The Best Remedy for Maryland K-12 Schooling.

[Anonymous]

School choice voucher system plus charter school competition would make MCPS $hit a brick or two.
They know educated parents are doing all the real legwork to keep average scores and grades up. With school choice they can watch everyone with a brain and work habits opt out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so effing tired of you Yankee or Midwest transplants moving here and telling us we need to run our schools the way they do in NJ/MA/IL/some other podunk state . Your way is not superior but you can move home if you think it is.

We came from Ocinda, CA public schools.

Took one tour of a MCPS MS and an ES and got zero answers to any of our questions on curriculum, grading, school goals, etc. just a bunch of mumbo jumbo platitudes. Then realized the real priorities of MCPS had nothing to do with our kids and went private. We couldn’t get straight answers and thus never got comfortable with the prospect of sending our kids.
My youngest is starting K next year and think she’d be fine in MCPS if they make a well-rounded curriculum by then, that can challenge any of my kids and not need 24/7 navigating by me or my spouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Segregationists love this old trope.

+1

I disagree completely.

I am not White, and live in Silver Spring. My kids attend a Focus school, and I would love it if MCPS adopted at town-based, or cluster based school system, instead of the monstrosity that currently exists.

I would love it if my kids' schools didn't close for rain, just because it's snowing up in Poolesville or Damascus. I would love it if we weren't forced to administer ridiculous assessments that the school system deems necessary (eg. Performance Matters), even there is not really any direct benefit to our students. I would love it if our Principal had more power when it comes to matters of discipline.

For the 8 years we have had kids in MCPS, a Superintendent has NOT ONCE stepped foot in our ES/MS. We have never seen a BOE member.

If we want something to change, or disagree with a policy, parents have to vie for 3 minutes of the BOE's attention at a meeting, and then we're most likely ignored anyway.

Schools should be part of the community, and run by the community.

Performance matters isn't an assessment. It's a platform for agrgeating student performance data

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so effing tired of you Yankee or Midwest transplants moving here and telling us we need to run our schools the way they do in NJ/MA/IL/some other podunk state . Your way is not superior but you can move home if you think it is.

LMAO

Ha! Well, to you Montgomery County natives, I'll respond that your current way is definitely not superior. And, we're not moving home because you've invited us here with your fantastic job market. So, thanks!

"My home state is so much better than here except I can't get a job back at home"


Too bad, so sad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so effing tired of you Yankee or Midwest transplants moving here and telling us we need to run our schools the way they do in NJ/MA/IL/some other podunk state . Your way is not superior but you can move home if you think it is.

We came from Ocinda, CA public schools.

Took one tour of a MCPS MS and an ES and got zero answers to any of our questions on curriculum, grading, school goals, etc. just a bunch of mumbo jumbo platitudes. Then realized the real priorities of MCPS had nothing to do with our kids and went private. We couldn’t get straight answers and thus never got comfortable with the prospect of sending our kids.
My youngest is starting K next year and think she’d be fine in MCPS if they make a well-rounded curriculum by then, that can challenge any of my kids and not need 24/7 navigating by me or my spouse.

Oh, you again.

Comparing MCPS to Lamorinda is like comparing a Honda to a Rolls Royce. One involves a lot more money, but they both get you to the same place.

If you don't want to send your child to MCPS, then don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, when they opened the new ES in the RM Cluster, it was clear that the community did not want it to be named after Bayard Rustin.

Guess what? The BOE didn't give a rat's ass what the community wanted, and shoved the name down the community's throat.

Why is that? Let the community have control of their schools. Why are people who have no idea about what goes on in the schools on a daily basis making decisions about what affects our kids?

A new curriculum that might be a great fit for wealthy, predominantly Jewish school in Potomac, may not be the best fit for a more diverse school in Silver Spring.

Yet, all the kids are stuck with the same curriculum. Like it or not.

Everybody in Rockville has the same opinion? What kind of a place is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so effing tired of you Yankee or Midwest transplants moving here and telling us we need to run our schools the way they do in NJ/MA/IL/some other podunk state . Your way is not superior but you can move home if you think it is.

LMAO

I’m from Passaic County, NJ. Certainly wouldn’t classify that as ‘podunk’. Probably as diverse as MCPS but they do use a town-based system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, when they opened the new ES in the RM Cluster, it was clear that the community did not want it to be named after Bayard Rustin.

Guess what? The BOE didn't give a rat's ass what the community wanted, and shoved the name down the community's throat.

Why is that? Let the community have control of their schools. Why are people who have no idea about what goes on in the schools on a daily basis making decisions about what affects our kids?

A new curriculum that might be a great fit for wealthy, predominantly Jewish school in Potomac, may not be the best fit for a more diverse school in Silver Spring.

Yet, all the kids are stuck with the same curriculum. Like it or not.

Everybody in Rockville has the same opinion? What kind of a place is that?

Nope. But the majority of the community preferred other options. BOE ignored what the community wanted. As it typically seems to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Segregationists love this old trope.

+1

I disagree completely.

I am not White, and live in Silver Spring. My kids attend a Focus school, and I would love it if MCPS adopted at town-based, or cluster based school system, instead of the monstrosity that currently exists.

I would love it if my kids' schools didn't close for rain, just because it's snowing up in Poolesville or Damascus. I would love it if we weren't forced to administer ridiculous assessments that the school system deems necessary (eg. Performance Matters), even there is not really any direct benefit to our students. I would love it if our Principal had more power when it comes to matters of discipline.

For the 8 years we have had kids in MCPS, a Superintendent has NOT ONCE stepped foot in our ES/MS. We have never seen a BOE member.

If we want something to change, or disagree with a policy, parents have to vie for 3 minutes of the BOE's attention at a meeting, and then we're most likely ignored anyway.

Schools should be part of the community, and run by the community.

Performance matters isn't an assessment. It's a platform for agrgeating student performance data

And a waste of our time and resources. We could do without it.

[Anonymous]

The real question is: if money was no object and you had a choice, would you send your young kids to MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School choice voucher system plus charter school competition would make MCPS $hit a brick or two.
They know educated parents are doing all the real legwork to keep average scores and grades up. With school choice they can watch everyone with a brain and work habits opt out.

I think it’s time to consider that Montgomery County needs to implement a different system. I don’t really think MCPS cares if families leave the school system, but it’s not great for the County to not have strong schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real question is: if money was no object and you had a choice, would you send your young kids to MCPS.

But why should it be that way?

We can’t afford private, but I would love to take my kids out of MCPS if we could swing it.

MCPS spends a good amount of money per student. I feel like we should be able to expect a strong curriculum, reasonable disciplinary consequences, safe schools, less sexual abuse of students, etc.

The way MCPS is structured, that is not the case. Why can’t MCPS do better?

I think it’s partly because MCPS is too large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School choice voucher system plus charter school competition would make MCPS $hit a brick or two.
They know educated parents are doing all the real legwork to keep average scores and grades up. With school choice they can watch everyone with a brain and work habits opt out.

I think it’s time to consider that Montgomery County needs to implement a different system. I don’t really think MCPS cares if families leave the school system, but it’s not great for the County to not have strong schools.

I’m a strong supporter of public schools. I went to public school and am sending my kids to MCPS. But, it’s tough. Basically this entire year, the teachers are flying without a curriculum? That’s pathetic.

In a smaller district, they can make changes quicker and fix problems as they arise.

MCPS seems to be unable to fix anything. They seem to not even want to acknowledge that problems exist, sometimes (eg. Damascus rape case being labeled as a ‘hazing’).

I have lived in other cities and countries where the public education system is not strong. The wealthy send their kids to private and the entire school system suffers. MCPS should be a strong school system, but seems to be underperforming mightily. It will be a huge negligible if MCPS crashes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, when they opened the new ES in the RM Cluster, it was clear that the community did not want it to be named after Bayard Rustin.

Guess what? The BOE didn't give a rat's ass what the community wanted, and shoved the name down the community's throat.

Why is that? Let the community have control of their schools. Why are people who have no idea about what goes on in the schools on a daily basis making decisions about what affects our kids?

A new curriculum that might be a great fit for wealthy, predominantly Jewish school in Potomac, may not be the best fit for a more diverse school in Silver Spring.

Yet, all the kids are stuck with the same curriculum. Like it or not.

Everybody in Rockville has the same opinion? What kind of a place is that?

Nope. But the majority of the community preferred other options. BOE ignored what the community wanted. As it typically seems to do.

What is the source of your information for this statement?

Also, the members of the BoE hold elective office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I’m a strong supporter of public schools. I went to public school and am sending my kids to MCPS. But, it’s tough. Basically this entire year, the teachers are flying without a curriculum? That’s pathetic.

In a smaller district, they can make changes quicker and fix problems as they arise.

MCPS seems to be unable to fix anything. They seem to not even want to acknowledge that problems exist, sometimes (eg. Damascus rape case being labeled as a ‘hazing’).

I have lived in other cities and countries where the public education system is not strong. The wealthy send their kids to private and the entire school system suffers. MCPS should be a strong school system, but seems to be underperforming mightily. It will be a huge negligible if MCPS crashes.

It was. It was hazing AND it was rape.