Recent Heather Hills Experience?

[Anonymous]

I anticipate that my DC will be identified for TAG and I am exploring my options. Does anyone have recent experience with Heather Hills ES?

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher within PGCPS. I do not have direct experience with Heather Hills, however, do know that the curriculum for TAG is the same as any regular PGCPS school. The only difference is that your child will be around more children that are typically like him or her, meaning, less behavioral issues, picking up on skills quickly, etc. That is always a win. So just be sure that if you go that route, you still challenge your child at home.

[Anonymous]

Current family. Heather Hills has a long history of being very rigid and cold and we have found that to be the case. I regret pulling my DC. Other families I’ve spoken with have expressed how the school has given their children anxiety due to the workload and extreme discipline practices. The challenge for us has been that the work is not harder as pp stated just more. Lots more. Almost everything will be done on computers including homework. Hours a day. The “project based” curriculum they promise is a front outside of projects around heritage months or holidays. Other projects have been poster boards on random topics due within days of assigning them.

Like PP it is assumed kids will universally be higher, better behaved etc. but that hasn’t been our experience. We’ve seen more behavior problems here than our previous school and have been surprised at how much remediation some students need on basic grade level tasks.

The new principal (3rd in 5ish years) is really trying but it’s an uphill battle and a culture that has existed for years. If you are at a higher performing PGCPS elementary with a strong TAG pullout or in class program I would stay put. Most families stay because it is their way “out” of an underperforming school and their ticket to the TAG middle. However, the TAG middle programs have had open slots well into late August for years now.

There is an old petition floating around online when parents wanted to oust a previous principal. While the new one has been good, a lot about the culture that parents describe in the comments is still spot on. Definitely go see for yourself. Whatever vibe you get, trust it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher within PGCPS. I do not have direct experience with Heather Hills, however, do know that the curriculum for TAG is the same as any regular PGCPS school. The only difference is that your child will be around more children that are typically like him or her, meaning, less behavioral issues, picking up on skills quickly, etc. That is always a win. So just be sure that if you go that route, you still challenge your child at home.

Super helpful! Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Current family. Heather Hills has a long history of being very rigid and cold and we have found that to be the case. I regret pulling my DC. Other families I’ve spoken with have expressed how the school has given their children anxiety due to the workload and extreme discipline practices. The challenge for us has been that the work is not harder as pp stated just more. Lots more. Almost everything will be done on computers including homework. Hours a day. The “project based” curriculum they promise is a front outside of projects around heritage months or holidays. Other projects have been poster boards on random topics due within days of assigning them.

Like PP it is assumed kids will universally be higher, better behaved etc. but that hasn’t been our experience. We’ve seen more behavior problems here than our previous school and have been surprised at how much remediation some students need on basic grade level tasks.

The new principal (3rd in 5ish years) is really trying but it’s an uphill battle and a culture that has existed for years. If you are at a higher performing PGCPS elementary with a strong TAG pullout or in class program I would stay put. Most families stay because it is their way “out” of an underperforming school and their ticket to the TAG middle. However, the TAG middle programs have had open slots well into late August for years now.

There is an old petition floating around online when parents wanted to oust a previous principal. While the new one has been good, a lot about the culture that parents describe in the comments is still spot on. Definitely go see for yourself. Whatever vibe you get, trust it

Thank you so much for this feedback!!!
We are zoned to an ES with an in class TAG program. My concern is class sizes. However, I definitely don't want to sacrifice wellness! I appreciate your candidness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher within PGCPS. I do not have direct experience with Heather Hills, however, do know that the curriculum for TAG is the same as any regular PGCPS school. The only difference is that your child will be around more children that are typically like him or her, meaning, less behavioral issues, picking up on skills quickly, etc. That is always a win. So just be sure that if you go that route, you still challenge your child at home.

Super helpful! Thank you!

Two of my kids (TAG identified) went through our local elementary school and one is at a TAG magnet (not HH). When they went to the TAG middle school, my older two were not behind at all compared to the kids who went to the TAG ES center and were eventually were offered spots at ERHS. The only reason we moved my youngest to the TAG center was because there was a huge shift in staff at our local school and they weren't providing TAG services at all. I would say the biggest difference is the kids do more projects than the regular classroom and can move at a slightly faster rate.

If you are happy at your local elementary school, I would stay put. If your kid needs more rigorous classwork, ask that they be bumped up to a higher grade for math/reading.
I miss the 5 min walk to the local school vs the 30+ min drive to our TAG center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Current family. Heather Hills has a long history of being very rigid and cold and we have found that to be the case. I regret pulling my DC. Other families I’ve spoken with have expressed how the school has given their children anxiety due to the workload and extreme discipline practices. The challenge for us has been that the work is not harder as pp stated just more. Lots more. Almost everything will be done on computers including homework. Hours a day. The “project based” curriculum they promise is a front outside of projects around heritage months or holidays. Other projects have been poster boards on random topics due within days of assigning them.

Like PP it is assumed kids will universally be higher, better behaved etc. but that hasn’t been our experience. We’ve seen more behavior problems here than our previous school and have been surprised at how much remediation some students need on basic grade level tasks.

The new principal (3rd in 5ish years) is really trying but it’s an uphill battle and a culture that has existed for years. If you are at a higher performing PGCPS elementary with a strong TAG pullout or in class program I would stay put. Most families stay because it is their way “out” of an underperforming school and their ticket to the TAG middle. However, the TAG middle programs have had open slots well into late August for years now.

There is an old petition floating around online when parents wanted to oust a previous principal. While the new one has been good, a lot about the culture that parents describe in the comments is still spot on. Definitely go see for yourself. Whatever vibe you get, trust it

Thank you so much for this feedback!!!
We are zoned to an ES with an in class TAG program. My concern is class sizes. However, I definitely don't want to sacrifice wellness! I appreciate your candidness.

Not at HH but our experience is that the TAG center programs do not necessarily have smaller class sizes. It depends on the specific enrollment that year. For my kid, there are enough TAG kids to have 2 classes and there are about 23 kids in the class but the year behind only have enough for 1 so that class is 28 or 29 kids. For my local school, some years they had 19 kids in the class and some years they had 28. The TAG middle school classes are almost always at capacity and have 30+ kids.

[Anonymous]

As a pp mention subject acceleration is a much better option if you like your school. We are in the process now of moving one grade level up in math and it seems like it will be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a pp mention subject acceleration is a much better option if you like your school. We are in the process now of moving one grade level up in math and it seems like it will be a good fit.

I think it is important for parents to know about this option and to advocate for their kids. Teachers won't automatically move them up without a nudge in that direction.

[Anonymous]

TAG Parent here (not HH, but GWES). We were fortunate to get a lottery seat and moved him this year. Not sure where OP lives, but what I can tell you is my DS classmate was zoned for HH.His parents opted NOT to pull him bc HH's school day starts at 7:30am, meaning the kid would have to catch the bus at 6:40am, which was asinine. It may be something to consider bc the buses aren't any better (at least for us, it's worse).

I agree that TAG center doesn't mean smaller classes - DS has 28 students, which is equal to his home school. Could be that demand is driving the numbers higher, but it doesn't bother us if he's getting quality instruction.

Our experience so far at our TAG center has been great. The curriculum may be the same, but I can tell you first-hand, that DS home school had TAG Pull Out, and it was very inconsistent and disappointing. Some weeks they would meet, then they wouldn't for weeks at a time, and it got to the point where I stopped asking and DS would tell me when they met, which wasn't often. Not enough to benefit from TAG instruction. I don't find the homework to be overwhelming, but I can tell that DS is challenged by the curriculum, and he's thriving in the environment. Home school assigned minimal homework and they didn't have any hands-on learning through experiments or projects and generally felt like DS wasn't tapping into his learning potential.

I would agree that you should tour the school, assess the vibes, talk to the coordinator and you should be able to get a good feel if the TAG center is the right fit for your student. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TAG Parent here (not HH, but GWES). We were fortunate to get a lottery seat and moved him this year. Not sure where OP lives, but what I can tell you is my DS classmate was zoned for HH.His parents opted NOT to pull him bc HH's school day starts at 7:30am, meaning the kid would have to catch the bus at 6:40am, which was asinine. It may be something to consider bc the buses aren't any better (at least for us, it's worse).

I agree that TAG center doesn't mean smaller classes - DS has 28 students, which is equal to his home school. Could be that demand is driving the numbers higher, but it doesn't bother us if he's getting quality instruction.

Our experience so far at our TAG center has been great. The curriculum may be the same, but I can tell you first-hand, that DS home school had TAG Pull Out, and it was very inconsistent and disappointing. Some weeks they would meet, then they wouldn't for weeks at a time, and it got to the point where I stopped asking and DS would tell me when they met, which wasn't often. Not enough to benefit from TAG instruction. I don't find the homework to be overwhelming, but I can tell that DS is challenged by the curriculum, and he's thriving in the environment. Home school assigned minimal homework and they didn't have any hands-on learning through experiments or projects and generally felt like DS wasn't tapping into his learning potential.

I would agree that you should tour the school, assess the vibes, talk to the coordinator and you should be able to get a good feel if the TAG center is the right fit for your student. Good luck!

i mean I don't disagree but in my neighborhood the regular school is exactly the same. if you stay at Yorktown ES for instance, school also starts at 7:30. If you go to HH it's no different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TAG Parent here (not HH, but GWES). We were fortunate to get a lottery seat and moved him this year. Not sure where OP lives, but what I can tell you is my DS classmate was zoned for HH.His parents opted NOT to pull him bc HH's school day starts at 7:30am, meaning the kid would have to catch the bus at 6:40am, which was asinine. It may be something to consider bc the buses aren't any better (at least for us, it's worse).

I agree that TAG center doesn't mean smaller classes - DS has 28 students, which is equal to his home school. Could be that demand is driving the numbers higher, but it doesn't bother us if he's getting quality instruction.

Our experience so far at our TAG center has been great. The curriculum may be the same, but I can tell you first-hand, that DS home school had TAG Pull Out, and it was very inconsistent and disappointing. Some weeks they would meet, then they wouldn't for weeks at a time, and it got to the point where I stopped asking and DS would tell me when they met, which wasn't often. Not enough to benefit from TAG instruction. I don't find the homework to be overwhelming, but I can tell that DS is challenged by the curriculum, and he's thriving in the environment. Home school assigned minimal homework and they didn't have any hands-on learning through experiments or projects and generally felt like DS wasn't tapping into his learning potential.

I would agree that you should tour the school, assess the vibes, talk to the coordinator and you should be able to get a good feel if the TAG center is the right fit for your student. Good luck!

i mean I don't disagree but in my neighborhood the regular school is exactly the same. if you stay at Yorktown ES for instance, school also starts at 7:30. If you go to HH it's no different.

Unless you live within walking distance or if you can drive them in. Some of the bus routes to the Specialty programs are crazy.

[Anonymous]

Honestly GWES is an anomaly. They have earned a reputation and are working to maintain it. It’s almost a specialty program within a speciality program. While I don’t doubt pp loves the school. I take all the GWES reviews with a grain of salt because it is not typical of the TAG programs and unless you get into that specific program, you may be disappointed.

I can confirm and want to reiterate Heather Hills provides VERY limited hands on experience. They teach to the test in a way I have never seen before. Everything is about the numbers. There is no intrinsic motivation or joy for learning. It is all about the rankings. Teachers verbally (and frequently) shame students for not being perfect. They are anxious little robots. It’s kind of heartbreaking actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly GWES is an anomaly. They have earned a reputation and are working to maintain it. It’s almost a specialty program within a speciality program. While I don’t doubt pp loves the school. I take all the GWES reviews with a grain of salt because it is not typical of the TAG programs and unless you get into that specific program, you may be disappointed.

I can confirm and want to reiterate Heather Hills provides VERY limited hands on experience. They teach to the test in a way I have never seen before. Everything is about the numbers. There is no intrinsic motivation or joy for learning. It is all about the rankings. Teachers verbally (and frequently) shame students for not being perfect. They are anxious little robots. It’s kind of heartbreaking actually.

My kid is at Capitol Heights Elementary in the TAG program and we are happy we made the change. They often allow out of boundary kids apply for a transfer (although they are technically not supposed to do that for the TAG program).
We did pull out TAG at our local ES and there is an appreciable difference but I'm not sure it is a "better school" over all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TAG Parent here (not HH, but GWES). We were fortunate to get a lottery seat and moved him this year. Not sure where OP lives, but what I can tell you is my DS classmate was zoned for HH.His parents opted NOT to pull him bc HH's school day starts at 7:30am, meaning the kid would have to catch the bus at 6:40am, which was asinine. It may be something to consider bc the buses aren't any better (at least for us, it's worse).

I agree that TAG center doesn't mean smaller classes - DS has 28 students, which is equal to his home school. Could be that demand is driving the numbers higher, but it doesn't bother us if he's getting quality instruction.

Our experience so far at our TAG center has been great. The curriculum may be the same, but I can tell you first-hand, that DS home school had TAG Pull Out, and it was very inconsistent and disappointing. Some weeks they would meet, then they wouldn't for weeks at a time, and it got to the point where I stopped asking and DS would tell me when they met, which wasn't often. Not enough to benefit from TAG instruction. I don't find the homework to be overwhelming, but I can tell that DS is challenged by the curriculum, and he's thriving in the environment. Home school assigned minimal homework and they didn't have any hands-on learning through experiments or projects and generally felt like DS wasn't tapping into his learning potential.

I would agree that you should tour the school, assess the vibes, talk to the coordinator and you should be able to get a good feel if the TAG center is the right fit for your student. Good luck!

i mean I don't disagree but in my neighborhood the regular school is exactly the same. if you stay at Yorktown ES for instance, school also starts at 7:30. If you go to HH it's no different.

Specialty school bus routes can be notoriously long bc the kids are coming from different areas, not just your immediate home school neighborhood, which is usually closer. My kid goes to a specialty school and the bus picks up 1 hr 45 min before school starts. We live 10 miles from the school (25 min with normal traffic). It's something to consider bc you'll want to know the bus route info as it could be a dealbreaker.