Thomas Taylor and BCC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BCC gets the regional IB, not Einstein.

Thats because B-CC's IB students get better scores on the IB exams.

The some smarter kids bail in the DCC to Blair and Wheaton as Einstein does not have a lot of stem and ap classes. Very few kids actually graduate with a with a ib degree.

Putting a regional IB program in Einstein would not be as attractive to applicants as BCC. These regional programs need to have some credibility to counter those who are complaining about the changes to the county wide program.

The IB programs in the other regions are at less affluent schools. That’s the core goal of magnet programs generally and why MCPS has historically placed IB programs at schools where adding advanced programs will provide the highest benefit.

RM was in danger of closing because wealthy families were leaving for other schools. MCPS placed the IB magnet there to improve educational outcomes and attract students into the school. They added IB magnets at Kennedy and WM for the same reason. Putting an IB magnet at schools like BCC with high scores and graduation rates is just gilding the lily.

They probably picked BCC to attract Whitman kids who won’t want to commute to Einstein. Whitman gets the world languages magnet for the region. It’s likely Whitman-BCC will be an unofficial sub-region, swapping students between themselves, plus a few going to whatever STEM is left at Blair after it’s cut from countywide to regional.

Northwood and Einstein will lose more students than they attract because MCPS is giving them the least popular magnets. Enrollment will drop, which will mean staff cuts, and weaker course offerings.

Taylor’s plan is basically flipping the whole magnet philosophy on its head to boost rich schools at the expense of poor schools.

Exactly! Looking at his plan, it is worsening segregation and making rich richer, making poor poorer, making competition more competitive, all under the name of equity.

I do not see that, overall. I see individual decisions that would tend to do that.

IB @ B-CC might be one, but that could be rectified by moving Humanities (and making it criteria-based) to Northwood, giving it heft, Performing Arts to Einstein, giving it cohesion with a unique focus, and Education to B-CC, boradening access.

I see a similar problem with Region 4, where placing a new SMCS at Wootton totally tilts the academics towards the Wootton-Churchill duopoly. Instead (and since they need to create that program, anyway, even if creating it at Wootton would be easier, given its current offerings), move SMCS & Engineering to Rockville, where they would tend to even out overall academics, Leadership & Public Service and Humanities (criteria-based, again, for this) to Wootton, broadening access, Languages and Education to RM, where they would fit better with IB, and Performing Arts to Churchill, again for cohesion with Visual Arts.

It very much is doing that as all kids go to their home school except for special programs. The course offerings are very different between the richer and other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

More kids choose Einstein than Kennedy in the DCC choice process. I don’t know if they choose it for Einstein’s IB or because of the music and theatre programs.

Kennedy has had a rough few years. Other than adding the IB magnet right before covid, MCPS hasn’t done much to improve the situation there. Kennedy will be in a region with Walter Johnson, Woodward and Wheaton, which probably won’t help.

But students who want to go to the IBDP at Kennedy would not go through the choice process. They would go through the application process. It does not seem that Einstein's IBDP is stronger than Kennedy's.

MCPS reports AP/IB test data. You have to scroll all the way to the end for IB stats per school but more Einstein students take IB exams than Kennedy students.

Einstein and BCC have about the same number of IB courses each year, though more BCC students take the exams. Why not put county resources into Einstein? The BCC program will be self-sustaining so there will be two good IB programs in the region. But Einstein is losing students in the boundary study so their IB will shrink or end without MCPS support.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2024/240215_2023_AP_IB_Exam_Enrollment%20Part%20and%20Perform..pdf

The regional programs should be the strongest programs that exist. BCC has much better IBDP than Einstein and higher IB test scores. It makes sense to open that up so kids across the region will be able to attend. It should not be just for BCC students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BCC gets the regional IB, not Einstein.

Thats because B-CC's IB students get better scores on the IB exams.

The some smarter kids bail in the DCC to Blair and Wheaton as Einstein does not have a lot of stem and ap classes. Very few kids actually graduate with a with a ib degree.

Putting a regional IB program in Einstein would not be as attractive to applicants as BCC. These regional programs need to have some credibility to counter those who are complaining about the changes to the county wide program.

The IB programs in the other regions are at less affluent schools. That’s the core goal of magnet programs generally and why MCPS has historically placed IB programs at schools where adding advanced programs will provide the highest benefit.

RM was in danger of closing because wealthy families were leaving for other schools. MCPS placed the IB magnet there to improve educational outcomes and attract students into the school. They added IB magnets at Kennedy and WM for the same reason. Putting an IB magnet at schools like BCC with high scores and graduation rates is just gilding the lily.

They probably picked BCC to attract Whitman kids who won’t want to commute to Einstein. Whitman gets the world languages magnet for the region. It’s likely Whitman-BCC will be an unofficial sub-region, swapping students between themselves, plus a few going to whatever STEM is left at Blair after it’s cut from countywide to regional.

Northwood and Einstein will lose more students than they attract because MCPS is giving them the least popular magnets. Enrollment will drop, which will mean staff cuts, and weaker course offerings.

Taylor’s plan is basically flipping the whole magnet philosophy on its head to boost rich schools at the expense of poor schools.

Exactly! Looking at his plan, it is worsening segregation and making rich richer, making poor poorer, making competition more competitive, all under the name of equity.

I do not see that, overall. I see individual decisions that would tend to do that.

IB @ B-CC might be one, but that could be rectified by moving Humanities (and making it criteria-based) to Northwood, giving it heft, Performing Arts to Einstein, giving it cohesion with a unique focus, and Education to B-CC, boradening access.

I see a similar problem with Region 4, where placing a new SMCS at Wootton totally tilts the academics towards the Wootton-Churchill duopoly. Instead (and since they need to create that program, anyway, even if creating it at Wootton would be easier, given its current offerings), move SMCS & Engineering to Rockville, where they would tend to even out overall academics, Leadership & Public Service and Humanities (criteria-based, again, for this) to Wootton, broadening access, Languages and Education to RM, where they would fit better with IB, and Performing Arts to Churchill, again for cohesion with Visual Arts.

It very much is doing that as all kids go to their home school except for special programs. The course offerings are very different between the richer and other schools.

So, we should require the "other" schools to provide equivalent course offerings (and budget for that from a well-funded common pot) so no community is left out. The APs suggested in the program analysis are a start, but insufficient as they are. Differentiated HS courses (e.g., in English for 9th & 10th), the deeper APs, MVC -- all need to be accessible locally.

The consortium model also breaks down when there are differential advanced offerings in place. It's not very likely to match with Blair (and to some degree with Wheaton), as too many are trying to access the courses available there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

Not to mention the giving Einstein and IB program is what convinced many parents to move into that neighborhood and buy houses. Einstein is a classic example of taking a not very good school, giving it a special program, which then draws families who are more interested in academic quality, which then improves academic quality for all. Einstein built onto the IB success by then creating the biomedical program.

I think you're conflating Einstein with Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

My kid got into Kennedy IB and chose Einstein because they offered both IB and strong arts. It feels very shady that now both of those are threatened by the proposed diminished enrollment at AEHS.

Northwood is getting a new building with great performing arts facilities so that makes sense. IB at BCC looks like a gift for BCC and Whitman.

Then move VAC & Design to Northwood (maybe Communications, too, to better relieve Blair overcrowding without having to move SMCS) and put Humanities (changed to criteria-based), Medical Science/Healthcare and Languages at Einstein, shifting some of its catchment via the Boundary Studyvto Northwood or B-CC to keep enough room, shifting the Education magnet to Whitman to complement LaSJ/Public Service.

Or, as before, make Einstein the magnet IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

My kid got into Kennedy IB and chose Einstein because they offered both IB and strong arts. It feels very shady that now both of those are threatened by the proposed diminished enrollment at AEHS.

Northwood is getting a new building with great performing arts facilities so that makes sense. IB at BCC looks like a gift for BCC and Whitman.

Then move VAC & Design to Northwood (maybe Communications, too, to better relieve Blair overcrowding without having to move SMCS) and put Humanities (changed to criteria-based), Medical Science/Healthcare and Languages at Einstein, shifting some of its catchment via the Boundary Studyvto Northwood or B-CC to keep enough room, shifting the Education magnet to Whitman to complement LaSJ/Public Service.

Or, as before, make Einstein the magnet IB.

That hurts kids who want ap and a stronger curriculum. And why should Einstein lose their signature programs which are the draw to Einstein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BCC gets the regional IB, not Einstein.

Thats because B-CC's IB students get better scores on the IB exams.

The some smarter kids bail in the DCC to Blair and Wheaton as Einstein does not have a lot of stem and ap classes. Very few kids actually graduate with a with a ib degree.

Putting a regional IB program in Einstein would not be as attractive to applicants as BCC. These regional programs need to have some credibility to counter those who are complaining about the changes to the county wide program.

The IB programs in the other regions are at less affluent schools. That’s the core goal of magnet programs generally and why MCPS has historically placed IB programs at schools where adding advanced programs will provide the highest benefit.

RM was in danger of closing because wealthy families were leaving for other schools. MCPS placed the IB magnet there to improve educational outcomes and attract students into the school. They added IB magnets at Kennedy and WM for the same reason. Putting an IB magnet at schools like BCC with high scores and graduation rates is just gilding the lily.

They probably picked BCC to attract Whitman kids who won’t want to commute to Einstein. Whitman gets the world languages magnet for the region. It’s likely Whitman-BCC will be an unofficial sub-region, swapping students between themselves, plus a few going to whatever STEM is left at Blair after it’s cut from countywide to regional.

Northwood and Einstein will lose more students than they attract because MCPS is giving them the least popular magnets. Enrollment will drop, which will mean staff cuts, and weaker course offerings.

Taylor’s plan is basically flipping the whole magnet philosophy on its head to boost rich schools at the expense of poor schools.

Exactly! Looking at his plan, it is worsening segregation and making rich richer, making poor poorer, making competition more competitive, all under the name of equity.

I do not see that, overall. I see individual decisions that would tend to do that.

IB @ B-CC might be one, but that could be rectified by moving Humanities (and making it criteria-based) to Northwood, giving it heft, Performing Arts to Einstein, giving it cohesion with a unique focus, and Education to B-CC, boradening access.

I see a similar problem with Region 4, where placing a new SMCS at Wootton totally tilts the academics towards the Wootton-Churchill duopoly. Instead (and since they need to create that program, anyway, even if creating it at Wootton would be easier, given its current offerings), move SMCS & Engineering to Rockville, where they would tend to even out overall academics, Leadership & Public Service and Humanities (criteria-based, again, for this) to Wootton, broadening access, Languages and Education to RM, where they would fit better with IB, and Performing Arts to Churchill, again for cohesion with Visual Arts.

It very much is doing that as all kids go to their home school except for special programs. The course offerings are very different between the richer and other schools.

So, we should require the "other" schools to provide equivalent course offerings (and budget for that from a well-funded common pot) so no community is left out. The APs suggested in the program analysis are a start, but insufficient as they are. Differentiated HS courses (e.g., in English for 9th & 10th), the deeper APs, MVC -- all need to be accessible locally.

The consortium model also breaks down when there are differential advanced offerings in place. It's not very likely to match with Blair (and to some degree with Wheaton), as too many are trying to access the courses available there.

They aren’t going to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

More kids choose Einstein than Kennedy in the DCC choice process. I don’t know if they choose it for Einstein’s IB or because of the music and theatre programs.

Kennedy has had a rough few years. Other than adding the IB magnet right before covid, MCPS hasn’t done much to improve the situation there. Kennedy will be in a region with Walter Johnson, Woodward and Wheaton, which probably won’t help.

But students who want to go to the IBDP at Kennedy would not go through the choice process. They would go through the application process. It does not seem that Einstein's IBDP is stronger than Kennedy's.

MCPS reports AP/IB test data. You have to scroll all the way to the end for IB stats per school but more Einstein students take IB exams than Kennedy students.

Einstein and BCC have about the same number of IB courses each year, though more BCC students take the exams. Why not put county resources into Einstein? The BCC program will be self-sustaining so there will be two good IB programs in the region. But Einstein is losing students in the boundary study so their IB will shrink or end without MCPS support.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2024/240215_2023_AP_IB_Exam_Enrollment%20Part%20and%20Perform..pdf

The data is appreciated, but it represents 2+ years ago, and Kennedy as a regional IB was just getting going, hampered in its growth by pandemic recovery. I would not be surprised to see a significant shift towards Kennedy relative to Einstein when 2025 data are available.

Einstein students (now; this was not the case years ago when it was better supported) take IB more from the limited other options for enriched/advanced coursework. B-CC students seeking that tend to choose it from among such options, and are more likely, then, to want to complete the program with examination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

More kids choose Einstein than Kennedy in the DCC choice process. I don’t know if they choose it for Einstein’s IB or because of the music and theatre programs.

Kennedy has had a rough few years. Other than adding the IB magnet right before covid, MCPS hasn’t done much to improve the situation there. Kennedy will be in a region with Walter Johnson, Woodward and Wheaton, which probably won’t help.

But students who want to go to the IBDP at Kennedy would not go through the choice process. They would go through the application process. It does not seem that Einstein's IBDP is stronger than Kennedy's.

MCPS reports AP/IB test data. You have to scroll all the way to the end for IB stats per school but more Einstein students take IB exams than Kennedy students.

Einstein and BCC have about the same number of IB courses each year, though more BCC students take the exams. Why not put county resources into Einstein? The BCC program will be self-sustaining so there will be two good IB programs in the region. But Einstein is losing students in the boundary study so their IB will shrink or end without MCPS support.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2024/240215_2023_AP_IB_Exam_Enrollment%20Part%20and%20Perform..pdf

The data is appreciated, but it represents 2+ years ago, and Kennedy as a regional IB was just getting going, hampered in its growth by pandemic recovery. I would not be surprised to see a significant shift towards Kennedy relative to Einstein when 2025 data are available.

Einstein students (now; this was not the case years ago when it was better supported) take IB more from the limited other options for enriched/advanced coursework. B-CC students seeking that tend to choose it from among such options, and are more likely, then, to want to complete the program with examination.

No one is going to choose Kennedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BCC gets the regional IB, not Einstein.

Thats because B-CC's IB students get better scores on the IB exams.

The some smarter kids bail in the DCC to Blair and Wheaton as Einstein does not have a lot of stem and ap classes. Very few kids actually graduate with a with a ib degree.

Putting a regional IB program in Einstein would not be as attractive to applicants as BCC. These regional programs need to have some credibility to counter those who are complaining about the changes to the county wide program.

The IB programs in the other regions are at less affluent schools. That’s the core goal of magnet programs generally and why MCPS has historically placed IB programs at schools where adding advanced programs will provide the highest benefit.

RM was in danger of closing because wealthy families were leaving for other schools. MCPS placed the IB magnet there to improve educational outcomes and attract students into the school. They added IB magnets at Kennedy and WM for the same reason. Putting an IB magnet at schools like BCC with high scores and graduation rates is just gilding the lily.

They probably picked BCC to attract Whitman kids who won’t want to commute to Einstein. Whitman gets the world languages magnet for the region. It’s likely Whitman-BCC will be an unofficial sub-region, swapping students between themselves, plus a few going to whatever STEM is left at Blair after it’s cut from countywide to regional.

Northwood and Einstein will lose more students than they attract because MCPS is giving them the least popular magnets. Enrollment will drop, which will mean staff cuts, and weaker course offerings.

Taylor’s plan is basically flipping the whole magnet philosophy on its head to boost rich schools at the expense of poor schools.

Exactly! Looking at his plan, it is worsening segregation and making rich richer, making poor poorer, making competition more competitive, all under the name of equity.

Is it just in time for his own kids to benefit (if they even attend public schools)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

My kid got into Kennedy IB and chose Einstein because they offered both IB and strong arts. It feels very shady that now both of those are threatened by the proposed diminished enrollment at AEHS.

Northwood is getting a new building with great performing arts facilities so that makes sense. IB at BCC looks like a gift for BCC and Whitman.

Then move VAC & Design to Northwood (maybe Communications, too, to better relieve Blair overcrowding without having to move SMCS) and put Humanities (changed to criteria-based), Medical Science/Healthcare and Languages at Einstein, shifting some of its catchment via the Boundary Studyvto Northwood or B-CC to keep enough room, shifting the Education magnet to Whitman to complement LaSJ/Public Service.

Or, as before, make Einstein the magnet IB.

That hurts kids who want ap and a stronger curriculum. And why should Einstein lose their signature programs which are the draw to Einstein.

Which one hurts? The former would increase those courses and draw capable students to enhance the cohort via the magnets suggested. The latter would do the same via dedication to it's status as the regional magnet IB.

The prior poster was noting the performing arts facilities would necessitate that magnet being at Northwood, and the pairing of Performing and Visual Arts is a bette solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the new plan, Richard Montgomery IB will only be open to RM, Churchill, Wooton, and Rockville.

Doesn't Rockville already have an IB program? Are they losing their IB program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Taking IB + Arts away from Einstein is just ridiculous.

I don't know about arts, but Einstein can keep a local IB program if they want. But people here are often complaining that the IB program at Einstein means they can't take the higher-level AP classes they want, so it's not clear to me that that's the best option for Einstein.

Currently, Einstein is under the Kennedy regional umbrella for IB. That application program, though, doesn't draw nearly the way that B-CC's would, as B-CC's complementary advanced offerings are considered better, and it has considerably lower FARMS and EML rates than Kennedy.

This would tend to undermine Einstein's own local IB, reducing the population of advanced learners who, if they stayed, might help the school offer a broader array of IB classes, and at the higher level. It struggles to maintain that, as it is. Before the regional IB at Kennedy, Einstein was clearly the place to go within the DCC for that experience (it may still be, but to a lesser extent). It drew sizeable numbers of IB students from the 5-school catchment -- some who did not get in to county-wide RMIB and some who preferred the more local (and less cutthroat) setting. Changing demographics, overall, the slight shift toward Kennedy's regional program and a decision to stop offering advanced, IB-related courses in 9th & 10th (previously offering cohorting away from the base curriculum in some subjects) all have taken a toll. With the school-choice consortia disappearing, taking away a huge catchment of those who might have chosen Einstein for its IB (open to all, unlike the application programs), in addition to BCC's greater draw away from the remaining local population, it looks as though MCPS's likely recommendations from the Program Analysis would create an untenable situation, leaving Einstein with little chance of providing the IB experience sought within the catchment.

That's from the perspective of Einstein's community. From the perspective of the individual student, it's not as if B-CC's magnet program will be large enough to take all those applying from Einstein (and Northwood and Blair, the other two schools in the DCC heading into Region 1 that currently might access Einstein's IB through the choice process).

Do most people in the DCC prefer Einstein to Kennedy for IB? Kennedy takes nearly all students -- only the vastly unqualified are rejected. I would think people would prefer Kennedy because they offer pre-IB classes.

More kids choose Einstein than Kennedy in the DCC choice process. I don’t know if they choose it for Einstein’s IB or because of the music and theatre programs.

Kennedy has had a rough few years. Other than adding the IB magnet right before covid, MCPS hasn’t done much to improve the situation there. Kennedy will be in a region with Walter Johnson, Woodward and Wheaton, which probably won’t help.

But students who want to go to the IBDP at Kennedy would not go through the choice process. They would go through the application process. It does not seem that Einstein's IBDP is stronger than Kennedy's.

MCPS reports AP/IB test data. You have to scroll all the way to the end for IB stats per school but more Einstein students take IB exams than Kennedy students.

Einstein and BCC have about the same number of IB courses each year, though more BCC students take the exams. Why not put county resources into Einstein? The BCC program will be self-sustaining so there will be two good IB programs in the region. But Einstein is losing students in the boundary study so their IB will shrink or end without MCPS support.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2024/240215_2023_AP_IB_Exam_Enrollment%20Part%20and%20Perform..pdf

The regional programs should be the strongest programs that exist. BCC has much better IBDP than Einstein and higher IB test scores. It makes sense to open that up so kids across the region will be able to attend. It should not be just for BCC students.

Half the proposed programs are being built out of thin air. They won’t be strong at all. Putting the strongest programs at schools that are already have more resources, then placing the new, untested, low-demand programs at under-resourced schools means less affluent schools will lose more students than they gain. That will affect staffing formulas, the new programs will flounder, and they’ll become the least popular schools in the region.

How many of you would put your kids on a bus for an hour for an education magnet? Or a nursing assistant magnet? Or even a graphic design magnet?

MCPS is setting some schools up to fail. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BCC gets the regional IB, not Einstein.

Thats because B-CC's IB students get better scores on the IB exams.

The some smarter kids bail in the DCC to Blair and Wheaton as Einstein does not have a lot of stem and ap classes. Very few kids actually graduate with a with a ib degree.

Putting a regional IB program in Einstein would not be as attractive to applicants as BCC. These regional programs need to have some credibility to counter those who are complaining about the changes to the county wide program.

The IB programs in the other regions are at less affluent schools. That’s the core goal of magnet programs generally and why MCPS has historically placed IB programs at schools where adding advanced programs will provide the highest benefit.

RM was in danger of closing because wealthy families were leaving for other schools. MCPS placed the IB magnet there to improve educational outcomes and attract students into the school. They added IB magnets at Kennedy and WM for the same reason. Putting an IB magnet at schools like BCC with high scores and graduation rates is just gilding the lily.

They probably picked BCC to attract Whitman kids who won’t want to commute to Einstein. Whitman gets the world languages magnet for the region. It’s likely Whitman-BCC will be an unofficial sub-region, swapping students between themselves, plus a few going to whatever STEM is left at Blair after it’s cut from countywide to regional.

Northwood and Einstein will lose more students than they attract because MCPS is giving them the least popular magnets. Enrollment will drop, which will mean staff cuts, and weaker course offerings.

Taylor’s plan is basically flipping the whole magnet philosophy on its head to boost rich schools at the expense of poor schools.

Exactly! Looking at his plan, it is worsening segregation and making rich richer, making poor poorer, making competition more competitive, all under the name of equity.

Is it just in time for his own kids to benefit (if they even attend public schools)?

Good question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the new plan, Richard Montgomery IB will only be open to RM, Churchill, Wooton, and Rockville.

RMIB and Wootton STEM programs will undoubtedly attract the brightest second-generation immigrants who either inherit high working ethic from their first-generation immigrant parents or have helicopter parents to make sure they study hard. This region will shine and become the new jewry on the top of the crown. Of course it takes years for college admission office to acknowledge that, but in the long run I would see it brings overall benefit to that region. For students who are intimated by cutthroat environment, it's gonna become bad memories.

What happens when student is third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh generation of immigrants? Do they also "inherit high working ethic?"