Proposed rule on Student Transfers/COSAs out for comment

[Anonymous]

FYI in case people hadn't seen it

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/policy-for-public-comment.aspx

Any insight as to how this will affect middle school immersion students? They don't need a COSA for middle school, but have to apply for one if they want to continue to the high school in their feeder (assuming they are out of bounds). In the past, these COSAs were granted automatically, but now MCPS appears to be tightening up the requirements and ditching the automatic articulation. Of course, there is always the hope that MCPS gets it together and creates a high school continuation of the immersion, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[Anonymous]

It was being passed around our local immersion program, and the takeaway was that the folks most impacted would be the families who start at Rock Creek Forest, who would no longer automatically articulate to BCC.

[Anonymous]

They should require one for middle school too.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that the proposed changes actually increase the ability of students to apply for a change based on HS programming. So while immersion students can't necessarily go to a HS just because they went to that MS, if there is actually relevant programming at the HS that they want to participate in, they can apply on that basis without need for a "hardship," as can students who are not in immersion but, for example, who want to take a language that is only offered at one or two MCPS high schools.

[Anonymous]

My takeaway is that the category for "unique hardship" is so broad and they're looking for clearer definitions. It looks like teachers in title I/Focus schools would be able to get COSAs for their children to attend that school, which is a big deal for a lot of staff juggling before and aftercare and duties that sometimes go beyond aftercare hours, or when commutes mean kids have to be in before care for an hour+ before school starts starts. Are these emergencies? No, of course not, and many other working parents have similar situations. But letting teachers' kids attend those "undesirable" schools would make some people's lives a whole lot easier.

It also sounds like a response to the inaction over bullying--a student could potentially get a COSA if they're being bullied or harmed in their home school, with much less documentation needed. I'm all for that.

[Anonymous]

my son is currently on cosa in middle school. our understanding is that he would feed into the high school for that middle school. hugh high school is under enrolled. it sounds like if this passes, he should still be able to do this since the new ruling would only apply to those entering 6th grade next year. I hope so as he has been doing great in academics and has a good group of friends. he has always struggled socially so I would hate to switch things up.

[Anonymous]

I think any child in an over-enrolled school that wants to go to an under-enrolled school should be allowed.