Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 16:42     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


art and music kids take a lot of AP classes


They do but they take less frequently higher level STEM than kids who are focused on STEM. Kids focused on STEM would have to leave Woodward to get decent options given more than third of school will be FARMS. It will create problem for kids who are left behind.


Isn't MCPS committed to offering AP Bio, Chem, Phys or an IB equivalent in all high schools?


Take for example, MCPS is not going to offer anything higher than Cal BC so if you take Pre-algebra( around 20% kids take it RM Cluster, I don't know about other clujsters) in grade 6 then you will be doing Alg1 and Alg 2 in 7th and 8th. Then Prec cal and Cal in 9th and 10th. You will be forced to take random filler courses in math in grade 11th and 12th if school does not offer courses beyond Cal. That's the case in many high poverty HS right now unless they host STEM magnet.


You skipped Geometry in 8th. So kids who take algebra in 7th get to Calculus by 11th. Most end up taking AP stats or Calculus BC senior year.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:55     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Given that Wheaton engineering and Blair SMCS programs are sharing some of the key STEM teachers, is the regional model going to limit that teaching resource sharing to each region only?
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:52     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
It seems Tilden/Luxmanor families did not present idea of balancing FARMS between Woodward and WJ despite balanced apporach not creating any additional issues.

At least not enough folks cared despite it's being important. As opposed to some random noise from Churchill families getting assinged to Wootton. That noise was much louder.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:49     Subject: Re:Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Takoma park MS getting hosed with the addition of Rolling Terrace. Not much if any room for the magnet. More FARMS and EML students. Meanwhile SSIMS and Eastern drop utilization.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:43     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


I mean, it's not Blair, but even Poolesville isn't Blair. Even Blair isn't going to keep being Blair. That's just an incredibly high bar.

It is, however, a very popular and well-regarded program. Wheaton is, frankly, a way more popular choice in the DCC than you would think it would be given its demographics-- this is largely because its strength in STEM is just that desirable.


That's due to some other schools not offering strong STEM courses. If you are STEM kid you are forced to take Wheaton from most DCC areas.

Same fate awaits for Woodward due to focus being Art/Drama/Media and having 35-40% FARMS.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:41     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


art and music kids take a lot of AP classes


They do but they take less frequently higher level STEM than kids who are focused on STEM. Kids focused on STEM would have to leave Woodward to get decent options given more than third of school will be FARMS. It will create problem for kids who are left behind.


Isn't MCPS committed to offering AP Bio, Chem, Phys or an IB equivalent in all high schools?


Take for example, MCPS is not going to offer anything higher than Cal BC so if you take Pre-algebra( around 20% kids take it RM Cluster, I don't know about other clujsters) in grade 6 then you will be doing Alg1 and Alg 2 in 7th and 8th. Then Prec cal and Cal in 9th and 10th. You will be forced to take random filler courses in math in grade 11th and 12th if school does not offer courses beyond Cal. That's the case in many high poverty HS right now unless they host STEM magnet.


Woodward will have middle college too so that should mean advanced classes through MC right? Do any of those get taught on the high school campus? That would be ideal


It's very different from having a regualr HS higher level class. Also, in many MC program can have lottery. It's not a good susbstitute.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:39     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


I mean, it's not Blair, but even Poolesville isn't Blair. Even Blair isn't going to keep being Blair. That's just an incredibly high bar.

It is, however, a very popular and well-regarded program. Wheaton is, frankly, a way more popular choice in the DCC than you would think it would be given its demographics-- this is largely because its strength in STEM is just that desirable.


This is kind of a weird statement. The DCC schools are not that different from each other demographically. I don't think most kids or families in the DCC would avoid Wheaton due to "demographics". But yes, Wheaton is very desirable in the DCC because it has strong STEM programs.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:37     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


It's not comparable to Blair at all, but given Art/Drama focus of Woodward it will be a better choice than Woodward for anyone intereded in higher level STEM. I suspect even WJ will have better STEM courses given very lkow FARMS so that would a choice as well.


My kid got into Blair this year(we are WJ parents) and my younger will be deprived of this option. I compared stem classes at blair and WJ and of course WJ is much less in offerings.


In future, WJ will have even less than current due to size and, but still far better than Woodward. If you are in Woodward then it will be a bigger issue. Woodward will have even lesser options than fitire WJ.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:37     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Is Wheaton STEM lottery based or criteria based?
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:36     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


art and music kids take a lot of AP classes


They do but they take less frequently higher level STEM than kids who are focused on STEM. Kids focused on STEM would have to leave Woodward to get decent options given more than third of school will be FARMS. It will create problem for kids who are left behind.


Isn't MCPS committed to offering AP Bio, Chem, Phys or an IB equivalent in all high schools?


Take for example, MCPS is not going to offer anything higher than Cal BC so if you take Pre-algebra( around 20% kids take it RM Cluster, I don't know about other clujsters) in grade 6 then you will be doing Alg1 and Alg 2 in 7th and 8th. Then Prec cal and Cal in 9th and 10th. You will be forced to take random filler courses in math in grade 11th and 12th if school does not offer courses beyond Cal. That's the case in many high poverty HS right now unless they host STEM magnet.


Woodward will have middle college too so that should mean advanced classes through MC right? Do any of those get taught on the high school campus? That would be ideal
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:34     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


art and music kids take a lot of AP classes


They do but they take less frequently higher level STEM than kids who are focused on STEM. Kids focused on STEM would have to leave Woodward to get decent options given more than third of school will be FARMS. It will create problem for kids who are left behind.


Isn't MCPS committed to offering AP Bio, Chem, Phys or an IB equivalent in all high schools?


Take for example, MCPS is not going to offer anything higher than Cal BC so if you take Pre-algebra( around 20% kids take it RM Cluster, I don't know about other clujsters) in grade 6 then you will be doing Alg1 and Alg 2 in 7th and 8th. Then Prec cal and Cal in 9th and 10th. You will be forced to take random filler courses in math in grade 11th and 12th if school does not offer courses beyond Cal. That's the case in many high poverty HS right now unless they host STEM magnet.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:19     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


It's not comparable to Blair at all, but given Art/Drama focus of Woodward it will be a better choice than Woodward for anyone intereded in higher level STEM. I suspect even WJ will have better STEM courses given very lkow FARMS so that would a choice as well.


My kid got into Blair this year(we are WJ parents) and my younger will be deprived of this option. I compared stem classes at blair and WJ and of course WJ is much less in offerings.


Your younger kid might not have gotten ut anyway because there are not enough seats for all the qualified students.


At least he could have had a chance. He is actually much better at math than my first one. Now I will have to wait and see what will happen with Wheaton.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:18     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


I mean, it's not Blair, but even Poolesville isn't Blair. Even Blair isn't going to keep being Blair. That's just an incredibly high bar.

It is, however, a very popular and well-regarded program. Wheaton is, frankly, a way more popular choice in the DCC than you would think it would be given its demographics-- this is largely because its strength in STEM is just that desirable.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:15     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


It's not comparable to Blair at all, but given Art/Drama focus of Woodward it will be a better choice than Woodward for anyone intereded in higher level STEM. I suspect even WJ will have better STEM courses given very lkow FARMS so that would a choice as well.


My kid got into Blair this year(we are WJ parents) and my younger will be deprived of this option. I compared stem classes at blair and WJ and of course WJ is much less in offerings.


Your younger kid might not have gotten ut anyway because there are not enough seats for all the qualified students.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 15:11     Subject: Taylor's Feb. Rec for Woodward Boundary Study
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given Woodward will host special program for Drama, Art, Media etc having 35-40% FARMS will result in high achiveing kids leaving for WJ or Stem program in Wheaton. It will result in fewer kids who can take higher level courses and they will have no choice.


STEM at Wheaton - is it a good program? Comparable to Blair? I am so upset they are dividing us in 6 regions.


It's not comparable to Blair at all, but given Art/Drama focus of Woodward it will be a better choice than Woodward for anyone intereded in higher level STEM. I suspect even WJ will have better STEM courses given very lkow FARMS so that would a choice as well.


My kid got into Blair this year(we are WJ parents) and my younger will be deprived of this option. I compared stem classes at blair and WJ and of course WJ is much less in offerings.