Reply to Did MCPS do a sneaky thing for the magnet lotteries?

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Reply to "Did MCPS do a sneaky thing for the magnet lotteries?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=anonymous]
Why should they be setting aside seats for in-boundary. They get their own in-boundary CES and then set asides for MS? I guess they admit that they cannot compete. [/quote]

Good question.  Why should any CES, magnet or other desired program be preferentially serving a local catchment?  Piney Branch (early gifted), Potomac (Chinese immersion), etc.?  MCPS should be affording reasonably equal opportunities to every student, regardless of zip code (or race, or socioeconomic status, etc.).  That doesn't mean a selected class should always follow demographics -- there probably are going to be some differences.

Whether, in the case of magnet programs for the gifted, there should be a weighting for groups (FARMS/everFARMS, 504, etc.) that have a demonstrated disadvantage that would tend to allow space for those with lower quantitative measures but equivalent underlying ability should reflect our underlying ideals as a society.  Then, if we want ro acknowledge that there is a school-to-school difference in the quality of teaching or capability to deliver that teaching to all students due to the differential profile of the population served, there should be locally-normed adjustment on top of that -- as an independent variable/after the above disadvantages are teased out, for example, so as not to double count a weighting.  Then, if we acknowledge that it is difficult to make enough seats at magnets/centers in a timely maner to serve the entire population who might be in need as population grows/changes, we should ensure that local cohorts, where they can be created, are served with reasonably the same level of instruction as they would receive if placed centrally.

Then we should have both the criteria and the placement data available in detail for the citizenry to be able to understand the process and be confident in the results.

That reasonably equal standard, above, goes for pretty much everything -- programs, quality of teachers, building condition and amenities, fields, proximity vs. mode of transportation, etc.  With criteria/detailed stats easily available on all of this.  And good, up-front communication that allows for meaningful action by and feedback from families, teachers, etc.

It's difficult to achieve, but important to target.[/quote]

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