Reply to County-wide magnet/IB/GE/Humanity programs will become regional programs if the secondary program plan is passed

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Reply to "County-wide magnet/IB/GE/Humanity programs will become regional programs if the secondary program plan is passed"

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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]Folks need to get really clear and explicit on what exactly you are worried about losing by these magnets becoming regional.  What are the specific classes that there wouldn't be enough kids to support regional programs?  Is it just a few high level math and science classes for a couple dozen seniors, or is there anything else?

(If your complaint is just that they shouldn't change because you don't want your kid in class with a 95th percentile kid, you're not gonna get any sympathy or success.  You need to spell out "kids will lose access to X and Y.")

[/quote]

DD went to Blair Magnet.

1. Advanced core math courses: functions, analysis 1 (calculus), analysis 2 (multivariable calculus, differential equations). They are incredibly fast-paced and rigorous. You would not be able to implement this with a regional program due to: lack of skilled teachers, inequitable implementation, lack of qualified students in some areas.
2. Unique electives: quantum mechanics, AI, neuroscience, biochemistry, math physics, genetic analysis.... MCPS would not be able to implement this into a regional model. They would all disappear or be a shell of what they used to be. 
3. Student body. The Blair magnet takes the top from the county and are all incredibly talented. They are all very passionate in STEM, and their community helps to motivate everyone. They start clubs, do competitions together, and organize STEM activities together. They have an incredibly strong club culture.
4. Competitions: I mentioned that Blair takes the strongest from the county. I heard they recently won the National Science Bowl. They have a quizbowl team, science olympiad team, robotics team, and many more. They compete nationally. Blair offers them a very unique, once in a lifetime opportunity. Not possible if everything is divided.
5. Activities: Blair magnet students organize unique activities all the time. Their math tournament for middle students get 300+ participants each year and is highly successful. Their clubs do community outreach and volunteer. They organize plenty of other opportunities for other students all the time. The scale of these activities is incredibly unique to the magnet.
6. Research: The magnet has a senior research opportunity. The summer before senior year, each student interns in a lab at a university. They are able to write papers and present them to the entire program. Many are recognized for national awards.

I could go on and on. Ideally, I think many students could benefit from this program. But, expansion would mean a lack of resources and would bring everything down equally. Many of the very top students also need a challenge outside of their regular school curriculum, and this program provides exactly that. [/quote]

But why should MCPS/taxpayers concentrate so many resources for such a small number of kids? It really does not make sense.[/quote]

Why should MCPS pay for special needs programs? FARMS? ESOL? Therapists? These cost exorbitant amounts of taxpayer dollars, too. I do not benefit from all of these programs. And yet, I continue to support them. Why? Because every student deserves an education that fits their needs.

Students who happen to be talented in academics also deserve a quality education as well. If the regular school curriculumn isn't enough, MCPS should provide opportunities for them. And thus, the magnets.[/quote]

Or just send them to college classes.

I did that in my flyover country high school when I ran out of math courses to take.[/quote]

Please read upstream page 2. College classes may offer more than regular high school classes, but they do not even compare to some of the magnets, like Blair.[/quote]

So now Blair is…better than UMD?[/quote]

No, but dual enrollment is via Montgomery College, not UMD.[/quote]

I understand that but if MC doesn’t offer the course then UMD would.  Which presumably MCPS could provide for in some fashion.[/quote]

[b]UMD is a transportation and logistical issue and who pays for it? [/b] The discussion is more about the lower income schools which don't have equal classes to the W schools.  So, that's an unfair burden to families.  [/quote]

It's funny that many, many people on DCUM have been told to just home school when they expect something not currently offered by their own high school.  And they are expected to pay for all transportation and work out logistics.  They do not even receive free tuition at MC like ALL OTHER Maryland students, but have to pay for the classes themselves.  At a certain point, MCPS needs to maximize the benefit to the largest number of students.  The regional proposal will create several programs in each region and put at least one program closer to everyone's home.  If that still doesn't work for you, you will have to adjust your expectations or home school.[/quote]

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