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]Can folks take the conversation regarding changes to math pathways to one of the several separate threads on that specific topic?  It's only tangentially relevant here, presumably once the changes are in place all high schools will end up with another option to get the "regular" accelerated math kids through to graduation, even though (as now) they won't all have options for the kids who are super-accelerated and taking Algebra 1 (or the new equivalent) in 6th.[/quote]

We might if you didn't end with the Algebra in 6th strawman.  The plan MCPS presented leaves the MVC gap for those on the much more "standard" accelerated path (beginning HS Algebra courses in 7th).  The relation to the topic of this thread was with respect to the relative need for magnet seating if such courses are not available to fill the gap for all who reasonably could and would pursue them.

Now we can leave it at that.  Can you?[/quote]

Why are you obsessed with magnets and forcing kids into magnets?   The schools are huge.  Magnets are great for kids who want them but there is no reason kids needs cannot also be met at their home schools.  Yes, we need more magnets but some schools also need expanded classes to meet all students needs.  It should be both, not one or the other.  [/quote]

That was the point.  Magnets should not be relied on as the way to address the needs of this group of accelerated learners -- seating can't feasibly be high enough to accommodate.  At the same time, the system must address those needs...for all, not just where it is convenient to do so.  Given this, all high schools should provide MVC (and anything meeting similar need in other subjects).[/quote]

Or, all schools should provide means to access higher level math (DE, virtual, course offering).  That doesn't mean that MVC has to be provided in a HS.[/quote]

DE is not possible for a lot of kids.  MCPS needs to provide it directly to students.  They have been clear they will not offer classes virtually.

MCPS is about equity.   They should just cut it from all schools.  It’s not ok some schools offer way more than others.  If lower income families need to figure it out, so should higher income families especially when they have the resources.  [/quote]
Are you not paying attention, that is literally what many are advocating for.  Offer MvC for a very specific magnet program and if not that don’t offer it at all.  Let MC and other colleges offer it. Then those resources can be utilized to offer a wider range of classes that more students need.

MCPS is not responsible for providing every class for every possible student interest.  Providing access and opportunity to MC or other colleges either in person or virtually is fine.[/quote]

You, also, have not paid attention.  There are two different things, here.  One is the current SMCS magnet, with several classes far beyond the APs.  This covers progressively fewer of even those in the split-countywide magnets as they approach senior year, and that is among the reasons to be concerned about dilution of the very strongest across the county if the magnet was regionalized without a hybrid solution.  The other is about equity across non-magnet schools.

With MCPS's [i]current[/i] standard acceleration, there are many, many students taking Calc in junior year.  Some of those, but still many, will (and should) be taking the BC version directly (not slowing down with a year of AB and then re-covering content with a year of BC in senior year).  For those likely to pursue STEM majors, some, but still many, should immediately follow Calc BC in junior year with Multivariable Calc in senior year, as that progression preserves important concept continuity.

[i]That[/i] is the thing that [i]should[/i], then, be available at [i]all[/i] schools.  [i]In person[/i], as the student member of the board noted, as virtual and dual enrollment don't provide a reasonably equivalent experience.

And it only will be more the case as the new state-mandated 2-year Integrated Algebra sequence replaces the 3-year Algebra 1/Geometry/Algebra 2 sequence currently employed.  [i]Then[/i] there is likely to be a need for such an advanced course for even more students, as everyone essentially completes the overall sequence a year earlier.

You could argue that the interests of less than 100 magnet students in accessing Complex Analysis and Differential Geometry (not all current magnet students take these) should be set aside in the interests of making lesser magnet programming (still considerably above that offered at local schools) available to many more via regionalization of the magnets.  I might disagree, favoring some kind of hybrid, perhaps, but you certainly could argue that.

However, we shouldn't be conflating [i]that[/i] directly with a suggestion that we shouldn't be providing MVC locally, at [i]all[/i] schools, for several hundred (possibly more, and very likely to eclipse any regional magnet seating available) who would need it for the reasons mentioned above.  Leaving the status quo of MVC-for-me-but-not-for-thee based on the self-reinforcing prejudice of low expectations related to local demographics is inequitable on its face.[/quote]

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