Anonymous
11/23/2025 17:43
Subject: Re:Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This argument has nothing to do with the second round options. Stay on topic please!
Actually it has a lot to do with the boundary options. Some posters, and I suspect you are one of them, care about options from one perspective and one perspective only - what option will get them to avoid ending up in Woodward.
More thoughtful discussion is how to give Woodward a chance to be a good school so it is not a matter of life and death if you end up there. Not placing a useless arts magnet in Woodward would be a step in right direction.
1 - By not making much higher FARMS than WJ
2 - By not playing Art magnet there
3 - Put a STEM oriented program like plan was for second new school( Crown)
Otherwise all three factors are going to ensure that Woodward won't have enough high level kids. Yes, there are many in Tilden, but they will try to opt for WJ and who ever can't get will be forced to stay in Woodward. Einsten Art program attracted many Art students, but did nothing to imporve the school. Most high level kids from that region opted to attend other schools. Woodward situation will be similar.
I think 3 is hard to do because Wheaton has established Stem program and it will be better to let it that way, but 1 & 2 can be done to give a new school best chance to succeed.
All great ideas.
I'll pivot to this if I get roped into Woodward. Let's see how options after thanksgiving shake out. If it looks like I'm in Woodward, then it's time to pivot. But I'm gonna fight like hell for WJ until then since I still have a fighting chance at it.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 16:31
Subject: Re:Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This argument has nothing to do with the second round options. Stay on topic please!
Actually it has a lot to do with the boundary options. Some posters, and I suspect you are one of them, care about options from one perspective and one perspective only - what option will get them to avoid ending up in Woodward.
More thoughtful discussion is how to give Woodward a chance to be a good school so it is not a matter of life and death if you end up there. Not placing a useless arts magnet in Woodward would be a step in right direction.
1 - By not making much higher FARMS than WJ
2 - By not playing Art magnet there
3 - Put a STEM oriented program like plan was for second new school( Crown)
Otherwise all three factors are going to ensure that Woodward won't have enough high level kids. Yes, there are many in Tilden, but they will try to opt for WJ and who ever can't get will be forced to stay in Woodward. Einsten Art program attracted many Art students, but did nothing to imporve the school. Most high level kids from that region opted to attend other schools. Woodward situation will be similar.
I think 3 is hard to do because Wheaton has established Stem program and it will be better to let it that way, but 1 & 2 can be done to give a new school best chance to succeed.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 16:18
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The attitude toward the arts is tragic. I went to a high school with an arts magnet and I actually was not part of it, although I did take an elective or two and participate in an after school club. The artsy kids found a creative outlet and they found their people there. I know it kept some of them on the right path and helped them to succeed academically. There were also some top across the board academic students in the program.
But honestly…. Those of you who think arts have no value, are you also the people complaining that they don’t teach novels in schools anymore? Do you think that is somehow different?
It's not the purpose of public education for artsy kids to find a creative outlet for their people. What's wrong with you?
I get that we are not speaking the same language here, but I thought keeping kids motivated to be successful in school was very much part of the point of public education.
Having 6 Art magnet honestly seems like a huge waste of tax payers money and no way you need so many to avoid kids taking wrong path. One should be plenty for county. What next 6 sports magnets? We don't have unlimited resources in county.
Having few Art class as option is very different than making a school Art magnet. That too a brand new school which will take few years for academics to get sorted to start with.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:54
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Which of the 4 options do you think is in the lead? Put yourself in MCPS shoes and how they decide things. Dont opine based on what you want.
The not yet released options are in the lead.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:35
Subject: Re:Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:This argument has nothing to do with the second round options. Stay on topic please!
Actually it has a lot to do with the boundary options. Some posters, and I suspect you are one of them, care about options from one perspective and one perspective only - what option will get them to avoid ending up in Woodward.
More thoughtful discussion is how to give Woodward a chance to be a good school so it is not a matter of life and death if you end up there. Not placing a useless arts magnet in Woodward would be a step in right direction.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:27
Subject: Re:Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:This argument has nothing to do with the second round options. Stay on topic please!
This is about the boundary study I thought. Not the magnets (despite arts being dumb). Redirecting back to the boundary study options.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:25
Subject: Re:Second round options for Woodward boundary study
This argument has nothing to do with the second round options. Stay on topic please!
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:25
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Which of the 4 options do you think is in the lead? Put yourself in MCPS shoes and how they decide things. Dont opine based on what you want.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:23
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
creative outlet? that's education? how about some reading, writing, and math proficiency. who cares about how they can use crayolas. some kids like to fly kites. it's an outlet. let's have a kite flying magnet and use tax dollars for it.
I’m not sure you have ever studied any kind of art.
Creative writing was a huge draw at the school I attended, and it turned out some excellent writers.
Creative writing as a part of humanities and languages curriculum is perfectly fine. You don't need arts magnet for that. Although, I highly doubt that you went to the same school at the same time with 'some excellent writers'. They are rare; don't grow on trees.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:22
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The attitude toward the arts is tragic. I went to a high school with an arts magnet and I actually was not part of it, although I did take an elective or two and participate in an after school club. The artsy kids found a creative outlet and they found their people there. I know it kept some of them on the right path and helped them to succeed academically. There were also some top across the board academic students in the program.
But honestly…. Those of you who think arts have no value, are you also the people complaining that they don’t teach novels in schools anymore? Do you think that is somehow different?
It's not the purpose of public education for artsy kids to find a creative outlet for their people. What's wrong with you?
I get that we are not speaking the same language here, but I thought keeping kids motivated to be successful in school was very much part of the point of public education.
creative outlet? that's education? how about some reading, writing, and math proficiency. who cares about how they can use crayolas. some kids like to fly kites. it's an outlet. let's have a kite flying magnet and use tax dollars for it.
I’m not sure you have ever studied any kind of art.
Creative writing was a huge draw at the school I attended, and it turned out some excellent writers.
You do realize the Arts magnet at Woodward has nothing to do with creative writing? That will be done in English classes. The arts magnet has a focus on acting, visual arts like painting, music....
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:21
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The attitude toward the arts is tragic. I went to a high school with an arts magnet and I actually was not part of it, although I did take an elective or two and participate in an after school club. The artsy kids found a creative outlet and they found their people there. I know it kept some of them on the right path and helped them to succeed academically. There were also some top across the board academic students in the program.
But honestly…. Those of you who think arts have no value, are you also the people complaining that they don’t teach novels in schools anymore? Do you think that is somehow different?
Just ignore the coloring book troll
ignore the person advocating for arts programs being great for public education. they're the troll.
Not a troll, just a regular person truly surprised to have found such hostility to arts programs on here. I’ll see myself out.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:18
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The attitude toward the arts is tragic. I went to a high school with an arts magnet and I actually was not part of it, although I did take an elective or two and participate in an after school club. The artsy kids found a creative outlet and they found their people there. I know it kept some of them on the right path and helped them to succeed academically. There were also some top across the board academic students in the program.
But honestly…. Those of you who think arts have no value, are you also the people complaining that they don’t teach novels in schools anymore? Do you think that is somehow different?
Just ignore the coloring book troll
ignore the person advocating for arts programs being great for public education. they're the troll.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:17
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:NP We should have arts magnets. let alone 6 high schools with them. Joke county shooting itself in the foot.
"Just Say No". Of course they want to turn MCPS into Provincetown with arts. See Mahmoud v Taylor for more indoctrination.
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:17
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:The attitude toward the arts is tragic. I went to a high school with an arts magnet and I actually was not part of it, although I did take an elective or two and participate in an after school club. The artsy kids found a creative outlet and they found their people there. I know it kept some of them on the right path and helped them to succeed academically. There were also some top across the board academic students in the program.
But honestly…. Those of you who think arts have no value, are you also the people complaining that they don’t teach novels in schools anymore? Do you think that is somehow different?
Just ignore the coloring book troll
Anonymous
11/23/2025 15:15
Subject: Second round options for Woodward boundary study
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The attitude toward the arts is tragic. I went to a high school with an arts magnet and I actually was not part of it, although I did take an elective or two and participate in an after school club. The artsy kids found a creative outlet and they found their people there. I know it kept some of them on the right path and helped them to succeed academically. There were also some top across the board academic students in the program.
But honestly…. Those of you who think arts have no value, are you also the people complaining that they don’t teach novels in schools anymore? Do you think that is somehow different?
It's not the purpose of public education for artsy kids to find a creative outlet for their people. What's wrong with you?
I get that we are not speaking the same language here, but I thought keeping kids motivated to be successful in school was very much part of the point of public education.
creative outlet? that's education? how about some reading, writing, and math proficiency. who cares about how they can use crayolas. some kids like to fly kites. it's an outlet. let's have a kite flying magnet and use tax dollars for it.
I’m not sure you have ever studied any kind of art.
Creative writing was a huge draw at the school I attended, and it turned out some excellent writers.