Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I think if the specialty schools program was expanded, more middle class helicopter parents would put their kids in the county schools. People need some sort of incentive, like winning a "lottery" or knowing that the other parents in their program at least applied and made an effort.

I think this is true, but I wish it weren't because it only exacerbates the inequities. This school district is massive with some dismal schools and some great ones. But no one sees the gems unless they have the cache of a special program and that's a real shame. Some neighborhood schools are sadly getting overlooked. Some parents like the idea of a neighborhood school but are scared away by this very ingrained perception that the only way to make it in this county is in a specialty program. They don't even consider a neighborhood school for an instant. These are middle class helicopter parents who could make a huge difference in a school and use their muscle to make it better and promote the positives.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-specialty program. I just don't think it solves the bigger issue. To tackle the inequities and improve the reputation, the district as a whole needs to show it can educate all its students, not just those who get lucky enough to win the lottery or test TAG or whatever.

PGPS is very similar to DCPS

There are very few isolated high performing school districts

The rest of the area schools generally suck. People of means send their kids to privates

Michelle Rhee wouldn't change anything

What you need to do is have more of the people with means send their kids to the public schools

It's an SES thing that's the only way the schools will improve

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, hell to the NO.
There's plenty of room for improvement, but there are a LOT of things PGCPS gets right. And none of those things are worth risking in a Michele Rhee-ization of a district.

And that's the point isn't it? If PGCPS is getting a lot right, shouldn't the kids perform better? I don't know. But thanks to Michelle Rhee, those kids in DC are performing a lot better, more parents are involved in their children's education. Just seems sad that PG county parents in large part, tout and flaunt their degrees, homes and accomplishments, but complain about how awful the schools are.

You can't be serious.

Anonymous wrote:Oh, hell to the NO.
There's plenty of room for improvement, but there are a LOT of things PGCPS gets right. And none of those things are worth risking in a Michele Rhee-ization of a district.

And that's the point isn't it? If PGCPS is getting a lot right, shouldn't the kids perform better? I don't know. But thanks to Michelle Rhee, those kids in DC are performing a lot better, more parents are involved in their children's education. Just seems sad that PG county parents in large part, tout and flaunt their degrees, homes and accomplishments, but complain about how awful the schools are.

Anonymous wrote:People pay one way or the other. You pay more for your house and get access to better public school options or you pay less for your house and send your kids to private school. It isn't right but that is unfortunately the reality.

Conventional wisdom might suggest this is true. However our county is unique in that we've got communities like Beech tree, where a house may easily run you $500,000, $400k for a townhome (!) And yet its zoned school Patuxent, sucks. Look at Fairwood, schools aren't great, but housing prices rival DC. There are beautiful houses in Woodmore, but it isn't boasting top notch schools. Best schools in the county are in old, sadly white, Bowie.

Honestly, I think if the specialty schools program was expanded, more middle class helicopter parents would put their kids in the county schools. People need some sort of incentive, like winning a "lottery" or knowing that the other parents in their program at least applied and made an effort.

Oh, hell to the NO.
There's plenty of room for improvement, but there are a LOT of things PGCPS gets right. And none of those things are worth risking in a Michele Rhee-ization of a district.

People pay one way or the other. You pay more for your house and get access to better public school options or you pay less for your house and send your kids to private school. It isn't right but that is unfortunately the reality.

Anonymous wrote:Do you even live in the county?

I do. No need to troll a black county. We get enough of that. Just want to see us do better. Shouldn't have to pay for private school and exorbitant taxes.

Anonymous wrote:The heading of this post reduces already causes me to believe this is a troll. However who is to say that parents are not already involved in the parent's education and why would a monetary incentive increase that involvement?

Consider this, no one really wants to get a bill in the mail that says "Mr. and Mrs. Jones you owe $233 this month" and at the bottom of the bill is their child's report card filled with failing grades for that month. I swear every parent would be up in arms that they're paying for crappy grades or awful customer service (teaching/administration). And not only would they become more active in their child's learning and understanding of concepts, but they'd check grades more frequently, add tutors, require more of principals, etc. There's something about the way we feel when we're paying something for nothing. But when you really think of it, with high homeownership in PG where schools are funded through taxes, isn't that what we're getting anyway? Failing students in return for our increasing tax bills? IJS, less golf, more tutors. Fewer handbags and Benzes, more helicopter parenting. We need it. And yes, I live in the county. Not a troll.

Anonymous wrote:Can't change the students

Of course you can change the way students feel about learning. It's being done in other parts of the country, including New York and DC. Takes a heavily involved parent community, resources, and creative teachers who care (and who are better paid).

The heading of this post reduces already causes me to believe this is a troll. However who is to say that parents are not already involved in the parent's education and why would a monetary incentive increase that involvement?

Can't change the students

Do you even live in the county?

I wonder whether the schools in Prince Georges would be better we Michelle Rhee'd this place. Out with the old, and in with new people, new processes, etc.

Do you think parents would be more involved in their children's education if parents received a monthly bill of $200+ dollars to pay for public education? Just wondering.