Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northwood is a better performing arts program and that’s why they are getting the criteria program. Einstein has a better visual arts program. Both schools will keep local programs too. I don’t know why this is so complicated for Einstein parents except they are have prejudice against other schools which makes no sense because Einstein is no blue ribbon school either.

Does Northwood split Guitar 1 and Guitar institute separate classes (same question for piano)? If not, I’m not at all impressed. Einstein also combines these courses and it’s painful for experienced students. Especially if you’re coming from a MS where you already took guitar and piano or have private lessons.

Does Northwood have 2 curricular jazz bands? Does their marching band do community parades? How many students from Northwood end up in All State and Honors ensembles?

Einstein only has two where as other schools have more. Einstein marching band doesn’t compete. The teacher at Einstein runs all state so they take their students. I wouldn’t look at that as criteria. I’d look at how many students participate in other competitive groups. Very few at both schools.

I'd like to weigh in here as a music parent, even though I don't have kids in any of the schools mentioned. My kids are now 20 and 15.

For music, you need years of private lessons with a great teacher to get into All-State regularly and do well in similar or higher level auditions or regional or international competitions. The caliber of the public school program doesn't matter at all. It's negligible.

My youngest kid was at Westland MS, which has a jazz band, and three orchestras, and sends students to junior All-State regularly: the level of the highest musical ensembles was not comparable to what my kid was doing in her private music lessons and private youth orchestra (MCYO). Now she's at BCC HS, and again, even though there's a nice jazz department, and multiple orchestras and bands and whatnots (it's a reputable program, as public schools go)... the level of the top philharmonic orchestra, which my kid is in, is not comparable to the music she does outside of school. All these school ensembles win top prizes at national events *for public schools* in Chicago or Nashville or New York every year. But compared to the real stuff that goes in the world of music, the public school music level is abysmal. There's no other word. We love all the teachers, they're great! But they're dealing with kids who don't have private lessons, or who don't have many years of private lessons. They're limited in what they can do. It's not their fault. The level of a public school music program is never going to impress a college admissions officer.

The kids who are going to Senior All-State didn't get there because of their public schools. They are required to sign up for music class in public school to be *eligible* for All-State. This is how public schools retain talent to boost music programs. Talent that is built on years of private lessons paid for by parents.

I want to explain this so that you stop wringing your hands and comparing two public school music programs. The differences between them are NEGLIGIBLE. Truly.

I cannot comment about other art forms, but in general academics are what's most important when choosing a school. This is really what's going to matter in life: developing critical thinking skills, that are mostly taught through higher-level math and analytical reading and writing. The arts enhance critical understanding and cultural development, but if the core academics aren't there... they cannot replace them.

Please focus on your kids' academics. And I say this as a parent whose kids spent years in music and really loved it. One of my kids started their instrument at 3 and did two private lessons every week, year round, won international competitions and performed solo at Carnegie Hall. Math and writing are still more important.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not breaking the recognized programs that work already. Shuffling teachers and program spaces around is not efficient and demoralizing. By all means add new academic programs to support kids with those interests and to add more rigor.

+1 And MCPS does not need a regional model to add new academic programs.

The regional model is a joke as how many slots will be open at each school for each program for students outside that school?

Anonymous wrote:It's also really gross to see parents crapping on other schools in your greater community -- your kid has friends at the school that you're saying sucks.

Einstein has a great VAC and the VAPA has led to a good music culture.

Northwood has a strong dance and theater culture.

Both schools provide enrichment to kids.

Einstein having 2 jazz bands doesn't mean Northwood sucks. Northwood having award-winning Latin dance teams doesn't mean Einstein sucks.

Maybe focus on raising the bar for all kids so nobody approaches their high school choice with a zero-sum mindset.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northwood is a better performing arts program and that’s why they are getting the criteria program. Einstein has a better visual arts program. Both schools will keep local programs too. I don’t know why this is so complicated for Einstein parents except they are have prejudice against other schools which makes no sense because Einstein is no blue ribbon school either.

Northwood is a humanities school, and most—if not all—of its academies reflect that. Einstein’s VAPA program has not only done more for its community throughout the years, but has also received national recognition. Einstein has produced some of the top performers in the county over the years, which is why many students have chosen Einstein over Northwood for the Visual and Performing Arts. Northwood may have a new, shiny building, but that’s the only reason MCPS thinks it’s a good idea to move the program there. Einstein, however, has both the interest and the reputation to sustain it—and has successfully done so for over a decade.

Can you explain what this means?

VAPA is the Visual and Performing Arts Academy. In the past few years, all of Einstein’s instrumental music ensembles (concert band, concert orchestra, symphonic ensemble, jazz lab, jazz ensemble) have grown. The jazz ensemble routinely gets perfect scores in adjudicated performances. The marching band has doubled in size since 2021. Einstein started hosting a county-wide drumline showcase a couple years ago. There are two dance companies that win awards at competitions, as does Titanes Salseros. The theatre program participates in the Cappies every year. Last year an Einstein theatre student was a finalist at the Jimmy Awards, which are like the Tonys for high schools theatre. Einstein kids get selected for all-county and all-state honors ensembles. And that’s all in addition to the VAC.

A lot of DCC kids choose Einstein because of the arts. The new model cuts off access to those students, which is a real shame. It will mean Einstein’s program takes a hit on enrollment. And all those kids will have to compete for the limited spots in the new Northwood magnet.

A lot of people point out that Einstein doesn’t have a lot of advanced STEM classes, and that’s true but kids could choose Wheaton or apply to Blair for science. Those options will be more limited int he new model as well, with STEM magnets probably only admitting 25-50 students per year. It could be an opportunity for Einstein to strengthen STEM, but with staffing cuts that will be hard. Einstein already offers the core AP classes that MCPS says it wants at every school so there’s no real chance the district will focus on STEM at Einstein.

It sucks and no one asked for this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the boundaries options, it seems like Option B is the best for both the Einstein and Northwood zones. Option C has a large decrease in enrollment for Einstein, and Options A and D leave Northwood at only 85% utilization, which I think doesn't make sense from an ROI perspective on a brand-new building.

Also Option B would put Blair at 91% utilization, leaving room for its popular magnets. The other options have it at over 100% utilization with just resident students.

For performing arts, I think I agree with the consensus in keeping performing arts at Einstein and putting the humanities magnet at Northwood.

And waste a brand new auditorium with professional lighting and sound? That's using resources well.

How is having a humanities program wasting that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not breaking the recognized programs that work already. Shuffling teachers and program spaces around is not efficient and demoralizing. By all means add new academic programs to support kids with those interests and to add more rigor.

+1 And MCPS does not need a regional model to add new academic programs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the boundaries options, it seems like Option B is the best for both the Einstein and Northwood zones. Option C has a large decrease in enrollment for Einstein, and Options A and D leave Northwood at only 85% utilization, which I think doesn't make sense from an ROI perspective on a brand-new building.

Also Option B would put Blair at 91% utilization, leaving room for its popular magnets. The other options have it at over 100% utilization with just resident students.

For performing arts, I think I agree with the consensus in keeping performing arts at Einstein and putting the humanities magnet at Northwood.

And waste a brand new auditorium with professional lighting and sound? That's using resources well.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not breaking the recognized programs that work already. Shuffling teachers and program spaces around is not efficient and demoralizing. By all means add new academic programs to support kids with those interests and to add more rigor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the boundaries options, it seems like Option B is the best for both the Einstein and Northwood zones. Option C has a large decrease in enrollment for Einstein, and Options A and D leave Northwood at only 85% utilization, which I think doesn't make sense from an ROI perspective on a brand-new building.

Also Option B would put Blair at 91% utilization, leaving room for its popular magnets. The other options have it at over 100% utilization with just resident students.

For performing arts, I think I agree with the consensus in keeping performing arts at Einstein and putting the humanities magnet at Northwood.

And waste a brand new auditorium with professional lighting and sound? That's using resources well.

Anonymous wrote:It's also really gross to see parents crapping on other schools in your greater community -- your kid has friends at the school that you're saying sucks.

Einstein has a great VAC and the VAPA has led to a good music culture.

Northwood has a strong dance and theater culture.

Both schools provide enrichment to kids.

Einstein having 2 jazz bands doesn't mean Northwood sucks. Northwood having award-winning Latin dance teams doesn't mean Einstein sucks.

Maybe focus on raising the bar for all kids so nobody approaches their high school choice with a zero-sum mindset.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the boundaries options, it seems like Option B is the best for both the Einstein and Northwood zones. Option C has a large decrease in enrollment for Einstein, and Options A and D leave Northwood at only 85% utilization, which I think doesn't make sense from an ROI perspective on a brand-new building.

Also Option B would put Blair at 91% utilization, leaving room for its popular magnets. The other options have it at over 100% utilization with just resident students.

For performing arts, I think I agree with the consensus in keeping performing arts at Einstein and putting the humanities magnet at Northwood.

And waste a brand new auditorium with professional lighting and sound? That's using resources well.

Anonymous wrote:On the boundaries options, it seems like Option B is the best for both the Einstein and Northwood zones. Option C has a large decrease in enrollment for Einstein, and Options A and D leave Northwood at only 85% utilization, which I think doesn't make sense from an ROI perspective on a brand-new building.

Also Option B would put Blair at 91% utilization, leaving room for its popular magnets. The other options have it at over 100% utilization with just resident students.

For performing arts, I think I agree with the consensus in keeping performing arts at Einstein and putting the humanities magnet at Northwood.