Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since I attended MCPS back in the 70s-80s to when my kids attended in the 2000s+, things have consistently improved by any objective measure. There are demographic differences that have a clear impact but in terms of educational opportunities and college preparedness, it's never been better.

What objective measures do you feel are better now in MCPS than in 2004?

DP- More students taking and passing AP. Better college preparedness, better college matriculations, more STEM awards etc...

Anonymous wrote:Since I attended MCPS back in the 70s-80s to when my kids attended in the 2000s+, things have consistently improved by any objective measure. There are demographic differences that have a clear impact but in terms of educational opportunities and college preparedness, it's never been better.

What objective measures do you feel are better now in MCPS than in 2004?

People are hired into leadership positions who have attractive resumes or personalities but incompetent. It’s like when the best singer isn’t picked to win American Idol but rather the winner is the one with the best “story.” Or, incompetent administrators are hidden in central office positions where their name won’t be directly attached to their incompetence. People making hiring decisions often want to do so quickly with very little discussion so they’ll just hire the charismatic person who isn’t good for the job but was able to hoodwink the interview panel.

Since I attended MCPS back in the 70s-80s to when my kids attended in the 2000s+, things have consistently improved by any objective measure. There are demographic differences that have a clear impact but in terms of educational opportunities and college preparedness, it's never been better.

Anonymous wrote:Special Ed - people used to move to MC because the Spec Ed education was amazing. It has been shredded. No more LAD, because we now have the home school model, where spec ed kids are in the regular classroom all day, and a para educator helps out in the classroom. While this may work for some, many do better is a smaller, discrete classroom.

Cuts at the MS and HS as well. Take a look at the increased $ MCPS is spending on lawyers to defend against spec ed parents suing for the public education their child has a right to and is not getting.

People are still moving from VA, DC, and other MD jurisdictions to MCPS for special ed. I also know many families who switched from private to MCPS for special ed. There are still LAD teachers and still some self-contained when academically warranted. Kids who need self-contained for behavior should be in SSESS.

Special Ed - people used to move to MC because the Spec Ed education was amazing. It has been shredded. No more LAD, because we now have the home school model, where spec ed kids are in the regular classroom all day, and a para educator helps out in the classroom. While this may work for some, many do better is a smaller, discrete classroom.

Cuts at the MS and HS as well. Take a look at the increased $ MCPS is spending on lawyers to defend against spec ed parents suing for the public education their child has a right to and is not getting.

Someone pays the price for misbehavior by students. Principals fire and ruin the careers of teachers to influence the already ppiss poor retention. No one getting the big bucks cares and colleagues throw each other under busses to prove their worth. Bad culture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

You're right. Living in a W cluster doesn't make you a racist. Wishing that it were still 1975 in Montgomery County suggests you might have some bigoted thoughts, though.

Np. Ok, I wasn’t even born in 1975, or 1985, so I have no idea what MCPS was like. I know that my kids and I love out local school that they walk to, and we are not going to be happy if my kids suddenly become bus riders. Does that make me racist?

Of course not. But you should know that MCPS has been consistently saying they want to maximize the number of walkers to schools. The two recent boundary studies *did not* reassign walkers to different schools to become bus riders. No one wants that or has proposed that.

but if our elementary school is moved to another cluster, we are no longer walkers to middle and high. That’s my biggest fear! Just like Ritchie Park was moved to Richard Montgomery, and kids from Horizon Hill who should be walkers to Wootton, are bussed to RM.

In the upcounty boundary study, there were several 'islands' within an ES zone which were walkable to the HS, and these were assigned to the walkable high school. Areas outside of the walk zone were considered for reassignment.

Here are several examples of this being addressed in the superintendent's report:

"My recommendation provides contiguous boundaries for the three high schools and ensures that
current and future walkers are not reassigned to a high school requiring bus transportation."

"By maximizing the number of walkers, the school system minimizes the number of buses used and
reduces the impact on the environment and resources on the school system."

And in referring to several options which were not selected:

"Both of these points contradict my goal to maximize
walkers and would have a negative impact on students and families, as well as requiring additional
transportation resources and negatively impacting the environment."

"Therefore, I did not consider these options in my deliberations, as they do not fully maximize
walkers as well as options developed in the second round."

"Both of these points are counter to my
goal of maximizing walkers, and lead to negative impacts on students and families, as well as on
transportation resources and the environment. Therefore, I could not recommend this option."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

You're right. Living in a W cluster doesn't make you a racist. Wishing that it were still 1975 in Montgomery County suggests you might have some bigoted thoughts, though.

Np. Ok, I wasn’t even born in 1975, or 1985, so I have no idea what MCPS was like. I know that my kids and I love out local school that they walk to, and we are not going to be happy if my kids suddenly become bus riders. Does that make me racist?

Of course not. But you should know that MCPS has been consistently saying they want to maximize the number of walkers to schools. The two recent boundary studies *did not* reassign walkers to different schools to become bus riders. No one wants that or has proposed that.

but if our elementary school is moved to another cluster, we are no longer walkers to middle and high. That’s my biggest fear! Just like Ritchie Park was moved to Richard Montgomery, and kids from Horizon Hill who should be walkers to Wootton, are bussed to RM.

That happened in 1987. Thirty-two years ago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

You're right. Living in a W cluster doesn't make you a racist. Wishing that it were still 1975 in Montgomery County suggests you might have some bigoted thoughts, though.

Np. Ok, I wasn’t even born in 1975, or 1985, so I have no idea what MCPS was like. I know that my kids and I love out local school that they walk to, and we are not going to be happy if my kids suddenly become bus riders. Does that make me racist?

Of course not. But you should know that MCPS has been consistently saying they want to maximize the number of walkers to schools. The two recent boundary studies *did not* reassign walkers to different schools to become bus riders. No one wants that or has proposed that.

but if our elementary school is moved to another cluster, we are no longer walkers to middle and high. That’s my biggest fear! Just like Ritchie Park was moved to Richard Montgomery, and kids from Horizon Hill who should be walkers to Wootton, are bussed to RM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

You're right. Living in a W cluster doesn't make you a racist. Wishing that it were still 1975 in Montgomery County suggests you might have some bigoted thoughts, though.

Np. Ok, I wasn’t even born in 1975, or 1985, so I have no idea what MCPS was like. I know that my kids and I love out local school that they walk to, and we are not going to be happy if my kids suddenly become bus riders. Does that make me racist?

Of course not. But you should know that MCPS has been consistently saying they want to maximize the number of walkers to schools. The two recent boundary studies *did not* reassign walkers to different schools to become bus riders. No one wants that or has proposed that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Those of us who went to mcps know it was not good then either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

You're right. Living in a W cluster doesn't make you a racist. Wishing that it were still 1975 in Montgomery County suggests you might have some bigoted thoughts, though.

Np. Ok, I wasn’t even born in 1975, or 1985, so I have no idea what MCPS was like. I know that my kids and I love out local school that they walk to, and we are not going to be happy if my kids suddenly become bus riders. Does that make me racist?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

You're right. Living in a W cluster doesn't make you a racist. Wishing that it were still 1975 in Montgomery County suggests you might have some bigoted thoughts, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These last comments sum it all up

If you can afford to live in one of the richer parts of the county of course the schools are fine. (P.S. liberals think you are racist by the way)

The issue is the middle class areas are going down hill and there are more and more ghetto areas now

The issue is that there are people in Montgomery County who wish it were still 1975, but it isn't.

Sorry, living in a W cluster doesn’t make you racist. I’m sorry that people think that.

No, they were racist already when they moved there. DCUM probably intensified it a bit. But it’s their fundamental makeup. Geography isn’t destiny. You can live in Bethesda or Potomac and not be a racist if you choose.