Does anyone know if there will be spots available for 7th grade in the TAG program at Greenbelt Middle School? Our DC is currently in private, passed the TAG test and is in the lottery. I'm wondering if there's any chance at all of getting in.

^I would start cc'ing the CEO, the BOE chair and the BOE member who represents your district in your emails. Despite some changes in leadership, Transportation needs more of an overhaul. Many bus drivers think they can do what they want. Their supervisors and their union protect them for the most part.

My son is getting home at 4:30 but I think he is one of the first stops in the route. It is really ridiculous that they have GMS plus Montessori kids on the same route. It is making everything take forever and I have been emailing transportation pretty much every day. We just all have to keep making noise about this. It is unacceptable and in the morning they are missing at least 30-50 minutes of instruction due to late buses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were more TAG kids than the district anticipated so there is at least one portable, AKA temporary, classroom out back. It seems crazy to me that they didn't count to see how may TAG kids were in elementary while designing and building the school.

It's not as easy as that. Some parents that live within the GMS boundary, but don't like their elementary go private for elementary, test into TAG, and get automatic placement into GMS TAG, and the county wouldn't be able to get a good number on these kids.

Those numbers should have been looked into as well before blowing millions of dollars on a school that ultimately wasn't large enough. It was foolish not to account for the additional children leaving private and entering middle school.

11:55 here again. So what time is everyone getting home from the bus ride? I'm not thrilled that the district combined schools onto a single route. Mine's getting home at 5:30.

Yep, my kid takes Spanish in the trailer. Oh well.

There are a few first-year teachers this year who are likely having to make some adjustments. There's a new band teacher who previously taught in elementary schools (my band kid seem to like her), and some strange bumps in the scheduling. E.g., kids who don't play instruments (and have no desire to play instruments) assigned to band. It's shaking out and being fixed.

Anonymous wrote:There were more TAG kids than the district anticipated so there is at least one portable, AKA temporary, classroom out back. It seems crazy to me that they didn't count to see how may TAG kids were in elementary while designing and building the school.

It's not as easy as that. Some parents that live within the GMS boundary, but don't like their elementary go private for elementary, test into TAG, and get automatic placement into GMS TAG, and the county wouldn't be able to get a good number on these kids.