Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Who is “the great teacher” who left? Many great teachers have left TPMS in the past few years because of the poor principal but none specifically this year which is when the 7 period day started.

You must not have been paying attention. The instrumental music teacher was a treasure of MCPS and is greatly missed! She retired after the schedule change was announced. I don’t blame her. If all the magnetic kids get cut out of music electives it affects teacher allocations and moves teachers around if there are open positions elsewhere.

Agree and of course i was paying attention - there really no need to be rude. We’re talking about the magnet and she was not a magnet teacher. Several amazing magnet teachers have left due to the current administration but not last year. The loss of the much loved band/orchestra teacher does not impact magnet programming although it does impact overall experience.

Oh yes it impacts. Many GT kids do music as well, the high-quality in-school band/orchestra and experience was part of the reason to choose TPMS for many magnet kids in the past. There is always a last straw to break the camel’s back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Who is “the great teacher” who left? Many great teachers have left TPMS in the past few years because of the poor principal but none specifically this year which is when the 7 period day started.

You must not have been paying attention. The instrumental music teacher was a treasure of MCPS and is greatly missed! She retired after the schedule change was announced. I don’t blame her. If all the magnetic kids get cut out of music electives it affects teacher allocations and moves teachers around if there are open positions elsewhere.

Agree and of course i was paying attention - there really no need to be rude. We’re talking about the magnet and she was not a magnet teacher. Several amazing magnet teachers have left due to the current administration but not last year. The loss of the much loved band/orchestra teacher does not impact magnet programming although it does impact overall experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Who is “the great teacher” who left? Many great teachers have left TPMS in the past few years because of the poor principal but none specifically this year which is when the 7 period day started.

You must not have been paying attention. The instrumental music teacher was a treasure of MCPS and is greatly missed! She retired after the schedule change was announced. I don’t blame her. If all the magnetic kids get cut out of music electives it affects teacher allocations and moves teachers around if there are open positions elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Who is “the great teacher” who left? Many great teachers have left TPMS in the past few years because of the poor principal but none specifically this year which is when the 7 period day started.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Who is “the great teacher” who left? Many great teachers have left TPMS in the past few years because of the poor principal but none specifically this year which is when the 7 period day started.

The band and orchestra teacher.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern also has a 7 of schedule but they have an after school band class for credit with an activity bus. Why doesn’t TPMS have this same option?

My home middle school doesn’t have this option, either. Would’ve been nice to be able to take band AND get the tech credit out of the way in middle school. Instead we now need to pay hundreds of dollars for it and waste time over the summer. But glad Eastern comes from a place of yes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Who is “the great teacher” who left? Many great teachers have left TPMS in the past few years because of the poor principal but none specifically this year which is when the 7 period day started.

Anonymous wrote:Before the lottery, the best part of TPMS is to finally find the like-minded peers. Varsity math team was so well organized and high-spirited where our DC were given many exposures to competition opportunities. Science team is also some good experience, but not the robotics team. Band/orchestra was great because of a great teacher.
Then I heard every went downhill since the lottery. The switch to 7-period was definitely a bummer to many as the great teacher left. Given that the regional program is definitely going to be pushed out, I would seriously worry that TPMS magnet would be deteriorated sooner or later. Unless your home school is TPMS or your assigned MS is giving you some significant concerns, I wouldn't choose TPMS nor Eastern magnets if I were you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What changes do you mean? The switch away from block schedule?

OP here. I haven’t followed the changes closely since I didn’t imagine winning the lottery (my older kid didn’t). The only change I heard about was something about electives that a PP explained - kids can only choose one now. I was vague because I wasn’t sure if there were other changes too.

Sounds like it’s the same accelerated math program as at the home schools, which is interesting. This kid doesn’t want to do computer science but loves biology, so it will be a tough choice!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the difference? Is the “accelerated and enriched” math/science real or marketing?

Can a magnet kid take Spanish and music, or only one elective?

There is no real difference for the moment.

A magnet kid can only take one elective as computer science counts as one and they reduced electives from 3 to 2 (that's actually the bigger change from last year). So if you want to do spanish and orchestra/band you shouldnt go for the magnet.

Note that you can do the same accelerated math level outside of the magnet. Main draw of the magnet: selected peers in the class (?); the science class is supposed to be better; they have access to a computer science elective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern also has a 7 of schedule but they have an after school band class for credit with an activity bus. Why doesn’t TPMS have this same option?

TPMS offers language/tech classes online after school.