I come from a well-regarded affluent public school, the kind visiting students would be a little intimidated by, assuming we all drive Rolls Royces.

If MCPS truly wanted to help their FARMS URM students, it would do whatever it takes to help K–8 perform well in the core subjects (as demonstrated by objective measures) to give them a solid foundation. HS magnet programs are too little, too late.

These unnecessary special programs that the district is looking to pour millions into would only help about 15% of students (the ones who attend magnets), and the way the plan is conceived—placing criteria-based in affluent schools—would not be helping the ones most in need, but doing quite the opposite.

The many millions of dollars this plan would cost would be better spent with high frequency tutoring, giving teachers a much lower work load so they can give students meaningful feedback, ensuring classroom discipline, and delivering a rigorous curriculum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Completely agree with PPs above. When so many classes don’t have textbooks, when we don’t have advanced English until 11th grade, when reading scores are falling, now’s not the time to get fancy.

The six programs will probably end up costing more. So, there's not going to be some pile of cash for MCPS to spend on textbooks.

MCPS is supposed to meet the needs of all students, not just those with bad test scores.

That’s what I mean. Let’s first make sure we have $ for textbooks for regular math and history classes in all grades before trying to stand up the educators, coordinators, and materials for 6 each of 15 special programs.

For a lot of math and ap classes they DO have textbooks but refuse to use them. In science, we've had multiple teachers say they have the books but the students will not or cannot read them so they don't use them. We have AP teachers who will not use them for math. Lets not assume they don't have it. Also, there are free textbooks online and cheaper ones like openstax, so there is no excuse not to use them.

I know for a fact my child’s HS doesn’t have enough textbooks for an AP class. The principal had no idea until I emailed the superintendent. The RT didn’t do their job and had the teacher cover for you. The school is now ordered textbooks.

This AP teacher is terrible anyway, she shakes my child’s period by telling them every week they have the lowest reading quiz average yet she can’t post anything to Synergy within 20 days, let alone 10. She tells the kids things like “well I know it’s not me because 2 kids got 10 out of 10’s”.

These are the kinds of teachers that will be teaching these so called programs.

Anonymous wrote:does it make more sense if they start with 3 regions? one region includes Poolesville, one region includes Richard Montgomery, and one region includes Blair.

Why those schools specifically? Do you believe those are the only programs that students want to attend?