Bethesda vs Kensington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup--I live squarely in 20895 and my children go to Rosemary Hills, NCC, Silver Creek MS, and then to BCC.

As an aside, Woodward will likely be a great school. When a new school is opened, there is tremendous energy around that and often excellent teachers are handpicked (and stolen away) from other schools. We have witnessed that with Silver Creek. Any claim that Woodward could be "bad" is just plain old classicism and racism.

I have to agree. Looking at the data I'd also imagine Woodward will end up being a great school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup--I live squarely in 20895 and my children go to Rosemary Hills, NCC, Silver Creek MS, and then to BCC.

As an aside, Woodward will likely be a great school. When a new school is opened, there is tremendous energy around that and often excellent teachers are handpicked (and stolen away) from other schools. We have witnessed that with Silver Creek. Any claim that Woodward could be "bad" is just plain old classicism and racism.

I have to agree. Looking at the data I'd also imagine Woodward will end up being a great school.

It’s true. Silver creek got the best people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kensington is lovely but Einstein is a real problem.

We looked at Kensington a few years ago and were advised to stay within the BCC cluster. We did look at a house that was zoned for Einstein and spent time walking around the neighborhood talking to whomever was out. Everyone we talked to who had kids or knew their neighbors with kids went to private school .It was striking how different it was from the BCC area. For us, part of the draw for public school is kids being friends with neighborhood kids, going to school together and growing up together. The other thing that we found out about Einstein is that many of the smartest students go for the magnets and special programs at other schools for high school. If your kid is friends with other very smart kids, they'll lose their friend base going into high school. We didn't want that situation and didn't want the stress of having to rely on getting into a magnet or paying for private school for high school.

This is BS. I see lots of neighborhood kids walking to Einstein and Newport Mill all the time. And "many of the smartest students" at lots of schools go to the magnets.

[Anonymous]

We moved to MoCo last year and were shocked at how much more the houses cost in Bethesda than in other parts of the county, including Kensington (zoned for Einstein), where we did buy a lovely home in Kensington Heights. I asked the real estate agent the reason for similar houses being priced so differently. She said (privately) that wealthier families want their kids to go to public school with fewer poor children. I commented that everyone here is so liberal -- just look at the voting outcomes! -- that that attitude could not exist here. Guess what? It does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to MoCo last year and were shocked at how much more the houses cost in Bethesda than in other parts of the county, including Kensington (zoned for Einstein), where we did buy a lovely home in Kensington Heights. I asked the real estate agent the reason for similar houses being priced so differently. She said (privately) that wealthier families want their kids to go to public school with fewer poor children. I commented that everyone here is so liberal -- just look at the voting outcomes! -- that that attitude could not exist here. Guess what? It does.

Ironically both schools have rigorous classes and at 2000+ school everyone can find a peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to MoCo last year and were shocked at how much more the houses cost in Bethesda than in other parts of the county, including Kensington (zoned for Einstein), where we did buy a lovely home in Kensington Heights. I asked the real estate agent the reason for similar houses being priced so differently. She said (privately) that wealthier families want their kids to go to public school with fewer poor children. I commented that everyone here is so liberal -- just look at the voting outcomes! -- that that attitude could not exist here. Guess what? It does.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

(Try Car Wash Coffee. It’s better than it sounds.)

[Anonymous]

Bethesda is much better buy that and keep your investment and family safe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:19 again, to clarify that the new Woodward high school will be great. Why? Because the families in that area (Bethesda) are wealthy. It's the zoning towards the east you want to watch out for.

Yes, watch out for those of us who live towards the east. We could be dangerous!

I used to live in downtown Silver Spring. I visited the schools there, before deciding to move to Bethesda. I have friends in SS, who send their kids to school there. Sure, the curriculum is the same. Some teachers are wonderful. With involved parents, a determined child can succeed in any MCPS school!
But come on. The level of achievement, engagement and culture is simply not the same as in wealthier public schools. If my friends could move, they would.

And before someone starts whining that it's all to get away from Blacks and Hispanics, it's not that. My friends and I are multiethnic and diversity is important to us. Luckily, downtown Bethesda has a ton of international families. My daughter's elementary holds a MultiCultural Night with a parade of flags, where close to 50 nations are represented each year.

We get it. Some of your best friends are diplomats of color!

No. Stop trolling.

NP here. Oh please. That's exactly right. You want international diversity, but you don't want any socioeconomic diversity. Keep the dirty poors away from snowflake! Good luck to your sheltered kids. They'll have fun trying to get on in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to MoCo last year and were shocked at how much more the houses cost in Bethesda than in other parts of the county, including Kensington (zoned for Einstein), where we did buy a lovely home in Kensington Heights. I asked the real estate agent the reason for similar houses being priced so differently. She said (privately) that wealthier families want their kids to go to public school with fewer poor children. I commented that everyone here is so liberal -- just look at the voting outcomes! -- that that attitude could not exist here. Guess what? It does.

Yep. We are black and live in Kensington Heights and my liberal neighbors that all vote a straight blue ticket, would prefer if the black and brown people here moved over to Wheaton. They think that is what will raise their property values. Sadly, they are right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kensington is lovely but Einstein is a real problem.

We looked at Kensington a few years ago and were advised to stay within the BCC cluster. We did look at a house that was zoned for Einstein and spent time walking around the neighborhood talking to whomever was out. Everyone we talked to who had kids or knew their neighbors with kids went to private school .It was striking how different it was from the BCC area. For us, part of the draw for public school is kids being friends with neighborhood kids, going to school together and growing up together. The other thing that we found out about Einstein is that many of the smartest students go for the magnets and special programs at other schools for high school. If your kid is friends with other very smart kids, they'll lose their friend base going into high school. We didn't want that situation and didn't want the stress of having to rely on getting into a magnet or paying for private school for high school.

This is BS. I see lots of neighborhood kids walking to Einstein and Newport Mill all the time. And "many of the smartest students" at lots of schools go to the magnets.

This x 1000. The smartest kids zoned for "W" schools and BCC end up in magnets, too. Some of these posts make me wonder where the posters are getting their info and how legitimate their supposed sources are. Whether Blair or Einstein or other DCC schools, neighborhood kids comprise a majority of attendees.

And never mind the post about the levels of culture and engagement. That was hilarious, but will leave that alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kensington is lovely but Einstein is a real problem.

We looked at Kensington a few years ago and were advised to stay within the BCC cluster. We did look at a house that was zoned for Einstein and spent time walking around the neighborhood talking to whomever was out. Everyone we talked to who had kids or knew their neighbors with kids went to private school .It was striking how different it was from the BCC area. For us, part of the draw for public school is kids being friends with neighborhood kids, going to school together and growing up together. The other thing that we found out about Einstein is that many of the smartest students go for the magnets and special programs at other schools for high school. If your kid is friends with other very smart kids, they'll lose their friend base going into high school. We didn't want that situation and didn't want the stress of having to rely on getting into a magnet or paying for private school for high school.

This is BS. I see lots of neighborhood kids walking to Einstein and Newport Mill all the time. And "many of the smartest students" at lots of schools go to the magnets.

This x 1000. The smartest kids zoned for "W" schools and BCC end up in magnets, too. Some of these posts make me wonder where the posters are getting their info and how legitimate their supposed sources are. Whether Blair or Einstein or other DCC schools, neighborhood kids comprise a majority of attendees.

And never mind the post about the levels of culture and engagement. That was hilarious, but will leave that alone.

All I know is the average SAT score for my kid's cohort at Blair even not including magnet students is still better than any W.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kensington is lovely but Einstein is a real problem.

We looked at Kensington a few years ago and were advised to stay within the BCC cluster. We did look at a house that was zoned for Einstein and spent time walking around the neighborhood talking to whomever was out. Everyone we talked to who had kids or knew their neighbors with kids went to private school .It was striking how different it was from the BCC area. For us, part of the draw for public school is kids being friends with neighborhood kids, going to school together and growing up together. The other thing that we found out about Einstein is that many of the smartest students go for the magnets and special programs at other schools for high school. If your kid is friends with other very smart kids, they'll lose their friend base going into high school. We didn't want that situation and didn't want the stress of having to rely on getting into a magnet or paying for private school for high school.

This is BS. I see lots of neighborhood kids walking to Einstein and Newport Mill all the time. And "many of the smartest students" at lots of schools go to the magnets.

This x 1000. The smartest kids zoned for "W" schools and BCC end up in magnets, too. Some of these posts make me wonder where the posters are getting their info and how legitimate their supposed sources are. Whether Blair or Einstein or other DCC schools, neighborhood kids comprise a majority of attendees.

And never mind the post about the levels of culture and engagement. That was hilarious, but will leave that alone.

All I know is the average SAT score for my kid's cohort at Blair even not including magnet students is still better than any W.

Funny, Blair's scores are so low compared to the rest of the county, there must only be a precious few of your cohort there and not enough to move the needle. Shame most of them go home west after school hours compounding your kid's unicorn status

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kensington is lovely but Einstein is a real problem.

We looked at Kensington a few years ago and were advised to stay within the BCC cluster. We did look at a house that was zoned for Einstein and spent time walking around the neighborhood talking to whomever was out. Everyone we talked to who had kids or knew their neighbors with kids went to private school .It was striking how different it was from the BCC area. For us, part of the draw for public school is kids being friends with neighborhood kids, going to school together and growing up together. The other thing that we found out about Einstein is that many of the smartest students go for the magnets and special programs at other schools for high school. If your kid is friends with other very smart kids, they'll lose their friend base going into high school. We didn't want that situation and didn't want the stress of having to rely on getting into a magnet or paying for private school for high school.

This is BS. I see lots of neighborhood kids walking to Einstein and Newport Mill all the time. And "many of the smartest students" at lots of schools go to the magnets.

This x 1000. The smartest kids zoned for "W" schools and BCC end up in magnets, too. Some of these posts make me wonder where the posters are getting their info and how legitimate their supposed sources are. Whether Blair or Einstein or other DCC schools, neighborhood kids comprise a majority of attendees.

And never mind the post about the levels of culture and engagement. That was hilarious, but will leave that alone.

All I know is the average SAT score for my kid's cohort at Blair even not including magnet students is still better than any W.

Funny, Blair's scores are so low compared to the rest of the county, there must only be a precious few of your cohort there and not enough to move the needle. Shame most of them go home west after school hours compounding your kid's unicorn status

That is funny because the county's data shows otherwise.

Blair 1326
BCC 1291
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Churchill 1257

here the source on page 16 of the pdf or listed as 8 on the document
https://bit.ly/2x3tS5X

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

All I know is the average SAT score for my kid's cohort at Blair even not including magnet students is still better than any W.

Funny, Blair's scores are so low compared to the rest of the county, there must only be a precious few of your cohort there and not enough to move the needle. Shame most of them go home west after school hours compounding your kid's unicorn status

That is funny because the county's data shows otherwise.

Blair 1326
BCC 1291
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Churchill 1257

here the source on page 16 of the pdf or listed as 8 on the document
https://bit.ly/2x3tS5X

I remember reading this a while ago. Their intent was to look past simple averages that GS uses which serve only to identify which high-schools draw a higher percentage of rich kids., and provide a better, refined analysis that looks at the granular data.

When you isolate for race which is proxy a for socioeconomic status there is not much of a disparity between the performance of kids of the same backgrounds across these schools. For example, when you compare average SAT scores for MCPS schools for a larger demographic common to all these schools where the great schools narrative begins to fall apart and it becomes clear they're not all that different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

All I know is the average SAT score for my kid's cohort at Blair even not including magnet students is still better than any W.

Funny, Blair's scores are so low compared to the rest of the county, there must only be a precious few of your cohort there and not enough to move the needle. Shame most of them go home west after school hours compounding your kid's unicorn status

That is funny because the county's data shows otherwise.

Blair 1326
BCC 1291
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Churchill 1257

here the source on page 16 of the pdf or listed as 8 on the document
https://bit.ly/2x3tS5X

I remember reading this a while ago. Their intent was to look past simple averages that GS uses which serve only to identify which high-schools draw a higher percentage of rich kids., and provide a better, refined analysis that looks at the granular data.

When you isolate for race which is proxy a for socioeconomic status there is not much of a disparity between the performance of kids of the same backgrounds across these schools. For example, when you compare average SAT scores for MCPS schools for a larger demographic common to all these schools where the great schools narrative begins to fall apart and it becomes clear they're not all that different.

If that's true than the socioeconomic difference between W's and SS ( which there almost certainly has to be a difference) has no impact on scores for some groups.