Reply to MCPS to end areawide Blair Magnet and countywide Richard Montgomery's IB program

Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

Reply to "MCPS to end areawide Blair Magnet and countywide Richard Montgomery's IB program"

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]I appreciate the perspective of the current student, but listen to those of us with experience outside specialized schools. You would still have your string peer group because you would be taking the same classes for your specialized program. Possibly some of your electives might be integrated with “regular” kids, but it’s an important life skill for you to learn. You will not live your adult life surrounded by peers with your same level of intelligence, motivation, and access.

My own experience at a HS in a different state with 3,000 students, 555 in my graduating class. Our grade had a cohort of kids on advanced tracks and we were need up with almost all of our classes together for 4 years because we were the only students eligible for those advanced courses.[/quote]

MCPS doesn't have a TJ or Stuy.
The countywide programs already have electives and even core courses shared with the host school.

Regardless, people who have never seen a specialized countywide program for don't understand the value it provides for the students who would be bored in the "advanced" courses.

When we were young, students who didn't have access to such programs would graduate high school early or Dual Enroll at a university, and have to find a gap year program or deal with the social challenge of being a year or more younger than their classmates. [/quote]

And that’s what will happen again. For the regular advanced kids there are already many options - there is a wealth of AP classes, more IB spots than demand, the CAP program, Project Lead the Way, early college, dual enrollment. SO MANY options, not all well used. Any motivated advanced student can build a path through high school that meets their needs. But for the very highly motivated and extremely high achieving, Blair is the offering with the track record of meeting their needs. For a very small number of kids who need it. It is extremely short sighted to take this away. [/quote]

A) Blair isn’t going away it’s catchment area is changing 
B) If it’s for a very small number of kids then it actually makes sense if it does go away and instead funnel those kids to their next stage at university. The county has to be good stewards of resources in providing opportunity.[/quote]

The magnet is going away. The proposals are NOT too continue the existing program but start new (lesser) programs. There is a stem program listed as one of many. Blair’s program isn’t called “stem”. It is a different program that will not be as advanced.[/quote]

What’s the main difference between SMCS and STEM? “Technology/Engineering” instead of Computer Science?[/quote]

SMCS is one specific program that a) already exists and b) would continue to exist according to the slides from Thursday's meeting. STEM is the broader category into which this specific program fits. Each region would have at least one program that fits within each of the broader categories.[/quote]

So are you saying that each region will have some type off STEM program..maybe SMCS or maybe something new?  Doesnt that defeat the whole purpose of doing this?[/quote]

Why would that defeat the purpose?[/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