All the boundary options are bad for the DCC-- how do we organize against that? (Any ideas for alternative options?)
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Anonymous
Definitely you should focus all your energies on ragging on BCC rather than advocating and organizing for your own community. |
Anonymous
There is some but the problem is most of the PTA families kids will graduate and this not impact them. |
Anonymous
It has no impact on them. Their schools have the courses and nothing changes. |
Anonymous
The entire plan is that all high schools should have advanced academic options for kids! Or are you the poster who defines "advanced academic options" to mean solely offering MVC? |
Anonymous
DP but I for one would rather have the advanced classes offered at all schools rather than go through the DCC choice process and potentially end up at a school that doesn't have them. Maybe that's where some of the advocacy should focus- e.g., I think there is concern that by Einstein getting smaller, there wouldn't be enough students interested in certain advanced classes to offer them. Well, maybe it doesn't make sense to enforce the same minimum at each school when the total number of students differs that much? Just a thought. |
Anonymous
The point is that MCPS has been clear that every school will offer at least AP Calculus BC. I don't think it is unrealistic to say "If your kid wants to go beyond AP Calculus BC, please consider one of these magnet programs." The same goes for a kid who wants to take three dance periods a day. That kid should apply to a performing arts magnet. It's FINE for schools to specialize, actually. |
Anonymous
+1. It’s some nefarious under the table money or influence campaign. It’s up front organizing by each of the local PTAs with planned talking points and active parents who go to these meetings and respond to the surveys. It’s really no different than the level of parental engagement you see in each of the PTA committees and involvement in activities at these schools. Do I think that made a difference? Absolutely. It’s why you can’t just through money at Title I schools and expect the same results. It requires dedicated commitment from the community year in, year out. That’s somewhat coming from a place of privilege and frankly I don’t care. That’s why folks moved to these places in the first place. MCPS decided that social re-engineering was not viable and decided to focus on the areas immediately impacted by the school, as they should have. You had your chance to voice concerns this spring. It’s a bit late now to try to get organized when others have been doing this for years. And for FWIW, I would gladly pushback again against any changes from the current options and know our PTAs would as well. |
Anonymous
| PP, it’s NOT some nefarious campaign. |
Anonymous
So basically MCPS is outsourcing analysis and decision making to local PTAs to make decisions instead of doing rigorous analysis itself that doesn't prioritize some communities over others. That's an abdication of their responsibility and is gross. Communities should need attorneys to advocate for taxpayer funded resources. |
Anonymous
In reality, the boundaries matter as in HS kids go back and forth, and there is no transportation before school and very limited (pretty much useless) activity bus so kids have to get rides with parents, drive, or take the bus or carpool. So, it's a big deal to be far away from your school. Which groupings and arguing is silly, as reality is there will maybe be 30-50 slots at each school for outside students, so the bigger issue is the lack of resources/courses at all schools, and if MCPS cares about equity, then provide the same opportunities, teachers per class, etc., at each school. Provide more funding for ESOL/Farms/SPED high schools so they can offer appropriate classes to those students without sacrificing the education of other students. Are DCC kids going to go to Whitman? Probably not, and the ones you think would choose it probably wouldn't, especially the parents, as that's not the environment we'd want our kids in, and the distance is a huge issue. If we wanted Whitman, we'd move there. This is more separate but not equal. The only option for families is to move, COSA or private. It will destroy some areas. We all knew the boundaries would be redefined. We didn't know that key programs would be taken away and the numbers reduced so we'd lose staffing which will then cut even more classes (although it is very bare bones so not sure what they can cut). |
Anonymous
Every school, or almost every school, offers calc BC, so arguing about this is silly. Not all kids can get into the magnet as there aren't enough spots and even then, transportation can be a problem. MCPS puts kids on a track to take BC in 10th, which leaves two more years of required math. They can take Stat's, but that's not a great plan for Stem kids to take it alone (combined is ok). So, they should at a minimum offer MVC to all students. Even if they have to have teachers do split days at different close by schools and pay their mileage. And, if your arguement is it isn't needed, MCPS should stop all higher level math after Calc BC for equity. |
Anonymous
Should say "shouldn't need" And it's so sad PP isn't bothered at all It's basically this idea that inequities occur because White people are superior to Black people. That's racism. Nope, it's because the system is stacked in favor of one group and against another group. We all care about our kids but it's clear MCPS has had a certain agenda all along. These new options are a total about face from the initial options so saying "it's too late now to advocate" speaks to the nature of this process and who it was intended to benefit all along. |
Anonymous
| MVC, Physics C etc should be in every high school. |
Anonymous
No. Unnecessary Cal BC, yes. |
Anonymous
| The advocating for Einstein should solely focus on MVC. This makes the most sense and should balance all needs. |