Anonymous wrote:All of Kensington should go to Einstein.

I agree. But my, what a preppy riot would ensue over in Parkwood.

Anonymous wrote:
Are you for real? Do you genuinely not understand that people pay more for houses in certain school districts? It's not about entitlement, it's about getting what you pay (and scrimp and save and sacrifice other things) for.

Actually, it's getting what you gambled for. You gambled that the school boundaries wouldn't change. If the boundaries don't change, you win the gamble. If the boundaries do change, you lose the gamble. When you signed your papers, they did not include a guarantee from MCPS that the boundaries would never change.

Also, I could scrimp and save and sacrifice from now until doomsday, and I still wouldn't be able to afford a house in the Whitman boundaries. The people who pay more for houses in boundaries for certain schools are, by definition, people who are able to pay more for houses in boundaries for certain schools. (It's all the same school district, namely MCPS.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Redistributing kids" won't solve the problem. Kids self-segregate - even in some very diverse schools. In the "W schools," they'll self-segregate by money. Do you honestly think some kid living in low-income housing will be welcomed by the kid in the mansion? doubtful

And sprinkling in a few kids coming from disadvantaged homes will make them stand out, as most will be black and Hispanic. Is that fair?

If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire. But I know that this solution will not work either.

This solution actually does work.

I don't know if a kid in a mansion will welcome a kid living in low-income housing, and I don't know if it's fair to make disadvantaged kids to stand out.

What I do know is that the educational outcomes for poor kids are a lot better in low-poverty schools than in high-poverty schools.

which fails to take into account grade inflation - as the pressure is on to pass minority students

Talk to any of the Hispanic and black males who come out of a W school and enter alternative settings. Ask them how comfortable they felt in a W school. It's not just about grades, which mean nothing in this day and age. It's about well-being.

Finally, let's see how accepting the neighborhoods in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac will be if the county decides to change boundaries. You will have a fight on your hands as property values immediately plummet - especially if low-incoming housing is thrown into the mix.

So even IF the kids are welcoming, their parents won't be.

So what? We all bought houses in MoCo, districted to MCPS. No one is entitled to a specific school with specific demographics, no matter how much they paid for their house. No one.

Are you for real? Do you genuinely not understand that people pay more for houses in certain school districts? It's not about entitlement, it's about getting what you pay (and scrimp and save and sacrifice other things) for.

The only families affected are those, like mine, who I would have to say 98% of my children's classmates will not be willing to send their kids to a better school across the county because: they don't care; they feel the education they are getting at the home school is fine - and it is because these are the kids that the teachers cater to; it is logistically difficult to have a kid that far away; and they aren't as a hung up about school differences as those of us on DCUM are. Trust me - I may be the only mom at my child's school that even knows what the W schools are and what meager options exist for those that can't afford to live there. I like the idea one poster had to have one school in each consortium really focus on high achievers. Not just high school - do this for elementary and middle school, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Redistributing kids" won't solve the problem. Kids self-segregate - even in some very diverse schools. In the "W schools," they'll self-segregate by money. Do you honestly think some kid living in low-income housing will be welcomed by the kid in the mansion? doubtful

And sprinkling in a few kids coming from disadvantaged homes will make them stand out, as most will be black and Hispanic. Is that fair?

If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire. But I know that this solution will not work either.

This solution actually does work.

I don't know if a kid in a mansion will welcome a kid living in low-income housing, and I don't know if it's fair to make disadvantaged kids to stand out.

What I do know is that the educational outcomes for poor kids are a lot better in low-poverty schools than in high-poverty schools.

which fails to take into account grade inflation - as the pressure is on to pass minority students

Talk to any of the Hispanic and black males who come out of a W school and enter alternative settings. Ask them how comfortable they felt in a W school. It's not just about grades, which mean nothing in this day and age. It's about well-being.

Finally, let's see how accepting the neighborhoods in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac will be if the county decides to change boundaries. You will have a fight on your hands as property values immediately plummet - especially if low-incoming housing is thrown into the mix.

So even IF the kids are welcoming, their parents won't be.

So what? We all bought houses in MoCo, districted to MCPS. No one is entitled to a specific school with specific demographics, no matter how much they paid for their house. No one.

Are you for real? Do you genuinely not understand that people pay more for houses in certain school districts? It's not about entitlement, it's about getting what you pay (and scrimp and save and sacrifice other things) for.

All of Kensington should go to Einstein.

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of talk about what happens when the less affluent students are introduced into the more affluent schools. Why aren't we re-drawing the lines or proposing bussing that would start assigning the well-off kids to the schools with high FARMS rates?

Because putting poor students in affluent schools is already politically difficult enough. A plan to put affluent students in poor schools would be dead on arrival. Plus, even if it weren't, affluent parents would take their children out of public school and put them in private schools. Nobody loves the idea of sending their child halfway across the county to go to school, but affluent parents are able to buy their way out of it.

Now, if you had a magic wand that you could wave to implement Warren Buffett's solution of assigning children to public schools by random lottery, plus ban private schools, that would be different.

There's a lot of talk about what happens when the less affluent students are introduced into the more affluent schools. Why aren't we re-drawing the lines or proposing bussing that would start assigning the well-off kids to the schools with high FARMS rates?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Redistributing kids" won't solve the problem. Kids self-segregate - even in some very diverse schools. In the "W schools," they'll self-segregate by money. Do you honestly think some kid living in low-income housing will be welcomed by the kid in the mansion? doubtful

And sprinkling in a few kids coming from disadvantaged homes will make them stand out, as most will be black and Hispanic. Is that fair?

If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire. But I know that this solution will not work either.

This solution actually does work.

I don't know if a kid in a mansion will welcome a kid living in low-income housing, and I don't know if it's fair to make disadvantaged kids to stand out.

What I do know is that the educational outcomes for poor kids are a lot better in low-poverty schools than in high-poverty schools.

which fails to take into account grade inflation - as the pressure is on to pass minority students

Talk to any of the Hispanic and black males who come out of a W school and enter alternative settings. Ask them how comfortable they felt in a W school. It's not just about grades, which mean nothing in this day and age. It's about well-being.

Finally, let's see how accepting the neighborhoods in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac will be if the county decides to change boundaries. You will have a fight on your hands as property values immediately plummet - especially if low-incoming housing is thrown into the mix.

So even IF the kids are welcoming, their parents won't be.

Outcomes = standardized test scores, actually. But I'm impressed by your assumption that if minority students get good grades, it must be the result of grade inflation. I'm also impressed by your concern for the well-being and happiness of poor students who go to schools where lots of people are rich. I wonder if there are many poor parents who turn down an opportunity to go to a public school with a great academic reputation, on grounds that their child would feel uncomfortable there.

And yes, the affluent residents of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac tend to scream in outrage at the slightest prospect of any effort that might possibly have the minor effect of making their neighborhoods marginally less homogeneously affluent. Everybody knows this. That doesn't make it right, though.

Grade inflation affects everyone.

And my comment is not an assumption; it's what's been told to us year after year after year.

So please don't assume, as you know nothing about my background or experiences.

wow -- told to you by whom? we are an AA family and our child's grades are not inflated -- and yes I am educated enough to know the difference. Your racism, assumptions, and ignorance is astounding.

simplyy put,

you can't govern lazy parents that don't give a rats ass.

Low performing schools are primarily comprised of low income kids and kids with parents who speak other languages. Many of these kids would have improved test scores if they received extra support in a variety of areas (not just academic). MCPS should research the community school model that incorporates community centers and social service hubs within the school. Hungry kids get fed, parents have access to resources, tutoring is available after school, and free sports/activities are offered to keep kids off the street. We know how to improve outcomes... We have the research. But these kinds of models cost money. Moving poor kids to a different school in a nicer area won't magically solve the problem.

Signed,

A public interest lawyer who has worked on poverty related issues for a million years

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Redistributing kids" won't solve the problem. Kids self-segregate - even in some very diverse schools. In the "W schools," they'll self-segregate by money. Do you honestly think some kid living in low-income housing will be welcomed by the kid in the mansion? doubtful

And sprinkling in a few kids coming from disadvantaged homes will make them stand out, as most will be black and Hispanic. Is that fair?

If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire. But I know that this solution will not work either.

This solution actually does work.

I don't know if a kid in a mansion will welcome a kid living in low-income housing, and I don't know if it's fair to make disadvantaged kids to stand out.

What I do know is that the educational outcomes for poor kids are a lot better in low-poverty schools than in high-poverty schools.

which fails to take into account grade inflation - as the pressure is on to pass minority students

Talk to any of the Hispanic and black males who come out of a W school and enter alternative settings. Ask them how comfortable they felt in a W school. It's not just about grades, which mean nothing in this day and age. It's about well-being.

Finally, let's see how accepting the neighborhoods in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac will be if the county decides to change boundaries. You will have a fight on your hands as property values immediately plummet - especially if low-incoming housing is thrown into the mix.

So even IF the kids are welcoming, their parents won't be.

So what? We all bought houses in MoCo, districted to MCPS. No one is entitled to a specific school with specific demographics, no matter how much they paid for their house. No one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Redistributing kids" won't solve the problem. Kids self-segregate - even in some very diverse schools. In the "W schools," they'll self-segregate by money. Do you honestly think some kid living in low-income housing will be welcomed by the kid in the mansion? doubtful

And sprinkling in a few kids coming from disadvantaged homes will make them stand out, as most will be black and Hispanic. Is that fair?

If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire. But I know that this solution will not work either.

This solution actually does work.

I don't know if a kid in a mansion will welcome a kid living in low-income housing, and I don't know if it's fair to make disadvantaged kids to stand out.

What I do know is that the educational outcomes for poor kids are a lot better in low-poverty schools than in high-poverty schools.

which fails to take into account grade inflation - as the pressure is on to pass minority students

Talk to any of the Hispanic and black males who come out of a W school and enter alternative settings. Ask them how comfortable they felt in a W school. It's not just about grades, which mean nothing in this day and age. It's about well-being.

Finally, let's see how accepting the neighborhoods in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac will be if the county decides to change boundaries. You will have a fight on your hands as property values immediately plummet - especially if low-incoming housing is thrown into the mix.

So even IF the kids are welcoming, their parents won't be.

Outcomes = standardized test scores, actually. But I'm impressed by your assumption that if minority students get good grades, it must be the result of grade inflation. I'm also impressed by your concern for the well-being and happiness of poor students who go to schools where lots of people are rich. I wonder if there are many poor parents who turn down an opportunity to go to a public school with a great academic reputation, on grounds that their child would feel uncomfortable there.

And yes, the affluent residents of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac tend to scream in outrage at the slightest prospect of any effort that might possibly have the minor effect of making their neighborhoods marginally less homogeneously affluent. Everybody knows this. That doesn't make it right, though.

Grade inflation affects everyone.

And my comment is not an assumption; it's what's been told to us year after year after year.

So please don't assume, as you know nothing about my background or experiences.

I live in the DCC and I do believe that the net effect of the consortium is to weaken certain schools. There are LOTS of middle to upper middle class families here with high performing kids. If they all went to their home schools, and the home schools had enriching and challenging programs, those schools would do better.

As it is, the high performers just shuffle around between Blair and Einstein, which already were the best options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Redistributing kids" won't solve the problem. Kids self-segregate - even in some very diverse schools. In the "W schools," they'll self-segregate by money. Do you honestly think some kid living in low-income housing will be welcomed by the kid in the mansion? doubtful

And sprinkling in a few kids coming from disadvantaged homes will make them stand out, as most will be black and Hispanic. Is that fair?

If I had the answer, I'd be a millionaire. But I know that this solution will not work either.

This solution actually does work.

I don't know if a kid in a mansion will welcome a kid living in low-income housing, and I don't know if it's fair to make disadvantaged kids to stand out.

What I do know is that the educational outcomes for poor kids are a lot better in low-poverty schools than in high-poverty schools.

which fails to take into account grade inflation - as the pressure is on to pass minority students

Talk to any of the Hispanic and black males who come out of a W school and enter alternative settings. Ask them how comfortable they felt in a W school. It's not just about grades, which mean nothing in this day and age. It's about well-being.

Finally, let's see how accepting the neighborhoods in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac will be if the county decides to change boundaries. You will have a fight on your hands as property values immediately plummet - especially if low-incoming housing is thrown into the mix.

So even IF the kids are welcoming, their parents won't be.

Outcomes = standardized test scores, actually. But I'm impressed by your assumption that if minority students get good grades, it must be the result of grade inflation. I'm also impressed by your concern for the well-being and happiness of poor students who go to schools where lots of people are rich. I wonder if there are many poor parents who turn down an opportunity to go to a public school with a great academic reputation, on grounds that their child would feel uncomfortable there.

And yes, the affluent residents of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac tend to scream in outrage at the slightest prospect of any effort that might possibly have the minor effect of making their neighborhoods marginally less homogeneously affluent. Everybody knows this. That doesn't make it right, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the whole point of redistricting is to avoid schools made up of struggling students.

What needs to happen is assign one school in the consortium to be for higher performing students. I am currently in the NEC and would love for one of the 3 schools to be dedicated or offer a magent program for the higher performing kids. Instead - they are mixing every level together and this is not helping anyone. I also agree with parent and student accountability. If you want your kid in the more challenging school, you will do what it takes to make it possible.

Springbrook has the IB program. While it's opt in (only RM has test in), many kids opt out b/c it's too hard - or they drop out once they've "committed." I'd say that's a magnet minus testing, as any DP (diplomma programme - 11th and 12th) must follow rigorous guidelines or risk losing accreditation.

same is true for MYP, which is a philosophical framework for grades 6-10