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

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

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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=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]make sure you're looking at the most recent region groupings. The link on the MCPS message to region maps was an old version. Not all regions are east-to-west anymore. [/quote]

Do you have a link to the new maps?[/quote]

Starting on slide 23: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DJVQ4P6782A9/$file/Sec%20Prog%20Analysis%20Boundary%20Studies%20Engaga%20Plan%20Update%20250724%20PPT.pdf[/quote]
So, they are going with option #5? - pg 26.[/quote]
DP. Yes. I think these boundaries balance higher and lower SES, and harmony of communities as much as possible. You cannot ignore harmony. I know a student from a very different community who was bussed into a program due to its opportunity at the insistence of their parent. That student was miserable and was elated at switching to a school community they could better resonate with at the first opportunity.[/quote]

No one wants forced bussing.  The best option is to put more money in the schools that don’t have much and make them equal.  The disparities are significant.  [b]A smart kid at a w school can get all their classes and academics met.  A smart kid dcc is forced to another school, Mc or go without. [/b] They don’t allow homeschooling or independent study or virtual classes outside Mcps.   Or, at least being back virtual so it aligns with MCPS schedules.

The demographics are changing in mcps in the dcc due to crazy housing prices.

Blair is a great program but not for all kids.  Not all kids want a magnet and prefer to choose their own classes and those kids should get the same opportunities.  One reason why dcc kids try for Blair is the other schools don’t have the academics and they leave which causes the low scores.  [/quote]

I think this is part of what MCPS is trying to figure out, and I credit Taylor with at least tackling it. My understanding is that they are going to make sure every school has a baseline number of advanced classes, and that they are currently auditing what is available where.

But we also need to be realistic and aim for what is possible. I think making sure every HS has AP Calculus BC is sufficient, and then bringing back virtual for MVC for some kids.

What other courses do you think every school should be offering? 
[/quote]
Does MCPS have enough good math teachers to teach AP BC calc in every HS?   There's a shortage of STEM teachers.  I don't think MCPS can find enough good teachers for math.

My kid wanted to take AB Calc but the teacher was so bad that they downgraded to Applied Calc.     A bad math teacher can make the class awful, and the kid to hate math.[/quote]

Then fix that part. But saying that there shouldn't be an advanced math class in every HS is terrible. And yes some schools may only offer one AP calc class and have 10 kids. That's ok. But someone will complain that too many resources are used on the 10 kids in that school while a W school has to have 3 sections of 30 kids in calculus and won't get funding for a 4th. [/quote]

40 kids to a class is normal.  Be thankful your school has it.  It’s not ok if they aren’t offering Mv and beyond while your school has multiple advanced classes.  [b]Why should my tax dollars fund your kids advance classes when my kids don’t get them?[/b][/quote]

Because your kid isn't smart enough to pass MV. Now, I said it!

dp[/quote]

Except my kid is and already did bc.  [/quote]

So nobody should get it if your kid cannot? Is that really where we are at? [/quote]

No, we are at all kids should have access to the same classes.  So mine should get the same as yours.  It’s unfair to kids who take bc sophomore year that they don’t have enough math classes to graduate.  [/quote]

DP.  Agree with the sentiment, there.  A note, however:

The kids taking AP Calc BC in [i]junior year[/i] and likely to pursue STEM in college also need MVC.  It's the next in the progression, and it negatively impacts their learning to have a gap if shunted off to AP Stats when MVC is not provided.

AP Stats is good to have, and much more important for those not likely to be pursuing a STEM major.

DiffEq can be approached in college with a gap, if needed.  That is far less consequential than having a gap before MVC.

Those having chosen to go beyond the standard acceleration offered at MCPS and taking BC in sophomore year can progress to MVC as a junior and then take Stats as a senior to fill the state requirement if not in a STEM magnet offering more.

The minimum set of college-level courses needed across all schools, presuming MCPS is not guaranteeing anyone on their standard advanced math track in ES/MS gets to go to that magnet, is AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC (with allowance for taking that directly, as it covers the AB material), MVC and AP Stats.  That's likely to be more the case near the time the regional magnets come into play, with the state math curriculum change.  MCPS hasn't wrapped its head around this, though.[/quote]

A junior in bc can take stats but what about the sophomores.  A few of the middle schools offer algebra in 6th and accelerate the kids so they are done with bc in Sophomore year.  [/quote]

No. You miss the point.  Just because Stats is available doesn't mean it is adequate.  MVC really should be taken immediately after BC, so it needs to be there not just for the BC-taking sophomores, of whom there are relatively few across the system, but also for the BC-taking juniors, of whom there are relatively many.

Those taking Algebra 1 before 7th (and then hitting BC before junior year) are doing it either as a one-off test-in advancement or due to concerted community push to school administration, resulting in the principal going outside of the MCPS-designed/approved curricular pathways.[/quote]

Both my kids took it in 6th and bc as sophomores so yes, Mv needs to be offered for these kids.  There was no community support or testing.  It went by map score and teacher recommendation.   It’s MCPS approved.  It was done at two different middle schools. [/quote]

Sigh.  MAP is a test.  There's your testing.

Being [i]allowed[/i] by MCPS and being part of the MCPS-designed [i]curricular pathways[/i] are two different things.

Its being allowed by administrations at two schools (what was it, Frost & Loiederman?) at the historic behest of families and continuing as something of a holdover from that does not make it without community support.

MVC does need to be offered to juniors having taken BC as sophomores.  It [i]also[/i] needs to be offered to seniors having taken BC in their junior year.[/quote]

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