Anonymous
Post 10/21/2025 08:23     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
My child left a well regarded private school to go to the Blair SMCS magnet. When they turned 16, they got a car and now easily drive to school. We 100% recognize this as privilege and they do as well, compared to many of their friends that have to bus an hour to school now.

We would have loved for our home school to have a highly advanced track and our kid to be able to have the manifold benefits of going to a neighborhood school with neighborhood friends and still get advanced coursework. If MCPS can hire/spread out the teachers to make this plan happen, we are all for it.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2025 07:46     Subject: Re:Why do parents from high FARMS school
I haven't read all of the comments. It has nothing to do with what the parents want, it about test scores. The schools with significant needs often have lower test scores. To counter that, MCPS put programs for advanced students into those schools to help bring up those test scores.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2025 07:36     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:or maybe your school's administration has a better grasp on where dollars need to be spent.


+1

Principals can’t make everyone happy and need to meet the school’s needs as best as they can. If only a few kids want to take a class, that is not a good use of the school’s budget even if it’s what your child wants. Maybe you can see if there is a virtual option if your child can’t get to MC?


You do realize there is no virtual option in MCPS. And, the few virtual options at MC are during the school day at odd hours that conflict with classes at school or after school or evenings when activities occur. MCPS should provide equal classes to all sttudents. These schools are higher farms because people bail. After all, their kids needs aren't getting met. More families will bail if this trend continues.


Fine, take away all advanced classes in magnets, cancel IB in all schools, take away special arts programs, and make sure that no school offers anything extra. That will really solve things.

Get over yourself. MCPS is trying hard to make things more equitable for everyone- high and low FARMS schools. Yet parents only find fault. Will it be perfect right away? Absolutely not, but it is a great step for this county.


Sounds good. MCPS wants equity. Or, how about being reasonable and having more offerings for schools with limited offerings. Its interesting you don't see to have a problem with this as you don't care about the huge inequities at the different schools.

We want our kids to have the same opportunities as yours. Is that unreasonable? We all pay for these schools.


I. Agree. With. You. The core at all high schools needs to be strong. There will be differences in electives offered at each school. Maybe we should brainstorm a list of essential offerings starting with the MCPS proposal of core classes. What do you think is missing from that list?
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2025 07:36     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why do we want our kids to have equal academic opportunities? You really have to ask that?


No- I did not say that. How would having a regional program at a different school prevent East county students from having equal academic opportunities? I am only asking why the academic programs MUST be in high FARMS schools according to those in the DCC who have already had increased access to programs for years?


The only families that have had increased access in the past are those who had high schoolers in the past. If a family’s kids are younger they didn’t get a benefit.

But in addition to that, if you have one kid who already has the option of Whitman, and one kid who only has a lesser option, why would you prioritize the Whitman kid when handing out the next option?
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2025 07:00     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:feel that the "academic" programs need to be at their school? This is not supposed to be about making these schools have equal FARMS rates, but rather about having equal acccess for all students in the county. For too long, Blair, which is located down in the bottom of the county and not close to most students, has held the programs with the big draw. Students choose not to go due to the long bus rides. Certainly, my child at Churchill would not consider it. Now they are trying to make it so all students are not too far away and adding more seats- this is a good thing. Do I think it is going to be hard to implement- yes. But I like the thinking. And I do not think that they need to consider FARMS rates when choosing which program is placed in each school. Existing teachers, space, and interest should dominate the thinking.


Putting high-demand academic programs in low-income schools is a time-tested strategy for raising the performance of the school and/or preventing families from leaving the area. That’s why the Blair magnet was placed there. Same with the RM magnet.

Placing high-demand academic programs in high-performing schools that already receive substantial community support is gilding the lily.


then why did the Kennedy IB program fail?


IIRC, it became a regional magnet in 2020 or 2021. COVID made it hard to build it up in the first few years.


This is my theory

Most white people are okay with diversity but if the number of nonwhite kids gets too high they get uncomfortable. Blair is like 22% white vs Kennedy is 5%
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 21:45     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:Why don't we move all the high level classes from your school to put them at schools that have much less, and you see how your kids feel when they don't have access to the classes they want.


What are the classes in the more “resourceful” high schools offer that are unique to these schools?
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 21:23     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:or maybe your school's administration has a better grasp on where dollars need to be spent.


+1

Principals can’t make everyone happy and need to meet the school’s needs as best as they can. If only a few kids want to take a class, that is not a good use of the school’s budget even if it’s what your child wants. Maybe you can see if there is a virtual option if your child can’t get to MC?


And this is why regional magnets make sense. Combine Northwood with Einstein, Kennedy and Wheaton and you will have enough students for a range of advanced classes


Isn’t that the plan? Combine schools to meet the needs of more students.


They aren't combining schools. They are having students return to their home schools and offering a handful of slots to each of the schools in your region. They will offer a few lottery/test in programs and that's it.

Wheaton is the only school in that group with advance classes and they wouldn't have the space except if you continued something like the DCC where kids do rankings.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:58     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:or maybe your school's administration has a better grasp on where dollars need to be spent.


+1

Principals can’t make everyone happy and need to meet the school’s needs as best as they can. If only a few kids want to take a class, that is not a good use of the school’s budget even if it’s what your child wants. Maybe you can see if there is a virtual option if your child can’t get to MC?


And this is why regional magnets make sense. Combine Northwood with Einstein, Kennedy and Wheaton and you will have enough students for a range of advanced classes


Isn’t that the plan? Combine schools to meet the needs of more students.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:58     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^this is the MVC poster.


No, I want far more than MVC.


Please elaborate. Don’t be shy
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:56     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:or maybe your school's administration has a better grasp on where dollars need to be spent.


+1

Principals can’t make everyone happy and need to meet the school’s needs as best as they can. If only a few kids want to take a class, that is not a good use of the school’s budget even if it’s what your child wants. Maybe you can see if there is a virtual option if your child can’t get to MC?


And this is why regional magnets make sense. Combine Northwood with Einstein, Kennedy and Wheaton and you will have enough students for a range of advanced classes
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:34     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It strikes me that this board likely has very little knowledge regarding what needs a high-FARMS school has, instead focusing on a desire for specific advanced coursework.


Please, enlighten us. High Farms schools have a mix of students with a huge range of abilities. In reality, very few students needs are being met, especially the high achievers. Why should the high achievers from one school get less than another school?

Or, how about creating a special school for all the high achievers at all the high farms schools to offer these classes that your kids get? And, MCPS provide bus service.


from https://marylandeducators.org/high-poverty-schools/

"Schools in high poverty communities need the across-the-board interventions the Blueprint provides. The expansion of community schools is just one vehicle for support. Expanded special education funding, new pre-k programs, ramped up staffing with more educators who look like their students, increased small group tutoring, and much more available career and technical education—all of these elements of the Blueprint point to lifting and supporting students experiencing poverty.
...
The Blueprint calls for and funds the hiring of high-quality and diverse pre-k–12 educators across the board, including more bilingual teachers, counselors, paraeducators, and support staff who can effectively support and assist English language learner students and their families. These educators can help bridge many of the gaps non-English speaking families face as they support their students."

....for example as to what high-FARMS/poverty schools need.


Having core classes in Spanish would be very helpful until students can grasp English. Not speaking English does not mean they are less capable, they just don't speak the language. Math, science and history classes could easily be taught in Spanish.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:30     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It strikes me that this board likely has very little knowledge regarding what needs a high-FARMS school has, instead focusing on a desire for specific advanced coursework.


Please, enlighten us. High Farms schools have a mix of students with a huge range of abilities. In reality, very few students needs are being met, especially the high achievers. Why should the high achievers from one school get less than another school?

Or, how about creating a special school for all the high achievers at all the high farms schools to offer these classes that your kids get? And, MCPS provide bus service.


from https://marylandeducators.org/high-poverty-schools/

"Schools in high poverty communities need the across-the-board interventions the Blueprint provides. The expansion of community schools is just one vehicle for support. Expanded special education funding, new pre-k programs, ramped up staffing with more educators who look like their students, increased small group tutoring, and much more available career and technical education—all of these elements of the Blueprint point to lifting and supporting students experiencing poverty.
...
The Blueprint calls for and funds the hiring of high-quality and diverse pre-k–12 educators across the board, including more bilingual teachers, counselors, paraeducators, and support staff who can effectively support and assist English language learner students and their families. These educators can help bridge many of the gaps non-English speaking families face as they support their students."

....for example as to what high-FARMS/poverty schools need.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:27     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^this is the MVC poster.


No, I want far more than MVC.


but you are the MVC poster.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:26     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:^^this is the MVC poster.


No, I want far more than MVC.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2025 20:25     Subject: Why do parents from high FARMS school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:or maybe your school's administration has a better grasp on where dollars need to be spent.


+1

Principals can’t make everyone happy and need to meet the school’s needs as best as they can. If only a few kids want to take a class, that is not a good use of the school’s budget even if it’s what your child wants. Maybe you can see if there is a virtual option if your child can’t get to MC?


You do realize there is no virtual option in MCPS. And, the few virtual options at MC are during the school day at odd hours that conflict with classes at school or after school or evenings when activities occur. MCPS should provide equal classes to all sttudents. These schools are higher farms because people bail. After all, their kids needs aren't getting met. More families will bail if this trend continues.


Fine, take away all advanced classes in magnets, cancel IB in all schools, take away special arts programs, and make sure that no school offers anything extra. That will really solve things.

Get over yourself. MCPS is trying hard to make things more equitable for everyone- high and low FARMS schools. Yet parents only find fault. Will it be perfect right away? Absolutely not, but it is a great step for this county.


Sounds good. MCPS wants equity. Or, how about being reasonable and having more offerings for schools with limited offerings. Its interesting you don't see to have a problem with this as you don't care about the huge inequities at the different schools.

We want our kids to have the same opportunities as yours. Is that unreasonable? We all pay for these schools.