Good elementary schools

[Anonymous]

I feel like most of the talk is about HS. What are some good ES in the county? Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like most of the talk is about HS. What are some good ES in the county? Why?

Ooh! You're about to hear all the W feeders are excellent. Except they're all racist. And Takoma schools are really the best. Except they're full of social justice "worriors". And MCPS is going to hell in a handbasket, so you really need to go private.

(Grabs popcorn.)

[Anonymous]

OMG just pick the one with the whites. You have our permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG just pick the one with the whites. You have our permission.

*If she can afford it

If you can’t put a sign in your yard and pretend you love diversity while living on whitest street in the cheap part of town you could find while fighting every single mixed residential project that pops up within 4 miles. Also cram for those magnet entry tests or else you’ll have to take classes with your neighbors from those shady apts near by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG just pick the one with the whites. You have our permission.

*If she can afford it

If you can’t put a sign in your yard and pretend you love diversity while living on whitest street in the cheap part of town you could find while fighting every single mixed residential project that pops up within 4 miles. Also cram for those magnet entry tests or else you’ll have to take classes with your neighbors from those shady apts near by.

Don’t forget the years of bitterness directed at the schools they couldn’t afford demanding that somehow they get their fair share of the poor kids preferably taken from your IB school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG just pick the one with the whites. You have our permission.

What the hell is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG just pick the one with the whites. You have our permission.

Does anyone need your permission?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like most of the talk is about HS. What are some good ES in the county? Why?

Most parents are pretty happy with their kids' elementary school. There are some differences from school to school, and of course even more differences depending on which particular teacher or classmates a child has in a given year. But if I were looking for an elementary school, to start out with I would look at the schools with smaller class sizes and some extra staff positions, which MCPS has called Focus schools. These schools have medium-level FARMS rates, so they are less impacted by poverty than the Title I schools, which receive additional federal funding.

There are 33 Focus schools, but 15 of them are in currently overcrowded buildings, which I would avoid if I could, because even if the class sizes are smaller, if the building can't accommodate everyone in the cafeteria, in the hallways, in the parking lot, etc., it becomes a pain to deal with for 6+ years. So, the 18 Focus schools with room to grow are:

Cannon Road
Drew
East Silver Spring
Flower Hill
Forest Knolls
Fox Chapel
Glen Haven
Glenallan
Goshen
Great Seneca Creek
Maryvale
McAuliffe
Montgomery Knolls/Pine Crest (paired schools K-2/3-5)
Sequoyah
Stedwick
Takoma Park (paired with Piney Branch, which is slightly overcrowded)
Waters Landing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like most of the talk is about HS. What are some good ES in the county? Why?

Most parents are pretty happy with their kids' elementary school. There are some differences from school to school, and of course even more differences depending on which particular teacher or classmates a child has in a given year. But if I were looking for an elementary school, to start out with I would look at the schools with smaller class sizes and some extra staff positions, which MCPS has called Focus schools. These schools have medium-level FARMS rates, so they are less impacted by poverty than the Title I schools, which receive additional federal funding.

There are 33 Focus schools, but 15 of them are in currently overcrowded buildings, which I would avoid if I could, because even if the class sizes are smaller, if the building can't accommodate everyone in the cafeteria, in the hallways, in the parking lot, etc., it becomes a pain to deal with for 6+ years. So, the 18 Focus schools with room to grow are:

Cannon Road
Drew
East Silver Spring
Flower Hill
Forest Knolls
Fox Chapel
Glen Haven
Glenallan
Goshen
Great Seneca Creek
Maryvale
McAuliffe
Montgomery Knolls/Pine Crest (paired schools K-2/3-5)
Sequoyah
Stedwick
Takoma Park (paired with Piney Branch, which is slightly overcrowded)
Waters Landing

Thanks for the helpful reply. Will look into this more.

[Anonymous]

Oakland Terrace is great - it’s Spanish dual immersion (back up is rock view if you don’t want immersion)

[Anonymous]

^^ Takoma PRk is not a focus school after this year. Not sure about the others

[Anonymous]

We were happy in Beverly Farms. We were in walking distance of all 3 levels of school which as been perfect. Teachers were dedicated, PTA welcoming, good community.

I know someone will come on here complaining that I’m recommending a W feeder, but whatever, it was a great experience.

[Anonymous]

My kids went to Great Seneca Creek ES and had a really good experience. Small class sizes in K - 2 and were in the ELC classes for 4th and 5th grade. The school was very diverse and never ranked high on Great Schools but the staff is awesome and the building is newer and inviting. There were some kids in classes over the years who were disruptive but I think you get that just about anywhere these days. We have since moved out of that area but have nothing bad to say about GSCES.

[Anonymous]

Drew is on that focus school list but has an awful Principal and a non active pta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drew is on that focus school list but has an awful Principal and a non active pta.

Can you share more? I thought that principal was well-regarded.