Walt Whitman vs walter johnson

[Anonymous]

We are considering moving from whitman cluster to WJ mainly for high school because of a lack of diversity and above normal mental health issues at Whitman. Can any WJ parent share if the mental health issues are any less at WJ? I feel the culture at Whitman is partly to blame. Not sure. Don’t flame me. Genuinely concerned about my younger child who will enter Whitman in a couple of years.

[Anonymous]

I honestly do not think there is that much of a difference between the two schools. But I know the WJ Math Dept has excellent teachers. And that's obviously a plus.

[Anonymous]

Happy patient of 2 WJ students here (never had a student at Whitman). Because the school is so big, my children have had no problem finding their people. Oldest into arts, youngest is an athlete, both have friends and are happy. On the other hand, it's crowded (and Woodward won't open for a few more years). Because it is so large it can be a challenge making the team/getting a role when so many go out for teams/audition for shows.

The principal is great - I have found her to be incredibly responsive. Teachers, I imagine like at any school (or any colleagues at any office), are hit or miss: some are OMG amazing and some are awful and most are inbetween. My kids have had mostly the good ones, some great ones, and only one where my student knew on day one they needed needed get out of that class, and went to counselor, advocated for them self, and counselor made the change. Both are on track to have 12-14 AP classes when they graduate (necessary to show rigor and compete with peers when the school is so large).

The community, for both kids, and us as adults, has been warm, friendly and welcoming.

[Anonymous]

This is just hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt, but a substitute teacher once told me that she had taught at many of the high schools in Bethesda and she liked Walter Johnson's culture the best. And that if she had to choose, that's where she would send her child.

[Anonymous]

We've been happy at WJ. (The drugs are better at Whitman. Or so my kids hear. )

[Anonymous]

I would check the school profiles. There's a huge difference between the two schools if you want your kid to go to college.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04424.pdf

WJ -
% of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements = 67.1%
School average SAT: 1234
% of Graduates Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test or Scoring 4 or Higher on IB Test: 70.8

Whitman -
% of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements = 81.4%
School average SAT: 1339
% of Graduates Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test or Scoring 4 or Higher on IB Test: 84.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are considering moving from whitman cluster to WJ mainly for high school because of a lack of diversity and above normal mental health issues at Whitman. Can any WJ parent share if the mental health issues are any less at WJ? I feel the culture at Whitman is partly to blame. Not sure. Don’t flame me. Genuinely concerned about my younger child who will enter Whitman in a couple of years.

The same kid will do the same at either. There are no real differences that would impact your kid. The schools have the same curriculum and teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would check the school profiles. There's a huge difference between the two schools if you want your kid to go to college.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04424.pdf

WJ -
% of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements = 67.1%
School average SAT: 1234
% of Graduates Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test or Scoring 4 or Higher on IB Test: 70.8

Whitman -
% of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements = 81.4%
School average SAT: 1339
% of Graduates Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test or Scoring 4 or Higher on IB Test: 84.0

This is a bit misleading. These bulk averages aren't that meaningful. For example, in my child's demographic group WJ has an overall higher SAT average than Whitman. In fact, it was higher than the other W's that's why I think looking at the bulk averages doesn't tell the full story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would check the school profiles. There's a huge difference between the two schools if you want your kid to go to college.

I'm guessing there's a difference in the test scores of the kids going into the high schools.

[Anonymous]

OP you are better off moving your kid to a private school that's not a pressure cooker. If you can afford Whitman cluster home, sell it, move to a cheaper area, and send your kid to a school like St. John's. Those kids matriculate to great schools and they are happy. Tuition is not over the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would check the school profiles. There's a huge difference between the two schools if you want your kid to go to college.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04424.pdf

WJ -
% of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements = 67.1%
School average SAT: 1234
% of Graduates Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test or Scoring 4 or Higher on IB Test: 70.8

Whitman -
% of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements = 81.4%
School average SAT: 1339
% of Graduates Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Test or Scoring 4 or Higher on IB Test: 84.0

This is a bit misleading. These bulk averages aren't that meaningful. For example, in my child's demographic group WJ has an overall higher SAT average than Whitman. In fact, it was higher than the other W's that's why I think looking at the bulk averages doesn't tell the full story.[/quote

Averages are just that — averages. There will be kids above and below at both. Regardless of where your kid is, your kid will likely feel some kind of pressure if he is a high achiever and strives to do well and be in advanced classes. All of these schools have kids who work hard and stress and kids who goof off and don’t care.

[Anonymous]

If someone asked me which I’d be more comfortable sending my kid to I’d say WJ (not based on first hand experience with either) but to be honest I can’t imagine selling my house and moving just to switch from Whitman to WJ.

Kids often change friends from MS to HS but moving to another pyramid still seems very disruptive to the kid not to mention the adults. Plus I am assuming you like your current neighborhood and it’s closer in, but maybe that’s not right.

[Anonymous]

OP here- I was specifically looking for mental health issues at WJ if they are similar to Whitman? None of these responses have been helpful. I know the test scores and not really care about the differences in them in regards to test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- I was specifically looking for mental health issues at WJ if they are similar to Whitman? None of these responses have been helpful. I know the test scores and not really care about the differences in them in regards to test scores.

WJ is still very high achieving and probably fairly prone to many of the same issues. We did choose WJ over Whitman so that the privilege (and related issues) wasn’t quite as concentrated. If I were looking for something even less concentrated, I’d consider Einstein. Still a group of high achievers and AP and IB options.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think a kid with mental health challenges is going to have those no matter which school they are at. You can't insulate a kid by switching schools. I have three kids total, one who graduated from WJ, one at a magnet HS, and one entering WJ from a magnet MS.

We really like WJ, and think it's overall a happy school, but in our personal experience, we believe our two younger kids who have had mental health challenges would have had them regardless of the school. We have friends with kids in Whitman -- some of them have struggled and some of them have thrived and sailed right through. I believe from knowing the kids that the issues would have been the same irrespective of the school.

If you're concerned enough about your kid to consider moving schools, what other proactive steps have you taken? Is your child in therapy? Have they seen a psychiatrist or psychologist for an evaluation? If you have concerns, you should probably get a full neuropsychological examination and determine a) what your child's challenges are; b) whether medications are appropriate; c) what forms of therapy are appropriate; and d) whether your child needs accommodations in school (which are available for anxiety/depression, not just ADHD or learning disabilities).

You're looking for an answer from this board that I don't think you're going to find, because the answer is about your individual child and their needs, not about whether a particular high school will help them avoid mental health struggles.