Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Program Regionalization topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students and parents criticize proposed regionalization of countywide programs; Northwood communities say magnet programs were moved without adequate engagement
Summary
Multiple students, parents and PTA leaders testified that proposed changes to countywide and regional programs would reduce opportunities for historically underrepresented schools, citing recent shifts that would move several magnet programs from Northwood High School to Albert Einstein High School and other sites.
Students and parents filled the public‑comment period with testimony opposing parts of MCPS's proposed regionalization of countywide programs and the reallocation of specific magnet/criteria programs.
Northwood students and representatives said recent proposals would remove planned programs — including a medical‑science program and other academic magnets — from Northwood and reassign them to Albert Einstein High School and other sites. "When communities like Northwood are shaped by decades of redlining and systemic inequality, seeing programs that promise to provide equity become stripped away from us only proves that history is repeating itself," said Lou Dawid, a Northwood sophomore.
Parents and PTAs argued the changes reduce real opportunities rather than expand them: Amy Mix, president of the Northwood PTSA, called the move "tone deaf and disingenuous" and said community input had not been meaningfully incorporated. Community members also raised concerns about capacity and logistics if several previously announced programs move to different campuses.
Other speakers addressed the broader "regionalization" plan that would convert countywide criteria‑based programs into regional offerings. Steven Jascourt, a parent, said concentrating programs at established centers built “a culture of excellence” and asked how that quality could be preserved if pipelines of students and teachers are spread across many regions.
Board response: multiple members asked staff to share the latest program lists for all schools and to ensure community input is included as options are revised. Staff said they will distribute updated program options and continue engagement.
