Anonymous wrote:I really hope this isn't the direction MCPS is going in. I support additional programs to minimize the achievement gap and think the best way is to reach children as early as possible and as intensively as possible PreK-3rd grade. I also think that MCPS has done a great job offering lots of programs in high school for students with different interests. There is a focus on the HS magnets on this forum but there are so many academies including technical academies in the DCC schools in particular.
What I cannot support is any lowering of academic standards to change the make up of ACADEMIC programs. It is not fair to the children who are deprived of an academic opportunity for no legitimate reason and it does over time result in a watering down of expectations and curriculum in highly rigorous academic programs.
There is a big difference between universal screening, increasing outreach and lowering barriers for children from all kinds of backgrounds to be screened and encouraged to apply and changing admissions criteria and standards. I support the former but cannot support the latter.
Anonymous wrote:Predict how this will work out. Struggling kids will end up taking all the teachers time and kids that are doing well will be ignored.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why don't the kids/parents just try harder. Many of the Asian American students who make it to magnets are from lower income families. Not all Asian Americans are wealthy, nor are their parents educated. Some of these parents will borrow money to send their kids to after school tutoring.
Why do these children need 'after school tutoring' to begin with? To cheat the system?
You are part of the problem as is anyone who sees studying more and working harder as "cheating the system"
Anonymous wrote:Predict how this will work out. Struggling kids will end up taking all the teachers time and kids that are doing well will be ignored.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why don't the kids/parents just try harder. Many of the Asian American students who make it to magnets are from lower income families. Not all Asian Americans are wealthy, nor are their parents educated. Some of these parents will borrow money to send their kids to after school tutoring.
Why do these children need 'after school tutoring' to begin with? To cheat the system?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why don't the kids/parents just try harder. Many of the Asian American students who make it to magnets are from lower income families. Not all Asian Americans are wealthy, nor are their parents educated. Some of these parents will borrow money to send their kids to after school tutoring.
Why do these children need 'after school tutoring' to begin with? To cheat the system?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why don't the kids/parents just try harder. Many of the Asian American students who make it to magnets are from lower income families. Not all Asian Americans are wealthy, nor are their parents educated. Some of these parents will borrow money to send their kids to after school tutoring.
Why do these children need 'after school tutoring' to begin with? To cheat the system?
Anonymous wrote:I don't mind the intent or spirit, which to me seems to be looking for a different/better way to deal with an intractable problem - achievement gap - that has many causes. (I don't believe that public schools can overcome those causes, at least not without a massive infusion of resources, but because kids are supposed to go to school, schools are forced to at least try.) But the article notes that a mixed-level class works for all students with well-trained teachers who use a "targeted approach to each child's level of achievement." The likelihood of that will be the case of high-performing students is, in my view, very low.
Anonymous wrote:Predict how this will work out. Struggling kids will end up taking all the teachers time and kids that are doing well will be ignored.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why don't the kids/parents just try harder. Many of the Asian American students who make it to magnets are from lower income families. Not all Asian Americans are wealthy, nor are their parents educated. Some of these parents will borrow money to send their kids to after school tutoring.
Why do these children need 'after school tutoring' to begin with? To cheat the system?
They need after school tutoring to make up what they haven’t learned well or enough at school. Whoever does not work hard and achieve poorly by still go to magnets are cheating.
Anonymous wrote:Why don't the kids/parents just try harder. Many of the Asian American students who make it to magnets are from lower income families. Not all Asian Americans are wealthy, nor are their parents educated. Some of these parents will borrow money to send their kids to after school tutoring.
Anonymous wrote:Isn’t this what Texas does for college? I thought they insured the top percentile from each HS has a place at the flagship U.