Equity model editorial

[Anonymous]

Does anyone think Dr. Smith could bring some of the low performing kids up in a year if he was a classroom teacher? If he could, he can let others know the secrets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think Dr. Smith could bring some of the low performing kids up in a year if he was a classroom teacher? If he could, he can let others know the secrets.

I'd love to see him in the classroom!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just awful - https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/evidence-of-learning-framework/equity-accountability-model.aspx

Can you elaborate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are making this too much about race, especially considering the county is majority-minority and whites are only the second largest group at MCPS (latinos are #1).

The five groups they identify for special focus seem to comprise more than half of all students. At that point, why not just focus on all students?

It's like the free lunch program -- at schools where more than a certain percentage of teh student body is entitled to it, they realized it's easier to just give everyone free lunch at that school than deal with the hassle of charging/running a payment program for the minority of kids who don't qualify for it.

I think they should just focus on students who are lower SES, regardless of race.

+1 in the other thread about Asian Americans and MS magnet, someone stated that people should stop making it about race, and I responded that I totally agree, but that it's MCPS that keeps bringing race into the picture.

If they want to be race blind in magnets, then why call out races for under achievers?

If they want to look at the individual rather than the group, then why make magnet admission about "peer cohort"?

If you truly understand the history of the United States, you know that race and SES are linked. Even if you did focus on SES and didn't mention race, you are still going to find Blacks and Hispanics overrepresented when it comes to poverty.

I find the desire to "take race out of it" to be....questionable.

Yes, I do *truly* understand US history, which includes discrimination against Asian Americans, as well. Do you *truly* understand that?

And I hope you *truly* understand that you can't say "let's look at race when it comes to instance x but not look at race when it comes to instance y". Either you look at it, or you don't. Stop picking and choosing when you want to look at race and when you don't.

I have no problem helping low income students. I grew up low income, with very little help from our poor school district when I was in school. I am now upper/middle income and have donated thousands of dollars to our public schools via the "buy nothing drive"; we participate in the backpack back to school drives. I have no problem with MCPS helping out low income students. I have a problem with MCPS (and others) picking and choosing when to look at race (when it helps some groups) and when not to (when it doesn't help said group).

I think it is perfectly fine to look at SES...but if you think that doing so will get you away from the race factor that you so clearly loathe, you are mistaken.

This country was built on brutality and the subjugation of some to the benefit of others. We see the remnants of this today in the form of massive inequalities with black and brown kids more likely to be in the losing in.

So sure, let's focus on SES in lieu of race. You will still be focused in the same group of kids , but you will probably "feel" better about it.

so its has nothing to do with culture and intact families right
why do some black and hispanic kids make it
why do almost all asians make it

please this race baiting bs is exactly why trump was able to win

With this statement, you confirm that you *don't * truly understand the history of this country.

Sadly, I'm not surprised

That PP wasn't me... they should focus on income level and leave race out of it. If that means majorty are Black/Hispanics, fine, I've no issue with it all. Again, I grew up low income. But that's not what MCPS is doing, is it. They are calling out Black/Hispanic based on income level. So, again, it's MCPS that focuses on race, not me.

There are lots of pretty smart Black/Hispanic kids. In our neighborhood, there are several Black/Hispanic lawyer parents whose children go to the same school as my kids. Spouse and I have a lowly bachelors degree from a low rated state university. Yet, somehow, in MCPS's mind (and some other people's minds), our kids have an advantage over the kids of the Black/Hispanic lawyers in our neighborhood when it comes to academics in our district. BTW, my parents are immigrants (as am I) and have an ES education, and barely speak any English.

So, I'm wondering what advantage my kids have over those other kids in MCPS, and why my kids are grouped separately by MCPS when it comes to tracking "achievement".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just awful - https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/evidence-of-learning-framework/equity-accountability-model.aspx

Can you elaborate?

We need to teach children & not "focus groups." This is yet another dangerous mindset that will only cause further division by placing more ridiculous accountability measures on exhausted teachers, forcing teachers to overlook the kids in the middle of the pack.

The system needs a major overhaul, as it cannot function in crisis forever.

This is why people leave it. Band aid approaches fail.

[Anonymous]

But what IS the approach? It’s easy to state there’s a crisis, as Dr. Smith has done. One can even try to measure it. But what are they planning to DO? He doesn’t say. My fear is that whatever they do will be like 2.0 and actually make the problem worse while also driving out mid level performers and teachers who crack under the pressure to solve all of society’s ills. There is such a massive disconnect between Dr. Smith and teachers at this point, and so little trust, that really what needs to happen is a change in leadership to someone with actual vision and follow through. Principals like Casey Crouse should not still have a job after a rape incident. You can’t tackle systemic racism and ignore student safety. Students and teachers are not guinea pigs. Enough already.

[Anonymous]

That PP wasn't me... they should focus on income level and leave race out of it. If that means majorty are Black/Hispanics, fine, I've no issue with it all. Again, I grew up low income. But that's not what MCPS is doing, is it. They are calling out Black/Hispanic based on income level. So, again, it's MCPS that focuses on race, not me.

There are lots of pretty smart Black/Hispanic kids. In our neighborhood, there are several Black/Hispanic lawyer parents whose children go to the same school as my kids. Spouse and I have a lowly bachelors degree from a low rated state university. Yet, somehow, in MCPS's mind (and some other people's minds), our kids have an advantage over the kids of the Black/Hispanic lawyers in our neighborhood when it comes to academics in our district. BTW, my parents are immigrants (as am I) and have an ES education, and barely speak any English.

So, I'm wondering what advantage my kids have over those other kids in MCPS, and why my kids are grouped separately by MCPS when it comes to tracking "achievement".

Your kids are not grouped differently than the Black/Hispanic kids in your neighborhood. That is the entire literal point. Like, that's the whole thing people have been trying to explain for 100 pages on the threads about magnet admissions.

Magnet admissions, as well as allocation of resources like Focus and Title I funds that impact class sizes, are race blind. However, they are not neighborhood blind. So, your child and the children of your neighbors are being treated exactly the same by the system, assuming you are in a low-FARMS school. Which should make you feel good, yes?

[Anonymous]

Many people on this board talk about how they pay hundreds of thousands more for homes in specific neighborhoods because of the schools. They believe they are so vastly superior to other neighborhoods because they confer an advantage to the children who attend them. This appears to be a mainstream belief that the county has addressed with its cohort criteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But what IS the approach? It’s easy to state there’s a crisis, as Dr. Smith has done. One can even try to measure it. But what are they planning to DO? He doesn’t say. My fear is that whatever they do will be like 2.0 and actually make the problem worse while also driving out mid level performers and teachers who crack under the pressure to solve all of society’s ills. There is such a massive disconnect between Dr. Smith and teachers at this point, and so little trust, that really what needs to happen is a change in leadership to someone with actual vision and follow through. Principals like Casey Crouse should not still have a job after a rape incident. You can’t tackle systemic racism and ignore student safety. Students and teachers are not guinea pigs. Enough already.

+100

I agree with the PP that MCPS is in a crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many people on this board talk about how they pay hundreds of thousands more for homes in specific neighborhoods because of the schools. They believe they are so vastly superior to other neighborhoods because they confer an advantage to the children who attend them. This appears to be a mainstream belief that the county has addressed with its cohort criteria.

+1 People talk about how much they pay for a certain cluster on the real estate board, and freak out about how much they stand to lose in any boundary revisions, suggesting they at least perceive some sort of quantifiable difference between schools. But suggest their child actually *attend* those schools and it becomes the human rights violation of the century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That PP wasn't me... they should focus on income level and leave race out of it. If that means majorty are Black/Hispanics, fine, I've no issue with it all. Again, I grew up low income. But that's not what MCPS is doing, is it. They are calling out Black/Hispanic based on income level. So, again, it's MCPS that focuses on race, not me.

There are lots of pretty smart Black/Hispanic kids. In our neighborhood, there are several Black/Hispanic lawyer parents whose children go to the same school as my kids. Spouse and I have a lowly bachelors degree from a low rated state university. Yet, somehow, in MCPS's mind (and some other people's minds), our kids have an advantage over the kids of the Black/Hispanic lawyers in our neighborhood when it comes to academics in our district. BTW, my parents are immigrants (as am I) and have an ES education, and barely speak any English.

So, I'm wondering what advantage my kids have over those other kids in MCPS, and why my kids are grouped separately by MCPS when it comes to tracking "achievement".

Your kids are not grouped differently than the Black/Hispanic kids in your neighborhood. That is the entire literal point. Like, that's the whole thing people have been trying to explain for 100 pages on the threads about magnet admissions.

Magnet admissions, as well as allocation of resources like Focus and Title I funds that impact class sizes, are race blind. However, they are not neighborhood blind. So, your child and the children of your neighbors are being treated exactly the same by the system, assuming you are in a low-FARMS school. Which should make you feel good, yes?

Did you even look at the link regarding the equity model? It breaks it out by race, regardless of SES. So, yes, my kids are grouped differently by MCPS in terms of achievement.

Here, let me post it for you since you refuse to look at it:

To hold ourselves accountable for all student outcomes, Montgomery County Public Schools has launched the Equity Accountability Model , a reporting tool designed to determine the impact schools have on the opportunity to learn and opportunity to excel for student groups that have historically underperformed in our schools. These student groups are:

? Black or African American students affected by poverty

? Black or African American students not in poverty

? Hispanic or Latino students affected by poverty

? Hispanic or Latino students not in poverty

? White, Asian and students of two or more races who are affected by poverty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many people on this board talk about how they pay hundreds of thousands more for homes in specific neighborhoods because of the schools. They believe they are so vastly superior to other neighborhoods because they confer an advantage to the children who attend them. This appears to be a mainstream belief that the county has addressed with its cohort criteria.

The Metis report called out under representation by URM in magnets. The cohort criteria was then used to try to get more URM in magnets. There was no other way to get more URM in the magnets because if they had just used universal screening, the URM numbers would not have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But what IS the approach? It’s easy to state there’s a crisis, as Dr. Smith has done. One can even try to measure it. But what are they planning to DO? He doesn’t say. My fear is that whatever they do will be like 2.0 and actually make the problem worse while also driving out mid level performers and teachers who crack under the pressure to solve all of society’s ills. There is such a massive disconnect between Dr. Smith and teachers at this point, and so little trust, that really what needs to happen is a change in leadership to someone with actual vision and follow through. Principals like Casey Crouse should not still have a job after a rape incident. You can’t tackle systemic racism and ignore student safety. Students and teachers are not guinea pigs. Enough already.

Who knows what the plan is?

The accountability for special ed is ridiculous now, as it's a daily checklist of accommodations. So the teacher is too busy checking off the list, leaving little time for actual teaching.

I imagine something similar will be used in the classroom - perhaps moving toward "IEP-like" documents for focus students (or all students). Teachers will check off boxes and return the papers to someone in the chain of command who will NEVER look at them. This seems to be the typical MO.

Have teacher turnover and retention stats ever been shared by MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many people on this board talk about how they pay hundreds of thousands more for homes in specific neighborhoods because of the schools. They believe they are so vastly superior to other neighborhoods because they confer an advantage to the children who attend them. This appears to be a mainstream belief that the county has addressed with its cohort criteria.

People are dis cussing MCPS ‘s equity initiative here. No one talked about there house.

[Anonymous]

? Black or African American students affected by poverty

? Black or African American students not in poverty

? Hispanic or Latino students affected by poverty

? Hispanic or Latino students not in poverty

? White, Asian and students of two or more races who are affected by poverty.

and this - lol, from the article:

There is also a monitoring group that includes white, Asian and students of two or more races who are not in poverty.

So . . . the system has basically returned to tracking but in the worst way possible by labeling kids and reinforcing stereotypes!

Great job, MCPS!