MCPS to end areawide Blair Magnet and countywide Richard Montgomery's IB program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

Right. But you know they don’t have to have IB be one of the regional special programs. They could have the countywide IB and have the programs be any number of other topics/specialties.

[Anonymous]

Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This exemplifies the naive approach of dismantling successful systems in an attempt to address equity concerns.

Rather than eliminating high-performing elite programs that demonstrate excellent outcomes, MCPS should have expanded access by creating additional regional programs while preserving the existing successful ones as elite programs sitting on top of the reginal ones.
The decision to completely eliminate effective programs instead of building upon them reflects poor strategic thinking or a push of known agenda. A more sensible approach would have been to grow and diversify the program offerings rather than destroy what was already working well.

Agreed. Why is MCPS making this a divisive situation? Keep our successes and build more.

It sounds like they already tried keeping a countywide program (RMIB) and adding regional IB programs and it didn't work at all because all the top students choose RMIB and so the regional programs are weaker and seen as undesirable. So they feel like "just add regional programs but keep the countywide program too" doesn't work. (Also apparently countywide costs a lot more/uses a lot more buses than regional.). That argument makes sense to me but maybe I'm missing something?

The new "regions" aren't regional. They are transparently structured to split up performing neighborhoods and assign them to far away regions with non-peer students, so they don't choose go to the programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Maybe the SMCS teachers will transfer to Wootton and Churchill and start up local home school programs. Plenty of students to support that. The smart kids with poor parents will lose out.

[Anonymous]

In case you wonder why crazy guys get elected, this is an example of how to push a lefty agenda when people are tired of politics.
Keep what's working and add new regionals as advanced programs smarties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about each school has advanced (gifted, whatever you want to call it, but truly advanced) classes so kids at all schools can access rigorous courses if they are ready for the material? Beginning in elementary school so there’s no more of this lottery nonsense where some people get a golden ticket to go to special snowflake magnet programs and other equally eligible students get nothing. I hate all the gate keeping this county does. If anyone is so convinced that their kid needs to go to Blair or Richard Montgomery to access the most advanced classes, and that the only way their kid’s advanced educational abilities and needs can be adequately served is by the county making so few spots available that those few people can feel so special that they got in, those people are delusional.

The delusional ones are those that claim that “gifted” programs at every school can truly be advanced. Or that there are enough specialized teachers to provide the breadth of advanced classes available at Blair at every school.

Whatever you say. All I know is that MCPS has started identifying elementary and middle school students for magnet programs and then placing those kids in lotteries. How is it fair to identify kids for programs and then not provide it to them? And then how does that not trickle up to application programs at the high school level? If kids in a math magnet in middle school get extra exposure to classes and content, and equally eligible students who didn’t lottery in didn’t get that same benefit, who has the better shot at the math program at Blair? And how is that fair? This is public school. I’ll take a baseline gifted program in every single school over some arbitrary lottery that picks winners and losers among equally eligible kids. People like you who want to gatekeep must not have ever been on the losing side of MCPS’s arbitrariness, but I can tell you it’s frustrating. I also find it hard to believe that a school system as big as MCPS can’t find enough good teachers to teach the classes Blair offers and do it well. But I guess let’s never try so you can continue to believe that this is the only way.

+1

My oldest is 7, so what do I know, but I’d rather not gamble that my kids win all the lotteries and make the cut for the very top high school magnets. And not just them, but all their friends.

I have a kid in the Blair magnet and it’s not for everyone. It’s an extremely advanced, intense program. It’s tough. It’s only suitable for the most motivated, most organized students who are extremely hard working and grasp concepts very quickly. The selection process is good, but some of the kids selected are probably not in the right place. This assumption that thousands of kids could benefit from such a pace is misplaced. Not everyone needs to be accelerated to that extent and, by the time your 7 year old is getting ready for high school, you likely will also know whether that would be the right place for then. It’s not the right place for the vast majority of kids. Most kids are not ready for calculus in sophomore year.

A lot more kids are ready for calculus sophomore year than go to SMCS. (Almost all of SMCS doesn't start calculus until spring of sophomore year). And a lot more would be ready if the middle schools offered Algebra 1 in 6th so non-rich kids could take the prerequisite class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Did you tell him the truth (that it will not disappear, but that there will be 6 SMCS programs including Blair and Poolesville serving the top 3% of county kids rather than the top 1%)? Or were you overdramatic and told him "they're destroying Blair"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are expanding these programs to more schools so more students can take advantage of them. Why should MC taxpayers continue to support these programs when there are so many kids that could benefit from a magnet, but there aren't enough spaces? Now hopefully they'll start working on middle school magnet issue.

We already support so many things with our taxes... I would put high achievers on my list of who to support.

The answer is expanding magnets. Create more. Not watered down programming for all.

Excellence. Quality. Back to basics.

Magnets aren't "basics" .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Did you tell him the truth (that it will not disappear, but that there will be 6 SMCS programs including Blair and Poolesville serving the top 3% of county kids rather than the top 1%)? Or were you overdramatic and told him "they're destroying Blair"?

Blair runs some classes only every 2nd year because there aren't enough kids interested and able. What are the regional programs with half the students going to do? Run the class once every 4 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Maybe the SMCS teachers will transfer to Wootton and Churchill and start up local home school programs. Plenty of students to support that. The smart kids with poor parents will lose out.

Hard to believe these teachers will be moving. They invested so much into their schools over years (clubs, robotics teams). Some are teaching at Blair for 15+ years.
Terrible decision to kill these programs in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Why is your super genius junior being spoonfed Mama's drama instead of being given references to reputable sources to investigate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Maybe the SMCS teachers will transfer to Wootton and Churchill and start up local home school programs. Plenty of students to support that. The smart kids with poor parents will lose out.

It’s not that easy and that is one of the reasons why PHS SMCS program lags behind Blair. The guy who stood up PHS SMCS was from Blair. I think there were other Blair SMCS teachers came over to PHS program but just wasn’t enough horse power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just told my junior Blair kid that the STEM at Blair will be replaced. He asked me "What's wrong with it? I thought MCPS is proud of this program."
Well, nothing wrong but looks like some ephemeral bureaucrats think that can do something better. That's laughable looking at how they managed MCPS in the last 10 years.

Did you tell him the truth (that it will not disappear, but that there will be 6 SMCS programs including Blair and Poolesville serving the top 3% of county kids rather than the top 1%)? Or were you overdramatic and told him "they're destroying Blair"?

Competition brings greatness. Harder the competition better the outcome. This is how these kids at Blair and RM function. They push each other hard, exactly as in sports. And they enjoy this challenge like athletes do. Hard to understand from outside.
Spreading the "magnet" to 6 schools will dilute the competition. There will be no magnet anymore but 6 advanced programs.

[Anonymous]

The solution is simple, Create more Blair Magnet and RMIBs. Use the expertise/playbooks from these programs to help create new centers of excellence. No point tearing down what exists.