TPMS is killing the arts, the magnet program, and the autism program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the other middle schools with 8-period schedules have teachers teaching 5 out of 8 periods, then why can't that be put in place at TPMS? (And why was it not always like that?)

The argument presented back in October(?) was that having teachers teach 5/8 would increase class sizes while 5/7 would somehow keep class sizes the same. Last night we learned that was not the case (of course) and 5/7 will also increase class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the other middle schools with 8-period schedules have teachers teaching 5 out of 8 periods, then why can't that be put in place at TPMS? (And why was it not always like that?)

The argument presented back in October(?) was that having teachers teach 5/8 would increase class sizes while 5/7 would somehow keep class sizes the same. Last night we learned that was not the case (of course) and 5/7 will also increase class sizes.

Seems like this should be standardized across the board by central office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nearing the conclusion of a “community engagement” over changing the bell schedule where the teachers voted for the outcome prior to any community engagement, the process completely lacked transparency, the community surveys were a joke where questions were overtly biased and obviously meant to support a particular outcome, the consequences of the change in bell schedule where only clearly stated to “shareholders” when the process was too far gone, the administration refused to share the data from the surveys, the administration refused to provide information regarding when the final outcome of the “community engagement” would be sent to central office for approval or who it will be sent to, afterthought meetings to special groups such as the magnet program, and absolutely zero meetings with other majorly affected groups such as the autism program and other programs for children requiring extra enrichment. Not to mention the 14 page Google doc the magnet parents wrote in questions to per administrations request was never responded to.
The bottom line, the arts and music programs at TPMS will be shells of their former selves with little to no magnet students, autism students, or students who need extra support being able to access these programs any longer.
Parents are threatening to pull their children and many feel like it’s been a huge bait and switch.
Any family who is considering this school for next year and wondering if a long commute would be worth your child’s time, should think long and hard.

Translation: I cannot get what I want, so I'm throwing tantrums and fear mongering.

No. Translation: with such heavy academics, kids deserve access to the arts and to have their mental health prioritized and the school they help to make look good should put at least some thought in to their wellbeing.

It’s not fear mongering. Making the community aware of a major change. There are many magnet families that only chose TPMS because of the schedule and access to arts as well as academics. Our kids commute nearly 3 hours a day to go to this school. If your kid was looking at that type of commute, do you think they’d choose it just to get the same thing they could get at their local school? Incoming kids and families deserve to know. The schedule is taking a hit and the electives program is taking a hit. It’s not just 1/3 of the school losing an arts elective. It will affect all the kids. More core subject teachers will be needed to make up for the decrease in number of classes taught per teacher but the budget is still for the same amount of teachers. That means less elective teachers because of that and because every kid is taking one less elective. It means less choice, less variety. The robustness and quality of the school will go down overall.


It’s not just parents no getting their way. It has far reaching affects for all students.

It’s a choice. Three hour a day commute is absurd. They should limit it to down county. Go private.

Downcounty and upcounty both have a magnet.

Most of TPMS non-set-aside magnet students are west county.

If TPMS doesn't want west county students, and wants to be another low performing downcounty school, fine. MCPS, open a west county science magnet MS in Rockville, and then add a high school.
Solve the problem of SMCS schools still only having 100+60 students despite the +3SD IQ population tripling in the past 30 years and TJ having 500 students.

This feeling of magnet students vs. other students is sickening. The change in the schedule impacts all students at TPMS and not just magnet students. Making it a magnet/non-magnet issue is not helping the community make an argument or work together with the school to come to a compromise or understanding that would consider all stakeholders - families, students, teachers at TPMS; magnet and non-magnet alike.
Many magnet families are showing their entitlement and are making the situation worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why should parents get a say at all whether teachers choose to work beyond their contract?

Exactly! DCUM would drain the last drop of blood anyone they see as a servant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the other middle schools with 8-period schedules have teachers teaching 5 out of 8 periods, then why can't that be put in place at TPMS? (And why was it not always like that?)

The argument presented back in October(?) was that having teachers teach 5/8 would increase class sizes while 5/7 would somehow keep class sizes the same. Last night we learned that was not the case (of course) and 5/7 will also increase class sizes.

Eastern has 5/8 and even magnet classes are huge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why should parents get a say at all whether teachers choose to work beyond their contract?

This! Exactly. As a teacher who worked at TPMS and left for another school because of the additional workload, I hope they are able to figure something out. All the other schools in the county have the same system. TPMS was the one place where teachers were asked in their interviews if they are ok with teaching an additional class, which is how they were able to get around that.

The other issue is that they built up additional human capital by each teacher working a free period. They can't just increase class size, because they don't have the staffing for staffing additional classes when they stop having every teacher teach a class for free.

Also, thinking teaching magnet students is easier than teaching non-magnet students is just not true. There are different things that require your time and attention, like providing more challenging work, supporting those students with that work, and dealing with parents who can be a lot like some of the parents on this thread. Remember, too, that now it's just a lottery for magnet schools, so it's not that all students are actually coming with high readiness levels and the skills for these challenging classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nearing the conclusion of a “community engagement” over changing the bell schedule where the teachers voted for the outcome prior to any community engagement, the process completely lacked transparency, the community surveys were a joke where questions were overtly biased and obviously meant to support a particular outcome, the consequences of the change in bell schedule where only clearly stated to “shareholders” when the process was too far gone, the administration refused to share the data from the surveys, the administration refused to provide information regarding when the final outcome of the “community engagement” would be sent to central office for approval or who it will be sent to, afterthought meetings to special groups such as the magnet program, and absolutely zero meetings with other majorly affected groups such as the autism program and other programs for children requiring extra enrichment. Not to mention the 14 page Google doc the magnet parents wrote in questions to per administrations request was never responded to.
The bottom line, the arts and music programs at TPMS will be shells of their former selves with little to no magnet students, autism students, or students who need extra support being able to access these programs any longer.
Parents are threatening to pull their children and many feel like it’s been a huge bait and switch.
Any family who is considering this school for next year and wondering if a long commute would be worth your child’s time, should think long and hard.

Translation: I cannot get what I want, so I'm throwing tantrums and fear mongering.

No. Translation: with such heavy academics, kids deserve access to the arts and to have their mental health prioritized and the school they help to make look good should put at least some thought in to their wellbeing.

It’s not fear mongering. Making the community aware of a major change. There are many magnet families that only chose TPMS because of the schedule and access to arts as well as academics. Our kids commute nearly 3 hours a day to go to this school. If your kid was looking at that type of commute, do you think they’d choose it just to get the same thing they could get at their local school? Incoming kids and families deserve to know. The schedule is taking a hit and the electives program is taking a hit. It’s not just 1/3 of the school losing an arts elective. It will affect all the kids. More core subject teachers will be needed to make up for the decrease in number of classes taught per teacher but the budget is still for the same amount of teachers. That means less elective teachers because of that and because every kid is taking one less elective. It means less choice, less variety. The robustness and quality of the school will go down overall.


It’s not just parents no getting their way. It has far reaching affects for all students.

It’s a choice. Three hour a day commute is absurd. They should limit it to down county. Go private.

Downcounty and upcounty both have a magnet.

Most of TPMS non-set-aside magnet students are west county.

If TPMS doesn't want west county students, and wants to be another low performing downcounty school, fine. MCPS, open a west county science magnet MS in Rockville, and then add a high school.
Solve the problem of SMCS schools still only having 100+60 students despite the +3SD IQ population tripling in the past 30 years and TJ having 500 students.

This feeling of magnet students vs. other students is sickening. The change in the schedule impacts all students at TPMS and not just magnet students. Making it a magnet/non-magnet issue is not helping the community make an argument or work together with the school to come to a compromise or understanding that would consider all stakeholders - families, students, teachers at TPMS; magnet and non-magnet alike.
Many magnet families are showing their entitlement and are making the situation worse.

Without the magnet, the school wouldn't have 8 periods at all. TPMS overall benefitted from "magnet privilege". I don't think it's right or fair, but that's how it has been. Offering 7/8 to an education to most of the county and 8/8 to some based on arbitrary criteria isn't right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nearing the conclusion of a “community engagement” over changing the bell schedule where the teachers voted for the outcome prior to any community engagement, the process completely lacked transparency, the community surveys were a joke where questions were overtly biased and obviously meant to support a particular outcome, the consequences of the change in bell schedule where only clearly stated to “shareholders” when the process was too far gone, the administration refused to share the data from the surveys, the administration refused to provide information regarding when the final outcome of the “community engagement” would be sent to central office for approval or who it will be sent to, afterthought meetings to special groups such as the magnet program, and absolutely zero meetings with other majorly affected groups such as the autism program and other programs for children requiring extra enrichment. Not to mention the 14 page Google doc the magnet parents wrote in questions to per administrations request was never responded to.
The bottom line, the arts and music programs at TPMS will be shells of their former selves with little to no magnet students, autism students, or students who need extra support being able to access these programs any longer.
Parents are threatening to pull their children and many feel like it’s been a huge bait and switch.
Any family who is considering this school for next year and wondering if a long commute would be worth your child’s time, should think long and hard.

Translation: I cannot get what I want, so I'm throwing tantrums and fear mongering.

No. Translation: with such heavy academics, kids deserve access to the arts and to have their mental health prioritized and the school they help to make look good should put at least some thought in to their wellbeing.

It’s not fear mongering. Making the community aware of a major change. There are many magnet families that only chose TPMS because of the schedule and access to arts as well as academics. Our kids commute nearly 3 hours a day to go to this school. If your kid was looking at that type of commute, do you think they’d choose it just to get the same thing they could get at their local school? Incoming kids and families deserve to know. The schedule is taking a hit and the electives program is taking a hit. It’s not just 1/3 of the school losing an arts elective. It will affect all the kids. More core subject teachers will be needed to make up for the decrease in number of classes taught per teacher but the budget is still for the same amount of teachers. That means less elective teachers because of that and because every kid is taking one less elective. It means less choice, less variety. The robustness and quality of the school will go down overall.


It’s not just parents no getting their way. It has far reaching affects for all students.

It’s a choice. Three hour a day commute is absurd. They should limit it to down county. Go private.

Downcounty and upcounty both have a magnet.

Most of TPMS non-set-aside magnet students are west county.

If TPMS doesn't want west county students, and wants to be another low performing downcounty school, fine. MCPS, open a west county science magnet MS in Rockville, and then add a high school.
Solve the problem of SMCS schools still only having 100+60 students despite the +3SD IQ population tripling in the past 30 years and TJ having 500 students.

This feeling of magnet students vs. other students is sickening. The change in the schedule impacts all students at TPMS and not just magnet students. Making it a magnet/non-magnet issue is not helping the community make an argument or work together with the school to come to a compromise or understanding that would consider all stakeholders - families, students, teachers at TPMS; magnet and non-magnet alike.
Many magnet families are showing their entitlement and are making the situation worse.

Without the magnet, the school wouldn't have 8 periods at all. TPMS overall benefitted from "magnet privilege". I don't think it's right or fair, but that's how it has been. Offering 7/8 to an education to most of the county and 8/8 to some based on arbitrary criteria isn't right.

Most of the county has 7/7 not 7/8. Often, the 8th period is really just a lunch. This is the case at Eastern.

[Anonymous]

Loiederman has a schedule that is currently the same as TPMS, and parents were told that Loiederman is able to maintain that schedule to to "additional funding."

However, the numbers don't seem to line up.

TPMS per pupil expenditures are $17,054 and Loiederman's are $17,555. (All numbers from publicly available information on Maryland Report Card)

Now, this additional $500 per kid undoubtedly adds up, but Loiederman also has a much more expensive set of kids, and a more expensive physical plant to maintain for the performing arts program.

Looking at the At A Glance documents, the actual student-to-teacher ratio at both schools is very similar.

I wish I didn't feel like I have to go to primary sources on every claim the TPMS administration makes, but this one doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loiederman has a schedule that is currently the same as TPMS, and parents were told that Loiederman is able to maintain that schedule to to "additional funding."

However, the numbers don't seem to line up.

TPMS per pupil expenditures are $17,054 and Loiederman's are $17,555. (All numbers from publicly available information on Maryland Report Card)

Now, this additional $500 per kid undoubtedly adds up, but Loiederman also has a much more expensive set of kids, and a more expensive physical plant to maintain for the performing arts program.

Looking at the At A Glance documents, the actual student-to-teacher ratio at both schools is very similar.

I wish I didn't feel like I have to go to primary sources on every claim the TPMS administration makes, but this one doesn't make a lot of sense.

I know, but it is so important that you do this. MCPS is banking on parents like you not bothering to fact check their claims, which allows them to get away with the lies and fables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the non magnet part of TPMS currently have the extra 8th period?

Yes. Until this year it meant double math, which was fantastic. Then without telling anyone that changed setting the scene for this change.

Not true, exactly. They eliminated the double math period for 8th graders taking Geometry 2 years ago (when my now 10th grader was in 8th). At the time they said it was to help acclimate accelerated students to the faster paced math coming in high school.

On another note - it might be argued that it was senseless to give non magnet TPMS kids twice the time as other MCPS middle school kids to cover the same amount of material.

[Anonymous]

Do all MCPS have the same education or not?

So sick of seeing over and over how “W” schools are privileged while TPMS and apparently Loiderman students take more classes than the rest of MCPS.

All middle school students should have the opportunity to take core classes plus extra electives not just a select few based on zip code. We should invest in all students not focus on a few students served by magnets.

And don’t say W parents can just supplement. Guess what? There are FARMS students everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loiederman has a schedule that is currently the same as TPMS, and parents were told that Loiederman is able to maintain that schedule to to "additional funding."

However, the numbers don't seem to line up.

TPMS per pupil expenditures are $17,054 and Loiederman's are $17,555. (All numbers from publicly available information on Maryland Report Card)

Now, this additional $500 per kid undoubtedly adds up, but Loiederman also has a much more expensive set of kids, and a more expensive physical plant to maintain for the performing arts program.

Looking at the At A Glance documents, the actual student-to-teacher ratio at both schools is very similar.

I wish I didn't feel like I have to go to primary sources on every claim the TPMS administration makes, but this one doesn't make a lot of sense.

Probably higher farms rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do all MCPS have the same education or not?

So sick of seeing over and over how “W” schools are privileged while TPMS and apparently Loiderman students take more classes than the rest of MCPS.

All middle school students should have the opportunity to take core classes plus extra electives not just a select few based on zip code. We should invest in all students not focus on a few students served by magnets.

And don’t say W parents can just supplement. Guess what? There are FARMS students everywhere.

No. And that is by design.

MCPS is a system of schools, not a school system. They built it that way and they like it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do all MCPS have the same education or not?

So sick of seeing over and over how “W” schools are privileged while TPMS and apparently Loiderman students take more classes than the rest of MCPS.

All middle school students should have the opportunity to take core classes plus extra electives not just a select few based on zip code. We should invest in all students not focus on a few students served by magnets.

And don’t say W parents can just supplement. Guess what? There are FARMS students everywhere.

No they don’t. And there are very few farms at the w schools compared to other schools. This post is deceptive as they aren’t taking away the program, just changing the schedule and it’s been talked about for years.