I've seen plenty of people either get pushed out or choose to leave because they're trying to serve students and their approach threatens someone above them. It's very disheartening. I know nothing about these players, I'm just saying I wouldn't conclude that she did something wrong just because she's not in MCPS anymore. She very well might have bailed as a form of self-preservation.

Anonymous wrote:Ms. Hoover is not allowed to talk about why she left. Does that not seem sketchy to you?

While Ms. Shay is a fantastic teacher, she has not been trained for the IB Coordinator position. She is unqualified for this. The new guy has never worked in IB before and is even less qualified.

These changes mostly affect current sophomores and juniors, who have experienced the program under Ms. Hoover (unlike current freshmen) and still have a few years left (unlike current seniors).

Shay has been working within the IB framework for many years. Furthermore, the system will indeed train her (if she hasn't already attended training), and she'll be fine.

Once you've taught an IB course it's much easier to jump into a coordinator position. You must think all teachers are morons, unable to expand beyond the classroom.

Hoover is out of the system - for now, that is. That speaks volumes.

There are some dramatic people on this forum. My perspective from the POV of a former JW kid who did not get into the program but would like to complete the IB diploma is that as PPs said, this is nothing new. For years JW kids have been told the school is working to make the IB program more accessible to them. There has long been a perception that a disproportionate amount of the school's resources go to the magnet program and in-cluster kids are left behind. The school has been trying to change that perception for years by increasing accessibility to those resources.

I don't pretend to know why Ms. Hoover was dismissed, but it was clear that she was not on the same page as the administration. She seemed to serve the IB students well, but she wanted to keep IB for a very elite group of students. Of course you are going to have high diploma completion rates when only a very small percentage of the top students in the county get in. She seemed to be resistant to greater accessibility, the direction MCPS (I don't think this was just the principal) wanted to go with the program.

I'm glad DD (a well-rounded straight-A student who has been in all honors classes) will have access to IB classes even though she didn't get into the program, and I'm not particularly upset that a few kids from Bethesda might not choose RM as a result.

Not allowed due to court order?

Ms. Hoover is not allowed to talk about why she left. Does that not seem sketchy to you?

While Ms. Shay is a fantastic teacher, she has not been trained for the IB Coordinator position. She is unqualified for this. The new guy has never worked in IB before and is even less qualified.

These changes mostly affect current sophomores and juniors, who have experienced the program under Ms. Hoover (unlike current freshmen) and still have a few years left (unlike current seniors).

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm not triggered. I'm just annoyed by the complaining, which seems to be based on the idea that the principal is a big meanie out to ruin the program for nefarious reasons by firing the only person who can possibly run it properly. But you shouldn't let that stop you. When your cause is just, your cause is just -- ignore the detractors.

Why are you annoyed? You did not answer my question about your relationship to RM.

My statements are not based on idea...they are based on experience of the Principal's duplicity. His defamed a very capable, hard working advocate for magnet IB students and turned around and praised her in the parent meeting (while spreading more lies).

He is trying to further his political agenda. If he had the students' well being in mind, he would not have made the dubious decisions he did to remove Ms. Hoover from the school without a valid reason just a couple of weeks before school closed and forced her out when the reasons themselves were unfounded.

He destabilized the program and caused serious grief to the magnet IB seniors of 2017 (ask them if you know any). Ms. Shay helped him in this scheme. So, she might be a great teacher, but is a party to this deception. Power does not absolve backstabbing.

Anonymous wrote:As an Asian alum parent, I will not allow my youngest child to go to RMIB. Almost 20 years as an MCPS parent and I have seen the decline and and utter disregard for gifted student in this county. A few more years and we will be out of this shitshow! In the meantime, we continue to pour our hard-earned money on private tutors and other means of academic enrichment and acceleration. I wonder where this country will be in next 20 years or so, because the rate of academic decline has only grown.

OK. Probably there will be plenty of other applicants.

As an Asian alum parent, I will not allow my youngest child to go to RMIB. Almost 20 years as an MCPS parent and I have seen the decline and and utter disregard for gifted student in this county. A few more years and we will be out of this shitshow! In the meantime, we continue to pour our hard-earned money on private tutors and other means of academic enrichment and acceleration. I wonder where this country will be in next 20 years or so, because the rate of academic decline has only grown.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in the program. We were happy with it. I would say I did not see elitist attitudes among my daughter's friends, but I do know that cohorts coming from magnet middle schools come with this history. The year is still young, but some of the changes we see this year are troubling. The most immediate for us is the reorganization of language classes and combined classes with different levels. Now to be fair, last-year's language classes were also nothing to write home about relative to our middle school instruction. I know some kids also faced problems with reorgization of math. In general, kids are somewhat demoralized. There is a sense that the administration does not care about the program. It has not been very responsive to concerns, with poor communication (a lot of generalities, very few specific responses to concerns). In our case, I might consider bringing my child back to our excellent home school if things go south, as the watered down program and school tensions may not be worth a very long commute and lost hours each day any longer.

You've summed up the problems - 1) kids are demoralized; 2) the admin doesn't care (if principal can have his way, he would probably kill the program); and 3) the program will eventually suffer. For those with young kids, I'd recommend that you monitor IB student profile every year until your kid is ready to apply. It's the only way to monitor any decline in program.

I'm an alum from a few years ago. The program should be killed. I would never let my child go near a place that values a student's test scores over the student himself/herself.

Also, as a former student of Ms. Shay (and now an MCPS parent myself who), you all are absolutely bonkers if you think she's going to drive the program into the ground. She's terrific.

Okay this poster is either a liar or does not understand the contradiction here.

This is my 8th year at RM magnet IB as a parent. The program has never "valued test scores over a students well being". You are lying outright.

And if you think the program is as bad as you claim to be, how is you second sentence justified?

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm not triggered. I'm just annoyed by the complaining, which seems to be based on the idea that the principal is a big meanie out to ruin the program for nefarious reasons by firing the only person who can possibly run it properly. But you shouldn't let that stop you. When your cause is just, your cause is just -- ignore the detractors.

"Annoyed by the complaining"? Tells me that your child is not in the RMIB program. You are not impacted by this issue at all. Why are you on this thread?

No, I'm not triggered. I'm just annoyed by the complaining, which seems to be based on the idea that the principal is a big meanie out to ruin the program for nefarious reasons by firing the only person who can possibly run it properly. But you shouldn't let that stop you. When your cause is just, your cause is just -- ignore the detractors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in the program. We were happy with it. I would say I did not see elitist attitudes among my daughter's friends, but I do know that cohorts coming from magnet middle schools come with this history. The year is still young, but some of the changes we see this year are troubling. The most immediate for us is the reorganization of language classes and combined classes with different levels. Now to be fair, last-year's language classes were also nothing to write home about relative to our middle school instruction. I know some kids also faced problems with reorgization of math. In general, kids are somewhat demoralized. There is a sense that the administration does not care about the program. It has not been very responsive to concerns, with poor communication (a lot of generalities, very few specific responses to concerns). In our case, I might consider bringing my child back to our excellent home school if things go south, as the watered down program and school tensions may not be worth a very long commute and lost hours each day any longer.

You've summed up the problems - 1) kids are demoralized; 2) the admin doesn't care (if principal can have his way, he would probably kill the program); and 3) the program will eventually suffer. For those with young kids, I'd recommend that you monitor IB student profile every year until your kid is ready to apply. It's the only way to monitor any decline in program.

I'm an alum from a few years ago. The program should be killed. I would never let my child go near a place that values a student's test scores over the student himself/herself.

Also, as a former student of Ms. Shay (and now an MCPS parent myself who), you all are absolutely bonkers if you think she's going to drive the program into the ground. She's terrific.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, it is true parents/students loved Ms. Hoover for good reasons. She was amazing for the kids and the program. Yes, the Principal got rid of her for personal vendetta and created instability for current students. Parents now have to spend their valuable time to make sure the integrity/purpose of the program is not compromised because of unreasonable/unexplained action of the Principal. Hate it too strong a word. But most magnet IB parents/students do not trust the current leadership thrust on them.

You know, I didn't choose my kids' principals or other administrators either. I guess they were thrust on me? So I shouldn't trust them?

Yes, if the Principal and administrator the school community trusted is yanked out without any valid reason and replaced with someone who do not have the qualification and experience, you should absolutely question the motive and develop distrust. I did not chose Ms. Hoover either, but she had proven her capability and built a enviable reputation. The new administration is thrusted upon the magnet IB community in a very underhanded manner. Lies, duplicity and secrecy are not the character I admire. Sorry you do not see the root of the issue.

BTW, why are you so triggered by this discussion? Are you connected to the school administration or are you the new administrator? How are you connected to RM? Or are you just trying to stir the pot?

..."triggered"?

trig·ger
?tri??r/Submit
verb
past tense: triggered; past participle: triggered
cause (an event or situation) to happen or exist.
"an allergy can be triggered by stress or overwork"
synonyms: precipitate, prompt, elicit, trigger off, set off, spark (off), touch off, provoke, stir up; More
cause (a device) to function.
synonyms: activate, set off, set going, trip
"thieves triggered the alarm"
(of an event or situation) cause (someone) to do something.
"the death of Helen's father triggered her to follow a childhood dream and become a falconer"
(especially of something read, seen, or heard) distress (someone), typically as a result of arousing feelings or memories associated with a particular traumatic experience.
"she started crying and told me that my news had really triggered her"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, it is true parents/students loved Ms. Hoover for good reasons. She was amazing for the kids and the program. Yes, the Principal got rid of her for personal vendetta and created instability for current students. Parents now have to spend their valuable time to make sure the integrity/purpose of the program is not compromised because of unreasonable/unexplained action of the Principal. Hate it too strong a word. But most magnet IB parents/students do not trust the current leadership thrust on them.

You know, I didn't choose my kids' principals or other administrators either. I guess they were thrust on me? So I shouldn't trust them?

Yes, if the Principal and administrator the school community trusted is yanked out without any valid reason and replaced with someone who do not have the qualification and experience, you should absolutely question the motive and develop distrust. I did not chose Ms. Hoover either, but she had proven her capability and built a enviable reputation. The new administration is thrusted upon the magnet IB community in a very underhanded manner. Lies, duplicity and secrecy are not the character I admire. Sorry you do not see the root of the issue.

BTW, why are you so triggered by this discussion? Are you connected to the school administration or are you the new administrator? How are you connected to RM? Or are you just trying to stir the pot?

..."triggered"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, it is true parents/students loved Ms. Hoover for good reasons. She was amazing for the kids and the program. Yes, the Principal got rid of her for personal vendetta and created instability for current students. Parents now have to spend their valuable time to make sure the integrity/purpose of the program is not compromised because of unreasonable/unexplained action of the Principal. Hate it too strong a word. But most magnet IB parents/students do not trust the current leadership thrust on them.

You know, I didn't choose my kids' principals or other administrators either. I guess they were thrust on me? So I shouldn't trust them?

Yes, if the Principal and administrator the school community trusted is yanked out without any valid reason and replaced with someone who do not have the qualification and experience, you should absolutely question the motive and develop distrust. I did not chose Ms. Hoover either, but she had proven her capability and built a enviable reputation. The new administration is thrusted upon the magnet IB community in a very underhanded manner. Lies, duplicity and secrecy are not the character I admire. Sorry you do not see the root of the issue.

BTW, why are you so triggered by this discussion? Are you connected to the school administration or are you the new administrator? How are you connected to RM? Or are you just trying to stir the pot?