Reply to Gifted & talented programs and magnet school opportunities in the public schools?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As predicted, OP's question has become yet another debate on expanding the magnets, so I may as well weigh in.

I think expanding access to the HS magnets is a good thing, EVEN IF it means some incremental drop in "rigor" in the formerly county-wide magnets.

Right now, MCPS has an approach that seeks to max out the potential of a handful of kids while leaving the rest with almost no access to differentiated or enriched instruction until 11th grade.

This is the wrong approach for a public school system, particularly one with as many high achievers as MCPS has.

There's no denying that expanding access from the "top" 1% to the "top" 5% will make some sort of a difference, but not a meaningful one and certainly not one that should stop MCPS from expanding the programs. [/quote]

I agree more access is needed. But why can’t MCPS preserve a well established program and allow top 1% continue to access it while having other top 5% programs. It’s a mistake to kill these nationally recognized successful programs just for equity. Many people chose to live in Montgomery county due to these programs. 
[/quote]

We don't know that any programs will be "killed."[/quote]

Limiting access to only a few schools is essentially killing the program. In a few years, they won’t be able to compete at the state or national level, the very competitions that built their reputation.  With the top 1% of students spread across six regions, it’s possible that none of the MCPS magnet programs will be able to compete with FCPS, or even HCPS in the future. [/quote]

Did it kill the program when Blair stopped being countywide when Poolesville's program opened? No.[/quote]

But Nicky Hazel said (see a previous thread) that they will make Blair, Poolesville and RMIB opening to its own regional HSs once the regional model is passed. This basically means the end of these prestigious programs.  [/quote]

PP's point (which I agree with) was that Blair used to be whole-of-county, and then they reduced the attendance zone by opening Poolesville.

Did that kill the program? [/quote]

Again having students from 16 high schools or 25 high schools may not make a difference. But reducing significantly to 5 schools is going to kill the program. 
[/quote]

It would be useful here to differentiate between "kill" and "change."

If we limit ourselves to the programs that DCUM perceives as the "best," we have Blair Magnet, Poolesville Magnet, and RMIB. I don't actually think those are the only good programs in MCPS, but let's just play along for a second.

Right now, the two SMCS programs are in either the far Eastern part of the county, or the far Northern part. That's interesting and important, because it means we cannot assume the current complement of applicants/acceptances is the full universe of capable kids. [b]It's entirely possible that the number of capable kids is far higher,[/b] but geography is currently keeping them from applying/accepting. [/quote]

I suppose it is "possible." Anything is "possible" right? But you don't change what's working (programs with known results) because you think something is "possible"... Build it and they will come is not the right way to run the school system, don't you agree? Has the school system done a complete systematic evaluation over the years to prove the need (i.e., the number of RMIB, Blair, and PHS magnet caliber kids) FAR outnumbered magnet seats currently available? I think not.

- dp[/quote]

Yes!  It's  common knowledge starting from ES that there are more students who should have a greater challenge than can be provided for in the current magnet structure.  That was the whole reason for creation of ELC classes in ES and doing a central evaluation.  Do you think those kids just drop-off?  Not to mention, there has been several studies done, including one around the EMLs that showed students were being denied access who would thrive.  For example, just because they speak another language, doesn't mean they are incapable of getting to advance math.

There is 25 HS with an average of say 450 kids per grade (if not more).  [b]Do you really believe the 300-400 student/per grade from two SMACs programs and a IB program covers is an ideal representation of MCPS capable students.  That like would like 2.5% of each HS grade.[/b][/quote]

That's why these programs are so special. Our daughter's class had almost 40% NMSF. Most MCPS HSs don't even have single NMSF. [/quote]
And most are from well-resourced families. Like I said above, the helicopter parents for this ultra-tiny minority can easily figure out where to further their kids’ education without having taxpayers so much for classes almost no one has access to. [/quote]

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