Reply to Montgomery County Middle School Magnet Testing

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My dc is about to start at Eastern. We are concerned about the math education, but figured the benefits of the magnet program outweigh any deficits in math (and dh is an engineer so can tutor on math and science at home).

As with every school -- it's not that the curriculum is different from school to school, but teacher ability certainly varies. If the math teachers at Eastern are not great (and I have no way to judge yet) that would be concerning but not surprising.[/quote]

No. Same math at Eastern that you would get anywhere.  Same range of math teachers - some ok, some so-so.  None that I would complain about.  You need to make sure your child is slotted into the right 6th grade math (IM) to get to algebra and geometry.

[b]My children went to Eastern's humanities magnet and one went to the Blair Math magnet afterwards.[/b]  It's no worse than anywhere else.  It won't make or break your math 'career'.  Just don't use a calculator!

I've never heard of someone complaining that Eastern had a lack of diversity, but there is always a first!

[/quote]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but did you do anything to keep up your child's interest in math and science to get into Blair magnet? 
[/quote]

I did not.  He did always have an interest but he never did 'extra' work or anything.  We didn't offer him additional opportunities either -- but I don't think he would have done any.  I had a hard enough time getting him to do his homework and not read a book in class.  I  did reinforce the need to not use a calculator.  If he asked where one was for his homework, I would ask why (if I was there).  Other kids would use them for tests and he would not.  I just told him he wouldn't have a calculator on the big tests and he needed to learn the concepts without shortcutting with the calculator.  I also told him the story of making it through my engineering degree with only a simple $14 texas instrument solar calculator from Rite Aid.  And his grandfather making it through the same engineering program with a slide rule.  When he was in 8th grade doing long division by hand in geometry, I realized it had gone too far. I told him the calculator was fine.

For my daughter there now, I just asked that she go as far as possible without using the calculator.  To see how simple she could make the problem without using it.  They usually can simplify things pretty far and learn the actual math better.

I did have him practice for the Blair magnet test with sample math GRE problems in Sept-Oct 8th grade.  You can get a book of sample tests on amazon.  They have the same format of choosing which column is greater (or you can't tell or they are equal...those types).

I still have two students at Eastern so we will see if the same idea works for them.  If they want to apply. Blair's program may work for one of them and not the other.  I like 'regular' Blair just fine.

I hope that helps.  [/quote]

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