Baltimore Sun article about Howard County rezoning

[Anonymous]

The Baltimore Sun has a long article about the proposed Howard County Public Schools rezoning: https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-howard-school-redistricting-20190906-xhzkmkf2zvgcxdkbd3vqdanblm-story.html (I don't know who wrote it because the journalists are withholding their bylines this week.)

I don't know enough about Howard County to evaluate the proposals, but I do know enough about Montgomery County to be able to say with authority that anybody who is thinking of moving from MCPS to HCPS, in order to try to avoid boundary changes for school capacity and desegregation, should read this article.

[Anonymous]

Balanced article that seems to understand all sides.

I think the proposal embodies all the right ideas, although I do have some questions about individual details. I'd like to see it go further, actually, to provide greater relief to certain high schools. Also, some schools have profiles that change significantly, while others (River Hill High School rushes to mind) have very little change to their overall profile. That does feel a little uneven.

Since River Hill stands to send some students to Wilde Lake (which will only be 38 percent FARMs under the proposal - which really shouldn't scare people so badly - but I digress), there's ample yelling from people who imagined they were safely tucked within a very expensive new development and all but guaranteed a place at River Hill. I get it, I really do, but at the same time: cry me a river. I have a hard time being totally sympathetic with "don't break up our 'community'," when your community is defined by a single socio-economic profile. Maybe the boundaries of community need to be revised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Balanced article that seems to understand all sides.

I think the proposal embodies all the right ideas, although I do have some questions about individual details. I'd like to see it go further, actually, to provide greater relief to certain high schools. Also, some schools have profiles that change significantly, while others (River Hill High School rushes to mind) have very little change to their overall profile. That does feel a little uneven.

Since River Hill stands to send some students to Wilde Lake (which will only be 38 percent FARMs under the proposal - which really shouldn't scare people so badly - but I digress), there's ample yelling from people who imagined they were safely tucked within a very expensive new development and all but guaranteed a place at River Hill. I get it, I really do, but at the same time: cry me a river. I have a hard time being totally sympathetic with "don't break up our 'community'," when your community is defined by a single socio-economic profile. Maybe the boundaries of community need to be revised.

I agree.

However, as someone who made the reverse commute from Wilde Lake to River Hill for two years, I am rolling my eyes at the parent complaining about reduced sleep and family time. Cut me a break: you’re not sending your kid across the county (and even then, it’s not a big county).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Balanced article that seems to understand all sides.

I think the proposal embodies all the right ideas, although I do have some questions about individual details. I'd like to see it go further, actually, to provide greater relief to certain high schools. Also, some schools have profiles that change significantly, while others (River Hill High School rushes to mind) have very little change to their overall profile. That does feel a little uneven.

Since River Hill stands to send some students to Wilde Lake (which will only be 38 percent FARMs under the proposal - which really shouldn't scare people so badly - but I digress), there's ample yelling from people who imagined they were safely tucked within a very expensive new development and all but guaranteed a place at River Hill. I get it, I really do, but at the same time: cry me a river. I have a hard time being totally sympathetic with "don't break up our 'community'," when your community is defined by a single socio-economic profile. Maybe the boundaries of community need to be revised.

I agree.

However, as someone who made the reverse commute from Wilde Lake to River Hill for two years, I am rolling my eyes at the parent complaining about reduced sleep and family time. Cut me a break: you’re not sending your kid across the county (and even then, it’s not a big county).

I'm also impressed at how balanced the article was.

Just a thought, they could be worried about the time since the bus will take longer? A bus ride is usually much longer than a car ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Balanced article that seems to understand all sides.

I think the proposal embodies all the right ideas, although I do have some questions about individual details. I'd like to see it go further, actually, to provide greater relief to certain high schools. Also, some schools have profiles that change significantly, while others (River Hill High School rushes to mind) have very little change to their overall profile. That does feel a little uneven.

Since River Hill stands to send some students to Wilde Lake (which will only be 38 percent FARMs under the proposal - which really shouldn't scare people so badly - but I digress), there's ample yelling from people who imagined they were safely tucked within a very expensive new development and all but guaranteed a place at River Hill. I get it, I really do, but at the same time: cry me a river. I have a hard time being totally sympathetic with "don't break up our 'community'," when your community is defined by a single socio-economic profile. Maybe the boundaries of community need to be revised.

I agree.

However, as someone who made the reverse commute from Wilde Lake to River Hill for two years, I am rolling my eyes at the parent complaining about reduced sleep and family time. Cut me a break: you’re not sending your kid across the county (and even then, it’s not a big county).

I'm also impressed at how balanced the article was.

Just a thought, they could be worried about the time since the bus will take longer? A bus ride is usually much longer than a car ride.

PP here. I did the commute by school bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Baltimore Sun has a long article about the proposed Howard County Public Schools rezoning: https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-howard-school-redistricting-20190906-xhzkmkf2zvgcxdkbd3vqdanblm-story.html (I don't know who wrote it because the journalists are withholding their bylines this week.)

I don't know enough about Howard County to evaluate the proposals, but I do know enough about Montgomery County to be able to say with authority that anybody who is thinking of moving from MCPS to HCPS, in order to try to avoid boundary changes for school capacity and desegregation, should read this article.

I stated this in another thread, how MoCo parents threatening to move to HoCo or FFX because MoCo dared to hire a consultant to look at how MCPS draws school boundaries made me chuckle. And where are they going to threaten to move to now. The response was that people were now moving to Frederick, and how much happier they are. That made me chuckle too. I'm sure Frederick county schools are fine, but their top schools are more like the mediocre ones in MoCo and HoCo. Of course, mediocre schools are fine, too. It's not like I live in a W school cluster. But if mediocrity is fine, not sure why moving to Frederick for the schools makes one happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Balanced article that seems to understand all sides.

I think the proposal embodies all the right ideas, although I do have some questions about individual details. I'd like to see it go further, actually, to provide greater relief to certain high schools. Also, some schools have profiles that change significantly, while others (River Hill High School rushes to mind) have very little change to their overall profile. That does feel a little uneven.

Since River Hill stands to send some students to Wilde Lake (which will only be 38 percent FARMs under the proposal - which really shouldn't scare people so badly - but I digress), there's ample yelling from people who imagined they were safely tucked within a very expensive new development and all but guaranteed a place at River Hill. I get it, I really do, but at the same time: cry me a river. I have a hard time being totally sympathetic with "don't break up our 'community'," when your community is defined by a single socio-economic profile. Maybe the boundaries of community need to be revised.

I agree.

However, as someone who made the reverse commute from Wilde Lake to River Hill for two years, I am rolling my eyes at the parent complaining about reduced sleep and family time. Cut me a break: you’re not sending your kid across the county (and even then, it’s not a big county).

I'm also impressed at how balanced the article was.

Just a thought, they could be worried about the time since the bus will take longer? A bus ride is usually much longer than a car ride.

PP here. I did the commute by school bus.

Sorry! I don't know why I didn't make that connection. (need my afternoon coffee right now)

[Anonymous]

I stated this in another thread, how MoCo parents threatening to move to HoCo or FFX because MoCo dared to hire a consultant to look at how MCPS draws school boundaries made me chuckle. And where are they going to threaten to move to now. The response was that people were now moving to Frederick, and how much happier they are. That made me chuckle too. I'm sure Frederick county schools are fine, but their top schools are more like the mediocre ones in MoCo and HoCo. Of course, mediocre schools are fine, too. It's not like I live in a W school cluster. But if mediocrity is fine, not sure why moving to Frederick for the schools makes one happier.

Montgomery County is ALREADY far more extreme in zoning based on race and demographics than what Howard County is proposing. Plus MCPS is discussing more extreme bussing. They have been screwing Darnestown kids for years bussing them farther away to NW to make sure that QO isn't too white and now they are considering bussing them to an even worse school SV that is even farther away. The MCPS nuts are chomping to take down the W schools and the Silver Spring idiots are dreaming of the demise of Bethesda.

Howard and Frederick are still far better bets. Plus MCPS has dropped precipitously in the past decade. They lost the top spot years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Baltimore Sun has a long article about the proposed Howard County Public Schools rezoning: https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-howard-school-redistricting-20190906-xhzkmkf2zvgcxdkbd3vqdanblm-story.html (I don't know who wrote it because the journalists are withholding their bylines this week.)

I don't know enough about Howard County to evaluate the proposals, but I do know enough about Montgomery County to be able to say with authority that anybody who is thinking of moving from MCPS to HCPS, in order to try to avoid boundary changes for school capacity and desegregation, should read this article.

I stated this in another thread, how MoCo parents threatening to move to HoCo or FFX because MoCo dared to hire a consultant to look at how MCPS draws school boundaries made me chuckle. And where are they going to threaten to move to now. The response was that people were now moving to Frederick, and how much happier they are. That made me chuckle too. I'm sure Frederick county schools are fine, but their top schools are more like the mediocre ones in MoCo and HoCo. Of course, mediocre schools are fine, too. It's not like I live in a W school cluster. But if mediocrity is fine, not sure why moving to Frederick for the schools makes one happier.

DP. Also, I used to common read on DCUM that MCPS just [sic] change the boundaries at [this school] or [that school] to address overcrowding - after all, HCPS does this every few years, so it can't be hard.

I haven't read it recently, though. I wonder why?

[Anonymous]

Good article. Maybe a preview of the coming debate in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I stated this in another thread, how MoCo parents threatening to move to HoCo or FFX because MoCo dared to hire a consultant to look at how MCPS draws school boundaries made me chuckle. And where are they going to threaten to move to now. The response was that people were now moving to Frederick, and how much happier they are. That made me chuckle too. I'm sure Frederick county schools are fine, but their top schools are more like the mediocre ones in MoCo and HoCo. Of course, mediocre schools are fine, too. It's not like I live in a W school cluster. But if mediocrity is fine, not sure why moving to Frederick for the schools makes one happier.

Montgomery County is ALREADY far more extreme in zoning based on race and demographics than what Howard County is proposing. Plus MCPS is discussing more extreme bussing. They have been screwing Darnestown kids for years bussing them farther away to NW to make sure that QO isn't too white and now they are considering bussing them to an even worse school SV that is even farther away. The MCPS nuts are chomping to take down the W schools and the Silver Spring idiots are dreaming of the demise of Bethesda.

Howard and Frederick are still far better bets. Plus MCPS has dropped precipitously in the past decade. They lost the top spot years ago.

But go ahead and keep telling us that it's about the bus distance, not the non-white kids.

[Anonymous]

No one wants to be bussed past two other high performing schools to a low performing school just because the kids are white.

Newsflash, low SES kids do not want to be bussed past two low performing school to go to a high performing school just because they are brown. MCPS has had failed attempts to bus GHS kids farther away and the GHS community exploded on them. MCPS is still pissed about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Balanced article that seems to understand all sides.

I think the proposal embodies all the right ideas, although I do have some questions about individual details. I'd like to see it go further, actually, to provide greater relief to certain high schools. Also, some schools have profiles that change significantly, while others (River Hill High School rushes to mind) have very little change to their overall profile. That does feel a little uneven.

Since River Hill stands to send some students to Wilde Lake (which will only be 38 percent FARMs under the proposal - which really shouldn't scare people so badly - but I digress), there's ample yelling from people who imagined they were safely tucked within a very expensive new development and all but guaranteed a place at River Hill. I get it, I really do, but at the same time: cry me a river. I have a hard time being totally sympathetic with "don't break up our 'community'," when your community is defined by a single socio-economic profile. Maybe the boundaries of community need to be revised.

I agree.

However, as someone who made the reverse commute from Wilde Lake to River Hill for two years, I am rolling my eyes at the parent complaining about reduced sleep and family time. Cut me a break: you’re not sending your kid across the county (and even then, it’s not a big county).

I was also impressed by how fairly the article captured both sides.

As a resident of the Eastern part of the county, it is hard to hear River Hill parents complain about longer school bus rides for their kids or trouble picking up from after school activities. Really? Try living in the most densely populated part of the county where most of the population is not wealthy and where there isn't a high school within 7-8 miles because one one has bothered to build one, despite the extensive high density development. We moved to our community because we wanted more diversity than River Hill offers. Even though it inconveniences our family, we recognize the need for low to moderate income housing in the county, so we have welcomed the developement. But people can only take so much.

It is funny that no one from River Hill has cared about those of us in the East who have been either redistricted with small feeds or threatened with redistricting almost every year for what seems like forever. I have neighbors who may wind up having kids attend three different high schools. No one from River Hill cared about disruptions, long bus rides, established communities , or our severely overcrowded schools when their own kids were not involved.

Having lived with the threat of redistricting for so long, I now wish more comprehensive moves had been made years ago, even if it meant moving my kids to what would be considered a "lower performing" school. River Hill can't continue to be all high SES with no FARMs forever. Something is going to have to change. This process is so painful for all involved; it is time to rip the bandaid off and make necessary changes that have countywide impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to be bussed past two other high performing schools to a low performing school just because the kids are white.

Newsflash, low SES kids do not want to be bussed past two low performing school to go to a high performing school just because they are brown. MCPS has had failed attempts to bus GHS kids farther away and the GHS community exploded on them. MCPS is still pissed about this.

Everybody in Darnestown is white and affluent? How about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I stated this in another thread, how MoCo parents threatening to move to HoCo or FFX because MoCo dared to hire a consultant to look at how MCPS draws school boundaries made me chuckle. And where are they going to threaten to move to now. The response was that people were now moving to Frederick, and how much happier they are. That made me chuckle too. I'm sure Frederick county schools are fine, but their top schools are more like the mediocre ones in MoCo and HoCo. Of course, mediocre schools are fine, too. It's not like I live in a W school cluster. But if mediocrity is fine, not sure why moving to Frederick for the schools makes one happier.

Montgomery County is ALREADY far more extreme in zoning based on race and demographics than what Howard County is proposing. Plus MCPS is discussing more extreme bussing. They have been screwing Darnestown kids for years bussing them farther away to NW to make sure that QO isn't too white and now they are considering bussing them to an even worse school SV that is even farther away. The MCPS nuts are chomping to take down the W schools and the Silver Spring idiots are dreaming of the demise of Bethesda.

Howard and Frederick are still far better bets. Plus MCPS has dropped precipitously in the past decade. They lost the top spot years ago.

So, isn't it good that they hired a consultant to look at a better way to draw boundaries?

By what metric do you think Frederick and HoCo are "still far better" bets than MCPS? The top Frederick county high school is about the same level as Sherwood or NWHS, not exactly high performing MCPS HS, though I'm sure it's perfectly fine. Again, we don't live in a W cluster.