Anonymous wrote:MCPS in its haste to not let students from a handful of schools dominate the top magnets, wants to blow everything up and replace it with an even more inequitable and poorly thought-out system. The regional model severely reduces access to the prized magnets and the magnets will become a shell of its former self.

Why destroy DCC, a much-loved system that increases equity, and Einstein’s great art hub. Blair generates top STEM students because it draws the best of the best from half the county. And Global Ecology will only be accessible to 1/6 of the county. And what will happen to MSMC if there is no DCC.

MCPS should keep the current system and just put limits on the number of students from these 3–5 high schools (that it is so concerned about) who can attend these prized magnets.

This way MCPS can focus on more important issues, like making sure the majority of our students have a solid education in math and English. It has been doing a terrible job at this most basic task.

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Anonymous wrote:This rushed operation to pass this massive proposal is suspicious. It is bad faith to have unveiled the proposal at the end of the school year when everyone is getting ready for summer, and to try to pass it in December.

There is not a robust forum for community feedback, and it is doubtful MCPS can implement this enormous change well. Look at the subpar IB programs at Seneca Valley and Watkins Mill, for instance.

If MCPS’s proposal goes through, the excellent countywide programs will become smaller, staff will be moved to different schools, and you will not get the best of the best students, which is what made the programs great in the first place. Imagine if TJ suddenly limited its students to be only from city of Fairfax. It would become a husk of its former self. This is what will happen to Blair SMCS.

In addition, Einstein will definitely get the shaft and the great arts hub it developed over many years will be in an instant destroyed by this irresponsible administration.

Blair takes 60-80 kids per year in a flawed process of only looking at only a single data point of MAP-M. Having more programs more accessible to more kids, closer to their home schools is not a bad thing and will help mitigate the flawed selection process currently in place for SMCS.

I think people can have different opinions on the merit of the changes and still agree that the process has been terrible and it's not okay to make massive changes like this in a top-down way without getting input either from either parents/students about what they actually want and how they feel about potential changes, or from teachers and staff actually working in existing programs about what they do and what it would take to expand and duplicate programs well. But they didn't do either of those things, just had staff come up with a plan and now are rolling it out to people and presenting it as a done deal. And then they'll probably make a couple tiny tweaks and tell the Board it's them being responsive to feedback and the Board will somehow believe them.

For folks who had attended the webminars, please keep on emailing BOE and MCPS or do testimonies about how you observe the fact that the communication is one-way. Don’t let them easily slew away.

Here is what will happen:

1) MCPS will continue to lie and not listen to the community.

2) MCPS will attempt to implement this highly flawed plan.

3) The implementation will collapse because school transportation will be a fail.

4) The superintendent will be fired - oh wait, he will have quit right before the implementation stage to take a job at a university somewhere.

It depends on the BOE. They may be driving this but he’ll probably take the fall. I don’t get why they are doing this and have they secured the funding. However many families demanded smaller districts so maybe they are responding to that.

Anonymous wrote:I remember hearing about the Poolesville program and being upset that it’s only offered at one school and so far away from our house. My one child would have absolutely thrived there.

To me it makes sense to spread the resources across the county.

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know when MCPS will next update the BOE on the program analysis? I can only assume there will be updates to what programs will be offered at different schools, and I am curious how it will shake out. I think they have gotten a lot more negative feedback than they were expecting.

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know when MCPS will next update the BOE on the program analysis? I can only assume there will be updates to what programs will be offered at different schools, and I am curious how it will shake out. I think they have gotten a lot more negative feedback than they were expecting.

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know when MCPS will next update the BOE on the program analysis? I can only assume there will be updates to what programs will be offered at different schools, and I am curious how it will shake out. I think they have gotten a lot more negative feedback than they were expecting.

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Anonymous wrote:Here's an attempt to get some answers on the issues from a council member:

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/10/03/fani-gonzalez-raises-concerns-about-mcps-region-model/

Applause to this action! When BOE doesn’t do its duty, it’s great to elevate it to the county council level as they control the budget. Well done!👍

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Anonymous wrote:This rushed operation to pass this massive proposal is suspicious. It is bad faith to have unveiled the proposal at the end of the school year when everyone is getting ready for summer, and to try to pass it in December.

There is not a robust forum for community feedback, and it is doubtful MCPS can implement this enormous change well. Look at the subpar IB programs at Seneca Valley and Watkins Mill, for instance.

If MCPS’s proposal goes through, the excellent countywide programs will become smaller, staff will be moved to different schools, and you will not get the best of the best students, which is what made the programs great in the first place. Imagine if TJ suddenly limited its students to be only from city of Fairfax. It would become a husk of its former self. This is what will happen to Blair SMCS.

In addition, Einstein will definitely get the shaft and the great arts hub it developed over many years will be in an instant destroyed by this irresponsible administration.

Blair takes 60-80 kids per year in a flawed process of only looking at only a single data point of MAP-M. Having more programs more accessible to more kids, closer to their home schools is not a bad thing and will help mitigate the flawed selection process currently in place for SMCS.

I think people can have different opinions on the merit of the changes and still agree that the process has been terrible and it's not okay to make massive changes like this in a top-down way without getting input either from either parents/students about what they actually want and how they feel about potential changes, or from teachers and staff actually working in existing programs about what they do and what it would take to expand and duplicate programs well. But they didn't do either of those things, just had staff come up with a plan and now are rolling it out to people and presenting it as a done deal. And then they'll probably make a couple tiny tweaks and tell the Board it's them being responsive to feedback and the Board will somehow believe them.

For folks who had attended the webminars, please keep on emailing BOE and MCPS or do testimonies about how you observe the fact that the communication is one-way. Don’t let them easily slew away.

Here is what will happen:

1) MCPS will continue to lie and not listen to the community.

2) MCPS will attempt to implement this highly flawed plan.

3) The implementation will collapse because school transportation will be a fail.

4) The superintendent will be fired - oh wait, he will have quit right before the implementation stage to take a job at a university somewhere.

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Anonymous wrote:QO and Damascus have been swapped?

Looking at all the schools in the proposed QO regional magnet - it looks like this would be the weakest regional magnet.

Already a thread on this:

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1295183.page

Anonymous wrote:QO and Damascus have been swapped?

Looking at all the schools in the proposed QO regional magnet - it looks like this would be the weakest regional magnet.