Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 10:23     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:I will not sign, and my kids have both been in a magnet. One graduated in 2025, and the other is in HS.

It's been a good experience for them, but there's far too much talent in the county to limit the participation to a few hundred students per grade level per year.


+100

Just provide the strongest programs possible in each region and done with it. Many schools are not going for Magnet due to distance. It hardly attracts equal distribution from each school. It's based on distance as well.

For example, WJ/Churchill/Wootton were sending majority of kids in magnets nearby. Given Churchill and Wootton are in same region, a good regional program will be filled by same sert of kids without any dilution.

There are enough kids in each region to have solid program.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 10:23     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
This post is distracted (intentionally or unintentionally) by bus ride time and wording (countywide, half-countywide).

The op and the petition clearly state that they are not against adding more regional programs. They are against canceling the successful existing programs or making them regional (which is equivalent to cancellation) for the sake of regional programs. This is not a one-way or another-way problem at the very beginning.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 10:22     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I certainly will


I certainly won’t. I hope the new programs are designed so that only a few high schools send kids to them.


Guessing that your kid did not get in?

Add more is the answer. Not dismantle the great existing ones. Imagine VA dismantling TJ.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 10:19     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I will not sign, and my kids have both been in a magnet. One graduated in 2025, and the other is in HS.

It's been a good experience for them, but there's far too much talent in the county to limit the participation to a few hundred students per grade level per year.


The petition isn't saying not to add regional programs, it's saying to leave Poolesville, Blair, and RMIB as countywide. You can want to add regional programs and still sign the petition, unless you also think that those programs must be converted to regional.


Is it countywide right now?
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 10:18     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:Not signing. I’m ok with the change.
-parent of a middle school magnet kid who freaking hates the ridiculous commute


+1

Such a long bus ride is torture.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:48     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
I don’t know what to make of the student quote in the petition. Great that the magnet experience helped the kid do well in an Ivy League school but most kids at these elite colleges are not from magnet schools. My kid went to a high Ivy from Rockville HS and did very well.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:45     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not signing. The commute is ridiculous combined with the start times. There are smart kids all over the county.


And none of them will have a good magnet experience. As we have seen so many times, in a few years whatever exists now will be watered down into a couple of classes which are basically the same as non magnet.


You are assuming the worst. People are naturally afraid of change but this change could end up being terrific
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:44     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:My kids both changed schools for the CES and I’m all for the magnet programs changing. They were accepted to a magnet middle school and turned it down do the extreme time it would take to get to and from school. My DS was very interested in the Poolesville program but didn’t even apply because of the distance—they get up early enough.

There are very bright, motivated kids all over the county. Just because some are willing and able to do a ridiculous commute doesn’t make them any smarter and it doesn’t mean that the 6 programs will be “diluted”



Again, it's the dichotomous proposition that is the problem. Keep the current magnets and add additional ones more slowly. It takes a lot to stand up quality education programming, so that it is done with fidelity to curriculum, with appropriate professional learning and with faculty that are highly qualified. Magnet teachers have PhDs.

If you think that the district's approach will provide you something that will engage your students at a high level, I believe you might be wrong.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:44     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:I will not sign, and my kids have both been in a magnet. One graduated in 2025, and the other is in HS.

It's been a good experience for them, but there's far too much talent in the county to limit the participation to a few hundred students per grade level per year.


This. Regional magnet programs are a good idea.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:23     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:Not signing. The commute is ridiculous combined with the start times. There are smart kids all over the county.


And none of them will have a good magnet experience. As we have seen so many times, in a few years whatever exists now will be watered down into a couple of classes which are basically the same as non magnet.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:22     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:I will not sign, and my kids have both been in a magnet. One graduated in 2025, and the other is in HS.

It's been a good experience for them, but there's far too much talent in the county to limit the participation to a few hundred students per grade level per year.


The petition isn't saying not to add regional programs, it's saying to leave Poolesville, Blair, and RMIB as countywide. You can want to add regional programs and still sign the petition, unless you also think that those programs must be converted to regional.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 08:17     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Not signing. The commute is ridiculous combined with the start times. There are smart kids all over the county.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 07:32     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids both changed schools for the CES and I’m all for the magnet programs changing. They were accepted to a magnet middle school and turned it down do the extreme time it would take to get to and from school. My DS was very interested in the Poolesville program but didn’t even apply because of the distance—they get up early enough.

There are very bright, motivated kids all over the county. Just because some are willing and able to do a ridiculous commute doesn’t make them any smarter and it doesn’t mean that the 6 programs will be “diluted”

Not choosing a magnet program because of the commute is a completely valid choice. Of course it doesn’t mean your kids aren’t as smart as the magnet students. However, it does indicate that a more rigorous program was not their top priority. They may be motivated, but less so than other students.

Trying to replicate these stem magnets in 6 locations instead of 2, needing many more teachers who are ready to serve this population, having much smaller catchment areas feeding into the programs, and accepting kids who aren’t motivated enough to even consider these programs if a longer commute is involved will absolutely dilute them. Stop kidding yourself.


Or the other students had a 15 minute bus ride vs 1 hour. I’m quite sure there are kids at the magnet who wouldn’t be there had their commute been worse.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 07:23     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not signing. I’m ok with the change.
-parent of a middle school magnet kid who freaking hates the ridiculous commute


To be clear, I hate the commute. My kid is ok with it.

If your kid (who is the one making the commute) is okay with it, why do you “freaking hate” it? There are magnet buses. You don’t have to drive the whole way.


You're right, but the magnet bus ride is over 80 minutes for my kid and includes a transfer. We choose to drive her.
Anonymous
Post 08/21/2025 07:15     Subject: Please sign this petition to continue countywide magnets
I will not sign, and my kids have both been in a magnet. One graduated in 2025, and the other is in HS.

It's been a good experience for them, but there's far too much talent in the county to limit the participation to a few hundred students per grade level per year.