Howard v. Montgomery v. Anne Arundel

[Anonymous]

We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

[Anonymous]

I'd go with Howard, MCPS/AA schools.

MCPS magnet has changed so much recently and will continue to change in coming years (not for the better if you have high performing kids).

Howard school system (which is much smaller than MCPS), seems to have less issues than MCPS. I don't know much about AA schools but I suspect they do not have as much resources as Howard and MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

I'm in Hoco- I like that we don't have magnets. Each school offers acceleration and enrichment. I think it also helps with the school community to not have segregated groups. That said, the western part of the county tends to be competitive in the schools- River Hill especially. The schools in the eastern part of the county are less competitive but people will tell you they are not as good. My family lives in the southeastern part and we've been happy with the level of education our children are receiving. Howard county schools also tend to be very racially diverse (and in the eastern part, socioeconomically diverse). Parents are very involved in my experience.

I like Hoco. I also like AA. The thing about these two counties is that they are more MD than Montgo so make sure you like MD before you move out here.

This would be more helpful if you say where you have been looking in AA and Hoco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

I'm in Hoco- I like that we don't have magnets. Each school offers acceleration and enrichment. I think it also helps with the school community to not have segregated groups. That said, the western part of the county tends to be competitive in the schools- River Hill especially. The schools in the eastern part of the county are less competitive but people will tell you they are not as good. My family lives in the southeastern part and we've been happy with the level of education our children are receiving. Howard county schools also tend to be very racially diverse (and in the eastern part, socioeconomically diverse). Parents are very involved in my experience.

I like Hoco. I also like AA. The thing about these two counties is that they are more MD than Montgo so make sure you like MD before you move out here.

This would be more helpful if you say where you have been looking in AA and Hoco.

This is helpful. Thanks. What do you mean "more MD?"

Right now, we're looking at Ellicott City in Howard and Odenton/Gambrills in AA. Open to suggestions if you have any too!

[Anonymous]

"more MD" - I read that as more like most counties in MD vs "too far" left counties like MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

I'm in Hoco- I like that we don't have magnets. Each school offers acceleration and enrichment. I think it also helps with the school community to not have segregated groups. That said, the western part of the county tends to be competitive in the schools- River Hill especially. The schools in the eastern part of the county are less competitive but people will tell you they are not as good. My family lives in the southeastern part and we've been happy with the level of education our children are receiving. Howard county schools also tend to be very racially diverse (and in the eastern part, socioeconomically diverse). Parents are very involved in my experience.

I like Hoco. I also like AA. The thing about these two counties is that they are more MD than Montgo so make sure you like MD before you move out here.

This would be more helpful if you say where you have been looking in AA and Hoco.

Aside from the magnets, each HS in MCPS also has signature programs.

I'm curious why OP asked about the lack of magnets in HoCo yet also states that they don't want a "pressure cooker" environment. IMO, the two go hand in hand. Test in magnets are hard to get into for a reason. It's a lot of work.

We looked at both HoCo and MoCo, but chose MoCo due to location rather than magnets, but once we decided on MoCo, we wanted to live in an area that had access to the magnet.

HoCo is not only smaller, but has less diversity, both race and income. So, it's not really fair to compare HoCo to MoCo. Some of the HoCo schools probably are "pressure cookers", too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

I'm in Hoco- I like that we don't have magnets. Each school offers acceleration and enrichment. I think it also helps with the school community to not have segregated groups. That said, the western part of the county tends to be competitive in the schools- River Hill especially. The schools in the eastern part of the county are less competitive but people will tell you they are not as good. My family lives in the southeastern part and we've been happy with the level of education our children are receiving. Howard county schools also tend to be very racially diverse (and in the eastern part, socioeconomically diverse). Parents are very involved in my experience.

I like Hoco. I also like AA. The thing about these two counties is that they are more MD than Montgo so make sure you like MD before you move out here.

This would be more helpful if you say where you have been looking in AA and Hoco.

Aside from the magnets, each HS in MCPS also has signature programs.

I'm curious why OP asked about the lack of magnets in HoCo yet also states that they don't want a "pressure cooker" environment. IMO, the two go hand in hand. Test in magnets are hard to get into for a reason. It's a lot of work.

We looked at both HoCo and MoCo, but chose MoCo due to location rather than magnets, but once we decided on MoCo, we wanted to live in an area that had access to the magnet.

HoCo is not only smaller, but has less diversity, both race and income. So, it's not really fair to compare HoCo to MoCo. Some of the HoCo schools probably are "pressure cookers", too.

OP here. I don’t know anything about magnets, which is why I was asking. I was only pointing out that I noticed HoCo doesn’t have any.

[Anonymous]

just not mcps. i graduated form there my kids did and it has only gone down for the past few decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

I'm in Hoco- I like that we don't have magnets. Each school offers acceleration and enrichment. I think it also helps with the school community to not have segregated groups. That said, the western part of the county tends to be competitive in the schools- River Hill especially. The schools in the eastern part of the county are less competitive but people will tell you they are not as good. My family lives in the southeastern part and we've been happy with the level of education our children are receiving. Howard county schools also tend to be very racially diverse (and in the eastern part, socioeconomically diverse). Parents are very involved in my experience.

I like Hoco. I also like AA. The thing about these two counties is that they are more MD than Montgo so make sure you like MD before you move out here.

This would be more helpful if you say where you have been looking in AA and Hoco.

Aside from the magnets, each HS in MCPS also has signature programs.

I'm curious why OP asked about the lack of magnets in HoCo yet also states that they don't want a "pressure cooker" environment. IMO, the two go hand in hand. Test in magnets are hard to get into for a reason. It's a lot of work.

We looked at both HoCo and MoCo, but chose MoCo due to location rather than magnets, but once we decided on MoCo, we wanted to live in an area that had access to the magnet.

HoCo is not only smaller, but has less diversity, both race and income. So, it's not really fair to compare HoCo to MoCo. Some of the HoCo schools probably are "pressure cookers", too.

My HoCo coworker once told me that HoCo schools all had the same opportunities as the MCPS magnets so all kids had the opportunity to join them. When my child attended a competitive MCPS magnet she quickly realized the opportunity was very different from the Stem track at her child's school. That said the magnets are hard to get in to so I would not choose a school system based on magnet opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re looking at moving from the city to either Howard, Montgomery or Anne Arundel County. All can work for our commutes. Our budget does not allow us to buy into the best cluster in any of these counties. I’ve been researching public schools in all of these and have some questions I’m hoping you can help with. We want a solid education for our children - well rounded curriculum, supportive teachers, enrichments at school, involved parents, etc. We value academics but I’m not looking for a pressure cooker environment. We really value social emotional development.

I’ve noticed that Anne Arundel and Montgomery have magnet schools but Howard does not. Is there a benefit to attending school
In a county that has magnet programs?

Any general advice you can give a young family that is looking to put down roots for the long term? We found a few areas in Montgomery county that we really like but I worry about competitiveness. Is that everywhere and I’m just naive? Is there a county you would suggest…and why?

I’m sure our children will be fine where we settle but I’m overwhelmed with all the options.

I'm in Hoco- I like that we don't have magnets. Each school offers acceleration and enrichment. I think it also helps with the school community to not have segregated groups. That said, the western part of the county tends to be competitive in the schools- River Hill especially. The schools in the eastern part of the county are less competitive but people will tell you they are not as good. My family lives in the southeastern part and we've been happy with the level of education our children are receiving. Howard county schools also tend to be very racially diverse (and in the eastern part, socioeconomically diverse). Parents are very involved in my experience.

I like Hoco. I also like AA. The thing about these two counties is that they are more MD than Montgo so make sure you like MD before you move out here.

This would be more helpful if you say where you have been looking in AA and Hoco.

Aside from the magnets, each HS in MCPS also has signature programs.

I'm curious why OP asked about the lack of magnets in HoCo yet also states that they don't want a "pressure cooker" environment. IMO, the two go hand in hand. Test in magnets are hard to get into for a reason. It's a lot of work.

We looked at both HoCo and MoCo, but chose MoCo due to location rather than magnets, but once we decided on MoCo, we wanted to live in an area that had access to the magnet.

HoCo is not only smaller, but has less diversity, both race and income. So, it's not really fair to compare HoCo to MoCo. Some of the HoCo schools probably are "pressure cookers", too.

OP here. I don’t know anything about magnets, which is why I was asking. I was only pointing out that I noticed HoCo doesn’t have any.

MCPS magnets have gone thru significant changes recently to make it more "accessable" to lower SES/blacks/latinos. These changes will continue in coming years. Test in magnets (HS in particular) are very difficult to get in but, if your kid is a high performing kid, there's nothing better (IMHO) than MCPS magnets in DMV area. But, you have to get in first.

[Anonymous]

Are your kids academically gifted? If not, I wouldn't worry about the magnets.

They are programs meant to accommodate academically talented children, and there will be a certain amount of competitiveness involved with that kind of thing.

I would strongly consider your commute to work. Traffic in the area is no joke. Being around for your kids and being less stressed is potentially more important than the differences between some of these schools. The school is important, but the family life can be just as important if not more so.

I don't know enough about AA to comment, but all else being equal I would go with Howard County if your kids are young.

Montgomery County tends to be more experimental in regards to its curricula, and I hear tons of complaining about it. Curriculum 2.0 was a flop, and there are complaints about Balanced Literacy too.

I don't think I've ever heard anybody complain about Howard County's curricula.

If your kids are older then I would look at the high schools themselves, and we would need to know more about your preferences to recommend schools.

In Montgomery County I would look at schools like Quince Orchard and Richard Montgomery.

In Howard County I would look at schools like Reservoir, Atholton, or Mt Hebron. Ellicott City also has Centennial, but that's one of the most competitive schools in the county.

One downside to Howard County is that it likes to redistrict quite often. You might end up in a different high school pyramid than you originally intended.

[Anonymous]

Lots of good advice that seems pretty accurate to me. I'm in the middle of MCPS hell right now, so my vote is for Howard. I grew up there and my family is still there, with kids in HCPS. Seems to be a much more rational experience than what my kid is having.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of good advice that seems pretty accurate to me. I'm in the middle of MCPS hell right now, so my vote is for Howard. I grew up there and my family is still there, with kids in HCPS. Seems to be a much more rational experience than what my kid is having.

Grass is *always* greener on the other side. There are also a lot of moco parents who don't complain about mcps that much. You will always have the loudest complainers on this forum.

Also, this forum tends to lean more towards closer in to DC. There are way more mcps parents on here than hcps parents.

That said, I recall a thread on here not that long ago about the whole redrawing of the boundaries in HoCo for diversity, and all the angst surrounding that.

[Anonymous]

There is a sizeable range of schools within each county, and many opinions to go with each. I've been looking at the same three counties. My approach has been to look at USNews rankings as a starting point; of all the sites that rank schools (great school, school digger, etc) this seems to have the most empirical, data-driven results (you can look up their methodology, if interested). They only rank high schools (not enough data at lower levels); since my kids aren't at the HS level yet, I consider these rankings to be broadly reflective of the ES/MS/HS pyramid. I selected the stats that are most important to me- in my case, college readiness first, graduation rate second, and then the rest. I then set a threshold, and parred down my options to schools in each county that were above that threshold. From there, I've visited the areas that I'm most interested in, reached out to friends of friends, talked to my realtor, etc. Then, I compared that against the housing prices in those neighborhoods, and commute time for me. Here are the links:

Montgomery County: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/montgomery-county-public-schools-104047
Anne Arundel: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/anne-arundel-county-public-schools-110146
Howard: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/howard-county-public-schools-100316

I started with data with as little bias as possible; but, I think it is important to note that won't show you the whole picture. Some schools have reputations of being pressure cookers, more or less diverse, heavier drug use, etc. Every high school will have it's pros and cons, but starting with stats and then moving over into varying/ anecdotal opinions to craft an overall picture is how we made out final selections. If you're moving for schools, also know that there is close to nothing on the market right now!! I'm hoping it will pick up after the holidays, but before the interest rate hikes start in march, eek.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of good advice that seems pretty accurate to me. I'm in the middle of MCPS hell right now, so my vote is for Howard. I grew up there and my family is still there, with kids in HCPS. Seems to be a much more rational experience than what my kid is having.

Grass is *always* greener on the other side. There are also a lot of moco parents who don't complain about mcps that much. You will always have the loudest complainers on this forum.

Also, this forum tends to lean more towards closer in to DC. There are way more mcps parents on here than hcps parents.

That said, I recall a thread on here not that long ago about the whole redrawing of the boundaries in HoCo for diversity, and all the angst surrounding that.

Sometimes it IS greener. I think this is one of those times.