Kentlands school cluster

[Anonymous]

Our oldest will be entering K this fall and we’re hoping to move before then do we don’t have to during the school year. We really love the Kentlands community and how spirited and close knit and walkable it is. However am I correct in assuming because Rachel Carson and Lakelands are so close, bussing is not provided to anyone K-6? If so, how big of a drag is that? Obviously a walk during a beautiful day is great, but I’d imagine there probably enormous amount of traffic on rainy/snowy/cold days? Any other thoughts about the community or school cluster would be helpful!

[Anonymous]

You can see the current bus routes for Rachel Carson here:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/transportation/busroutes/02159bus.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest will be entering K this fall and we’re hoping to move before then do we don’t have to during the school year. We really love the Kentlands community and how spirited and close knit and walkable it is. However am I correct in assuming because Rachel Carson and Lakelands are so close, bussing is not provided to anyone K-6? If so, how big of a drag is that? Obviously a walk during a beautiful day is great, but I’d imagine there probably enormous amount of traffic on rainy/snowy/cold days? Any other thoughts about the community or school cluster would be helpful!

It’s a great community. We are long time residents.

That said, Rachel Carson has plummeted under the new principal. A mass exodus to private schools. Do your research and talk to other parents. As someone who loves the community it’s very painful to watch. Just 3 years ago there were plans to alleviate the massive overcrowding. Now, enrollment has dropped so much (and projections show continued drop) all plans are off the table.

[Anonymous]

Kids in Lakelands get buses to RCES and can walk to the middle school. Neither neighborhood gets buses to QO. We’ve been very happy in Lakelands. We can walk to downtown Kentlands.

[Anonymous]

We live in Lakelands. We absolutely LOVE the community. You’re right that it’s close-knit, walkable, and very social.

But it’s also true that RCES has gone way downhill. We are sending our daughter to private school for K starting in the fall, and I know a lot of parents who are either doing that, or want to do that.

We aren’t planning on moving, though, because we love the community and there really isn’t anything else quite like it in this area.

[Anonymous]

Forgot to mention that yes, the current principal is not liked nearly as much as the former RCES principal, but RCES has a local CES, so that’s a pretty big draw. Students in the local CES get to stay in their home school, and kids have a much better chance of getting into a local CES than a regional one.

[Anonymous]

What specifically has gone downhill about RCES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What specifically has gone downhill about RCES?

The principal is an ineffective leader. There was always rumors it was a job nobody wanted (first gen parents in the hood were a handful). Not only are parents unhappy with it, but it seems like many kids are too. I doubt we see change though, it would require the county stepping in.

I’ve watched from afar as my kids are all long gone from RCES. It used to be a crown jewel of schools in MoCo. Today? I wouldn’t send my kids there. Puts a stain on what is overall an amazing (and possibly best) community in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specifically has gone downhill about RCES?

The principal is an ineffective leader. There was always rumors it was a job nobody wanted (first gen parents in the hood were a handful). Not only are parents unhappy with it, but it seems like many kids are too. I doubt we see change though, it would require the county stepping in.

I’ve watched from afar as my kids are all long gone from RCES. It used to be a crown jewel of schools in MoCo. Today? I wouldn’t send my kids there. Puts a stain on what is overall an amazing (and possibly best) community in MoCo.

first gen parents in the hood? can you elaborate??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specifically has gone downhill about RCES?

The principal is an ineffective leader. There was always rumors it was a job nobody wanted (first gen parents in the hood were a handful). Not only are parents unhappy with it, but it seems like many kids are too. I doubt we see change though, it would require the county stepping in.

I’ve watched from afar as my kids are all long gone from RCES. It used to be a crown jewel of schools in MoCo. Today? I wouldn’t send my kids there. Puts a stain on what is overall an amazing (and possibly best) community in MoCo.

first gen parents in the hood? can you elaborate??

DP... euphamism for "immigrant parents there who prep their kids and want more challenging curriculum cause their kids are bored, but they keep sending their kids to tutors which creates a vicious cycle".

Did I get that right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specifically has gone downhill about RCES?

The principal is an ineffective leader. There was always rumors it was a job nobody wanted (first gen parents in the hood were a handful). Not only are parents unhappy with it, but it seems like many kids are too. I doubt we see change though, it would require the county stepping in.

I’ve watched from afar as my kids are all long gone from RCES. It used to be a crown jewel of schools in MoCo. Today? I wouldn’t send my kids there. Puts a stain on what is overall an amazing (and possibly best) community in MoCo.

first gen parents in the hood? can you elaborate??

DP... euphamism for "immigrant parents there who prep their kids and want more challenging curriculum cause their kids are bored, but they keep sending their kids to tutors which creates a vicious cycle".

Did I get that right?

Not even close. It was a lot of folks that grew up Potomac and Bethesda and migrated to Gaithersburg when mommy and daddy wouldn’t buy them a house. A very entitled bunch.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand - the principal is ineffective because she doesn't let entitled parents run the school?

[Anonymous]

The former principal was a gem. He ran the school with a watchful eye at all times, from the bus stops before school to dropping in on classrooms regularly to steering problem students out of the school quickly, and same for problem teachers.
The current principal is lazy and out of her depth. She doesn't even make appearances at school events where you would expect to see her because she opts to go to her own children's events instead. The bus stops, yes there are busses, are a mess either students standing in the street intersections before school with no one checking up on them. Student behavior is an issue, which was never the case with the old principal.
The saving grace is there are some legacy teachers that are doing their best and yes the local CES program makes up for some of the riff raff, if your student is lucky enough to be in it.

While the enrollment has gone down in part due to private, the fact is the enrollment in that school swelled when parents who bought in the lakelands as it was being build have kids that are now aging out to middle and high school.

The school is worse than it once was but it's certain not a bad school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The former principal was a gem. He ran the school with a watchful eye at all times, from the bus stops before school to dropping in on classrooms regularly to steering problem students out of the school quickly, and same for problem teachers.
The current principal is lazy and out of her depth. She doesn't even make appearances at school events where you would expect to see her because she opts to go to her own children's events instead. The bus stops, yes there are busses, are a mess either students standing in the street intersections before school with no one checking up on them. Student behavior is an issue, which was never the case with the old principal.
The saving grace is there are some legacy teachers that are doing their best and yes the local CES program makes up for some of the riff raff, if your student is lucky enough to be in it.

While the enrollment has gone down in part due to private, the fact is the enrollment in that school swelled when parents who bought in the lakelands as it was being build have kids that are now aging out to middle and high school.

The school is worse than it once was but it's certain not a bad school.

Yes, but don’t undercount the issue of kids going to private school. Just on my block alone, there are three kids who are going to K next year (my daughter included). 2 out of 3 of those kids are going to private school, and the mother of the third child told me she and her husband are considering private school, but are planning to give RCES a chance before deciding for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest will be entering K this fall and we’re hoping to move before then do we don’t have to during the school year. We really love the Kentlands community and how spirited and close knit and walkable it is. However am I correct in assuming because Rachel Carson and Lakelands are so close, bussing is not provided to anyone K-6? If so, how big of a drag is that? Obviously a walk during a beautiful day is great, but I’d imagine there probably enormous amount of traffic on rainy/snowy/cold days? Any other thoughts about the community or school cluster would be helpful!

It is a very Stepford-like, very white community. It is the epitome of a bubble. But if that is what impresses you, along with their overcrowded and mediocre elementary school, by all means, go for it.