Foundation News: Spring 2022

The Magnet Foundation Board has resumed in-person meetings, holding a hybrid meeting in early April.

The Board recently approved several grants:

• $600 to support Pi Day celebrations at Blair (@blairprincipal)

• $800 to send teachers to the Bond Academy conference

• $3,500 to support the Montgomery County ARML Team

• $4,200 to support the Montgomery Blair Math Tournament for middle school students

• $5,000 to help students and chaperones attend the HOSA International Leadership Conference

Save the Date: The Foundation is planning a Magnet reunion for Saturday, August 27, 2022!

The Foundation Board is monitoring changes in MCPS policies regarding admission to Magnet programs:

• MCPS Magnet program admission policy changes:

  • During the pandemic, MCPS stopped administering the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) for admission to Magnet programs, and there are no current plans to resume this testing

  • To ensure a race-neutral and school blind process, MCPS is no longer considering teacher recommendations

  • Admission to the Blair Magnet this year was based on grades, MAP scores (a countywide assessment given to all 8th graders), and student application materials

• The Foundation Board has been in contact with parents from the Gifted & Talented Association of Montgomery County who are seeking to gather more information and to organize around changes to MCPS policies