The RFP in MCPS - are they going to gut the magnet and immersion programs or enhance them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I have no dog in this fight.

You sure are highly interested in this topic, for a person who has no dog in this fight.

[Anonymous]

How did this thread deteriorate into this silliness about magnet bingo, and, frankly, who the hell cares?

In 2014, the Blair magnet led the nation in Intel Science Finalists. Over the past 15 years, it ranks #1 in the nation in turning out finalists for that competition.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-blair-high-school-leads-the-nation-in-intel-science-finalists/2014/03/09/b09b5b72-a7a4-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html

In 2014, Blair produced 6 semifinalists for the national Siemen's Competition for Math, Science and Technology. No other Maryland school had as many. Poolesville was next with 4.

http://www.siemens-foundation.org/pool/2014_competition/101814semifinalists.pdf

In 2014, Blair produced 32 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, as many as Whitman and Wootton combined. Only RM had more with 34.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/pdf/NationalMeritSemifinalists2015.pdf

If these are the results of their "dumbed down" bingo-playing curriculum, all the power to them!

The Blair magnet is one of the gems of the MCPS system, and one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation, public or private. People should be proud of it. The only regrettable thing is there aren't more slots, or more programs like it, for all the talented and capable students of Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did this thread deteriorate into this silliness about magnet bingo, and, frankly, who the hell cares?

In 2014, the Blair magnet led the nation in Intel Science Finalists. Over the past 15 years, it ranks #1 in the nation in turning out finalists for that competition.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-blair-high-school-leads-the-nation-in-intel-science-finalists/2014/03/09/b09b5b72-a7a4-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html

In 2014, Blair produced 6 semifinalists for the national Siemen's Competition for Math, Science and Technology. No other Maryland school had as many. Poolesville was next with 4.

http://www.siemens-foundation.org/pool/2014_competition/101814semifinalists.pdf

In 2014, Blair produced 32 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, as many as Whitman and Wootton combined. Only RM had more with 34.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/pdf/NationalMeritSemifinalists2015.pdf

If these are the results of their "dumbed down" bingo-playing curriculum, all the power to them!

The Blair magnet is one of the gems of the MCPS system, and one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation, public or private. People should be proud of it. The only regrettable thing is there aren't more slots, or more programs like it, for all the talented and capable students of Montgomery County.

This puts things into perspective. blair is a big school with a large and diverse population. There are bound to be problems but these stats speak to the excellence of the magnet program and its students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did this thread deteriorate into this silliness about magnet bingo, and, frankly, who the hell cares?

In 2014, the Blair magnet led the nation in Intel Science Finalists. Over the past 15 years, it ranks #1 in the nation in turning out finalists for that competition.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-blair-high-school-leads-the-nation-in-intel-science-finalists/2014/03/09/b09b5b72-a7a4-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html

In 2014, Blair produced 6 semifinalists for the national Siemen's Competition for Math, Science and Technology. No other Maryland school had as many. Poolesville was next with 4.

http://www.siemens-foundation.org/pool/2014_competition/101814semifinalists.pdf

In 2014, Blair produced 32 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, as many as Whitman and Wootton combined. Only RM had more with 34.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/pdf/NationalMeritSemifinalists2015.pdf

If these are the results of their "dumbed down" bingo-playing curriculum, all the power to them!

The Blair magnet is one of the gems of the MCPS system, and one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation, public or private. People should be proud of it. The only regrettable thing is there aren't more slots, or more programs like it, for all the talented and capable students of Montgomery County.

This puts things into perspective. blair is a big school with a large and diverse population. There are bound to be problems but these stats speak to the excellence of the magnet program and its students.

And the question is whether this RFP is being done as a way to justify dismantling the programs in the name of "social justice". Time will tell.

[Anonymous]

My bet: they water down the immersion programs significantly and make it significantly harder to lottery into a program when doing so dilutes middle class participation in the neighborhood schools in the red zone. They "merge" the gifted programs into the regular curriculum. Lots of money saved by streamlining things. Less fleeing from home school assignments will slightly balance some demographics. Lots of angry parents, but they've got that already so they're probably not afraid to rock the boat some more. I assume this is what they're hoping the study will recommend to justify taking these controversial steps.

[Anonymous]

I bet that they expand dual-language programs like they have now at Kemp Mill that are structured to benefit native Spanish speakers. Not sure if they will do this at the expense of current immersion programs.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to bookmark this page, to refer to, when the study comes out and recommends mostly keeping things the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to bookmark this page, to refer to, when the study comes out and recommends mostly keeping things the same.

I think it really depends on what is motivating the administration to conduct the study. If they're only conducting the study to appease parents who are hoping for a change, definitely things will stay the same. If the study is being commissioned because behind closed doors the administration is hoping to lean on these programs to cut costs and do something "concrete" that purports to reduce the achievement gap, then I think there will be changes. Does anyone know what led to the RFP? I think the outcome can be predicted based on the answer to that question.

[Anonymous]

it's cheaper and easier for MCPS to take down the magnets over time. remember the magnets kids are usual middle class Asian and white kids. their parents don't have much influence unlike BCC/Wschool parents. operating specialized program cost MCPS money it doesn't have. why spend $10 dollars/magnet kid when you can serve $10 to serve 5 kids like of argument. i personally think they will take down slowly but surely over time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it's cheaper and easier for MCPS to take down the magnets over time. remember the magnets kids are usual middle class Asian and white kids. their parents don't have much influence unlike BCC/Wschool parents. operating specialized program cost MCPS money it doesn't have. why spend $10 dollars/magnet kid when you can serve $10 to serve 5 kids like of argument. i personally think they will take down slowly but surely over time.

How much extra do the magnet programs cost? Do you know this?

Also, if you think there wouldn't be a lot of screaming if MCPS dismantled the magnet programs, you haven't been paying attention. "Easy" is not the word I'd use.

[Anonymous]

Don't jump on me. I am a magnet parent and would hate to see if magnet is closed out.

I don't have specific figures but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know it costs more to run "school within a school" model. People will scream, fight, protest..etc. and I am sure MCPS knows that. I think this RFP is a sign of what's coming. They will lean back on the study to argue MCPS can serve students better without magnet - I am sure the BOE will go with it. Just look at the BOE members, I don't see anyone jumping in to fight on behalf of few hundred Asian and white kids, do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't jump on me. I am a magnet parent and would hate to see if magnet is closed out.

I don't have specific figures but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know it costs more to run "school within a school" model. People will scream, fight, protest..etc. and I am sure MCPS knows that. I think this RFP is a sign of what's coming. They will lean back on the study to argue MCPS can serve students better without magnet - I am sure the BOE will go with it. Just look at the BOE members, I don't see anyone jumping in to fight on behalf of few hundred Asian and white kids, do you?

The questions are:

1. How much more does it cost to run the magnets?
2. Would the cost savings (keeping in mind that MCPS has an annual operating budget of almost $2.3 billion) be worth the political fight and effort?
3. What goals would MCPS be trying to achieve, and would they be worth the political fight and effort?

It seems to be a very common belief on DCUM that MCPS and the Board of Education hate middle-class white and Asian students with good test scores. I think that says more about the people who hold this belief than about MCPS and the Board of Education.

[Anonymous]

1. it doesn't matter. the system can make the numbers any way they want - remember the word "fuzzy math"?

2. that was my point about middle class asian/white parents - they carry min political influence.

3. re-channel the money to influx of new kids moving in.

I don't think anyone "hates" anybody. it's just the question of what makes better business sense for the MCPS and BOE.

i guess time will tell. i hope they don't touch it. i am also very glad my last kid is about to graduate from mcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. it doesn't matter. the system can make the numbers any way they want - remember the word "fuzzy math"?

2. that was my point about middle class asian/white parents - they carry min political influence.

3. re-channel the money to influx of new kids moving in.

I don't think anyone "hates" anybody. it's just the question of what makes better business sense for the MCPS and BOE.

i guess time will tell. i hope they don't touch it. i am also very glad my last kid is about to graduate from mcps.

No, the system can't make the numbers any way they want. And middle-class Asian and white parents have a whole lot of political influence, when they get organized, show up at meetings, and write e-mails and make phone calls.

[Anonymous]

^ I hope you are right and I'm wrong.