Reply to Two paths to magnet program at Richard Montgomery High School

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[quote=Anonymous]I am the OP. I posted this  and couple of response early on and moved away from computer for a bit and see that the thread has spun a bit out of control. Here are my response to various points brought up by different posters:

I did not say the two pathways is not at all possible to be located, otherwise how would I find it. However unless you are doing significant deep dive search, you cannot find it. To the PP who said she had seen it MCPS, show me where you found it (not by key word search on google, but actual link path in MCPS). It has never been there.It has always been presented to the RM kids during their freshman orientation.

The reason for starting thread are:

[list]MCPS/RM should clearly advertise the two paths to magnet IB at RM on their websites, so that non-RM parents understand what their kids give up and get by joining RM[/list]
[list]The requirement to join the IB program in 11th grade has been made significantly easy in recent years (see the difference in the PPT linked in 2011 and what RM says now about test, score etc). MCPS needs to make sure the rigor,pace and cohort of the magnet program are not being compromised to accommodate RM-only kids. I believe there are many qualified kids in RM cluster (like every other clusters in MCPS) who can succeed in the magnet program, however not ALL RM students who are interested are qualified. By "[b]all RM students are eligible to participate in the full Diploma Programme offered at the school.[/b]" policy what RM is claiming that all RM students are qualified to be in the MCPS magnet program hosted at RM [/list]

RM implicitly making the magnet an "all-magnet" school without being transparent about it.

For the PP, who says RM is one of the very few HS where kids go through PYP, MYP and DP, I am aware of that. I understand what IB is. IB is philosophy and not a benchmark of academic acceleration or enrichment. The magnet program on the other hand is a promise to the HG special need students that they would be provided the academic support to flourish to their best potential. PYP and MYP by themselves do not make a kid HG. HG magnet programs were designed to serve the need of this set of population. If the rigor, pace and cohort of the program takes a back-seat to support the IB philosophy at RM, then MCPS/RM administration needs to come clean with all stakeholders. There is nothing wrong in being just a IB school, or a school with special flagship program. However the "magnet" program within the school must fulfill its purpose independent of the comprehensive school level programs.

Another PP talked about kids being admitted based on "skin color". I strongly oppose that statement. The issue I raised has nothing to do with skin color. It has to do with assaulting the integrity of a county level "magnet" program in the excuse of being a IB school.

To the PP, who said magnet schools do not get any additional resource than the coordinator, you are wrong. Magnet schools are provided additional staff hours. Another PP pointed about the conflict of magnet classes being smaller sizes than comprehensive classes if the magnet resources are used exclusively for magnet students. You are right, however why should that be an issue. Special Need students are hosted in some HS, with specific resource for the programs. Does anyone complain when SN class size is smaller than comprehensive class size. HG students are at the other end of the spectrum. They need special accommodations to prosper academically. Resources allocated to them must not be used for comprehensive classes.

For the PP who is trying to paint me as elitist that I am complaining that RM has "put in "not as qualified" RM kids in with your super duper smart kids", I do not consider my kids as super duper smart. I have already mentioned that there are many qualified kids in RM who would succeed in the magnet program, and they should be in the cohort in 9th grade. In fact JWMS students have a quota of 25/30 seats in 9th grade through the application process. I also know there are many similar kids who are rejected ever year with statement that "RM magnet program does not have enough seats for all qualified" students. I have helped around 10 parents over the years to write their appeal letters and only 4 have succeeded. All 10 were as smart (if not smarter) than my kids. I have a problem when RM kids who do not have to prove their "qualification" anymore can get into the magnet program in 11th grade, when many non-RM kids like these are refused a seat even though the selection committee finds them qualified to succeed in the program.[/quote]

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