Anonymous wrote:WJ PTA was either sleeping or hugely biased to not make sure FARMS is evenly distributed in WJ and Woodward when schools are less than mile apart.

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Anonymous wrote:Can someone give me the quick rundown of things that seem unfair or problematic about any of the options?

I know which option I would vote for on the survey based just on our own neighborhood, but don't want to make my decision just based on that?

1. Lots of split articulation
2. The consultants added 500 seats of capacity to Wheaton HS since the last round and haven't adequately explained how or at what cost (in the initial round of meetings they claimed Edison has a shell space that can be built out - is that free? I don't think so. What will the cost be to taxpayers and when can the Wheaton community expect relief from overcrowding - if it's even real or has it just been manufactured this whole time?). Even with all these magical extra seats Wheaton and other east county schools are still over capacity. Why is that?
3. Who has time to analyze the 4 options and identify the pros and cons? Presumably, they are offering these for a reason, but why? Can they be more transparent about the basis for putting forward these specific options? Who have they received feedback from so far and from what areas? How are areas where parents don't have the time/education/technology to closely analyze 4 sets of maps and tables being represented or are we just ignoring them?

That doesn’t seem…that bad. I imagine 2 gets addressed through updates to the capital improvement plan and made a priority. I imagine MCPS probably has held off on certain additional capital expenditure decisions like this until the boundary study is finalized. Are there other major gripes?

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Anonymous wrote:Can some one share the regional magnet programs in Woodward region?

Art, Design, Performing Arts, Communication.

So with 30% FARMS + these programs ---> Very little numbers left for higher level STEM classes. Woodward may not offer good STEM courses.

WJ with 15% FARMS rate should be able to offer good STEM courses despite school size going down.

Wheaton and Blair have well over 30% FARMS currently and offer higher level STEM classes. Those things are not mutually exclusive.

Ah, you missed a fact that Whaton and Blair host STEM magnet. Woodward will host Art, drama etc. Apple to orange situation.

I didn’t miss it. Blair does have the SMCS magnet, but the engineering and biomedical academy programs at Wheaton aren’t magnets.

If magnets are the issue, then comparing to WJ, which doesn’t have a magnet, is also irrelevant.

Not the PP, but you missed the point totally.

Low FARMS( WJ) -- Enough kids with interest in higher level STEM
Engineering and biomedical academy programs program will attract STEM kids, lots of STEM kids come from outside to attend and it allows high level STEM courses.
Woodward will have high FARMS rate with no attraction for STEM kids from outside to come and attend.


In short, either STEM program or low FARMS, both will work fine.

No, I didn’t miss the point entirely.

The point is that people switched to Woodward don’t want 30% FARMS, period, especially not if WJ is half that. Hand wave all you want about STEM. That’s the real issue.

It's not handwaving, it's based on school course offering in various MCPS high school. Higher the FARMS rate less liekly to have any advance STEM courses if there is no magnet/magnet like program attracting motivated kids from outside. You got to have enough kids to have course.

Woodward with 30% FARMS will work much better if one of the STEM program is offered in Woodward.

+1
NP zoned for Woodward (from WJ) and I agree with this. FARMS is fine with us but we need advanced STEM classes.

Anonymous wrote:I have missed this bc it is not my region, but I thought the new STEM magnet for the region with Woodward and WJ would be at Woodward. If not the STEM magnet then some other magnet?

Anonymous wrote:TBH I think this process has been an embarrassment

Anonymous wrote:I have missed this bc it is not my region, but I thought the new STEM magnet for the region with Woodward and WJ would be at Woodward. If not the STEM magnet then some other magnet?

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Anonymous wrote:Damn they are really leaning away from considering demographics in any way

project 25 vibes??

The results of the first survey - not the one tied to the options, but the early survey they did that asked about priorities - people overwhelmingly said proximity to school was more important than diversity. MCPS presented the findings at a BOE meeting this summer. The truth is that for lower-income families, long commutes to school and lack of public transportation access are a huge burden and it's a problem for high school students especially if they can't stay after school for academic support, extracurricular activities, etc. Not everyone has a parent with a flexible job and a car to pick their kids up, take them to school if they miss the bus or have a doctor's appointment, etc.

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Anonymous wrote: I don't know enough to have a strong opinion yet. How should we feel as a parent to a three year old zoned to Einstein and Newport Mill? Feels like we are being shafted somewhat with both sets of changes, but not sure if our fears are premature and overblown.

Well… when we moved here with a 3-year-old the DCC was the hot new thing! It was created in 2004, and we arrived in 2008. And as you may have heard, they are now getting rid of the DCC.

Basically, everything will change and reset again before your 3-year-old gets to high school. We have been through 15 years of MCPS and I think 5 superintendents. Nothing lasts for long.

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Anonymous wrote:Can some one share the regional magnet programs in Woodward region?

Art, Design, Performing Arts, Communication.

So with 30% FARMS + these programs ---> Very little numbers left for higher level STEM classes. Woodward may not offer good STEM courses.

WJ with 15% FARMS rate should be able to offer good STEM courses despite school size going down.

Wheaton and Blair have well over 30% FARMS currently and offer higher level STEM classes. Those things are not mutually exclusive.

Ah, you missed a fact that Whaton and Blair host STEM magnet. Woodward will host Art, drama etc. Apple to orange situation.

I didn’t miss it. Blair does have the SMCS magnet, but the engineering and biomedical academy programs at Wheaton aren’t magnets.

If magnets are the issue, then comparing to WJ, which doesn’t have a magnet, is also irrelevant.

Not the PP, but you missed the point totally.

Low FARMS( WJ) -- Enough kids with interest in higher level STEM
Engineering and biomedical academy programs program will attract STEM kids, lots of STEM kids come from outside to attend and it allows high level STEM courses.
Woodward will have high FARMS rate with no attraction for STEM kids from outside to come and attend.


In short, either STEM program or low FARMS, both will work fine.

No, I didn’t miss the point entirely.

The point is that people switched to Woodward don’t want 30% FARMS, period, especially not if WJ is half that. Hand wave all you want about STEM. That’s the real issue.

It's not handwaving, it's based on school course offering in various MCPS high school. Higher the FARMS rate less liekly to have any advance STEM courses if there is no magnet/magnet like program attracting motivated kids from outside. You got to have enough kids to have course.

Woodward with 30% FARMS will work much better if one of the STEM program is offered in Woodward.

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Anonymous wrote:Damn they are really leaning away from considering demographics in any way

project 25 vibes??

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My kid is zoned for these schools and is in early ES. What bothers you about these proposed boundary changes with regards to Newport Mill and Einstein? I'm still taking it all in. I am glad our particular ES isn't subject to split articulation in any of the options.

There was some concern from Einstein parents in the program analysis thread, and it seems like here we were the only ones with increased farm rates across all options. I don't know if both of these things is as big a negative as others would make it seem, but I am a worrier and anxious in general.

Anonymous wrote:WJ PTA was either sleeping or hugely biased to not make sure FARMS is evenly distributed in WJ and Woodward when schools are less than mile apart.

Anonymous wrote: I don't know enough to have a strong opinion yet. How should we feel as a parent to a three year old zoned to Einstein and Newport Mill? Feels like we are being shafted somewhat with both sets of changes, but not sure if our fears are premature and overblown.