Do these docs show any changes in #s or courses for existing prograns?
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Anonymous
Thank you for releasing documents here. I would have never found them otherwise and it truly helps with advocacy. |
Anonymous
This reminds me of the story involving Pauli, the Nobel laureate. When asked for feedback about some article, he is supposed to have said something along the likes of "he is not even wrong ..." indicating how incoherent and difficult to critique that article was. |
Anonymous
Kids in Blair are either taking Functions or Precalc. But it is not just the name of the course. It is the depth at which materials are covered. I have seen students from W schools not remembering basic concepts after taking Algebra 2. Blair magnet students would eat them alive which is exactly what happens whenever there is a math competition. Sure, keep telling yourself. So, you are saying your W school is bad…hummm….that cannot be true. Functions is a sped up mix of classes combining two years into one. That’s reducing the material and not good. For this pp who insists Blair SMCS students are mediocre in math, check out UMD math competition results, for example the most recent one here: https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blog.umd.edu/dist/f/613/files/2024/12/2024-Winners.pdf |
Anonymous
Then you’ll be in class with the other kids who like English, Art, history and who are also capable of doing Calculus. Or are you expecting the kid you mentioned in this scenario to be some rarity. News flash, they aren’t. |
Anonymous
Why do people make statements like this. AP CSP is meant to be an introductory CS class which can then be followed by Java and other programming languages. Just because that is not how the SMCS program is setup currently doesn’t mean it’s the only way for a student to show interest in STEM. Also, STEM is waay more than just Computer Science. |
Anonymous
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The issue with magnet programs having a spot for every student who has the interest and the ability for the curriculum is that you've then drained home schools of all of the academically strong kids. What if you don't want to do a STEM magnet because your primary interest is music or English or history, but you just want to be able to take a good Calc class? If all of your classmates who are good at math left for the STEM magnet, you won't have that. I think it's ok for these programs to be selective and choose the most qualified students, not all qualified students.
Then you’ll be in class with the other kids who like English, Art, history and who are also capable of doing Calculus. Or are you expecting the kid you mentioned in this scenario to be some rarity. News flash, they aren’t. I don't think you quite understood where pp is coming from. Instead of sending news flashes maybe you should try harder at reading. The concern is quite justified. With so many magnets there two possible outcomes. Let's use STEM as an example. If the magnet is placed at school with good reputation, most qualified students will rush to it thus draining other schools in the region of academically strong kids. If the magnet is placed at school with poor reputation, very few will move thus making the magnet obsolete. Neither outcome is good. I am not saying that 100 slots that we currently have is optimal, but this idea to improve accessibility by letting every interested kid in the magnet is misguided. |
Anonymous
Then you’ll be in class with the other kids who like English, Art, history and who are also capable of doing Calculus. Or are you expecting the kid you mentioned in this scenario to be some rarity. News flash, they aren’t. I don't think you quite understood where pp is coming from. Instead of sending news flashes maybe you should try harder at reading. The concern is quite justified. With so many magnets there two possible outcomes. Let's use STEM as an example. If the magnet is placed at school with good reputation, most qualified students will rush to it thus draining other schools in the region of academically strong kids. If the magnet is placed at school with poor reputation, very few will move thus making the magnet obsolete. Neither outcome is good. I am not saying that 100 slots that we currently have is optimal, but this idea to improve accessibility by letting every interested kid in the magnet is misguided. Having more magnets is good, but the transportation and structure, if you are also an arts or other interest student, is a huge issue. Plus, with the longer day, it impacts extracurricular activities, especially those outside school. Ideally all schools would have advanced classes so the smarter students will stay, but they don't and MCPS isn't caring about those schools. Only specific schools are getting the extra classes and remodeling and the rest just have to continue to deal with what they have and its up to the parents to figure it out. |
Anonymous
Guess what. The current SMCS program doesn't provide AP CSA or AP Calc BC classes. They teach much harder and accelerated contents, and everyone in SMCS program took AP CSA and AP Calc BC tests directly and none took AP CSP or Calc AB tests, because the latter will demonstrate you are weaker or slower than your peers. Same thing for other AP science tests. For example, kids interested in physics or engineering majors do not take AP Physics 1 or 2 courses nor tests. They self-study and directly take AP Physics C tests. The magnet physics course in 9th grade don't even cover half of the AP Physics 1 content. If the future STEM program decides to use the current SMCS curricula and follow their contents, the enrolled students have to know upfront that they have to self-study at least half of the contents in order to be able to get a 5 in those AP science tests. |
Anonymous
There are already 11 MCPS high schools with 30 or less kids a year taking the AP Calc BC exam.(page 20): https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2025/240206_2024_APIB_Exam%20Enroll%20Part%20and%20Perf.pdf If even a dozen of those kids leave for magnets (and it may well be several dozen), that has a major impact on what classes are offered and what the class experience is. |
Anonymous
Then you’ll be in class with the other kids who like English, Art, history and who are also capable of doing Calculus. Or are you expecting the kid you mentioned in this scenario to be some rarity. News flash, they aren’t. I don't think you quite understood where pp is coming from. Instead of sending news flashes maybe you should try harder at reading. The concern is quite justified. With so many magnets there two possible outcomes. Let's use STEM as an example. If the magnet is placed at school with good reputation, most qualified students will rush to it thus draining other schools in the region of academically strong kids. If the magnet is placed at school with poor reputation, very few will move thus making the magnet obsolete. Neither outcome is good. I am not saying that 100 slots that we currently have is optimal, but this idea to improve accessibility by letting every interested kid in the magnet is misguided. I’m that PP - thank you for explaining that well. In Region 1, I’m concerned about Northwood and Einstein losing so many academically strong students to the other 3 schools that there isn’t a large enough cohort for those who can’t or don’t want to transfer schools. |
Anonymous
I don't think you quite understood where pp is coming from. Instead of sending news flashes maybe you should try harder at reading. The concern is quite justified. With so many magnets there two possible outcomes. Let's use STEM as an example. If the magnet is placed at school with good reputation, most qualified students will rush to it thus draining other schools in the region of academically strong kids. If the magnet is placed at school with poor reputation, very few will move thus making the magnet obsolete. Neither outcome is good. I am not saying that 100 slots that we currently have is optimal, but this idea to improve accessibility by letting every interested kid in the magnet is misguided. I’m that PP - thank you for explaining that well. In Region 1, I’m concerned about Northwood and Einstein losing so many academically strong students to the other 3 schools that there isn’t a large enough cohort for those who can’t or don’t want to transfer schools. I don't think you understand. There are not enough spots in other schools for Northwood and Einstein, so expanding it, and having it limited to specific schools will give Northwood and Einstein kids more access, BUT, you are assuming that all the smart STEM kids want that and they don't. It doesn't allow for a lot of arts or other classes, the commute is an issue for some and it's a more general STEM, and some kids want more specific computer science or engineering or other sciences. Kids leave because there are not enough offerings at Einstein and Northwood. With the DCC, you can transfer more easily between schools that are closer or go to MC (which is a transportation issue as well as a timing issue, as many of the classes would conflict with a normal school schedule and if kids do after-school sports or work, it's impossible to take evening classes). Yes, many of our kids are left behind and have to choose from very basic classes, and it's not great. Ultimately, it goes to the principal and their values and the current principal and AP's don't value AP and higher level classes. I just hope they will allow COSAs to schools not in your region. Why do you care when it doesn't impact your kids? Or, you want to be elitist and keep the classes/programs for your kids only. |
Anonymous
I don't think you quite understood where pp is coming from. Instead of sending news flashes maybe you should try harder at reading. The concern is quite justified. With so many magnets there two possible outcomes. Let's use STEM as an example. If the magnet is placed at school with good reputation, most qualified students will rush to it thus draining other schools in the region of academically strong kids. If the magnet is placed at school with poor reputation, very few will move thus making the magnet obsolete. Neither outcome is good. I am not saying that 100 slots that we currently have is optimal, but this idea to improve accessibility by letting every interested kid in the magnet is misguided. Having more magnets is good, but the transportation and structure, if you are also an arts or other interest student, is a huge issue. Plus, with the longer day, it impacts extracurricular activities, especially those outside school. Ideally all schools would have advanced classes so the smarter students will stay, but they don't and MCPS isn't caring about those schools. Only specific schools are getting the extra classes and remodeling and the rest just have to continue to deal with what they have and its up to the parents to figure it out. +1000 If the STEM magnet is in a rich school, it's a brain drain from poor schools. If it's placed in the poorest school in that region, the rich kids will stay home and the magnet is going to be a failure - think Watkins Mill IB program. Expanding should happen in small limited schools if Blair and Poolesville cannot meet the needs, not in 6 schools for each type - STEM, Humanities, Biotech and so on. If these people had any sense they will expand this in 2 or 3 schools and go from there. |
Anonymous
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1000
If the STEM magnet is in a rich school, it's a brain drain from poor schools. If it's placed in the poorest school in that region, the rich kids will stay home and the magnet is going to be a failure - think Watkins Mill IB program. Expanding should happen in small limited schools if Blair and Poolesville cannot meet the needs, not in 6 schools for each type - STEM, Humanities, Biotech and so on. If these people had any sense they will expand this in 2 or 3 schools and go from there. |
Anonymous
At our school, students are discouraged from taking it. All HS should have BC. Many don't bother to take the exam and some schools have regular caculus and others don't. |
Anonymous
You realize they are doing this because its all for show and the schools they are putting the magnets at have those classes so there is no true change to any of the schools except bussing in a few dozen students from other schools and calling it equity. All schools should have stem, humanities and the arts. |