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]I might have the wrong type or unpopular type of view of these things.

But our kids didn't get into the GT or magnet programs.  There were a couple of years where they made it to the lottery but didn't get selected.  The same with some of their classmates and our neighbors.

Personally for our family we were okay with it.

The GT, IB and magnet programs are supposed to be for the academically elite, where only the top get in.  We were perfectly fine with our kids not making it and going to our local school and is one of the reasons why we chose to live where we do.

As others are trying to say, if you increase the number and seats of the programs, it dilutes the programs and isn't as rigorous or advanced like how the programs are now.  Which people are saying they are okay with because it suits the needs of the many instead of the very few.

But another way of looking at it, is that maybe MCPS should be focusing on improving the instruction and quality at their individual schools.  So those students who don't get in to the county wide programs (either by not quite qualifying or just not get selected by the lottery) will still get the class selection and level that that they need.  Instead of having some mediocre programs that might not be better than some of the local schools around here.  And the issue with the offering of the potentially mediocre is that it sounds like they're going to change the current countywide program which is considered top tier.

I had to stop myself from posting in this thread:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1287572.page

Because know that people will attack me as entitled.  But I think there's something very wrong if a school doesn't have a track for students to take Algebra I by seventh grade and they have to look to going to a different school just to get on that track.  But that just goes to show how there are different standards at different schools within the county and this is starting at elementary school.  By the time students get to high school and eligible for these magnet/regional programs, students from different schools won't be on the same level based on the math tracks offered by their elementary schools.[/quote]

What school doesn't have a track for kids to take Algebra I by 7th grade?  [/quote]

Nevermind what I said about that.  I just reread that original posters post and realized that both options will have their rising 5th graders in Algebra by grade 7.  I originally read it as the only way they could take Algebra I by 7th grade is by taking that math course at the local middle school.

But posting now (I didn't want to bombard this thread with random thoughts that popped into mind) gives me an opportunity to mention that there are also Innovative Schools, which are the yearround schools at MCPS.

So that's at least three things where MCPS spends extra money on and doesn't make available to all schools and groups:

Innovative Schools-the yearround schools.  I guess this year it's only Arcola ES: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/dtecps/title1/schools-innovative-school-calendar/

Title I-federal funds

Focus Schools-local funds

And I'm sure there are a lot more programs and initiatives.

So diverting/allocating funds to more high need schools/areas is nothing new and what should be done.

But again it shouldn't be done by lowering the ceiling or opportunities for others.  As much as I understand the best way to improve the county is to raise baseline of education that everyone has, I'm not magnanimous enough to take one for the team at the cost of my kid's growth and development.[/quote]

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