Seeking information/insight regarding Potomac Elementary School

[Anonymous]

We are hoping that someone can offer information regarding Potomac Elementary School. We have kids in the K-2nd grades and are considering locating to the Potomac Elementary School boundary. While we have researched the internet (Potomac Elementary School website, google searches, and taking a look at the testing statistics available from the Dept. of Ed/Mont. Co. Public Schools), we do not have the intimate knowledge of the school, such as:

1. Are students/parents happy with the school?
2. Are the teachers communicative with parents (i.e. will teachers actively reach out to parents if a child has an issue)?
3. Student/teacher ratio (again, we would fall into the K-3rd grades)?
4. Any other subjective observations or thoughts that would be helpful to know about the school.

We would really appreciate any information that either a current or former family may be able to share about the school. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, I am not surprised there are few comments here. This site is not really the scene for PES parents. Here is some of the real scoop on the school.

The facilities are abysmal. Every other school has been redone. Bells Mills, Carderock, Seven Locks and Wayside. Nothing at Potomac. It really is a disgrace.

Teaching Staff. Some very good teachers but a very high turnover rate. Commonly held belief is that good teachers go elsewhere.

Two other issues: Chinese Immersion and Integrated Arts Curriculum. Neither necessarily a bad thing but they certainly divide the school.
First -Integrated Arts. Third Grade performs an Opera. Great idea, unfortunately the execution leaves many parents feeling that Third grade is the Opera year and all else suffers.


Then there is Chinese Immersion- essentially an entitlement program that has been shown to have very limited success in teaching foreign language. Would be fine except that the non-immersion students suffer due to larger class size. Parents of Chinese Immersion students are very involved in running the volunteer organizations at the school. Some parents have speculated that the reason the school has consistently fallen off the renovation calendar is because the parent body does not advocate in unison.

Answers to 1,2 and 3 are It depends.

[Anonymous]

OP -- have you seen these student, parent and staff surverys?

http://sharedaccountability.mcpsprimetime.org/SurveyResults/index.php?sch=601

Only 8% of parents filled out the surveys which is not very good.

[Anonymous]

Carderock is not part of the cluster of elem schools with Potomac Elem. Beverly Farms is the fifth elem school. Bev. Farms, Wayside and Potomac feed to Hoover MS., Seven Locks and Bells Mill feed to Cabin John MS. Both MS feed to Churchill.

Cabin John is being rebuilt now.

Potomac Elem also has trailers that have been there for a long time. I agree that it really looks horrid.

It is consistently overcrowded. The rumor is that once seven locks is finished, redistricting will take place and some current Potomac Elem students will be sent to the new school.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Thank you all for the candid and insightful responses. Needless to say, the subjective feedback is eye opening.

When all is/was said and done, do you feel your children are/were afforded a "solid" education? In other words, would you say that your child/ren left the school with the foundational building blocks/nuts and bolts that a good school should provide?

Many thanks.

[Anonymous]

The redistricting is already taking place. We were recently redistricted to Seven Locks from Potomac (thank god, even though we are at the Radnor holding school). My son is in K, but even though it has been only a couple of weeks, the community is absolutely amazing. Parents are very very active.

Don't know what the overcrowding situation is now at Potomac given the redistricting this year. I am sure it has helped.