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]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]

Every school has an algebra in 7th, I think, its just algebra in 6th, most don't.  The bigger issue is the kid swho don't get into magnets and the schools stop at Calc BC leaving kids without enough math to graduate.[/quote]
Doesn't every HS have AP stats? If they take AP Calc in 11th grade, [b]they can take AP stats in 12th[/b]. Lots of kids do that.[/quote]

That is not the proper path for any aiming at a STEM major in college.  Calc BC needs to be followed by Multivariable Calc; otherwise, the student risks learning loss in the intervening year.  After that, the sequence does not matter as much.

Stats, in general, is far more important than that for which it is given credit, and AP Stats is a good course to take, but not at the expense of continuity within the Calculus progression for those who will be utilizing the latter academically or professionally.

Given the MCPS standard higher-end acceleration (not by more accelerated/skipping exception) of Algebra in 7th, Math-focused/highly able students are on track to take Calc BC in 11th, and MVC should be available in person at each HS for that 12th-grade year (or any year after which Calc BC is taken).

Alternately, MCPS could guarantee admission to the regional STEM magnet (which, presumably, would offer MVC) for any student successfully completing prior to 8th grade/taking during 8th grade courses in MS that would lead to Calc BC in or before 11th.  And they would have to plot that out without reliance on requiring the redundant (for the Math-focused/highly able) and slower Calc AB before Calc BC.[/quote]

Its also an issue when MCPS at some schools encourages kids to start Algebra in 6th, then even with Stat's they don't have enough math classes to graduate but for STEM, many colleges want MV and the highest and Stat's is not "high" though a good class to take.[/quote]

[b]Name one college that expects kids to take MVC in high school[/b].  Every commentary I read says that professors lament rapid acceleration.  Even many STEM colleges provide summer remediation for kids who have not even had Calculus in high school (let alone MVC), in order to ensure diverse student bodies.[/quote]

There aren’t any. Think how few high schools nationwide could send students to such a school. But there’s at least one poster who is absolutely convinced this is the case. [/quote]

That's not the point.  MCPS preaches equity but there is a huge inequity between schools.  With such a large school system all kids should get the classes they need and want, not just a few select schools.

For CS, Engineering, math majors, they would like to see MV.

Why is it ok that your kids get access and ours don't?  That's what it comes down to.  You argue against it as its a non-issue for your kids as they have access. [/quote]
Feel free to donate a lot to MCPS to bring on that equity, but I don't want to pay more taxes than I already am.

As you stated, not every HS offers the same courses and programs, [b]so my kids could not take some courses that they would've like to. But, that's life. We can't all have everything we want.[/b][/quote]

So, because your kids needs are met, who cares if other kids needs are met... got it.  Lets take the advanced classes from your school and move them to other schools as like you said, you only need Calc AB.[/quote]
You clearly did not read what I posted thoroughly.    If my school didn't have MVC, DC would either have not taken it, or we would have looked DE.    Our school doesn't have some courses that DC wanted/needed that would've helped with their major.  Another HS does have that class.  We didn't whine about it to MCPS because we are realistic and know that MCPS cannot meet every need for every student.

Like I said, if you want your HS to have every class that every student wants, feel free to donate $$$ to MCPS.  What you want is everyone to pay for your kid to have access to what they want.    IMO, that's also very selfish.  Do you realize how many people have been laid off in MoCo?[/quote]

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