Blair magnet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the belief that only kids getting As deserve to be in the magnet program or benefit from the magnet program. Grades are a reflection of many things other than ability to engage deeply and meaningfully with the material. Ask any parent of a 2e kid, for example.

Because there are only a few hundred slots in all the programs. So, yes, many more kids can benefit from magnet programs, and many of our kids who could benefit in MS didn't get in. Thankfully HS have AP classes so the benefit to the magnet is not as significant as in ES and MS.

[Anonymous]

At Blair and RMIB, the magnet or IB classes are higher than an AP class. But they are hard. People going in thinking that their kids are getting all A’s are delusional. They are hard programs that you have to work hard in (just like an AP class).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the belief that only kids getting As deserve to be in the magnet program or benefit from the magnet program. Grades are a reflection of many things other than ability to engage deeply and meaningfully with the material. Ask any parent of a 2e kid, for example.

Agreed 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the belief that only kids getting As deserve to be in the magnet program or benefit from the magnet program. Grades are a reflection of many things other than ability to engage deeply and meaningfully with the material. Ask any parent of a 2e kid, for example.

Because there are only a few hundred slots in all the programs. So, yes, many more kids can benefit from magnet programs, and many of our kids who could benefit in MS didn't get in. Thankfully HS have AP classes so the benefit to the magnet is not as significant as in ES and MS.

Magnet classes at Blair SMAC are in no way comparable to AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the belief that only kids getting As deserve to be in the magnet program or benefit from the magnet program. Grades are a reflection of many things other than ability to engage deeply and meaningfully with the material. Ask any parent of a 2e kid, for example.

Because there are only a few hundred slots in all the programs. So, yes, many more kids can benefit from magnet programs, and many of our kids who could benefit in MS didn't get in. Thankfully HS have AP classes so the benefit to the magnet is not as significant as in ES and MS.

Magnet classes at Blair SMAC are in no way comparable to AP classes.

This. And the Magnet coordinator even says, every year, Blair SMAC is NOT an AP program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a child in the TPMS magnet I am absolutely salty that they may not be identifying magnet kids. Magnet Math incorporates more challenging material AND meets half the time that regular math meets (every other day as opposed to every day).

1. An A in a class that is faster paced with more rigor means something different than an A in a class that meets twice as often with less rigor.

2. It sucks that not everyone who is capable and a good fit for the TPMS magnet gets admitted.

Both 1 and 2 can be true at the same time. And they are.

Why should Magnet kids get a priority when there are just as many or more non-magnet kids who are equally if not more deserving? It's not that much rigor at TPMS though you want to tell yourself that. And, not all kids want to go to TPMS. If your kid is taking Geometry in 8th vs. another taking Algebra 2, then one could argue that the child taking Algebra 2 not in a TPMS is more rigorous. And, if the non-TPMS MAP scores are higher, then that child would be more deserving as well.

I don't think she's saying they should get priority. At some point in the lotteries for ES or MS they said you had to get As in specific subjects to be considered/in the pool. If they are doing that for HS and a child has a B in a magnet math class I personally would see that as equivalent to an A in a regular math class so it's important to know which math class they are talking about. My child is non-magnet so this does not benefit my child.

I wouldn't think a B is better than an A if the B is Magnet which really isn't that different.

The child in a High School Honors Algebra 2 with all A's in 8th should get priority over their B magnet student in Geometry or Algebra 1. That would be more rigorous.

The thing is: it IS different. The content and the pacing is very different. Why are you insisting it isn’t?

It's not that different, but sure keep telling yourself that. Do you really think a B magnet student who completes Geometry is doing better than an A student taking Algebra 2? Sure, keep thinking that.

Well, an 8th grader taking Algebra 2 likely came from one of the wealthy Potomac schools that provided math enrichment in ES which wasn't available elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. BCC isn't downcounty consortium.

2. There is a "geographic" criteria for magnet selection, so that MCPS can give an advantage to poorly-performing schools in lower-income districts. So if you're in Bethesda, yes, your child is at a disadvantage, even if you scraped together all you had to afford a rent-controlled apartment there.

I know this thread is a little bit old, but just popping in to say that for HS magnet selection, they don’t know your child’s current or in boundary school. They even strip course titles so the selection committee doesn’t know who came from TPMS, where math classes have “Magnet” in the course title. This came from Ostrander at the info session in the fall.

I was at the info session and he did not say that they strip magnet from the course titles.

NP: I was also there and heard him say it. You must have missed it, PP.

It was a good information session and he was very diplomatic. I got the sense that he was trying very hard to say all the right things, but that the committee absolutely knows who is in the TPMS magnet and who is not.

It has to be obvious because they would take computer science courses in 7th and 8th and they don't offer that at any other MS. It makes no sense to strip the magnet designation from the math grade in the transcript because the kids in the humanities magnet would also have different specialized courses that would be obvious.

But at the open house the coordinator said that they don’t have access to the entire transcript, just the math and science grades.

Interesting...

[Anonymous]

How many TPMS kids got in and are attending in the current Freshman class? I heard from my kid maybe around 40??

Anecdotally, I have heard of kids not wanting to do that commute to SS for another 4 years. The call of the home high school that is only 5 minutes away and with old friends from ES seems very alluring.

Does anybody who have been to TPMS but decided to forego magnet HS have any regrets?

[Anonymous]

Is your kid thinking about leaving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your kid thinking about leaving?

My kid did not attend TPMS. First magnet for them. We are still getting used to the long commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a child in the TPMS magnet I am absolutely salty that they may not be identifying magnet kids. Magnet Math incorporates more challenging material AND meets half the time that regular math meets (every other day as opposed to every day).

1. An A in a class that is faster paced with more rigor means something different than an A in a class that meets twice as often with less rigor.

2. It sucks that not everyone who is capable and a good fit for the TPMS magnet gets admitted.

Both 1 and 2 can be true at the same time. And they are.

Why should Magnet kids get a priority when there are just as many or more non-magnet kids who are equally if not more deserving? It's not that much rigor at TPMS though you want to tell yourself that. And, not all kids want to go to TPMS. If your kid is taking Geometry in 8th vs. another taking Algebra 2, then one could argue that the child taking Algebra 2 not in a TPMS is more rigorous. And, if the non-TPMS MAP scores are higher, then that child would be more deserving as well.

I don't think she's saying they should get priority. At some point in the lotteries for ES or MS they said you had to get As in specific subjects to be considered/in the pool. If they are doing that for HS and a child has a B in a magnet math class I personally would see that as equivalent to an A in a regular math class so it's important to know which math class they are talking about. My child is non-magnet so this does not benefit my child.

I wouldn't think a B is better than an A if the B is Magnet which really isn't that different.

The child in a High School Honors Algebra 2 with all A's in 8th should get priority over their B magnet student in Geometry or Algebra 1. That would be more rigorous.

The thing is: it IS different. The content and the pacing is very different. Why are you insisting it isn’t?

It's not that different, but sure keep telling yourself that. Do you really think a B magnet student who completes Geometry is doing better than an A student taking Algebra 2? Sure, keep thinking that.

Well, an 8th grader taking Algebra 2 likely came from one of the wealthy Potomac schools that provided math enrichment in ES which wasn't available elsewhere.

Nonsense. It's well known that WPES kids get Algebra 1 in 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many TPMS kids got in and are attending in the current Freshman class? I heard from my kid maybe around 40??

Anecdotally, I have heard of kids not wanting to do that commute to SS for another 4 years. The call of the home high school that is only 5 minutes away and with old friends from ES seems very alluring.

Does anybody who have been to TPMS but decided to forego magnet HS have any regrets?

My freshman went to TPMS and is very happy at Blair. He estimated 35-40 attending this year from the TPMS magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. BCC isn't downcounty consortium.

2. There is a "geographic" criteria for magnet selection, so that MCPS can give an advantage to poorly-performing schools in lower-income districts. So if you're in Bethesda, yes, your child is at a disadvantage, even if you scraped together all you had to afford a rent-controlled apartment there.

I know this thread is a little bit old, but just popping in to say that for HS magnet selection, they don’t know your child’s current or in boundary school. They even strip course titles so the selection committee doesn’t know who came from TPMS, where math classes have “Magnet” in the course title. This came from Ostrander at the info session in the fall.

I was at the info session and he did not say that they strip magnet from the course titles.

NP: I was also there and heard him say it. You must have missed it, PP.

It was a good information session and he was very diplomatic. I got the sense that he was trying very hard to say all the right things, but that the committee absolutely knows who is in the TPMS magnet and who is not.

It has to be obvious because they would take computer science courses in 7th and 8th and they don't offer that at any other MS. It makes no sense to strip the magnet designation from the math grade in the transcript because the kids in the humanities magnet would also have different specialized courses that would be obvious.

But at the open house the coordinator said that they don’t have access to the entire transcript, just the math and science grades.

Interesting...

So what's the criteria for selection this year? Math and Science grades from 7th and 8th, MAP-M and an essay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. BCC isn't downcounty consortium.

2. There is a "geographic" criteria for magnet selection, so that MCPS can give an advantage to poorly-performing schools in lower-income districts. So if you're in Bethesda, yes, your child is at a disadvantage, even if you scraped together all you had to afford a rent-controlled apartment there.

I know this thread is a little bit old, but just popping in to say that for HS magnet selection, they don’t know your child’s current or in boundary school. They even strip course titles so the selection committee doesn’t know who came from TPMS, where math classes have “Magnet” in the course title. This came from Ostrander at the info session in the fall.

I was at the info session and he did not say that they strip magnet from the course titles.

NP: I was also there and heard him say it. You must have missed it, PP.

It was a good information session and he was very diplomatic. I got the sense that he was trying very hard to say all the right things, but that the committee absolutely knows who is in the TPMS magnet and who is not.

It has to be obvious because they would take computer science courses in 7th and 8th and they don't offer that at any other MS. It makes no sense to strip the magnet designation from the math grade in the transcript because the kids in the humanities magnet would also have different specialized courses that would be obvious.

But at the open house the coordinator said that they don’t have access to the entire transcript, just the math and science grades.

Interesting...

So what's the criteria for selection this year? Math and Science grades from 7th and 8th, MAP-M and an essay?

Yes, that's what Mr. O said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many TPMS kids got in and are attending in the current Freshman class? I heard from my kid maybe around 40??

Anecdotally, I have heard of kids not wanting to do that commute to SS for another 4 years. The call of the home high school that is only 5 minutes away and with old friends from ES seems very alluring.

Does anybody who have been to TPMS but decided to forego magnet HS have any regrets?

My freshman went to TPMS and is very happy at Blair. He estimated 35-40 attending this year from the TPMS magnet.

A big number from Frost as well.