Initial boundary options for Woodward study area are up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way Option 3 is a real option with the crazy pockets of HS zones that are 30-45 minute bus rides away, like the Blair zone near BCC and the Kennedy one near Farmland ES. It’s almost a joke it’s so insane.

I’m with PPs that Option 3 is almost a poison pill developed to ensure Options 1, 2, and 4 are picked.

NONE of them are "real" options. This is a step in the process, and MCPS did a bad job of explaining

I think you're right. I attended one of the zoom meetings this week. I read in the comments that none of these options are etched in stone and there would be a new set of options presented down the road. I didn't actually hear them say that, I just happened to catch it in the comments.

It's been clearly spelled out on the website and elsewhere that there will be another set of options in the fall. The real question is whether they will just be tweaks to each of these for, or versions that try to balance the factors like they should have done in the first place, or something else entirely.

The website suggests "refining" these options, not entirely new options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sincerely hope that once everyone is done complaining here and reading other people's complaints, we are each taking ACTION. Here are some ideas to ensure everyone impacted, which goes far beyond people with kids obviously, is aware and can advocate:
- post on your neighborhood list serve
- Post in your Facebook and WhatsApp groups
- knock on doors in your neighborhood
- call, email, or text neighbors you are close with and ask personally that they remain involved
- contact whatever representatives make sense, whether you live in a town that has a council, you believe it makes sense too bring in statewide folks even, etc.
- contact your PTA
- follow up with the people you have contacted to ensure they have filled out the survey

Is it helpful to email Taylor directly? Who makes the final decisions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way Option 3 is a real option with the crazy pockets of HS zones that are 30-45 minute bus rides away, like the Blair zone near BCC and the Kennedy one near Farmland ES. It’s almost a joke it’s so insane.

I’m with PPs that Option 3 is almost a poison pill developed to ensure Options 1, 2, and 4 are picked.

NONE of them are "real" options. This is a step in the process, and MCPS did a bad job of explaining

I think you're right. I attended one of the zoom meetings this week. I read in the comments that none of these options are etched in stone and there would be a new set of options presented down the road. I didn't actually hear them say that, I just happened to catch it in the comments.

It's been clearly spelled out on the website and elsewhere that there will be another set of options in the fall. The real question is whether they will just be tweaks to each of these for, or versions that try to balance the factors like they should have done in the first place, or something else entirely.

The website suggests "refining" these options, not entirely new options.

Last time they did HS boundaries, there were something like 14 options. And that was only for three HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sincerely hope that once everyone is done complaining here and reading other people's complaints, we are each taking ACTION. Here are some ideas to ensure everyone impacted, which goes far beyond people with kids obviously, is aware and can advocate:
- post on your neighborhood list serve
- Post in your Facebook and WhatsApp groups
- knock on doors in your neighborhood
- call, email, or text neighbors you are close with and ask personally that they remain involved
- contact whatever representatives make sense, whether you live in a town that has a council, you believe it makes sense too bring in statewide folks even, etc.
- contact your PTA
- follow up with the people you have contacted to ensure they have filled out the survey

Is it helpful to email Taylor directly? Who makes the final decisions?

Taylor makes the final recommendation of which option. Then the board has to approve it.

[Anonymous]

there's also contacting Flo Analytics: https://flo-analytics.com/contact

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sincerely hope that once everyone is done complaining here and reading other people's complaints, we are each taking ACTION. Here are some ideas to ensure everyone impacted, which goes far beyond people with kids obviously, is aware and can advocate:
- post on your neighborhood list serve
- Post in your Facebook and WhatsApp groups
- knock on doors in your neighborhood
- call, email, or text neighbors you are close with and ask personally that they remain involved
- contact whatever representatives make sense, whether you live in a town that has a council, you believe it makes sense too bring in statewide folks even, etc.
- contact your PTA
- follow up with the people you have contacted to ensure they have filled out the survey

Is it helpful to email Taylor directly? Who makes the final decisions?

Taylor makes the final recommendation of which option. Then the board has to approve it.

I am new to the area, so apologies on my ignorance. But is there a location with the school board members' contact info?

[Anonymous]

Is it for sure that the current 7th & 4th graders will have to change at 10th and 7th grades? That seems so brutal.

[Anonymous]

nvm: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way Option 3 is a real option with the crazy pockets of HS zones that are 30-45 minute bus rides away, like the Blair zone near BCC and the Kennedy one near Farmland ES. It’s almost a joke it’s so insane.

I’m with PPs that Option 3 is almost a poison pill developed to ensure Options 1, 2, and 4 are picked.

NONE of them are "real" options. This is a step in the process, and MCPS did a bad job of explaining

I think you're right. I attended one of the zoom meetings this week. I read in the comments that none of these options are etched in stone and there would be a new set of options presented down the road. I didn't actually hear them say that, I just happened to catch it in the comments.

It's been clearly spelled out on the website and elsewhere that there will be another set of options in the fall. The real question is whether they will just be tweaks to each of these for, or versions that try to balance the factors like they should have done in the first place, or something else entirely.

The website suggests "refining" these options, not entirely new options.

Last time they did HS boundaries, there were something like 14 options. And that was only for three HS.

and is there any history (aside from old DCUM threads) on the arguments/process for that? What year was it? I'm interested in seeing if there are similar themes that are coming up (aside from facility utilization/overcrowding).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it for sure that the current 7th & 4th graders will have to change at 10th and 7th grades? That seems so brutal.

I wish they only change incoming freshman. Current 7th graders are the biggest losers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way Option 3 is a real option with the crazy pockets of HS zones that are 30-45 minute bus rides away, like the Blair zone near BCC and the Kennedy one near Farmland ES. It’s almost a joke it’s so insane.

I’m with PPs that Option 3 is almost a poison pill developed to ensure Options 1, 2, and 4 are picked.

NONE of them are "real" options. This is a step in the process, and MCPS did a bad job of explaining

I think you're right. I attended one of the zoom meetings this week. I read in the comments that none of these options are etched in stone and there would be a new set of options presented down the road. I didn't actually hear them say that, I just happened to catch it in the comments.

It's been clearly spelled out on the website and elsewhere that there will be another set of options in the fall. The real question is whether they will just be tweaks to each of these for, or versions that try to balance the factors like they should have done in the first place, or something else entirely.

The website suggests "refining" these options, not entirely new options.

Last time they did HS boundaries, there were something like 14 options. And that was only for three HS.

and is there any history (aside from old DCUM threads) on the arguments/process for that? What year was it? I'm interested in seeing if there are similar themes that are coming up (aside from facility utilization/overcrowding).

Here's the superintendent's recommendation document from that study. Of course, we have a different sup and different board now....

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_SupplementA.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Option 3 is great for the DC tax base.

Any Chevy Chase parent whose kids are sent to Blair/Takoma is going to have to ask themselves why they wouldn't just move (back) into upper NW DC and send their kids to Wilson/Jackson Reed instead. There are good elementaries like Eaton, Janney, etc. Plus good preK3&4 options.

Option #3 will drain MoCo into Upper NW DC. Most of them lived in DC anyway before moving to ChCh. Their lives and work are oriented toward downtown DC not toward the outer Beltway. Many more will choose to stay in DC, thinking they will move to a new area in MS/HS or pay for private HS only if necessary

If you think the progressives are bad in Moco, then you have a whole other thing coming by moving into DC.

Not when it comes to schools. PTAs there are able to do so much more there than allowed in Moco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone tell me why MoCo has split articulation? I can see a definition on MCPS but it seems like a practice that leads to a pretty awkward middle school experience. Kids do not bother making friends with other kids who they know are going off to a different high school. It was difficult recruiting parents to invest their time in PTA and volunteer efforts because no one was invested in the school. It cast a shadow over the whole experience for us.

This is not true. I worked at an MCPS MS with a split articulation and the kids are close during and after MS if they have the same interests. Many kids are involved in activities outside of school such as club sports and still stay connected. They bring each other as dates to prom, etc. plus, so many kids leave for a different school anyway for IB or magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it for sure that the current 7th & 4th graders will have to change at 10th and 7th grades? That seems so brutal.

This is true. My husband attended the in person meeting at Kennedy this evening and this was reiterated. It was also explained that the “Program Study” is concurrent with the boundary study for staffing. Don’t expect consortiums to exist after both of these are finished. Unsure if these regional programs will end up as a lottery or application based. It’s also unclear what happens to kids who are currently in an immersion or other special program outside of their home school when these changes take affect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it for sure that the current 7th & 4th graders will have to change at 10th and 7th grades? That seems so brutal.

This is true. My husband attended the in person meeting at Kennedy this evening and this was reiterated. It was also explained that the “Program Study” is concurrent with the boundary study for staffing. Don’t expect consortiums to exist after both of these are finished. Unsure if these regional programs will end up as a lottery or application based. It’s also unclear what happens to kids who are currently in an immersion or other special program outside of their home school when these changes take affect.

I watched the most recent BoE meeting where they discussed the program study. The issue of current program students was brought up by one of the BoE members and Taylor responded saying that they would likely be allowed to finish up their existing program concurrently with the new programs enrolling younger students.