their MC classes at this point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virtual middle college and middle college were designed to funnel more students into MC as community college enrollment has been declining.
The goal is to help MC stay afloat more than it is to benefit students

Hopefully you’re aware that MC is a nonprofit.

If MC provides classes that MCPS won't, or provides them cheaper, and money moves from MCPS budget to MC budget to make MC look better to the Legislature, it's a win-win that defends MC from being shut down for cost-efficiency reasons.

MC is not going to get shut down. Who even by, anyway? Good grief.

It is not about shutting down. They have declining numbers and the push by MCPS for MC courses is directly linked to boosting MC admissions.
MC professors probably make less than MCPS teachers although I’m not 100% sure of that. The adjuncts certainly make less

Of course the adjuncts make less. Adjuncts make less than everyone, everywhere. Similarly, college enrollment is down everywhere. What are the downsides, for anybody, if MCPS students have the possibility of enrolling in MC during high school? I can't think of any.

When you speak to students who are taking MC courses, they will tell you the quality varies widely. The classes seem to range from bad to ok for the most part. Some are good but I mostly hear kids say that classes are meh. Why are we creating all this upheaval for HS students just to shove them in lack lustre classes. Again, I’m not saying they are all bad. But for some reason, most of the reviews are so-so. I work at a HS and have asked 15-20 kids about their MC classes at this point

That's been my kids' experience with MCPS too! Some great teachers. Some bad teachers. Most are ok.

Now, what is "all this upheaval for HS students" that you're talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know kids taking health and PE at MC along with communications. How does that even make sense. The reasoning is that they are fulfilling some credits that will count towards UMD requirements but pulling kids out of their regular HS for these types of useless credits seems lame

Who is pulling kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virtual middle college and middle college were designed to funnel more students into MC as community college enrollment has been declining.
The goal is to help MC stay afloat more than it is to benefit students

Hopefully you’re aware that MC is a nonprofit.

If MC provides classes that MCPS won't, or provides them cheaper, and money moves from MCPS budget to MC budget to make MC look better to the Legislature, it's a win-win that defends MC from being shut down for cost-efficiency reasons.

MC is not going to get shut down. Who even by, anyway? Good grief.

It is not about shutting down. They have declining numbers and the push by MCPS for MC courses is directly linked to boosting MC admissions.
MC professors probably make less than MCPS teachers although I’m not 100% sure of that. The adjuncts certainly make less

Of course the adjuncts make less. Adjuncts make less than everyone, everywhere. Similarly, college enrollment is down everywhere. What are the downsides, for anybody, if MCPS students have the possibility of enrolling in MC during high school? I can't think of any.

When you speak to students who are taking MC courses, they will tell you the quality varies widely. The classes seem to range from bad to ok for the most part. Some are good but I mostly hear kids say that classes are meh. Why are we creating all this upheaval for HS students just to shove them in lack lustre classes. Again, I’m not saying they are all bad. But for some reason, most of the reviews are so-so. I work at a HS and have asked 15-20 kids about their MC classes at this point

That's been my kids' experience with MCPS too! Some great teachers. Some bad teachers. Most are ok.

Now, what is "all this upheaval for HS students" that you're talking about?

I think they mean that your senior year is spent at MC. You don’t get to spend 12th grade with your HS friends. You leave MCPS early for mediocre CC classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virtual middle college and middle college were designed to funnel more students into MC as community college enrollment has been declining.
The goal is to help MC stay afloat more than it is to benefit students

Hopefully you’re aware that MC is a nonprofit.

If MC provides classes that MCPS won't, or provides them cheaper, and money moves from MCPS budget to MC budget to make MC look better to the Legislature, it's a win-win that defends MC from being shut down for cost-efficiency reasons.

MC is not going to get shut down. Who even by, anyway? Good grief.

It is not about shutting down. They have declining numbers and the push by MCPS for MC courses is directly linked to boosting MC admissions.
MC professors probably make less than MCPS teachers although I’m not 100% sure of that. The adjuncts certainly make less

Of course the adjuncts make less. Adjuncts make less than everyone, everywhere. Similarly, college enrollment is down everywhere. What are the downsides, for anybody, if MCPS students have the possibility of enrolling in MC during high school? I can't think of any.

When you speak to students who are taking MC courses, they will tell you the quality varies widely. The classes seem to range from bad to ok for the most part. Some are good but I mostly hear kids say that classes are meh. Why are we creating all this upheaval for HS students just to shove them in lack lustre classes. Again, I’m not saying they are all bad. But for some reason, most of the reviews are so-so. I work at a HS and have asked 15-20 kids about their MC classes at this point

That's been my kids' experience with MCPS too! Some great teachers. Some bad teachers. Most are ok.

Now, what is "all this upheaval for HS students" that you're talking about?

I think they mean that your senior year is spent at MC. You don’t get to spend 12th grade with your HS friends. You leave MCPS early for mediocre CC classes

Not everybody wants that. Including, presumably, the people who VOLUNTARILY SIGNED UP for this program.

[Anonymous]

There seem to be several posters commenting who really don’t understand the offerings at MC. Dual enrollment is an umbrella term that simply means specific courses which count for both college credit and high school credit. These are mostly taught at MC, but Middle College at Northwest and Northwood have some classes taught at the high school. There are currently three main “flavors” of programs-

Jumpstart to College - taking individual classes at MC, mostly senior year. I’m a high school teacher and have seen this used to finish English requirements early and graduate at the end of 11th grade, to make up random required credits, or to explore possible majors/career interests. For the folks commenting about kids being “pushed” to do this, or the classes being “meh”, I think you are overlooking who these students are. They aren’t kids already prepared for a 4year college and headed down that path. They are possibly kids who weren’t considering college or who are very unsure about the whole college process. Some need exposure to MC and some of the other programs it offers to help them decide on a plan after HS.

Middle College/PTech - these are full cohorts of students who spend 4 years together working through the program, with 3 years at the high school and the 4th at MC. They aren’t disconnected from their HS and these programs are similar in rigor to the magnets, IB programs, or focused AP programs in different HSs. Basically, every high school has some sort of structured advanced academic offering, and this is what Northwood, Northwest, and Clarksburg offer.

Early College is relatively new and offers a full two years at MC. The 170ish kids who applied and then stuck with the program clearly felt they wanted to be at MC and not at their HS. They weren’t pushed to do it (plenty kids drop out after a couple weeks when they realize what the program really is.) just because this isn’t what you or your kid would do, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great fit for other students and families.

This county is huge and diverse. There are so many different needs and priorities among students and families that I think it is great that there are different opportunities to suite different needs. I really don’t get why people who wouldn’t choose a particular option can’t see that someone else might think otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seem to be several posters commenting who really don’t understand the offerings at MC. Dual enrollment is an umbrella term that simply means specific courses which count for both college credit and high school credit. These are mostly taught at MC, but Middle College at Northwest and Northwood have some classes taught at the high school. There are currently three main “flavors” of programs-

Jumpstart to College - taking individual classes at MC, mostly senior year. I’m a high school teacher and have seen this used to finish English requirements early and graduate at the end of 11th grade, to make up random required credits, or to explore possible majors/career interests. For the folks commenting about kids being “pushed” to do this, or the classes being “meh”, I think you are overlooking who these students are. They aren’t kids already prepared for a 4year college and headed down that path. They are possibly kids who weren’t considering college or who are very unsure about the whole college process. Some need exposure to MC and some of the other programs it offers to help them decide on a plan after HS.

Middle College/PTech - these are full cohorts of students who spend 4 years together working through the program, with 3 years at the high school and the 4th at MC. They aren’t disconnected from their HS and these programs are similar in rigor to the magnets, IB programs, or focused AP programs in different HSs. Basically, every high school has some sort of structured advanced academic offering, and this is what Northwood, Northwest, and Clarksburg offer.

Early College is relatively new and offers a full two years at MC. The 170ish kids who applied and then stuck with the program clearly felt they wanted to be at MC and not at their HS. They weren’t pushed to do it (plenty kids drop out after a couple weeks when they realize what the program really is.) just because this isn’t what you or your kid would do, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great fit for other students and families.

This county is huge and diverse. There are so many different needs and priorities among students and families that I think it is great that there are different opportunities to suite different needs. I really don’t get why people who wouldn’t choose a particular option can’t see that someone else might think otherwise.

Is this a loophole around the "math every year" rule, by eliminating a year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seem to be several posters commenting who really don’t understand the offerings at MC. Dual enrollment is an umbrella term that simply means specific courses which count for both college credit and high school credit. These are mostly taught at MC, but Middle College at Northwest and Northwood have some classes taught at the high school. There are currently three main “flavors” of programs-

Jumpstart to College - taking individual classes at MC, mostly senior year. I’m a high school teacher and have seen this used to finish English requirements early and graduate at the end of 11th grade, to make up random required credits, or to explore possible majors/career interests. For the folks commenting about kids being “pushed” to do this, or the classes being “meh”, I think you are overlooking who these students are. They aren’t kids already prepared for a 4year college and headed down that path. They are possibly kids who weren’t considering college or who are very unsure about the whole college process. Some need exposure to MC and some of the other programs it offers to help them decide on a plan after HS.

Middle College/PTech - these are full cohorts of students who spend 4 years together working through the program, with 3 years at the high school and the 4th at MC. They aren’t disconnected from their HS and these programs are similar in rigor to the magnets, IB programs, or focused AP programs in different HSs. Basically, every high school has some sort of structured advanced academic offering, and this is what Northwood, Northwest, and Clarksburg offer.

Early College is relatively new and offers a full two years at MC. The 170ish kids who applied and then stuck with the program clearly felt they wanted to be at MC and not at their HS. They weren’t pushed to do it (plenty kids drop out after a couple weeks when they realize what the program really is.) just because this isn’t what you or your kid would do, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great fit for other students and families.

This county is huge and diverse. There are so many different needs and priorities among students and families that I think it is great that there are different opportunities to suite different needs. I really don’t get why people who wouldn’t choose a particular option can’t see that someone else might think otherwise.

Is this a loophole around the "math every year" rule, by eliminating a year?

No. Math every year is math every year. "Four math classes" would be a different rule. "Four math classes, spread out one per year" would also be a different rule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virtual middle college and middle college were designed to funnel more students into MC as community college enrollment has been declining.
The goal is to help MC stay afloat more than it is to benefit students

Hopefully you’re aware that MC is a nonprofit.

If MC provides classes that MCPS won't, or provides them cheaper, and money moves from MCPS budget to MC budget to make MC look better to the Legislature, it's a win-win that defends MC from being shut down for cost-efficiency reasons.

MC is not going to get shut down. Who even by, anyway? Good grief.

It is not about shutting down. They have declining numbers and the push by MCPS for MC courses is directly linked to boosting MC admissions.
MC professors probably make less than MCPS teachers although I’m not 100% sure of that. The adjuncts certainly make less

Of course the adjuncts make less. Adjuncts make less than everyone, everywhere. Similarly, college enrollment is down everywhere. What are the downsides, for anybody, if MCPS students have the possibility of enrolling in MC during high school? I can't think of any.

When you speak to students who are taking MC courses, they will tell you the quality varies widely. The classes seem to range from bad to ok for the most part. Some are good but I mostly hear kids say that classes are meh. Why are we creating all this upheaval for HS students just to shove them in lack lustre classes. Again, I’m not saying they are all bad. But for some reason, most of the reviews are so-so. I work at a HS and have asked 15-20 kids about their MC classes at this point

That's been my kids' experience with MCPS too! Some great teachers. Some bad teachers. Most are ok.

Now, what is "all this upheaval for HS students" that you're talking about?

I think they mean that your senior year is spent at MC. You don’t get to spend 12th grade with your HS friends. You leave MCPS early for mediocre CC classes

You’re assuming every high schooler has friends at their high school.