The Best Remedy for Maryland K-12 Schooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real question is: if money was no object and you had a choice, would you send your young kids to MCPS.

Why is that the real question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so effing tired of you Yankee or Midwest transplants moving here and telling us we need to run our schools the way they do in NJ/MA/IL/some other podunk state . Your way is not superior but you can move home if you think it is.

We came from Ocinda, CA public schools.

Took one tour of a MCPS MS and an ES and got zero answers to any of our questions on curriculum, grading, school goals, etc. just a bunch of mumbo jumbo platitudes. Then realized the real priorities of MCPS had nothing to do with our kids and went private. We couldn’t get straight answers and thus never got comfortable with the prospect of sending our kids.
My youngest is starting K next year and think she’d be fine in MCPS if they make a well-rounded curriculum by then, that can challenge any of my kids and not need 24/7 navigating by me or my spouse.

Oh, you again.

Comparing MCPS to Lamorinda is like comparing a Honda to a Rolls Royce. One involves a lot more money, but they both get you to the same place.

If you don't want to send your child to MCPS, then don't.

+1 I assume that ^PP meant Orinda CA

I'm from CA, from the Bay Area, closer in than Orinda, in a small school district much like Orinda, but with more money. It's also very white and wealthy, again, much like the area we moved from.

Orinda and the school district we moved from are tiny in comparison. It's hard to compare. MCPS funds more per pupil than any school in CA. The challenges faced by districts like Orinda are very different than those faced by MCPS.

Orinda, and most of the other well off school districts in CA, rely on parent "donations" to fund things like music and art, computer programming, language courses, even AP level courses. While MCPS has issues, the course and program offerings are great. And let's not forget how much the Orinda person was paying in taxes compared to someone living in MoCo. You aren't getting your money's worth in Orinda as far as schools are concerned. You are paying taxes up the nose *and* more than likely "donating" hundreds of dollars per year just to get services that MCPS gives out as part of its regular curriculum. You were already in a quasi-private school. I know, again, because we moved from such a school district in the Bay Area. All the rich school districts have nonprofit school organizations purely for raising money for these "extras".

https://www.orindaefo.org

That Orinda PP is ridiculous. What you are saying is that rich areas should break off so that they are better served. If Orinda were not a wealthy area, and the parents weren't donating thousands and thousands of dollars each year, it would not be so great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m a strong supporter of public schools. I went to public school and am sending my kids to MCPS. But, it’s tough. Basically this entire year, the teachers are flying without a curriculum? That’s pathetic.

In a smaller district, they can make changes quicker and fix problems as they arise.

MCPS seems to be unable to fix anything. They seem to not even want to acknowledge that problems exist, sometimes (eg. Damascus rape case being labeled as a ‘hazing’).

I have lived in other cities and countries where the public education system is not strong. The wealthy send their kids to private and the entire school system suffers. MCPS should be a strong school system, but seems to be underperforming mightily. It will be a huge negligible if MCPS crashes.

It was. It was hazing AND it was rape.

Except that MCPS did not refer to it as rape in the emails it sent out. Referring to it as simply ‘hazing’ minimizes the violence and seriousness of the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, when they opened the new ES in the RM Cluster, it was clear that the community did not want it to be named after Bayard Rustin.

Guess what? The BOE didn't give a rat's ass what the community wanted, and shoved the name down the community's throat.

Why is that? Let the community have control of their schools. Why are people who have no idea about what goes on in the schools on a daily basis making decisions about what affects our kids?

A new curriculum that might be a great fit for wealthy, predominantly Jewish school in Potomac, may not be the best fit for a more diverse school in Silver Spring.

Yet, all the kids are stuck with the same curriculum. Like it or not.

Everybody in Rockville has the same opinion? What kind of a place is that?

Nope. But the majority of the community preferred other options. BOE ignored what the community wanted. As it typically seems to do.

What is the source of your information for this statement?

Also, the members of the BoE hold elective office.

There were surveys. The Community made its preferences known to the BOE.

Yes, the BOE members are elected. And, again, this is why smaller school districts are better. I find it puzzling that some of the BOE members won again in the past election. I think part of it is that there are so many people voting who know nothing about the candidates (because, again, MCPS is TOO BIG).

In a smaller district, people may even know the BOE members personally and it’s easier to hold them accountable for their decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, when they opened the new ES in the RM Cluster, it was clear that the community did not want it to be named after Bayard Rustin.

Guess what? The BOE didn't give a rat's ass what the community wanted, and shoved the name down the community's throat.

Why is that? Let the community have control of their schools. Why are people who have no idea about what goes on in the schools on a daily basis making decisions about what affects our kids?

A new curriculum that might be a great fit for wealthy, predominantly Jewish school in Potomac, may not be the best fit for a more diverse school in Silver Spring.

Yet, all the kids are stuck with the same curriculum. Like it or not.

Everybody in Rockville has the same opinion? What kind of a place is that?

Nope. But the majority of the community preferred other options. BOE ignored what the community wanted. As it typically seems to do.

What is the source of your information for this statement?

Also, the members of the BoE hold elective office.

There were surveys. The Community made its preferences known to the BOE.

Yes, the BOE members are elected. And, again, this is why smaller school districts are better. I find it puzzling that some of the BOE members won again in the past election. I think part of it is that there are so many people voting who know nothing about the candidates (because, again, MCPS is TOO BIG).

In a smaller district, people may even know the BOE members personally and it’s easier to hold them accountable for their decisions.

My friends told each other this all the time so it must be true but sure there are no real facts just opinions and anecdotes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in CT with town based education...agree that it benefits the wealthy and leaves the poorer areas much worse off. The discrepancies are shocking... most needy students with the least reasources. I don't have a solution for mcps but taking away all measures of success to try to equalize student achievement is not a valid plan...grading, differentiated learning , exams, gifted programs...we are seeing them all phased out....not sure who supports that.

But how is that different from what is happening in MCPS? We are at a Focus school and have friends at wealthier elementary schools. Huge differences in field trips, PTA involvement, level of expectation, etc.

The County could still continue to offer its myriad of programs, like Saturday School, tutoring, etc. Could see how that would still work.

Services offered through the county, but town-based school systems. It would be a huge improvement over the disaster that MCPS is now. School closings can be made on a town/cluster basis. Busing would be much simpler.

It’s hugely different. Mcps now uses taxes generated largely in wealthy areas to subsidize poorer schools and give them much smaller class sizes, ESOL teachers, etc. That would all go away with town-based systems. Town-based systems sure make the rich happy (imagine if Potomac could keep all its tax revenue — that would be one country club of an elementary school) but it’s basically NIMBY for the poor, special ed, ESOL, etc.

And, how has that been working out for the lower SES students in MCPS? We still haven't done much to ameliorate the achievement gap. Maybe it's time to try something different.

“Something different” being casting them aside completely and wishing them luck with their all-FARMS school district?!

That's appears to be the plan. Fortunately, it's just fantasy and not remotely possible or legal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in CT with town based education...agree that it benefits the wealthy and leaves the poorer areas much worse off. The discrepancies are shocking... most needy students with the least reasources. I don't have a solution for mcps but taking away all measures of success to try to equalize student achievement is not a valid plan...grading, differentiated learning , exams, gifted programs...we are seeing them all phased out....not sure who supports that.

But how is that different from what is happening in MCPS? We are at a Focus school and have friends at wealthier elementary schools. Huge differences in field trips, PTA involvement, level of expectation, etc.

The County could still continue to offer its myriad of programs, like Saturday School, tutoring, etc. Could see how that would still work.

Services offered through the county, but town-based school systems. It would be a huge improvement over the disaster that MCPS is now. School closings can be made on a town/cluster basis. Busing would be much simpler.

It’s hugely different. Mcps now uses taxes generated largely in wealthy areas to subsidize poorer schools and give them much smaller class sizes, ESOL teachers, etc. That would all go away with town-based systems. Town-based systems sure make the rich happy (imagine if Potomac could keep all its tax revenue — that would be one country club of an elementary school) but it’s basically NIMBY for the poor, special ed, ESOL, etc.

And, how has that been working out for the lower SES students in MCPS? We still haven't done much to ameliorate the achievement gap. Maybe it's time to try something different.

“Something different” being casting them aside completely and wishing them luck with their all-FARMS school district?!

That's appears to be the plan. Fortunately, it's just fantasy and not remotely possible or legal.

Reading this thread I'm genuinely shocked by the rampant bigotry and racism present in this county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There were surveys. The Community made its preferences known to the BOE.

Yes, the BOE members are elected. And, again, this is why smaller school districts are better. I find it puzzling that some of the BOE members won again in the past election. I think part of it is that there are so many people voting who know nothing about the candidates (because, again, MCPS is TOO BIG).

In a smaller district, people may even know the BOE members personally and it’s easier to hold them accountable for their decisions.

It's not hard to meet Montgomery County BoE members. I've done it. You can too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in CT with town based education...agree that it benefits the wealthy and leaves the poorer areas much worse off. The discrepancies are shocking... most needy students with the least reasources. I don't have a solution for mcps but taking away all measures of success to try to equalize student achievement is not a valid plan...grading, differentiated learning , exams, gifted programs...we are seeing them all phased out....not sure who supports that.

But how is that different from what is happening in MCPS? We are at a Focus school and have friends at wealthier elementary schools. Huge differences in field trips, PTA involvement, level of expectation, etc.

The County could still continue to offer its myriad of programs, like Saturday School, tutoring, etc. Could see how that would still work.

Services offered through the county, but town-based school systems. It would be a huge improvement over the disaster that MCPS is now. School closings can be made on a town/cluster basis. Busing would be much simpler.

It’s hugely different. Mcps now uses taxes generated largely in wealthy areas to subsidize poorer schools and give them much smaller class sizes, ESOL teachers, etc. That would all go away with town-based systems. Town-based systems sure make the rich happy (imagine if Potomac could keep all its tax revenue — that would be one country club of an elementary school) but it’s basically NIMBY for the poor, special ed, ESOL, etc.

And, how has that been working out for the lower SES students in MCPS? We still haven't done much to ameliorate the achievement gap. Maybe it's time to try something different.

“Something different” being casting them aside completely and wishing them luck with their all-FARMS school district?!

That's appears to be the plan. Fortunately, it's just fantasy and not remotely possible or legal.

Reading this thread I'm genuinely shocked by the rampant bigotry and racism present in this county.

This is just a rehash of the GOP fantasy to duck any responsibility for societal welfare and avoid taxes going toward support the common good.

[Anonymous]

MCPS will not stop Bethesda and Potomac taxpayers from subsidizing the rest of the county. No way. That would be killing the slush fund goose.

[Anonymous]

Plus then scores would really show who learned what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS will not stop Bethesda and Potomac taxpayers from subsidizing the rest of the county. No way. That would be killing the slush fund goose.

Past Bethesda and Potomac residents made sure all the low-income housing in a few remote corners of the county.

[Anonymous]

How exactly did they do this? The Planning Board approved development all over the county - have never seen them say "no" despite many concerns from residents (including Bethesda [downtown and North Bethesda] and Potomac).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How exactly did they do this? The Planning Board approved development all over the county - have never seen them say "no" despite many concerns from residents (including Bethesda [downtown and North Bethesda] and Potomac).

Then you're not paying attention.

[Anonymous]

Best remedy?
Let the educated, dual income career working taxpayer families leave with their hard-working, smart children. And see who is left behind to pay taxes and generate the scores.

The board and admin will get exactly what they derserve for running a good school district into the ground.