Blair Magnet moving to Kennedy or Springbrook

[Anonymous]

Magnet programs do not belong to the school and they are just hosted there. Mostly the magnet students endure the long ride and the good/bad/medium state of the school facilities for the program.

MCPS can move the program anywhere they want. To buy homes next to magnet schools is really dumb, because the location is not set in stone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that there a proposal somewhere to consider moving the magnet programs at Blair to Kennedy or possibly even Springbrook. Increase diversity at Kennedy and access to magnet level for those under represented students. Increase participation from up county students in the magnets. Alleviate overcrowding at Blair for in boundary students without moving neighborhoods out of Blair. Reduce bus costs and run magnet buses counter commute path for traffic.

No - the person who started this rumor was being wishful, but in fact there is no truth to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why not make the new Woodward HS like Thomas Jefferson HS in VA?

Because whole magnet schools are a terrible idea. They are far more expensive to operate and do less for the greater community.

[Anonymous]

The real rumor is they're using the new diversity criteria to rethink the W boundaries and ensure the segregated schools are a thing of the past.

[Anonymous]

Kennedy should get a stem magnet just for W students but with an in boundary set aside of 50%.

[Anonymous]

Actually I heard they're moving the Blair magnet to Kennedy but the Poolesville magnet to Blair. Poolesville is so remote the new location at Blair will serve more students.

[Anonymous]

while it makes sense as that is the reason the magnet program exists to prop up weak schools. Kennedy is the weakest school in MoCo. Problem would be that Blair would fall of a cliff statistically (although not much would really change) and the DCC would lose the one school parents felt ok about. I don't think W parents draw any distinction between sending their kids to Blair VS Kennedy, just different sides of the same coin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually I heard they're moving the Blair magnet to Kennedy but the Poolesville magnet to Blair. Poolesville is so remote the new location at Blair will serve more students.

Yes it seems more likely they'd create another STEM magnet aside from Blair somewhere that's more central.

[Anonymous]

CAP or STEM? Both?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:while it makes sense as that is the reason the magnet program exists to prop up weak schools. Kennedy is the weakest school in MoCo. Problem would be that Blair would fall of a cliff statistically (although not much would really change) and the DCC would lose the one school parents felt ok about. I don't think W parents draw any distinction between sending their kids to Blair VS Kennedy, just different sides of the same coin.

Statistically it would have little impact on Blair. They really just need to implement the cohort method for admission or simply restrict admission to the DCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CAP or STEM? Both?

Neither - this is just some W parent's fantasy. Their Blair envy runs deep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real rumor is they're using the new diversity criteria to rethink the W boundaries and ensure the segregated schools are a thing of the past.

More likely than Blair losing the STEM magnet in light of the school board's recent vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:while it makes sense as that is the reason the magnet program exists to prop up weak schools. Kennedy is the weakest school in MoCo. Problem would be that Blair would fall of a cliff statistically (although not much would really change) and the DCC would lose the one school parents felt ok about. I don't think W parents draw any distinction between sending their kids to Blair VS Kennedy, just different sides of the same coin.

Statistically it would have little impact on Blair. They really just need to implement the cohort method for admission or simply restrict admission to the DCC.

Blair's test scores and white students would drop noticeably while the FARMS rate would see a bump. Say what you will but those are the very reasons the program was put there originally to engineer those stats. If those take a hit then the school would run the risk of losing brand value quickly which affect new middle class family from moving in which might exacerbate the white flight currently affecting the eastern county.

Why would they ever restrict the program to the DCC when it was designed get W kids to integrate DCC schools? The only way that plan would work if the Ws formed a WCC and got their own magnet which the optics of the county spending millions on rich white kids who would get the newest and shiny program would not play well. Yes W kids have their strong cohort so the need to do the magnet program isn't as great but that doesn't mean that the need for that cohort to be supplemented to the DCC isn't still there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CAP or STEM? Both?

Neither - this is just some W parent's fantasy. Their Blair envy runs deep.

This, 1 billion times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Unlikely that those students would be willing to go to Kennedy. Program will lose its current status and selectivity. Pretty much suicide for the program.

I don't buy this. Maybe TP in boundary Blair SMAC parents won't send their kids but the OOB and other DCC parents will. For the few who will not, there are plenty of top applicants that will gladly take a spot. As long as the entire program moves, it keeps the county wide aspect and it doesn't become a watered down magnet it will have the same draw.

The parents that would be afraid to send their kid to Kennedy would have been afraid to send the kid to Blair. Outside the DCC, people aren't drawing the same distinctions that people inside the DCC draw about the areas.

They will see it as an unknown quantity. The out of boundary students know others who have gone to Blair. They know it's a strong school overall.