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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][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Rita apparently doesn't know the reason that the magnet program, and the Communications Arts Program, were formed at Blair HS. Back in the 1980s, Blair had the poorest academic outcomes in the county. There was talk of closing the school. The magnet and CAP programs were started to attract students with higher academic outcomes, to improve the school, and it worked. Rita, do you like high academic achievement? Most parents do. Blair achieved greater racial integration, a good thing. These two programs lifted the entire school into one that made people move to the Blair area, so that they could go to a good school. Now that you have helped diminish the magnet program into something that will be far less rigorous, west county students will likely not travel east from west county (west county, which was left virtually untouched by all these regional changes), you have helped to further segregate the county. Congratulations Rita.

And if you think you were elected to make the hard decisions, the fiscally sound decisions, you are wrong. You ran for office, as a neophyte, because your medical marijuana legal practice was going nowhere, and you smelled opportunity because of a vulnerable board of education. You won, because BOE member Lynne Harris, viewed as a supporter of Monifa McKnight, having voted to make her superintendent, was vulnerable. You won, because you were not Lynne Harris, and the teachers' union, unwisely, endorsed you, and its members worked every precinct to pass out your name on their endorsement literature.

It is ridiculous that you are claiming to make fiscally sound decisions. There is virtually no budgetary information available on this ambitious regional programming scheme. Regional programs' curriculum will be cut-and-paste operations, amounting to academic mush, and the transportation costs will be far higher than the school district can afford to pay. This regional operation will collapse into chaos. You think you are the champion of BIPOC students? If you want to improve academic outcomes of students, you should have advised the superintendent that he should start at the preK and ES levels. But what do you know?[/quote]

I agree with everything you said in your last paragraph. I don't think Montoya's vote to support the regional program model was right or just because the programs will not be high quality for many, many years if ever. Rushing this implementation is such a bad idea.

I will say I don't know about how well magnet programs truly help the local kids. From the MD school report card, it is not clear to me at all that local Black, EML and FARMS kids at Blair are doing better than these populations do at other schools. I have to wonder if the true beneficiaries of having the countywide magnet at Blair are the White families that are zoned for Blair whose property values have benefited.

Many of the opponents of the regional program model actually think it's a good idea to create more opportunities. We simply don't trust that what has been proposed is going to achieve that and we worry about the impact of creating so many specialized programs on the resources that will be available for MCPS's core mission. None of this will address the terrible math and ELA proficiency rates.[/quote]

Not everything is about property values and not everyone chooses a house for the school.  We picked what we could afford with a reasonable commute.  Blair property values have gone up as the housing has been lower making it more affordable.  [/quote]

I didn't say property values are entirely due to the Blair magnet program. I said the property values benefit from the magnet program. Blair is obviously a desirable school. That has a lot to do with the impact of the magnet program on the school's reputation.[/quote]

And once the regional program system is in place, what high schools will be desirable?[/quote]

It's not MCPS's job to concern itself with how desirable a school is to homebuyers. They should focus on ensuring kids graduate proficient in math and literacy. Magnet programs and general "desirability" doesn't help with that.[/quote]

I'm not talking about real estate values. I'm asking about what high schools are likely to produce high academic outcomes?

If the board truly focused on graduating students proficient in math and literacy, it would focus on outcomes in elementary school. Instead, it focused on regional programs for high schools.[/quote]

The biggest differences in proficiency rates are between demographic groups. The schools with the highest proficiency rates serve populations that are predominantly White, Asian and non-poor.[/quote]

And do you agree with Rita Montoya, that regional programs are going to provide good academic outcomes and equity for BIPOC students living in poverty?[/quote]

Not anytime soon since most of the programs will be half baked and inadequately staffed. I fundamentally disagree with her on most of her arguments (I do agree people shouldn't yell at her or disparage BIPOC). I support the aims of the regional program model and I don't think the current system is a good one, but it's clear they did not design it with equity in mind.[/quote]

Actually, the Blair magnet and RMIB were developed specifically with equity in mind. Blair had the worst academic outcomes of any MoCo high school in the 1980s. Closing the school was under discussion. Instead, Principal Phil Gainous led an effort to develop the magnet program in 1985, with the Communications Arts Program following in 1987.  These programs turned around Blair. Blair achieved greater racial integration. Richard Montgomery HS was a struggling high school as well. The IB program is credited with its turnaround.

Good programming takes time to develop. If anyone thinks that Taylor can deliver on 100 quality regional programs, to begin across all high schools by Fall 2027, I have a bridge in the Sahara I would like to sell you.[/quote]

The program was designed to stem the flow of white flight ripping though DC and close in MoCo in the 70s and 80s by injecting the kids who otherwise opted out of those areas. In those days to get them to come, Gainous gave them their own buses, building and schedule. There was a magnet bell that didn't overlap with the normal bell so the kids didn't even see the natives in the hallways and they had a sperate lunch period too. Most kids at the old Blair didn't ever meet a magnet kid during their 4 years, maybe if you were smoking out by Erters after school. Sure the schools metrics improved when inflated with other kids successes but did that aid in equity for the local kids? Maybe it helped keep it open long enough to get a new building. [/quote]

Blair has the same bell schedule for all students these days. And magnet students take classes with mainstream Blair students for all classes outside the magnet classes.

It's not the segregated school that you describe.

[/quote]

DP it isn't segregated in that way anymore, [b]but the outcomes for Black, EML and FARMS students are just as bad as they are in other schools. T[/b]he magnet does not help them, and it is not fair to the magnet kids to have them travel such long distances. Their families may want the bragging rights of having them attend a countywide magnet program but it is not what is best for the kids. I just wish they were taking a thoughtful and deliberative approach to the regional program model instead what they are doing now which is about shutting down public input and debate.[/quote]
No, they are not.  Stop making up $hit.[/quote]

DP but compare the 2025 ELA 10 numbers for FARMS between Gaithersburg HS and Blair:
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Assessments/ElaPerformance/10ELA/10/6/3/3/15/0757/2025
https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/Assessments/ElaPerformance/10ELA/10/6/3/3/15/0551/2025

[b]35.2 percent at Gaithersburg vs 40.3 percent at Blair[/b]

Math is a lot bit harder to compare because most of the higher performing students take Algebra I in middle school.

Compare the ELA 10 for Black/African Americans:
57.9 percent at Blair compared to 48.8 at Gaithersburg

Hispanic/Latino:
40.1 percent at Blair vs 33.2 percent at Gaithersburg

EML:
14.3 percent at Blair vs 5.9 percent at Gaithersburg

The numbers at Blair are higher but only by five to ten percent?  That doesn't seem like that huge of a jump from having a special program at a school that one would've hoped and I purposely tried to pick a school that didn't have a special program to compare to.

ELA 10 numbers from Watkins Mill:
FARMS: 43.7
EML: 6.3
African American/Black: 48.6
Hispanic: 35.8

ELA 10 numbers from Springbrook:
FARMS: 46.8
EML: 7.3
African American/Black: 67.5
Hispanic: 40[/quote]
From the link you posted,  it's  65% ELA at Blair. [/quote]

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