Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is changing that would eliminate the elective?

They are considering moving from a block schedule to a standard seven period day. Because the magnet kids lose an elective to computer science, moving from eight classes to seven classes would mean they only get one elective. Kids in the comprehensive program would still have two electives.

This is a backwards move, for sure. I think the whole county should shift to block schedule. It is so much better for kids to be able to plan HW completion over 2 days.

If you've been in a classroom lately, you'd know that block scheduling is terrible especially in this day and age. Kids cannot focus for more than 30 minutes, those extra 15 feel like pulling teeth sometimes...90 minutes? Give me a break.

I much prefer block days a a parent.

How, as a parent, does it affect you? You're not the one going to school, sitting in 90 minute classes. Students HATE block scheduling.

Students LOVE block scheduling!

Teacher here. Wrong on every level. All we hear are constant complaints about block scheduling from students. No complaints when I worked at a standard 7 day period, 43 minute class school.

What are the complaints and are you at a magnet school?

My slow processing gifted kid prefers longer classes with fewer per day.

Non-academic gives love running around the halls and unpacking and packing instead of engaging with class.

Not a magnet, but they complain how bored they are in 90 minute classes and they want to take all their classes every day. Some kids only go to school because of certain electives or classes that really interest them and not having them every day makes school a struggle for them. As a teacher, I can see how even the best students are unfocused after a period of time. It’s too long to be sitting in one class.

Anonymous wrote:What rationale has the school presented for wanting to make this change?

"TPMS Bell Schedule for the 2025-2026 School Year
Last year, our staff expressed an interest in re-examining our bell schedule. We convened a committee to engage our stakeholders to provide feedback on the benefits and drawbacks of our current bell schedule and the ways in which it both benefits student learning and teacher's ability to deliver high quality instruction and was in which it complicates teaching and learning. We used multi-stakeholder feedback to examine multiple options. Last week, we engaged our teaching staff to provide an update and get their feedback. This week, we will be engaging our 6th and 7th grade students, on Wednesday, through our advisory period. This Thursday, we will be holding a 6th and 7th grade parent meeting to engage our parents and caregivers."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And that's why it is.... but we ALSO want band and language. We want 3 electives.

Then go to Loiederman, not a STEM magnet. Seems to me that that locked-in CS non-elective at TPMS is the proverbial price of admission.

Remember, attending the TPMS magnet is a choice. If the terms of engagement are changing, and you don't like the new terms, you have every right to return to your home school if it's important enough to you.

An enrichmed accelerated magnet school should be adding to the core curriculum, not replacing the core curriculum. If your kid can't handle all of it, they shouldn't go. Calling it an enriched/advanced program but throwing 1/8th of the curriculum in the trash is a scam.

If all you want is 7 regular honors classes, home school provides that just fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should make the mind-numbing CS class an elective, so the academically advanced kids kids can take language and music classes, and do CS using one of the many free curricula at home.

The point of TP magnet is that it is a math and science magnet. Not a magnet school for language and music. Don't want them to take computer science? Your home school is an option! Plenty of willing and able kids to take their place!

I think the problem is that there's an equity issue here. Taking a language course is a prerequisite for consideration at any of the IB programs. Magnet kids currently have two electives so they can take a world language and something else. But this shift would mean that magnet kids only have one elective and they would need to use that for a world language. If they want to play an instrument, or take an art class, or explore theater, they can't do so.

Middle school is too young to lock kids into a rigid box, and the current system lets even kids who are interested in math and science explore other types of intelligence.

Equity issue? If you want to get picky about equity issues, the equity issue is your kid having a whole special magnet program that no one else gets. The audacity of complaining about electives in light of this is breathtaking in its hypocrisy. Locking kids into a rigid box? OK, don't go to the magnet, then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should make the mind-numbing CS class an elective, so the academically advanced kids kids can take language and music classes, and do CS using one of the many free curricula at home.

The point of TP magnet is that it is a math and science magnet. Not a magnet school for language and music. Don't want them to take computer science? Your home school is an option! Plenty of willing and able kids to take their place!

+1. Someone forgot what SMCS stands for.

Wrong school, ma'am.

Anonymous wrote:And that's why it is.... but we ALSO want band and language. We want 3 electives.

Then go to Loiederman, not a STEM magnet. Seems to me that that locked-in CS non-elective at TPMS is the proverbial price of admission.

Remember, attending the TPMS magnet is a choice. If the terms of engagement are changing, and you don't like the new terms, you have every right to return to your home school if it's important enough to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should make the mind-numbing CS class an elective, so the academically advanced kids kids can take language and music classes, and do CS using one of the many free curricula at home.

The point of TP magnet is that it is a math and science magnet. Not a magnet school for language and music. Don't want them to take computer science? Your home school is an option! Plenty of willing and able kids to take their place!

I think the problem is that there's an equity issue here. Taking a language course is a prerequisite for consideration at any of the IB programs. Magnet kids currently have two electives so they can take a world language and something else. But this shift would mean that magnet kids only have one elective and they would need to use that for a world language. If they want to play an instrument, or take an art class, or explore theater, they can't do so.

Middle school is too young to lock kids into a rigid box, and the current system lets even kids who are interested in math and science explore other types of intelligence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is changing that would eliminate the elective?

They are considering moving from a block schedule to a standard seven period day. Because the magnet kids lose an elective to computer science, moving from eight classes to seven classes would mean they only get one elective. Kids in the comprehensive program would still have two electives.

This is a backwards move, for sure. I think the whole county should shift to block schedule. It is so much better for kids to be able to plan HW completion over 2 days.

If you've been in a classroom lately, you'd know that block scheduling is terrible especially in this day and age. Kids cannot focus for more than 30 minutes, those extra 15 feel like pulling teeth sometimes...90 minutes? Give me a break.

I much prefer block days a a parent.

How, as a parent, does it affect you? You're not the one going to school, sitting in 90 minute classes. Students HATE block scheduling.

Students LOVE block scheduling!

Teacher here. Wrong on every level. All we hear are constant complaints about block scheduling from students. No complaints when I worked at a standard 7 day period, 43 minute class school.

What are the complaints and are you at a magnet school?

My slow processing gifted kid prefers longer classes with fewer per day.

Non-academic gives love running around the halls and unpacking and packing instead of engaging with class.

Not a teacher, but my ADHD (inattentive type) kid would not be able to focus for that long. And she needs the movement breaks between classes.

I love how the PP you replied to just had to get some BS jab in there in an attempt to make a point. Unreal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should make the mind-numbing CS class an elective, so the academically advanced kids kids can take language and music classes, and do CS using one of the many free curricula at home.

The point of TP magnet is that it is a math and science magnet. Not a magnet school for language and music. Don't want them to take computer science? Your home school is an option! Plenty of willing and able kids to take their place!

+1. Someone forgot what SMCS stands for.

Anonymous wrote:They should make the mind-numbing CS class an elective, so the academically advanced kids kids can take language and music classes, and do CS using one of the many free curricula at home.

The point of TP magnet is that it is a math and science magnet. Not a magnet school for language and music. Don't want them to take computer science? Your home school is an option! Plenty of willing and able kids to take their place!

And that's why it is.... but we ALSO want band and language. We want 3 electives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should make the mind-numbing CS class an elective, so the academically advanced kids kids can take language and music classes, and do CS using one of the many free curricula at home.

This. Or offer CS as an after school enrichment activity for magnet/all TPMS kids.

My TPMS magnet graduate did not enjoy or get much out of CS, but would have been very sad to miss out on orchestra or Spanish!

Neither of my TPMS magnet kids found comp sci to be “mind-numbing” - in fact it’s many magnet kids favorite class. My Blair magnet kid found it great preparation for the Blair magnet comp sci classes. There has been a lot of teacher turnover though so it may vary by teacher.

That's why it should be an elective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is changing that would eliminate the elective?

They are considering moving from a block schedule to a standard seven period day. Because the magnet kids lose an elective to computer science, moving from eight classes to seven classes would mean they only get one elective. Kids in the comprehensive program would still have two electives.

This is a backwards move, for sure. I think the whole county should shift to block schedule. It is so much better for kids to be able to plan HW completion over 2 days.

If you've been in a classroom lately, you'd know that block scheduling is terrible especially in this day and age. Kids cannot focus for more than 30 minutes, those extra 15 feel like pulling teeth sometimes...90 minutes? Give me a break.

I much prefer block days a a parent.

How, as a parent, does it affect you? You're not the one going to school, sitting in 90 minute classes. Students HATE block scheduling.

Students LOVE block scheduling!

Teacher here. Wrong on every level. All we hear are constant complaints about block scheduling from students. No complaints when I worked at a standard 7 day period, 43 minute class school.

What are the complaints and are you at a magnet school?

My slow processing gifted kid prefers longer classes with fewer per day.

Non-academic gives love running around the halls and unpacking and packing instead of engaging with class.

Not a teacher, but my ADHD (inattentive type) kid would not be able to focus for that long. And she needs the movement breaks between classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is changing that would eliminate the elective?

They are considering moving from a block schedule to a standard seven period day. Because the magnet kids lose an elective to computer science, moving from eight classes to seven classes would mean they only get one elective. Kids in the comprehensive program would still have two electives.

This is a backwards move, for sure. I think the whole county should shift to block schedule. It is so much better for kids to be able to plan HW completion over 2 days.

If you've been in a classroom lately, you'd know that block scheduling is terrible especially in this day and age. Kids cannot focus for more than 30 minutes, those extra 15 feel like pulling teeth sometimes...90 minutes? Give me a break.

I much prefer block days a a parent.

How, as a parent, does it affect you? You're not the one going to school, sitting in 90 minute classes. Students HATE block scheduling.

Students LOVE block scheduling!

Teacher here. Wrong on every level. All we hear are constant complaints about block scheduling from students. No complaints when I worked at a standard 7 day period, 43 minute class school.

What are the complaints and are you at a magnet school?

My slow processing gifted kid prefers longer classes with fewer per day.

Non-academic gives love running around the halls and unpacking and packing instead of engaging with class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is changing that would eliminate the elective?

They are considering moving from a block schedule to a standard seven period day. Because the magnet kids lose an elective to computer science, moving from eight classes to seven classes would mean they only get one elective. Kids in the comprehensive program would still have two electives.

This is a backwards move, for sure. I think the whole county should shift to block schedule. It is so much better for kids to be able to plan HW completion over 2 days.

If you've been in a classroom lately, you'd know that block scheduling is terrible especially in this day and age. Kids cannot focus for more than 30 minutes, those extra 15 feel like pulling teeth sometimes...90 minutes? Give me a break.

I much prefer block days a a parent.

How, as a parent, does it affect you? You're not the one going to school, sitting in 90 minute classes. Students HATE block scheduling.

My TPMS kid loved it. The switch to a standard schedule in HS was rough.

My Blaur kid lived the block. Made HW manageable

The block is positive for student mental health -- it means that students are no longer subject to the "homework every night due the next day" routine and gives them some flexibility to do homework and still have room for other obligations like.... a job, a community commitment, sports, or family commitments (like divorced kids switching houses who forget stuff). It also gives room for kids with disabilities who have extra time to complete assignments in time for the next class (even though they still get extra time, they would have to use it less often).