Is it good or bad that MCPS placed Magnet schools in the lowest performing schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I hardly think that this is some ploy for MCPS to "close" the achievement gap. First of all the gap is pretty intractable. Second, closing the gap in small segment of the school population (ie magnets) does nothing for the overall gap. That is not the reason MCPS is doing this.

Of course, MCPS cannot close the achievement gap. As you said, the gap is intractable. However, it is the optics of this step. MCPS can "pretend" they are being equitable, while at the same time distracting people from the fact that they are failing everybody with their curriculum and the ever widening gap. Magnets are convenient scapegoats and a good distraction.

Fair enough.

[Anonymous]

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Listen to yourself. Transparency is needed. Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin. Shame on MCPS and shame on the dotard who gave money to Metis for this study. They need to make public the scores of students who got in. This is a standard practice around the world. That way you know if you have earned a spot because of your abilities vs your race. It casts a shadow in the achievement of any URM student who actually gets in because of their merit because they get painted by the brush of being a product of affirmative action. You think this does not create divisions and suspicion? You think as prospective employers people will not be wary of the qualification of URM students? There are repercussions that will continue for a long time.

That would be a violation of federal law. As admitting students because of their race would be.

I don't assume that black and brown people got ahead undeservedly because of affirmative action; why do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

I kind of agree with this, though I do feel like MCPS is being unfair to kids on the west side. This is one of the reasons we moved to the RM cluster, to give our kids a better chance at getting into IB. When MCPS brought IB magnet to RM, it drew in higher SES into the cluster. Blair magnet doesn't have any set aside seats for in cluster students, and I wonder if they did do this, how more attractive that area would be to the higher SES folks. Isn't this one of the reasons that Poolesville is growing? People are moving up that way in part for the magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

I kind of agree with this, though I do feel like MCPS is being unfair to kids on the west side. This is one of the reasons we moved to the RM cluster, to give our kids a better chance at getting into IB. When MCPS brought IB magnet to RM, it drew in higher SES into the cluster. Blair magnet doesn't have any set aside seats for in cluster students, and I wonder if they did do this, how more attractive that area would be to the higher SES folks. Isn't this one of the reasons that Poolesville is growing? People are moving up that way in part for the magnet.

kind of laughable in a way. life is so unfair for kids on the west side of MoCo....

[Anonymous]

Guess we'll just monitor the wash out rate, GPA & SATs, and quality of the colleges the lower-scoring affirmative action candidates generate.
I'm optimistic that zero will wash out, GPAs high, SATs high and Top 25 colleges. Just like the URMs do at the privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

I kind of agree with this, though I do feel like MCPS is being unfair to kids on the west side. This is one of the reasons we moved to the RM cluster, to give our kids a better chance at getting into IB. When MCPS brought IB magnet to RM, it drew in higher SES into the cluster. Blair magnet doesn't have any set aside seats for in cluster students, and I wonder if they did do this, how more attractive that area would be to the higher SES folks. Isn't this one of the reasons that Poolesville is growing? People are moving up that way in part for the magnet.

kind of laughable in a way. life is so unfair for kids on the west side of MoCo....

Of course it's unfair to ding kids for a magnet program based on where they live. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

I kind of agree with this, though I do feel like MCPS is being unfair to kids on the west side. This is one of the reasons we moved to the RM cluster, to give our kids a better chance at getting into IB. When MCPS brought IB magnet to RM, it drew in higher SES into the cluster. Blair magnet doesn't have any set aside seats for in cluster students, and I wonder if they did do this, how more attractive that area would be to the higher SES folks. Isn't this one of the reasons that Poolesville is growing? People are moving up that way in part for the magnet.

kind of laughable in a way. life is so unfair for kids on the west side of MoCo....

Of course it's unfair to ding kids for a magnet program based on where they live. Duh.

so the new way they are doing it is more equitable -- to kids on the east side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

I kind of agree with this, though I do feel like MCPS is being unfair to kids on the west side. This is one of the reasons we moved to the RM cluster, to give our kids a better chance at getting into IB. When MCPS brought IB magnet to RM, it drew in higher SES into the cluster. Blair magnet doesn't have any set aside seats for in cluster students, and I wonder if they did do this, how more attractive that area would be to the higher SES folks. Isn't this one of the reasons that Poolesville is growing? People are moving up that way in part for the magnet.

kind of laughable in a way. life is so unfair for kids on the west side of MoCo....

Unfair in that they can no longer easily game the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Guess we'll just monitor the wash out rate, GPA & SATs, and quality of the colleges the lower-scoring affirmative action candidates generate.
I'm optimistic that zero will wash out, GPAs high, SATs high and Top 25 colleges. Just like the URMs do at the privates.

Of course, because the Ivys will take them over Asian American Students even if their SAT is 300 points lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The interesting thing is MCPS made clear that they are not doing anything to the high school magnet programs this year. And there is no immediate plan to change the high school magnet tests. I heard some grumble about changes in admission standard but not much. I wonder whether MCPS is too scared to change the composition of Blair SMAC or RM IB too much.

So there will be no change in the admission process next year? Was there any announcement? I would appreciate if you can provide a link.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are about learning and not MCPS changing criteria for students admissions to competitive programs based on the color of their skin.

There is ZERO evidence of this. Race was not a factor. That would be illegal, and MCPS knows it. Geography was a factor, but you are more than welcome to move to the east side of the county if you'd like to game the system that way.

I kind of agree with this, though I do feel like MCPS is being unfair to kids on the west side. This is one of the reasons we moved to the RM cluster, to give our kids a better chance at getting into IB. When MCPS brought IB magnet to RM, it drew in higher SES into the cluster. Blair magnet doesn't have any set aside seats for in cluster students, and I wonder if they did do this, how more attractive that area would be to the higher SES folks. Isn't this one of the reasons that Poolesville is growing? People are moving up that way in part for the magnet.

kind of laughable in a way. life is so unfair for kids on the west side of MoCo....

Unfair in that they can no longer easily game the system.

unfair because they are being dinged for having too many "cohorts" where they live. These are kids from educated parents. Do you really think most of these kids wouldn't score high without the prep? BTW, we live in RM cluster, the west side of the county, and my DC went to HGC without any prep whatsoever. Same for many of the kids from this area who went to HGC.

[Anonymous]

Magnet is what saved both schools @ Blair and RM. Truly ghe**o schools without it. They were then, they are still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
unfair because they are being dinged for having too many "cohorts" where they live. These are kids from educated parents. Do you really think most of these kids wouldn't score high without the prep? BTW, we live in RM cluster, the west side of the county, and my DC went to HGC without any prep whatsoever. Same for many of the kids from this area who went to HGC.

The “prep” is educated parents. The “prep” is quality childcare and nutrition. The “prep” is a relatively calm and stress free childhood. The “prep” is school time with classmates who are within ten reading levels of your child and who don’t act out because they are anxious about instability at home.

That is the prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Magnet is what saved both schools @ Blair and RM. Truly ghe**o schools without it. They were then, they are still.

Once upon a time, Georgetown was a ghetto too. This is more racist garbage fostered by ignorant people.