Magnets, Regions, and the Future of MCPS Gifted Kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RMIB and Blair SMACS are not the only magnets.

Poolesville HS - SMACS , Humanities and Global Ecology are also magnet programs. Less toxic environment than RMIB and Blair.

What do you know about the environments of these programs? Did you attend all three high schools' magnets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What is the purpose of a magnet school?

The purpose of a magnet school is to attract white students to schools full of black students, in order to desegregate the school district, increase political power for gaining resources for that school and to game the "schoolwide" performance metrics to show "equity".

A "gifted program" is no the same as a "magnet school"

But, if you know the history of MoCo, you know that gifted programs were purposefully placed in low performing high minority low socioeconomic class schools in the hopes that they would act like desegregation magnets - pulling academically strong kids into these lower performing schools. MoCo hadn’t desegregated yet, and they were trying to avoid the forced busing Boston experienced and the white flight Prince William county experienced ( where they just closed the public school system).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is the purpose of a magnet school?

The purpose of a magnet school is to attract white students to schools full of black students, in order to desegregate the school district, increase political power for gaining resources for that school and to game the "schoolwide" performance metrics to show "equity".

A "gifted program" is no the same as a "magnet school"

But, if you know the history of MoCo, you know that gifted programs were purposefully placed in low performing high minority low socioeconomic class schools in the hopes that they would act like desegregation magnets - pulling academically strong kids into these lower performing schools. MoCo hadn’t desegregated yet, and they were trying to avoid the forced busing Boston experienced and the white flight Prince William county experienced ( where they just closed the public school system).

The reality is the only way to desegregate is forced bussing and none of the lower income want their kids bussed to richer schools. Even the more comfortable families in the lower income schools very rarely want that. Instead of worrying about desegregation, focus on student needs and boost up those kids and schools. Its also impossible to say if these schools wouldn't have higher test scores if they had more course offerings to the smarter students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I former RM IB kid with two kids who graduated from Blair I have to say that the desire to hog resources for the few slots in the IB / Blair STEM programs is not the right move and the new regional will be better with more slots and locations closer to where people live.

The dirty secret is that most of the magnet kids can and will excel at whatever high school they choose. Many of those kids who go to MIT from Blair will still get into MIT (just from different high schools). More kids should be given opportunities for advance coursework if they want to go down that path closer to home.

This is how alumni do by pointing figures at the programs that you and your kids took full benefits from? Can’t you see a tiny bit that the new regional magnets will not create the same quality nor enhancing the access (through using a low bar and then lottery)? Shame on you.

I’m the RMIB guy. Guess what … my kids were NOT in the Blair magnet program or CAP. Take your shame elsewhere.

Oh so you are just angry your kids were not in the Blair magnet so you want it dismantled for that reason? That’s even worse.

[Anonymous]

OP yes you're correct. All the talk by Taylor about equity is complete bs. His plan will exacerbate inequalities between regions. They don't have an answer for this because they know it's true. It's a sad indictment of our society that "equity" can be thrown around so cheaply these days without an actual methodical data-driven approach that demonstrates there will be equity. But again, if they were to actually do the work and run the numbers they would know that the proposal is not promoting equity. They KNOW that they're using it as a cover to just push through garbage.

I'm also of the mind that this is just about creating more opportunities for the W schools. One of his earliest quotes was about how students at RM couldn't get into the IB program. He's prioritizing access to the top magnets for the wealthiest, the rest of the school district be damned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP yes you're correct. All the talk by Taylor about equity is complete bs. His plan will exacerbate inequalities between regions. They don't have an answer for this because they know it's true. It's a sad indictment of our society that "equity" can be thrown around so cheaply these days without an actual methodical data-driven approach that demonstrates there will be equity. But again, if they were to actually do the work and run the numbers they would know that the proposal is not promoting equity. They KNOW that they're using it as a cover to just push through garbage.

I'm also of the mind that this is just about creating more opportunities for the W schools. One of his earliest quotes was about how students at RM couldn't get into the IB program. He's prioritizing access to the top magnets for the wealthiest, the rest of the school district be damned.

+1 it makes me so angry that they are using the word equity. Stfu Taylor. This isn't equity and you know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP yes you're correct. All the talk by Taylor about equity is complete bs. His plan will exacerbate inequalities between regions. They don't have an answer for this because they know it's true. It's a sad indictment of our society that "equity" can be thrown around so cheaply these days without an actual methodical data-driven approach that demonstrates there will be equity. But again, if they were to actually do the work and run the numbers they would know that the proposal is not promoting equity. They KNOW that they're using it as a cover to just push through garbage.

I'm also of the mind that this is just about creating more opportunities for the W schools. One of his earliest quotes was about how students at RM couldn't get into the IB program. He's prioritizing access to the top magnets for the wealthiest, the rest of the school district be damned.

+1 it makes me so angry that they are using the word equity. Stfu Taylor. This isn't equity and you know it.

+2. It's certianly within MCPS' rights to propose changes. But pretending it's for equity is pure gaslighting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is the purpose of a magnet school?

The purpose of a magnet school is to attract white students to schools full of black students, in order to desegregate the school district, increase political power for gaining resources for that school and to game the "schoolwide" performance metrics to show "equity".

A "gifted program" is no the same as a "magnet school"

But, if you know the history of MoCo, you know that gifted programs were purposefully placed in low performing high minority low socioeconomic class schools in the hopes that they would act like desegregation magnets - pulling academically strong kids into these lower performing schools. MoCo hadn’t desegregated yet, and they were trying to avoid the forced busing Boston experienced and the white flight Prince William county experienced ( where they just closed the public school system).

That's your bigoted history, not MCPS history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I former RM IB kid with two kids who graduated from Blair I have to say that the desire to hog resources for the few slots in the IB / Blair STEM programs is not the right move and the new regional will be better with more slots and locations closer to where people live.

The dirty secret is that most of the magnet kids can and will excel at whatever high school they choose. Many of those kids who go to MIT from Blair will still get into MIT (just from different high schools). More kids should be given opportunities for advance coursework if they want to go down that path closer to home.

so now that you no more have any stakes in this discussion you are going to be "generous" with other people's kids. what a jerk.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the first class of RMIB. When my mom sent me to RM, the IB magnet was untested. And they were going to use a curriculum that was new to Mont Cty.

35 yrs later you are touting the rigor and value of RMIB. Someone has to be in the first class of the new magnets.

And is it bad that I don't want my kid to be in that first class. We are zoned for Gaithersburg and will lose accesd to Poolesville.

How are you faring in life? How was it for you in the RM magnet 35 years ago? Do you regret going there vs your home school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in the first class of RMIB. When my mom sent me to RM, the IB magnet was untested. And they were going to use a curriculum that was new to Mont Cty.

35 yrs later you are touting the rigor and value of RMIB. Someone has to be in the first class of the new magnets.

How about we get Kennedy and Rockville IBs up to RM IB standards first, then we can talk about making more new first classes.

+1 Upcounty, get the Watkins Mill and Seneca Valley programs upto RM standards and then make more magnets

[Anonymous]

Would a petition against their proposal help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, those programs (RM/Blair), while definitely rigorous, create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and obnoxiousness for some of those students who participate (as well as their parents). No doubt many of the kids are lovely, but not sure I love some of the parents asking me if my kid was in Gen Pop.

Spread out the resources these program take so more kids can get access to them.

But this plan is not spreading resources. Have you seen in their presentation any resources being spread? No new teachers, no new investments, nothing. Just creating 30 new magnets out of thin air.

If your kid is such a high flyer take some math classes at MC or Maryland. Every school will have AP Calculus BC and probably local options to take the more rigorous math and science classes. And guess what, if your kid is crazy talented and at Northwood (a lower performing school) they could be #1 at Northwood! That actually means something in the college process and could get them into a better school. The idea that you cannot succeed outside the magnet is a fallacy. Further, at Blair, if you are an average magnet kid your profile actually doesn’t look so great when compared to the really high flyers in the program. Average Blair magnet kids are not getting into Ivy’s and some are not even getting into UMD for those precious engineering and computer science slots. The program is not overrated, it just does not need to be as consolidated and exclusive as currently constructed.

I can accept this. I just don't see how the proposed plan provides value to anybody. Why even bother with magnets. We have regular programs at all schools. They are neither consolidated nor exclusive. MCPS can simply add a couple of courses in low performing schools and achieve the same effect as this 30 magnets charade.

+1,000
Why do they want to bus 200 kids to Whitman to take AP social studies classes? That commute will be prohibitive for so many. Use those resources to build up courses at the home schools. Don't siphon off half the interested kids to a school that doesn't need them just to tell the ones left behind that "sorry, not enough interest!" when they ask for the same classes Whitman has just because they are rich.

+1 million.

Create extra classes in the Schools that don't have them rather than this charade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is the purpose of a magnet school?

The purpose of a magnet school is to attract white students to schools full of black students, in order to desegregate the school district, increase political power for gaining resources for that school and to game the "schoolwide" performance metrics to show "equity".

A "gifted program" is no the same as a "magnet school"

But, if you know the history of MoCo, you know that gifted programs were purposefully placed in low performing high minority low socioeconomic class schools in the hopes that they would act like desegregation magnets - pulling academically strong kids into these lower performing schools. MoCo hadn’t desegregated yet, and they were trying to avoid the forced busing Boston experienced and the white flight Prince William county experienced ( where they just closed the public school system).

That's your bigoted history, not MCPS history.

You are delusional and clearly allergic to facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I agree with you but this is a losing battle. This is how you destroy good school systems. I am just glad we are done with MCPS. I feel sorry for magnet kids but moco is full of idiots right now

There are so few magnet kids that is it really a good use of money.

There are so few special needs kids as well. Can I as a parent of a NT kid ask if it is a good use of money?