MCPS BOE petition re: making student demographics the primary factor in redistricting decisions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

FYI:
One of the only people to vote for the busing all over the place options was the STUDENT MEMBER. Why is a student from MCPS's allowed to participate and be a voting member of the board of education? I find that completely absurd. He is not at all answerable to the voters.

Because the law says so. If you don't like what the law says, contact your state-level elected officials about changing the law.

Also, the student member of the board this year is a woman (check your pronouns and assumptions...)

During the RM#5 voting, it's a male student. So the pronoun is correct. If you don't believe me then you're welcome to watch the video of the vote.

I tried to read more about the law but when I went to the MCPS site on it, it shows the new student member and has a link for more info that is dead. I guess they're trying to hide things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

I’ll be blunt. If this person lives in a very wealthy area, I would be less inclined to sign because I would believe that her real reasons for the petition are not those stated but actually to protect her own property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

During the RM#5 voting, it's a male student. So the pronoun is correct. If you don't believe me then you're welcome to watch the video of the vote.

I tried to read more about the law but when I went to the MCPS site on it, it shows the new student member and has a link for more info that is dead. I guess they're trying to hide things.

I googled "Montgomery County student member of the board law", and here was the fifth link down: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/new-student-member-of-montgomery-county-board-of-education-sworn-in/

So I guess that MCPS is doing the same terrible job of hiding things as they do of everything else...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

FYI:
One of the only people to vote for the busing all over the place options was the STUDENT MEMBER. Why is a student from MCPS's allowed to participate and be a voting member of the board of education? I find that completely absurd. He is not at all answerable to the voters.

Because the law says so. If you don't like what the law says, contact your state-level elected officials about changing the law.

Also, the student member of the board this year is a woman (check your pronouns and assumptions...)

During the RM#5 voting, it's a male student. So the pronoun is correct. If you don't believe me then you're welcome to watch the video of the vote.

I tried to read more about the law but when I went to the MCPS site on it, it shows the new student member and has a link for more info that is dead. I guess they're trying to hide things.

Yes, last year Matt Post was the student member of the board. This school year, the SMOB is Ananya Tadikonda from Richard Montgomery HS. Ms. Tadikonda will be voting on tonight's policy change proposal. If you click on the link on the right side of the page, it does work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

I’ll be blunt. If this person lives in a very wealthy area, I would be less inclined to sign because I would believe that her real reasons for the petition are not those stated but actually to protect her own property values.

So don't sign. Figure out what you believe and write that directly to the BoE. The words are the same regardless of where the petition author lives so the only question is whether you agree with what that person wrote or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

DP. Different parts of the county have different things going on. For example, a person who lives in a wealthier part of Gaithersburg might worry about getting rezoned for a school in a poorer part of Gaithersburg. Also apparently still an issue in some wealthier parts of Gaithersburg (to go by DCUM): the 1998 rezoning from Quince Orchard HS to Northwest HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

During the RM#5 voting, it's a male student. So the pronoun is correct. If you don't believe me then you're welcome to watch the video of the vote.

I tried to read more about the law but when I went to the MCPS site on it, it shows the new student member and has a link for more info that is dead. I guess they're trying to hide things.

I googled "Montgomery County student member of the board law", and here was the fifth link down: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/new-student-member-of-montgomery-county-board-of-education-sworn-in/

So I guess that MCPS is doing the same terrible job of hiding things as they do of everything else...?

First off, I wasn't actually serious that they were trying to hide anything. More likely it's incompetence.

Second, your link doesn't give any information about the law. It only discusses the new school board member so I guess they're doing a better job hiding it than you realized!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

First off, I wasn't actually serious that they were trying to hide anything. More likely it's incompetence.

Second, your link doesn't give any information about the law. It only discusses the new school board member so I guess they're doing a better job hiding it than you realized!

There's a whole Internet out there, PP, and search engines too. Seek and ye shall find.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

DP. Different parts of the county have different things going on. For example, a person who lives in a wealthier part of Gaithersburg might worry about getting rezoned for a school in a poorer part of Gaithersburg. Also apparently still an issue in some wealthier parts of Gaithersburg (to go by DCUM): the 1998 rezoning from Quince Orchard HS to Northwest HS.

That seems to be the case with that petition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

DP. Different parts of the county have different things going on. For example, a person who lives in a wealthier part of Gaithersburg might worry about getting rezoned for a school in a poorer part of Gaithersburg. Also apparently still an issue in some wealthier parts of Gaithersburg (to go by DCUM): the 1998 rezoning from Quince Orchard HS to Northwest HS.

That seems to be the case with that petition.

Of course it is. No one gets this worked up about a non-issue without a personal stake in the outcome. The petition talks about 60 minute bus rides, which is not even close to what is being proposed here. This is disinformation, preying on underlying economic and racial tensions in the area. From the first post about this, labeled ALERT in order to get folks' attention, to this petition, the OP is feeding on emotion rather than facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

DP. Different parts of the county have different things going on. For example, a person who lives in a wealthier part of Gaithersburg might worry about getting rezoned for a school in a poorer part of Gaithersburg. Also apparently still an issue in some wealthier parts of Gaithersburg (to go by DCUM): the 1998 rezoning from Quince Orchard HS to Northwest HS.

That seems to be the case with that petition.

You can't possibly know or presume that. People acknowledge that there are reasons even folks in poorer performing and/or lower FARMS schools would oppose busing: long rides for their kids, difficulty for parents getting to school events, and losing out on the community benefits of neighborhood schools. All of these factors also apply to people in higher performing and/or richer schools.

Yet, no one seems to believe that said parents could actually oppose busing for these reasons. They automatically assume that anyone from a stronger/wealthier schools who opposes busing doesn't want to mix with the poorer (often browner) families and/or want to protect their property values. That's ridiculous.

Are there some people who use the above rationale as a rhetorical fig leaf to hide their true objections? Sure. But that doesn't remotely mean that that is what is actually motivating all or even most such parents.

[Anonymous]

So after the county does this - you think I can buy up a lot of property in Western MoCo cheap?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So after the county does this - you think I can buy up a lot of property in Western MoCo cheap?

You should contact OP to see if she is selling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This petition states that it was created by Katya Simon. Before signing, I would like to know what schools (cluster) she is part of. This is important to me because the county is huge and I can’t confirm that I share her interests and needs without this information.

But what would that prove? Not everyone in each cluster has the same values. Do you hope she is in a W cluster and you can just dismiss her as a privileged racist? If she is part of a poorer cluster and opposes busing, would that give her greater credibility and make her preference for neighborhood schools "acceptable" to you?

From a simply google search, there appears to be a Katya Simon in Gaithersburg. I don't know if this is accurate, or if this is the same person. But I still don't see how this would be relevant.

DP. Different parts of the county have different things going on. For example, a person who lives in a wealthier part of Gaithersburg might worry about getting rezoned for a school in a poorer part of Gaithersburg. Also apparently still an issue in some wealthier parts of Gaithersburg (to go by DCUM): the 1998 rezoning from Quince Orchard HS to Northwest HS.

That seems to be the case with that petition.

You can't possibly know or presume that. People acknowledge that there are reasons even folks in poorer performing and/or lower FARMS schools would oppose busing: long rides for their kids, difficulty for parents getting to school events, and losing out on the community benefits of neighborhood schools. All of these factors also apply to people in higher performing and/or richer schools.

Yet, no one seems to believe that said parents could actually oppose busing for these reasons. They automatically assume that anyone from a stronger/wealthier schools who opposes busing doesn't want to mix with the poorer (often browner) families and/or want to protect their property values. That's ridiculous.

Are there some people who use the above rationale as a rhetorical fig leaf to hide their true objections? Sure. But that doesn't remotely mean that that is what is actually motivating all or even most such parents.

+1 We don't live in a w cluster, and I don't want my kids on a longer bus ride than necessary. We have not much community feel as it is because the boundaries are not contiguous. My DC already spent 40min each way going to HGC. We chose to not go that route for MS. I don't want my kids on a long bus ride anymore.

[Anonymous]

Having watched the hearing now, I really don't see what all the fuss is about. This change seems pretty minor to me.