Interesting approach to increasing a child's chance at Takoma Park Middle School Magnet.

[Anonymous]

This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

You'd probably have to start panning REALLY early, like at least for being tested in kindergarten as a local TPES student. Most of the incoming PBES students went to the local PBES-only CES (this is the first 5th grade class coming out from the local-only CES field test), and most of those first were in the TPES local magnet (about half of the first graders) (TPES is the lower elementary that feeds to PBES as the upper elementary). Savvy people who saw this coming after the cohort thing started last year probably moved their kindergartners or younger to TPES already, but there would have been no way for the current 5th graders to move to a different CES at PBES in time to be considered for the local TPMS spots.

When my 5th grader was applying for what was then the HGC, they started a couple of local CES classes. PBES wasn't even mentioned in the info sessions as being a local field test in the fall, although some rumors appeared on DCUM after the testing, but before the results were mailed out. 2016-2017 was also the first year that all 3rd graders were screened without an application process, but each ES was able to help identify their "outliers." At the time of applications, PBES was still considered part of the Pine Crest/Oak View group (as ESS in the TPMS zone still is). It was only well after testing that they finally announced that PBES would definitely be having their own one-class local program, with the expectation that most, if not all, would be offered the local spots at TPMS.

So, if you have a bright kindergartener, move to the TPES area. If you have a 1st grader, move and see if you can get into the TPES magnet late. If you have a 2nd grader, get into PBES now. If you have a 3rd grader, move now before magnet results come out and inform the school that you would like to be considered for the local program (it may be too late). If you have a 4th grader, you're probably screwed and you'd be stuck in GenPop, although you may be able to be placed in a math class with the CES kids. If you have a 5th grader and you're moving in, even if your child has scores higher than PBES students, you're probably too late, although students coming in from out of MoCo are invited to take the CogAT and be screened in the late summer (one current magnet 6th grader's mother, who spoke at the TPMS program last night, said they moved in from NM this summer and he was given a seat).

[Anonymous]

There's already a thread on this in the Real Estate Forum.

The conclusion is not to risk it unless you want to live in Takoma Park regardless of whether your child gets into the magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

You'd probably have to start panning REALLY early, like at least for being tested in kindergarten as a local TPES student. Most of the incoming PBES students went to the local PBES-only CES (this is the first 5th grade class coming out from the local-only CES field test), and most of those first were in the TPES local magnet (about half of the first graders) (TPES is the lower elementary that feeds to PBES as the upper elementary). Savvy people who saw this coming after the cohort thing started last year probably moved their kindergartners or younger to TPES already, but there would have been no way for the current 5th graders to move to a different CES at PBES in time to be considered for the local TPMS spots.

When my 5th grader was applying for what was then the HGC, they started a couple of local CES classes. PBES wasn't even mentioned in the info sessions as being a local field test in the fall, although some rumors appeared on DCUM after the testing, but before the results were mailed out. 2016-2017 was also the first year that all 3rd graders were screened without an application process, but each ES was able to help identify their "outliers." At the time of applications, PBES was still considered part of the Pine Crest/Oak View group (as ESS in the TPMS zone still is). It was only well after testing that they finally announced that PBES would definitely be having their own one-class local program, with the expectation that most, if not all, would be offered the local spots at TPMS.

So, if you have a bright kindergartener, move to the TPES area. If you have a 1st grader, move and see if you can get into the TPES magnet late. If you have a 2nd grader, get into PBES now. If you have a 3rd grader, move now before magnet results come out and inform the school that you would like to be considered for the local program (it may be too late). If you have a 4th grader, you're probably screwed and you'd be stuck in GenPop, although you may be able to be placed in a math class with the CES kids. If you have a 5th grader and you're moving in, even if your child has scores higher than PBES students, you're probably too late, although students coming in from out of MoCo are invited to take the CogAT and be screened in the late summer (one current magnet 6th grader's mother, who spoke at the TPMS program last night, said they moved in from NM this summer and he was given a seat).

Nonsense. No such expectation exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


There's already a thread on this in the Real Estate Forum.

The conclusion is not to risk it unless you want to live in Takoma Park regardless of whether your child gets into the magnet.

Yes, I know a lot of really bright kids in TP catchment who did not get into the magnet. Kids who were at Oakview (last class before switch to PBES CES).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

This makes me wonder.. Are people really willing to uproot and move to an objectively not-so-great neighborhood so that their self-proclaimed 'gifted children' had 'greater chance' of attending a three-year-program in middle school?
Are you serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

This makes me wonder.. Are people really willing to uproot and move to an objectively not-so-great neighborhood so that their self-proclaimed 'gifted children' had 'greater chance' of attending a three-year-program in middle school?
Are you serious?

Whether a neighborhood is "great" is entirely subjective. Many people love Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

This makes me wonder.. Are people really willing to uproot and move to an objectively not-so-great neighborhood so that their self-proclaimed 'gifted children' had 'greater chance' of attending a three-year-program in middle school?
Are you serious?

(1) Takoma Park is not "objectively" not-so-great. That's quite the subjective judgment. Considering many people like it there and have for many years. It seems quite nice to me. Maybe it's different from Potomac, but you really throw around the word "objective" loosely.

(2) You're assuming their current neighborhood is wonderful and so much better than Takoma Park. How about those who live in other DCC areas that meet your definition of "not-so-great"?

(3) People move all the time to go to better schools, especially at transition times. The ridiculousness in MoCo is how, if you move in after a transition time, or have to move in during a school year, your child is barred from the top programs. Other school systems that have GT tracking at all schools, e.g., HoCO, Baltimore County, pretty much everywhere outside the DMV, and a child can be placed in the appropriate class regardless of when they come in. BCPS has magnet programs in high schools, but even those are county-wide and don't do local spots based on living the the "right" neighborhood. There's also a lot more certainty about where your gifted child will go to school for all 13 years when there's a GT track. (I went to school in BCPS on the GT track as a poor kid on free lunch. My parents wouldn't let me do the Science and Pre-Engineering magnet because it was too far from home, and no transportation was provided back then. I was already in a very good high school zone and got into MIT without doing a magnet, along with another classmate.)

(4) People move into neighborhoods before they have children for the schools. People also move when they have their first baby on the way, after their first child is born, or when their child is about to start kindergarten to be in a better neighborhood, based on schools. This is really not uncommon.

(5) People coming from another state choose where to live based on the schools. They come from other COUNTRIES for the schools.

(6) Schools can change over time. Our local ES was acceptable when we moved here and had gifted programming when our oldest was in K and 1st grade and DC was quite happy, but a new principal came when DC was in 2nd grade and removed all gifted programming, most teachers fled his reign (there has been >100% turnover over the last 4 years, many teachers not staying more than a year), and the school has gone way downhill. Had we known any of this would happen, I guarantee we would not have moved here before our kids were born. If I'd known anything about the area, beyond what little I could glean from websites, before moving here in 2005, I would have moved to Takoma Park, but at the time, we were not even married, much less had children, but it was less desirable based on our commute times from the jobs we had then (and neither of us is still in those original jobs). I would definitely get a different real estate agent next time, but we can't afford to move anytime soon.

(7) Yes, I would absolutely do what I need to do for my children to have the best opportunity. They may fail. They may just not be good enough in the end. But I would not let their future options be cut off just because of where we live. If we can live somewhere that can guarantee a better chance at great opportunities, then that would be our highest priority. It's too late for our kids for a move to be helpful, and we can't afford to move (parents' being in massive debt would not be the best option for the children), but if it's an option for someone else, and they would not be unhappy living there, then go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is something that might be of interest to those who are thinking about trying for Takoma Park Middle Magnet Program.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that kids living within the boundaries have greater chance to get to the program and many
plan ahead.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/779576.page

This makes me wonder.. Are people really willing to uproot and move to an objectively not-so-great neighborhood so that their self-proclaimed 'gifted children' had 'greater chance' of attending a three-year-program in middle school?
Are you serious?

Whether a neighborhood is "great" is entirely subjective. Many people love Takoma Park.

Indeed, if only fewer people loved Takoma Park, then I could afford to live there.

[Anonymous]

I’ve seen more than a few public school districts go down the tubes in less than 5 years time, and definitely by 10 years time. They cut subjects, extracurricular stuff, good teachers take early retirement or move.
No Child Left Behind did a doozy on quality with new standardized testing in english and math.
And Common Core did it again, this time linking its subscription to federal funds if avg test scores go up.
Then some places, incl MCps, introduced their own ANNual tracking testing (3-4 MAP/yr) so they couldn’t teach to the test better before the state test in MAy

Thank goodness Masaachusetts did not subscribe, where we live now. But I would never go to the out of state public school today that I graduated from in the 1990s. It is a ghost of the top, we’ll-rounded education it used to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen more than a few public school districts go down the tubes in less than 5 years time, and definitely by 10 years time. They cut subjects, extracurricular stuff, good teachers take early retirement or move.
No Child Left Behind did a doozy on quality with new standardized testing in english and math.
And Common Core did it again, this time linking its subscription to federal funds if avg test scores go up.
Then some places, incl MCps, introduced their own ANNual tracking testing (3-4 MAP/yr) so they couldn’t teach to the test better before the state test in MAy

Thank goodness Masaachusetts did not subscribe, where we live now. But I would never go to the out of state public school today that I graduated from in the 1990s. It is a ghost of the top, we’ll-rounded education it used to be.

Down the tubes, I tell you. DOWN THE TUBES!!!!

I'm not sure how this is relevant to the OP, though.

[Anonymous]

The OP's question becomes less and less relevant the more social engineering is applied to the Magnet schools. As more unprepared kids are admitted, either the curriculum will need to be slowed down or changed in a way that will support the changing student population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP's question becomes less and less relevant the more social engineering is applied to the Magnet schools. As more unprepared kids are admitted, either the curriculum will need to be slowed down or changed in a way that will support the changing student population.

When you say "social engineering", what do you mean, specifically? Could you please provide some examples?

Could you please also provide the source of your information supporting your statement that unprepared kids are being admitted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The OP's question becomes less and less relevant the more social engineering is applied to the Magnet schools. As more unprepared kids are admitted, either the curriculum will need to be slowed down or changed in a way that will support the changing student population.

When you say "social engineering", what do you mean, specifically? Could you please provide some examples?

Could you please also provide the source of your information supporting your statement that unprepared kids are being admitted?

From a post in an earlier thread (https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/180/757740.page)

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/...de%205%20Parent%20FAQ's%20.pdf

And here is the excerpt:

Has the program itself changed as a result of the new screening process for the Science, math, computer science program?

We still have many top math students in our new sixth grade class, and we are seeing a greater diversity in ability. This is an important opportunity for highly-able students to be able to step up into a more rigorous curriculum. What has changed is not the rigor of the program or our expectations of students. What has changed is instruction and what the teachers need to do. Our teachers are expected to provide supports and scaffolding to help all magnet students attain the level of mastery of students working at a high level in mathematics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The OP's question becomes less and less relevant the more social engineering is applied to the Magnet schools. As more unprepared kids are admitted, either the curriculum will need to be slowed down or changed in a way that will support the changing student population.

When you say "social engineering", what do you mean, specifically? Could you please provide some examples?

Could you please also provide the source of your information supporting your statement that unprepared kids are being admitted?

From a post in an earlier thread (https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/180/757740.page)

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/...de%205%20Parent%20FAQ's%20.pdf

And here is the excerpt:

Has the program itself changed as a result of the new screening process for the Science, math, computer science program?

We still have many top math students in our new sixth grade class, and we are seeing a greater diversity in ability. This is an important opportunity for highly-able students to be able to step up into a more rigorous curriculum. What has changed is not the rigor of the program or our expectations of students. What has changed is instruction and what the teachers need to do. Our teachers are expected to provide supports and scaffolding to help all magnet students attain the level of mastery of students working at a high level in mathematics.

I'm not reading this as them admitting unprepared kids.