Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:38
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Bethesda Mag article on background:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/10/22/mcps-programming-changes/
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/10/22/mcps-programming-changes/
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:31
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
They said, and repeated later, that "interest-based" is lottery, not criteria.
You don't need a lottery for criteria-based programs, because they can opaquely claim that the selection process isn't a lottery. They aren't lotteries today, but they are subjective admissions judgments.
You are incorrect. They absolutely stated that for criteria based programs, they will set minimum criteria and anyone who meets those gets placed in a lottery. Like the middle school magnets. This is a huge change from the way they handle high school criteria programs currently.
They are keeping lotteries and keeping set asides. So you still have different chances based on your zip code.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:28
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Did they update or clarify any transportation questions? Is there any chance that the program bus will serve local communities rather than just having local HS stops?
They basically said they don’t know all the details yet but there will be transportation. Okay…..
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:24
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
Wow, you go MCPS! You have managed to state the obvious truth instead of stating an obvious lie!
Yup. I missed anything about reserved seats for home schools but I'm sure that's part of it too
Oh, I'm not attending but that's one of my biggest bugaboos and I would love if someone asked about the extra seats for the host school.
Also would love if someone asked why the lowest-FARMS school in each of the 6 districts was chosen to host the humanities magnet.
I asked about this and the way it was answered, my understanding is that they will set aside local seats for criteria-based schools.
Thanks for asking and posting the response!
I guess as to fairness, it'll all be in the actual numbers ... does the host school get 1/3 of the seats, or 1/5? Is it a min or max, or both?
Not sure why they can't just put all the kids in the region in the same pool and however it shakes out, it shakes out.
Yes, I am going to email the presenters and my BOE member to ask about projected seat numbers per program and how many will be allocated to the host school. I agree that it would make way more sense to have all the students who qualify for a criteria-based program in one pool rather than give potential preference to those attending a host school. I'm not sure how that is equitable.
They did answer one question about having only 15 seats allocated for a theatre program and said that this is just a "proposed minimum" that may change over time.
Maybe these numbers do exist somewhere and I just haven't seen them?
In the 10/16 BoE presentation they had a slide that said the total seats for the first year in region 4 would be:
105 Richard Montgomery
135 Wooton
135 Rockville
135 Churchill
Jeannie Franklin said that RM would break down to 60 for IB, 30 for dance, and 15 for theatre. (Which seems backward since more kids would probably want theatre than dance.)
There was also a slide showing 3 buses per school for program students. They’d go to their home school to get a shuttle to the program schools.
Today said they might increase program numbers in subsequent years but I bet they have a hard cap on buses and no programs will grow larger than whatever that number is.
Total OUTSIDE seats, that is. They didn’t say how many seats there would be for kids at at the home school.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:23
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
Wow, you go MCPS! You have managed to state the obvious truth instead of stating an obvious lie!
Yup. I missed anything about reserved seats for home schools but I'm sure that's part of it too
Oh, I'm not attending but that's one of my biggest bugaboos and I would love if someone asked about the extra seats for the host school.
Also would love if someone asked why the lowest-FARMS school in each of the 6 districts was chosen to host the humanities magnet.
I asked about this and the way it was answered, my understanding is that they will set aside local seats for criteria-based schools.
Thanks for asking and posting the response!
I guess as to fairness, it'll all be in the actual numbers ... does the host school get 1/3 of the seats, or 1/5? Is it a min or max, or both?
Not sure why they can't just put all the kids in the region in the same pool and however it shakes out, it shakes out.
Yes, I am going to email the presenters and my BOE member to ask about projected seat numbers per program and how many will be allocated to the host school. I agree that it would make way more sense to have all the students who qualify for a criteria-based program in one pool rather than give potential preference to those attending a host school. I'm not sure how that is equitable.
They did answer one question about having only 15 seats allocated for a theatre program and said that this is just a "proposed minimum" that may change over time.
Maybe these numbers do exist somewhere and I just haven't seen them?
In the 10/16 BoE presentation they had a slide that said the total seats for the first year in region 4 would be:
105 Richard Montgomery
135 Wooton
135 Rockville
135 Churchill
Jeannie Franklin said that RM would break down to 60 for IB, 30 for dance, and 15 for theatre. (Which seems backward since more kids would probably want theatre than dance.)
There was also a slide showing 3 buses per school for program students. They’d go to their home school to get a shuttle to the program schools.
Today said they might increase program numbers in subsequent years but I bet they have a hard cap on buses and no programs will grow larger than whatever that number is.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:15
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Did they update or clarify any transportation questions? Is there any chance that the program bus will serve local communities rather than just having local HS stops?
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:13
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
Wow, you go MCPS! You have managed to state the obvious truth instead of stating an obvious lie!
Yup. I missed anything about reserved seats for home schools but I'm sure that's part of it too
Oh, I'm not attending but that's one of my biggest bugaboos and I would love if someone asked about the extra seats for the host school.
Also would love if someone asked why the lowest-FARMS school in each of the 6 districts was chosen to host the humanities magnet.
I asked about this and the way it was answered, my understanding is that they will set aside local seats for criteria-based schools.
Thanks for asking and posting the response!
I guess as to fairness, it'll all be in the actual numbers ... does the host school get 1/3 of the seats, or 1/5? Is it a min or max, or both?
Not sure why they can't just put all the kids in the region in the same pool and however it shakes out, it shakes out.
Yes, I am going to email the presenters and my BOE member to ask about projected seat numbers per program and how many will be allocated to the host school. I agree that it would make way more sense to have all the students who qualify for a criteria-based program in one pool rather than give potential preference to those attending a host school. I'm not sure how that is equitable.
They did answer one question about having only 15 seats allocated for a theatre program and said that this is just a "proposed minimum" that may change over time.
Maybe these numbers do exist somewhere and I just haven't seen them?
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:08
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
Wow, you go MCPS! You have managed to state the obvious truth instead of stating an obvious lie!
Yup. I missed anything about reserved seats for home schools but I'm sure that's part of it too
Oh, I'm not attending but that's one of my biggest bugaboos and I would love if someone asked about the extra seats for the host school.
Also would love if someone asked why the lowest-FARMS school in each of the 6 districts was chosen to host the humanities magnet.
I asked about this and the way it was answered, my understanding is that they will set aside local seats for criteria-based schools.
Thanks for asking and posting the response!
I guess as to fairness, it'll all be in the actual numbers ... does the host school get 1/3 of the seats, or 1/5? Is it a min or max, or both?
Not sure why they can't just put all the kids in the region in the same pool and however it shakes out, it shakes out.
And risk a Rockville kid getting a seat at a Wooton program that a Wooton kid wanted? Never!
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:07
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Q: "new program themes don't align with the existing successful programs."
A: "nuh-uh, they do. SMACS is a Pathway, not a Theme. All regions have the same Themes, and comparable Pathways.
Our premier programs, we want to keep them. Global Ecology is a pathway in "Leadership" theme.
There will be 'comparable' not identical programs. 'Social Justice' pathway is the comparable alternative to Global Ecology, for example "
WTH??!?!?
Poolseville keeps global ecology, but only region 6 kids get to apply.
Whitman keeps social justice, but only region 1 kids get to apply.
Magruder keeps aviation, but only region 5 kids get to apply.
RM keeps the premier IB program in the county, but only Churchill, Wooton and Rockville kids can apply.
So equity. Much abundance. Very access. Wow.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:03
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
If you have more than 1 kid, MCPS doesn't want to hear about your 2nd+ kid(s), unless you have extra Gmail accounts.
(Gmail account required to submit form.)
(Gmail account required to submit form.)
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:03
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
Wow, you go MCPS! You have managed to state the obvious truth instead of stating an obvious lie!
Yup. I missed anything about reserved seats for home schools but I'm sure that's part of it too
Oh, I'm not attending but that's one of my biggest bugaboos and I would love if someone asked about the extra seats for the host school.
Also would love if someone asked why the lowest-FARMS school in each of the 6 districts was chosen to host the humanities magnet.
I asked about this and the way it was answered, my understanding is that they will set aside local seats for criteria-based schools.
Thanks for asking and posting the response!
I guess as to fairness, it'll all be in the actual numbers ... does the host school get 1/3 of the seats, or 1/5? Is it a min or max, or both?
Not sure why they can't just put all the kids in the region in the same pool and however it shakes out, it shakes out.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:01
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Oops.
Feedback form survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1E6bFxQNo8F4_OdQiE3t7kn47l28lG0IxXZtbF7xbFnZF1Q/viewform
3 line limit on feedback
Anonymous
10/22/2025 13:01
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:"Criteria programs will have specific metrics and their students who meet them will be placed in a lottery for access".
Admitting that even with many regions and many regional programs they won't have enough seats to meet all the kids who qualify.
Wow, you go MCPS! You have managed to state the obvious truth instead of stating an obvious lie!
Yup. I missed anything about reserved seats for home schools but I'm sure that's part of it too
Oh, I'm not attending but that's one of my biggest bugaboos and I would love if someone asked about the extra seats for the host school.
Also would love if someone asked why the lowest-FARMS school in each of the 6 districts was chosen to host the humanities magnet.
I asked about this and the way it was answered, my understanding is that they will set aside local seats for criteria-based schools.
Anonymous
10/22/2025 12:59
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
Anonymous wrote:Oops.
Feedback form survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1E6bFxQNo8F4_OdQiE3t7kn47l28lG0IxXZtbF7xbFnZF1Q/viewform
It's in Spanish!
Anonymous
10/22/2025 12:58
Subject: Making the most of the MCPS sessions on regional model 10/22 and 10/27
That's a wrap!