Reply to Parents of current 7th graders - what do you think about the 6 regional magnets

Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

Reply to "Parents of current 7th graders - what do you think about the 6 regional magnets"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]So … every time a poster does not use quote feature or disagrees and/or provides evidence that they have been sharing false information on this platform, someone on here just claims that they are a “staffer” and dismisses what is stated instead of engaging in dialogue?

Then, the response to all of that is a “song” reiterating information we all now know to be false with someone offering coffee? That is not productive conversation.

Looks like if these folks were on the design team, MCPS would never be able to have any dialogue. [b]If folks on the design team felt that they were silenced, why not share what you were trying to convey here?[/b][/quote]

[b]The concerns that the design team brought up have been well-covered on DCUM.[/b] We know no more than anyone else at this point. That creating greater access to high-quality programming sounds good, but that central office isn't putting in the work to ensure that the programming is actually high quality -- they are using a slipshod approach without doing the meaningful analysis needed to create strong programs. Lots of members of the design team brought up these concerns early and rather than trying to address them, central office moved it forward without changes. Now, central office is facing blowback from many community members--blowback that could have been mitigated if they had actually worked with the design team to make changes to the plan to address the concerns, which would have taken time and effort to create a solid plan. [/quote]

Would it be fair and accurate to say that this is a complete list of the concerns of the design team - the concerns that felt silenced - along with evidence-based rebuttal arguments?

1. “What MCPS is doing looks good on paper, but isn’t practical.”

The push to expand access is grounded in a comprehensive external review by Education Strategy Group (ESG) — commissioned by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in 2017 — which concluded that career and technical education (CTE) had been “marginalized” even while many students could benefit. (The Washington Post)

The plan is based on district-wide commitment to evaluation and improvement: MCPS recently approved its annual program evaluation plan, institutionalizing ongoing assessment of programs’ design, implementation, and outcomes. (BoardDocs)

Transparency and public accountability are baked in: MCPS posts meeting agendas and materials (including the FY 2026 Program Evaluation Plan) on its BoardDocs site. 
The plan is evidence-based and structured.

2. “MCPS is being tone-deaf and rushing a rollout.”

MCPS has already shown flexibility: legacy students are being “grandfathered in” (allowed to complete older programs), even though that constrains capacity for expansion. This contradicts the idea of a “rushed, all-or-nothing” change.

The expansion plan responds to a 2017 report that urged major changes to CTE and career-readiness — meaning this isn’t a rash decision but a long-standing recommendation the district is finally implementing. (The Washington Post).

The phased approach — marketing of new programs, stakeholder engagement, multiple phases based on demand and performance — shows deliberate rollout, not a hasty push. (Montgomery County Public Schools)

3. “Why expand if the rollout won’t be perfect?”
Perfection as a pre-condition has stalled meaningful access for years. Many students have waited since at least 2016 (or earlier) — some of them missing out completely. Delaying further only prolongs structural inequities.

The 2017 external review underscored that continuing as-is meant large numbers of students would reach graduation without meaningful career-readiness or credentials — even as local employers report shortages of qualified workers. (The Washington Post).

Expanding access with a built-in evaluation and accountability framework (see below) is a responsible step — better than waiting indefinitely for a “perfect” system that, historically, has never materialized.

4. “There is no plan to ensure rigor.”

MCPS adopted a Program Evaluation Work Plan (FY 2025, updated for FY 2026) that defines evaluation methods: process/implementation evaluations (did the program reach intended students? was it delivered as designed?) and outcome evaluations (did participants achieve the intended results?). (BoardDocs).

Programs will be assessed against district strategic goals and performance targets. Only programs that meet the rigor and effectiveness criteria should be continued or expanded. (BoardDocs)

This is not “expand first, check later.” It is “expand with built-in measurement and accountability.”

5. “Families won’t be prepared to choose STEM/CTE programs by 2027.”
As part of the broader redesign, MCPS plans to offer early outreach and information to families and students, so that interest in STEM/CTE can start before high school. Indeed, the strategic plan for high-school programming included extensive stakeholder input (students, parents/guardians, educators, community and business/higher-ed partners). (Montgomery County Public Schools)

The evaluation system tracks not only outcomes but also implementation — meaning MCPS must show evidence of outreach, counseling, awareness campaigns, and early-pipeline engagement before continuation. (BoardDocs)

With public transparency and reporting, the community can monitor whether principals and schools actually engage families in the years leading up to 2027 — and call out gaps if they appear.

6. “Many college graduates are underemployed — how will MCPS avoid creating more underemployed graduates with expanded programs?”

The 2017 ESG review notes that middle-skill jobs — those requiring more than high school but less than a 4-year degree — are a large and growing share of local labor-market demand. For many of these jobs, industry credentials or associate-level training can lead to income levels comparable to or exceeding many bachelor’s-degree-type jobs. (The Washington Post).

By aligning new CTE/STEM programs with real employer demand, offering certifications, dual-enrollment, and apprenticeship pathways — rather than defaulting to four-year degree tracks — MCPS can improve the odds that graduates attain meaningful employment. That’s exactly what the 2017 review recommended. (The Washington Post)

Because MCPS now has an evaluation plan that measures outcomes, the district can track credential attainment, post-graduation employment, and earnings (or partner with state workforce data) — and rework or cut programs that do not lead to good outcomes. (BoardDocs)

7. “Expanding access harms current students in the system.”
MCPS has already committed to grandfathering current program participants — meaning expansion doesn’t take away opportunities from them.

The goal isn’t to reduce quality, but to increase access. Expansion under oversight and evaluation doesn’t undercut existing opportunities; it broadens them.

Because the previous system systematically under-served many students (especially those from underserved communities), expansion with equity and accountability is a correction — not a redistribution of privilege.

8. “Why not delay another year to sort out all the details?”
Delay has already cost students: for years, many have been waiting for access, with no alternative resources. Another delay means more denied opportunities.

The evaluation and accountability infrastructure is already in place (FY 2025/2026 Evaluation Plan), meaning the district can monitor and course-correct as needed. (BoardDocs)

Delay often becomes indefinite — and communities that most need access continue to be shut out. The time to act is now.

Key Source Links
* “Report urges major changes in career education at Maryland school system” — The Washington Post, Sept 12, 2017 (The Washington Post)
* Education Strategy Group’s resource on strengthening career readiness in Montgomery County (Education Strategy Group)
* MCPS Career Readiness Action Plan (following the 2017 review) (Montgomery County Public Schools)
* MCPS FY 2025 Program Evaluation Work Plan (approved Sept 26, 2024) (BoardDocs)
* MCPS public BoardDocs page for FY 2026 Program Evaluation Plan (agenda/discussion) [/quote]

I didn't even read this whole thing after I saw the lies in the very first few answers... could tell this would all be BS (maybe even AI-written BS?)  You may be able to fool the Board and the uninformed public but you can't fool those of us who have been paying attention.

Also, you missed several questions, including but not limited to "Why didn't MCPS consider equity in program placement and why are they benefiting rich schools over poorer schools in the placement of academic programs?"' and "How can MCPS pretend this proposal is equitable when they won't even guarantee neighborhood bus stops for the program buses?" and "Why is MCPS lying in their presentations to the Board if this is really so great?" [/quote]

Thank you, PP, for adding your concerns and feedback. Please continue to brainstorm any and all issues you have with the program rollout or even the sources listed if you question them.

Thank you again.
[/quote]

If you really want feedback you would reconvene the design team (like a sucker I will still come back and give you as much more of my time as you ask for, because I so strongly support the vision of what you're trying to do and am so deeply concerned about what will happen if you implement it as currently planned without revisions.)

Or at least you could create even one feedback form for the public where you invite people to make suggestions and tell you what they genuinely think of your proposals.  This has still not happened even once throughout this whole process.

Until those things happen, it is clear that you are not actually interested in feedback, only in pretending you have collected some.  But it is not too late to change that.[/quote]

I’m just an MCPS parent who heard the commotion about MCPS “getting rid of programs”, got concerned for my own kids and started doing some digging around and posing questions directly to MCPS.

Not a staffer.
Not Jeannie Franklin.
Not an MCPS employee in any shape or form.[/quote]

And so in doing your "research" you decided to take on all of Taylor and MCPS's talking points and decided they were 100% right and the community was wrong?[/quote]

So far, I’m very impressed with MCPS under Dr. Taylor’s leadership. So yes, I trust them more than I have trusted previous superintendents (and I can be cynical).

They have consistently listened. They’ve consistently taken action in response to community feedback. That level of responsiveness is usually challenging for a large school district like ours.

The biggest issue I see here is lack of trust from previous experiences as well as a misunderstanding of how iterative systems design processes work.[/quote]

I cannot believe that any real person, inside or out of MCPS, thinks that they have done a good job of listening and taking action in response to feedback.  Either you are being paid to say that or you are profoundly misinformed.

I have been trying desperately to give feedback-- like, spending multiple hours a week for months trying to figure out how best to do this (because I want the regional model to succeed and can see how much it's on track to fail)-- but MCPS has not been providing any opportunities to give feedback so I have nothing to show for my time but sending unanswered emails and leaving post-it notes at an in-person session in November when it was clear we were too late to change anything.  (And also clear how tragically the lack of feedback has harmed the process, as Jeannie Franklin and other MCPS staff responded to very basic and important information and considerations as if they'd never heard them before, and then promptly continued to ignore them in the November update.). For an ordinary parent or student or teacher, there is basically zero way to give feedback and have input considered.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics