Cliff Notes summary of MCPS boundary study fight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

This seems like a fair summary. I'd also mention there are many cases now where students don't attend the geographically closest high-school to their home. There are also some boundaries that resemble a congressional district designed by the RNC. There's a lot of room for improvement and there's no reason to go crazy or fearmonger.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watch the videos! The "experts" are not looking too confident. lol

https://www.mymcmedia.org/boundary-study-meeting-gets-heated/?fbclid=IwAR1g4D1-_tE1ZhDX5smSD0QqRaga5vZxoGXshIouMsOaQK4vqUa7M2JpQoA

? You wouldn't either if you had an angry mob heckling you.

What do people do when they feel the government is unjust? They take to the streets and show their dissatisfaction. This is the equivalent of that.

The BOE is elected to serve their consituents. If they were doing this well, would there be so much dissent among the people they serve?

Yes. Because there is a minority of haves that feel like BoE is taking stuff away from them for the unfair benefit of the undeserving have-nots.

They sure don't seem like a minority based on the turnout at these meetings, and the number of members in the Facebook groups.

How many members are in the Facebook group--5,000? MCPS has 166,000 students, and MoCo has over 1 million residents.

Right, and how many members of the FB group are looky-loos and journalists?

The meeting at White Oak was dominated by East County families and was FAR better behaved than the one at JW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Right, and how many members of the FB group are looky-loos and journalists?

The meeting at White Oak was dominated by East County families and was FAR better behaved than the one at JW.

The group administrators for that FB group might spend some of their snow day doing a purge...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watch the videos! The "experts" are not looking too confident. lol

https://www.mymcmedia.org/boundary-study-meeting-gets-heated/?fbclid=IwAR1g4D1-_tE1ZhDX5smSD0QqRaga5vZxoGXshIouMsOaQK4vqUa7M2JpQoA

? You wouldn't either if you had an angry mob heckling you.

Hey - as project leads, you need to prepare for that reaction. They didn't do their research. Know your audience! No one EVER guarantees you'll face a respectful audience.

Prepare for the worst.

So, I guess they should've had armed guards to prepare for the worst? Oh, wait... now that we know how crazy some people are getting about this, BoE have brought in MoCo police and security to attend these meetings. Who would've thought.... staid, liberal MoCo needed mob control.

I live in the RM cluster, and it's really shameful how some of these parents are behaving. I see it on Nextdoor, too.

I'm also a project lead, and people may not like what I have to say and where the project is leading, but no one has ever cursed or yelled at me, ever, in the 20 years I've been working in this capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Although geography may play some role in parts of the county, it doesn't seem to in the DCC. Take Blair for example, which is the largest and most diverse high-school in the county, it serves a completely different area than where it's located. People who live next to it are assigned to Northwood and the reality is there aren't a lot of other options. There aren't any high-schools inside the beltway in the earn half of the county.

That's because Blair HS moved, but the boundaries didn't change.

And really because a few years after Blair moved, Northwood HS reopened 10 blocks away from Blair's new site.

Just one example why it makes sense to re-evaluate boundaries after all of this time.

Very few people want to be "bussed across the county." Part of the reason minority groups are underrepresented in some of the magnet programs is because the logistics are challenging for many low income families. MCPS has indicated that any changes would be to adjacent clusters. When buying a house, it makes sense to look not just at the current schools you would be zoned for, but also adjacent schools to make sure you'd be comfortable with them should re-districting occur. Clearly a number of people did not do that and they are now freaking out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

This seems like a fair summary. I'd also mention there are many cases now where students don't attend the geographically closest high-school to their home. There are also some boundaries that resemble a congressional district designed by the RNC. There's a lot of room for improvement and there's no reason to go crazy or fearmonger.

+1

+2

We're one neighborhood away from one in which the kids are "bused" to a wealthier high school than a much closer, more socioeconomically diverse one. Parents specifically buy in that neighborhood to be "bused" away from our schools. What MCPS is doing is completely reasonable, given the reasons PP outlined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.[/quote]

PP, can you point to the actual statement where they said this? If so, I think that should quell some (but certainly not all) of the concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.[/quote]

PP, can you point to the actual statement where they said this? If so, I think that should quell some (but certainly not all) of the concerns.

From the email we all received the other day:

“A Focus on Adjacency: We have received messages from some community members who have heard rumors that the districtwide boundary analysis will result in a “busing plan” that will reassign students from one end of the county to the other to address issues of overcrowding and diverse learning environments. First, as stated above, the analysis will not result in any specific recommendations for student reassignments. Second, as the Board’s resolution references and the consultant will show, at the regional meetings, schools and school clusters adjacent to one another across the county can have significantly different levels of utilization and student diversity. Finally, MCPS has and will continue to maximize walkers, in no small part, because it is economically efficient. However, there always will be a need for some students to ride buses to school. Currently, the majority of our student body (more than 100,000 students) is eligible to ride a school bus every day.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

It would appear to be the case---not be rumored---that this actually just occurred with a Clarksburg neighborhood (Branch something) that was moved from CHS to Seneca Valley.

"One of the superintendent’s reasons for the option he recommends, option 11a, is that it would more evenly distribute the FARMs rate between schools as well as increase diversity in some schools, with the latter being a priority in a board of education policy known as Policy FAA"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

This seems like a fair summary. I'd also mention there are many cases now where students don't attend the geographically closest high-school to their home. There are also some boundaries that resemble a congressional district designed by the RNC. There's a lot of room for improvement and there's no reason to go crazy or fearmonger.

+1

+2

We're one neighborhood away from one in which the kids are "bused" to a wealthier high school than a much closer, more socioeconomically diverse one. Parents specifically buy in that neighborhood to be "bused" away from our schools. What MCPS is doing is completely reasonable, given the reasons PP outlined.

Einstein and WJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

It would appear to be the case---not be rumored---that this actually just occurred with a Clarksburg neighborhood (Branch something) that was moved from CHS to Seneca Valley.

"One of the superintendent’s reasons for the option he recommends, option 11a, is that it would more evenly distribute the FARMs rate between schools as well as increase diversity in some schools, with the latter being a priority in a board of education policy known as Policy FAA"

I don't know why you are quoting above. Please take the time to read the actual superintendent's recommendation for that boundary study: http://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_SupplementA.pdf

Here is an important paragraph from page 12:
"My goals in developing my recommendation were to minimize the FARMS disparities at both the
high school and middle school levels, while at the same time maximize walkers at their current
schools and reduce the utilization rates at schools to the maximum extent possible. After review
of all the information and updated student enrollment projections, I recommend a variation of
Option 11a, as I believe it does the best job to advance the three policy factors for most of the
schools involved in the boundary study by meeting these goals."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

It would appear to be the case---not be rumored---that this actually just occurred with a Clarksburg neighborhood (Branch something) that was moved from CHS to Seneca Valley.

"One of the superintendent’s reasons for the option he recommends, option 11a, is that it would more evenly distribute the FARMs rate between schools as well as increase diversity in some schools, with the latter being a priority in a board of education policy known as Policy FAA"

PLEASE look at a map. Clarksburg HS and Seneca Valley HS are adjacent high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

It would appear to be the case---not be rumored---that this actually just occurred with a Clarksburg neighborhood (Branch something) that was moved from CHS to Seneca Valley.

"One of the superintendent’s reasons for the option he recommends, option 11a, is that it would more evenly distribute the FARMs rate between schools as well as increase diversity in some schools, with the latter being a priority in a board of education policy known as Policy FAA"

PLEASE look at a map. Clarksburg HS and Seneca Valley HS are adjacent high schools.

And when Seneca Valley opened it was much bigger than before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watch the videos! The "experts" are not looking too confident. lol

https://www.mymcmedia.org/boundary-study-meeting-gets-heated/?fbclid=IwAR1g4D1-_tE1ZhDX5smSD0QqRaga5vZxoGXshIouMsOaQK4vqUa7M2JpQoA

? You wouldn't either if you had an angry mob heckling you.

Hey - as project leads, you need to prepare for that reaction. They didn't do their research. Know your audience! No one EVER guarantees you'll face a respectful audience.

Prepare for the worst.

So, I guess they should've had armed guards to prepare for the worst? Oh, wait... now that we know how crazy some people are getting about this, BoE have brought in MoCo police and security to attend these meetings. Who would've thought.... staid, liberal MoCo needed mob control.

I live in the RM cluster, and it's really shameful how some of these parents are behaving. I see it on Nextdoor, too.

I'm also a project lead, and people may not like what I have to say and where the project is leading, but no one has ever cursed or yelled at me, ever, in the 20 years I've been working in this capacity.

Well, no clue what area you're in . . . But with hot topics like education, be prepared for the worst. I've been in education for almost half of my life. I've trained, facilitated, and presented. I can honestly say that while most audiences were civil, there were a few instances where people pushed back. However, we anticipated obstacles and worked with them. The key is transparency from the start.

Those dodos weren't honest with their goals from the start.

Look - MCPS has an agenda. I'm sure the consultants were aware of this agenda - or the system's "possible" plans. But they never shared ALL avenues with stakeholders. Controversial topics 1) cannot remain hidden and 2) must be worked into any presentation or training.

We are taxpayers who are owed answers. We may not all like the truth, but at least it's out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has had recent significant growth, while use of facilities is uneven. Some schools are overcrowded and some underutilized. The district hired a consultant to review all current boundaries with an eye to how they affect overcrowding, diversity, and students’ proximity to their schools. The consultants will not recommend any boundary changes and the county will not make any boundary changes during this initial process.

Parents on DCUM and Facebook groups have spread the rumor that children will be bussed far from home in order to balance out school demographics, and that their home values will suffer as a result. MCPS has specifically responded that they are only looking at schools and clusters adjacent to one another and have no intention of bussing students across the county.

It would appear to be the case---not be rumored---that this actually just occurred with a Clarksburg neighborhood (Branch something) that was moved from CHS to Seneca Valley.

"One of the superintendent’s reasons for the option he recommends, option 11a, is that it would more evenly distribute the FARMs rate between schools as well as increase diversity in some schools, with the latter being a priority in a board of education policy known as Policy FAA"

PLEASE look at a map. Clarksburg HS and Seneca Valley HS are adjacent high schools.

And when Seneca Valley opened it was much bigger than before.

Obviously. You'd think that they would assign kids closest to Seneca Valley TO Seneca Valley. How the heck did Cabin Branch and Rural Boyds get pulled into this?