This is really dumb. The kids at Magruder definitely have better things to have money spent on. Yes, drop Col Zadok from the name but please just keep Magruder and disassociate from person. Please do not make this bigger, there are so many more important things to spend time on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stupid stupid stupid. MCPS has bigger problems that they should be focusing and spending money on.

MCPS is capable of doing several different things at the same time.

Nope. Actually it’s not. There is only so much money in the budget. MCPS does not have an unlimited source of funds.

Anonymous wrote:who will pay for all the uniform changes? the damn school doesn’t even pay for full uniforms for players. helmets, for example, are not in compliance with safety requirements. the parents don’t make up for it in booster club or ptsa funding. players have to pay. Or what’s more common, they just can’t fully participate.

this may seem trivial to most of us but I have a kid on several teams and the lower income kids struggle to participate in general. there is no bus service to games. and when they switch up last minute on away games (like rescheduling games from grass fields to turf when raining) many kids can’t make it.

want to address some disparities? fund your athletes. Engagement in these structured activities actually helps kids do better academically.

This is all true. Any ouch to change the name of the school is misguided.

My kids attend a high school with similar demographics. Money is tight. We reuse the same jerseys year after year. Needing to buy all new jerseys for all the sports would be a huge burden.

Sports are definitely a good way to keep some students (who may otherwise be disenfranchised) interested in school. You have to attend class in order to play your sport, etc. And maintain a GPA.

Anonymous wrote:Stupid stupid stupid. MCPS has bigger problems that they should be focusing and spending money on.

This. It’s ridiculous.

who will pay for all the uniform changes? the damn school doesn’t even pay for full uniforms for players. helmets, for example, are not in compliance with safety requirements. the parents don’t make up for it in booster club or ptsa funding. players have to pay. Or what’s more common, they just can’t fully participate.

this may seem trivial to most of us but I have a kid on several teams and the lower income kids struggle to participate in general. there is no bus service to games. and when they switch up last minute on away games (like rescheduling games from grass fields to turf when raining) many kids can’t make it.

want to address some disparities? fund your athletes. Engagement in these structured activities actually helps kids do better academically.

I too am in favor of place names over people names. And I'm black. But I also wasn't horrified by the school being named after Magruder, since he wasn't PRIMARILY known for being a slaveowner, but for his role in the Revolutionary War. Just like I'm not offended and horrified by the Washington Monument, or the $1 bills I carry around in my pocket.

If we were naming schools after people who are NOTABLE in history for advocating or championing slavery, like say Robert E. Lee, then yes, it's inappropriate to name buildings, schools and streets after that individual. But people, who like many upper class, powerful people at the time participated in slavery, but are being recognized for other significant historical achievements that have nothing to do with slavery, doesn't offend me.

We live in a state called Maryland, named after Queen Mary, who was alive during the 1600s. How much did she benefit from slavery? Are we going to rename the state too?

But anyway, like I said, to avoid the whole issue, let's just go with location-based names for schools and call it a day.

Even MLK Jr., who is a noted civil rights leader, has later been found out to be a pretty serious womanizer and adulterer. Are we going to strip everything with his name on it because he was flawed in that area morally?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a plan to rename a bunch of MCPS schools including RM and Blair. (despite his role in the Dred Scott decision)

Magruder is the only one on that list to submit a petition to the BOE to look into renaming. That's the first step.

There are 6 schools under consideration

https://www.thesentinel.com/communities/six-mcps-schools-under-consideration-for-renaming-due-to-racist-namesakes/article_588b7f8c-483d-11ed-9ae5-3f181799a594.html#:~:text=The%20review%20found%20there%20are,Wootton.

Yup, “Richard Montgomery, Montgomery Blair, Colonel Zadok Magruder and Thomas S. Wootton. Two middle schools are also being considered, Francis Scott Key and John Poole.”

Yes but unlike Magruder, those school communities have not submitted a petition, so no action is happening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a plan to rename a bunch of MCPS schools including RM and Blair. (despite his role in the Dred Scott decision)

Magruder is the only one on that list to submit a petition to the BOE to look into renaming. That's the first step.

There are 6 schools under consideration

https://www.thesentinel.com/communities/six-mcps-schools-under-consideration-for-renaming-due-to-racist-namesakes/article_588b7f8c-483d-11ed-9ae5-3f181799a594.html#:~:text=The%20review%20found%20there%20are,Wootton.

Yup, “Richard Montgomery, Montgomery Blair, Colonel Zadok Magruder and Thomas S. Wootton. Two middle schools are also being considered, Francis Scott Key and John Poole.”

Wake Co (Raleigh) schools mostly use geographic names. The only people who can be honored with school naming are those with extensive time working for WCPSS.

https://webarchive.wcpss.net/about-us/our-leadership/board-of-education/committee-materials/facilities-committee/11-13-2013-facilities/policy-2570-naming-schools.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a plan to rename a bunch of MCPS schools including RM and Blair. (despite his role in the Dred Scott decision)

Magruder is the only one on that list to submit a petition to the BOE to look into renaming. That's the first step.

There are 6 schools under consideration

https://www.thesentinel.com/communities/six-mcps-schools-under-consideration-for-renaming-due-to-racist-namesakes/article_588b7f8c-483d-11ed-9ae5-3f181799a594.html#:~:text=The%20review%20found%20there%20are,Wootton.

Anonymous wrote:Stupid stupid stupid. MCPS has bigger problems that they should be focusing and spending money on.

MCPS is capable of doing several different things at the same time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS should stick to geographical names.

100%. Stop naming schools after people. Make it easier for all to know where the buildings are.

Sure, for example, we can have Rockville HS #1, Rockville HS #2, Germantown HS #1, Germantown HS #2, and Silver Spring HS #1, Silver Spring HS #2, Silver Spring HS #3, Silver Spring HS #4, Silver Spring HS #5, and Silver Spring HS #6.

Most Wealthy Potomac Elementary
Least Wealthy Potomac Elementary
Wealthy Wannabe-Potomac Elementary
Silver Spring Lower SES Elementary
...

Ganglandias 1 - 20

Wealthy #1
Wealthy #2
Wealthy#3
Wealthy#4

Stupid stupid stupid. MCPS has bigger problems that they should be focusing and spending money on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we stick with numbers. Quit naming schools after people.

Or maybe after trees or birds. But I agree that we should stop naming schools after people. It’s not a good practice because people dig up stuff and no one’s perfect.

MCPS: Maybe we shouldn't have schools named after people who enslaved people or actively supported segregation.
Posters on DCUM: We shouldn't have schools named after people, period - no one's perfect.

I bet that in 100 years common wisdom will understand that some of your ideas and behaviors were unconscionable.

And if MCPS names a school after me, and in 100 years, it turns out that some of my actions were unconscionable, then they can rename it. Nothing worse should happen.

Better would be to avoid the problem the first place.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we stick with numbers. Quit naming schools after people.

Or maybe after trees or birds. But I agree that we should stop naming schools after people. It’s not a good practice because people dig up stuff and no one’s perfect.

MCPS: Maybe we shouldn't have schools named after people who enslaved people or actively supported segregation.
Posters on DCUM: We shouldn't have schools named after people, period - no one's perfect.

I bet that in 100 years common wisdom will understand that some of your ideas and behaviors were unconscionable.

And if MCPS names a school after me, and in 100 years, it turns out that some of my actions were unconscionable, then they can rename it. Nothing worse should happen.