Many juniors in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and around the country are currently preparing for their SATs. The pressure to do well on this test is already high, but many students are not experts at standardized testing, so some assistance is encouraged to achieve high scores. However, there are limited resources in MCPS schools for students. According to their website, MCPS encourages taking the SAT prep classes at Montgomery Colleges (MC), which will cost $385 for all Montgomery County residents, in addition to the price of the textbook used in this course. SAT prep aside from Montgomery College and self-guided studying can cost from $800-$3600 for 40 hours’ worth of preparation. Though most of those institutions are private, it opens up a more significant question: Why isn’t MCPS doing more for equitable opportunities for students’ education?
Montgomery County has received countless praise for its diversity. Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring, and Rockville are all in the top ten of Most Culturally Diverse Cities in the U.S. That also means it is economically diverse, with some areas of Montgomery County having higher median incomes than others; in 2019, the median income of a Potomac household was $195,884 that same year in Silver Spring; it was $83,782.
With more access to money, MCPS students in higher-income areas can access more education aid and resources while other students are forced to use what the county gives them, along with inexpensive self-guided resources; Khan Academy, College Board practice tests, and review books. A lack of educational resources does not only apply to the SAT and other standardized tests, ACT, PSAT, AP exams, but also to their daily education. Students who have more access to money can afford tutors and extra help for their education, while once again, students do not have to rely on themselves and any resources they can get access to.
Despite all of this, MCPS has made more strives for equitable education. In part, due to the pandemic, MCPS now offers free 24/7 online tutoring for all students K-12. MCPS has also had free homework help resources through MCPS students’ Clever accounts listed by school level and is offered on their website in both English and Spanish.
Several student-led advocacy groups have openly spoken out about MCPS equity within education, such as Project DCC and Montgomery County ConNECts ( MoCoConNECts). Project DCC Connects Down County Consortium students with resources for academic success. MoCoConNECts focuses on connecting students in their civic duties and addressing socioeconomic disparities in the East county region. Both of these groups offer information on their Instagram platforms educating people of the issues going on within their regions and highlighting the lack of equity in MCPS. A recent post from DCC’s Instagram gives students inexpensive ways to prepare for their SATs, and Moco CoNECts has held multiple meetings throughout the school year addressing this issue. Both of these groups have a significant following on social media, along with support from larger student advocacy groups such as MCR-SGA.
Montgomery County still has a long way to reach equitable education within all their schools, and though the resources above may be a beginning, more needs to be done. Education is a crucial factor to a functioning society. If, as a county, we are unable to make sure all students in Montgomery County Public Schools have the same education and educational opportunities, that means there still needs to be more work done till we achieve that goal.
Article by Maru Amtataw of John F. Kennedy High School
Photo courtesy of Unsplash