Families who moved from DCPS to MCPS for MS & HS

[Anonymous]

Reposting from the DC forum:

Families whose kids did public ES in DC and then moved to the burbs for public MS and HS, please help my husband and me make a decision!

Our DC is 5 and matched into Eaton and has a very low WL number (3) at Mann. We liked both schools a LOT, and I struggle to think any suburban elementary will offer the same bells & whistles. We have to decide by May 1, the lottery deadline.

What we’re trying to evaluate now is:
- Do we stay in our home and send our kids to Eaton or Mann, knowing we’ll likely move to the burbs after elementary OR
- Do we move now, and have our kids start in public elementary in the same line-up, from day one?

Our top considerations:
- Strong public ES
- Lots of young families in neighborhood
- Building lifelong family friendships (and we know proximity and consistency are critical for this)

I guess the core question is:
If you moved after your child graduated from ES, how hard was it for your kids to transition to middle school knowing no one in the class? And, how easy is it to hold onto neighborhood friends once we move?

[Anonymous]

You can't plan your whole life around your current neighbors.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s pretty easy for kids to switch schools up to around 3rd grade. After that it depends on the kid and also the new school environment.

For 6th grade, a good thing is that multiple schools are generally coming together so everyone is meeting new kids. On the other hand, when kids are feeling scared going to middle school they may cling more to the friends they already know. Again, it can depend a lot on your kid’s personality and individual strengths and weaknesses.

We have not moved since my oldest started K. My younger kid has more neighborhood friends and some moved into our neighborhood in 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade. They have made lots of friends and I don’t think they found it difficult. I don’t personally know any families who moved in later. Our neighborhood happens to have a TON of kids in my younger kid’s grade and fewer in my older kid’s grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reposting from the DC forum:

Families whose kids did public ES in DC and then moved to the burbs for public MS and HS, please help my husband and me make a decision!

Our DC is 5 and matched into Eaton and has a very low WL number (3) at Mann. We liked both schools a LOT, and I struggle to think any suburban elementary will offer the same bells & whistles. We have to decide by May 1, the lottery deadline.

What we’re trying to evaluate now is:
- Do we stay in our home and send our kids to Eaton or Mann, knowing we’ll likely move to the burbs after elementary OR
- Do we move now, and have our kids start in public elementary in the same line-up, from day one?

Our top considerations:
- Strong public ES
- Lots of young families in neighborhood
- Building lifelong family friendships (and we know proximity and consistency are critical for this)

I guess the core question is:
If you moved after your child graduated from ES, how hard was it for your kids to transition to middle school knowing no one in the class? And, how easy is it to hold onto neighborhood friends once we move?

Research shows that students lose a few months of learning when they switch schools. This kind of bobble can happen when students switch schools for the next level to MS and HS. That is why HSs' have 9th grade academies, to help with adjustments. I would say that unless you can get into a Churchill HS or Whitman HS area, secondary school in MCPS is at best a mixed bag, with the superintendent rearranging high schools into regions and introducing 100 regional programs by Fall 2027. BCC HS area will probably be good too - that will have an excellent IB program in the upcoming region 1.

As ES students move to MS, they meet a lot of new students from the other ESs that feed into the MS. So, not a bad time to switch school systems. It will probably be a little difficult at first. Maybe try doing a summer program, like a sports camp, in your new chosen area. It's an opportunity to meet other kids in your new neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

I understand why you're asking these questions but unfortunately, I don't think you can get a useful answer because there are too many variables. The specifics of the neighborhoods, schools, and the kids vary too much to offer generalized lessons learned for your family.

For example, the degree of cohesiveness and inclusiveness varies a lot at different MCPS schools and depend too on the kids in each cohort.

If you like the ES choices you have in DC and don't already own a home in MD, then I would move ahead with your DC school. If you haven't already been doing this, I would explore MoCo real estate and then assess neighborhoods and school options once you find a house you will bid on. I don't think you need to wait to make a change between elementary and middle school.

I would take it year by year as you get settled in the DC school and consider specific houses in Maryland. My kids are in middle school now and it seems like every year there are kids coming and going--they don't have a stable cohort.

[Anonymous]

OP here:

To help give more tailored advice, our question is:

1. Move to the Eaton or Mann districts now, then move to Bethesda (Pyle or Westland) for 6th grade

2. Move to the Wood Acres or Bradley Hills neighborhoods now, and then feed into Pyle-Whitman

WWYD? Are we silly to even consider moving twice, so that our kids get the best public school experiences at each level?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

To help give more tailored advice, our question is:

1. Move to the Eaton or Mann districts now, then move to Bethesda (Pyle or Westland) for 6th grade

2. Move to the Wood Acres or Bradley Hills neighborhoods now, and then feed into Pyle-Whitman

WWYD? Are we silly to even consider moving twice, so that our kids get the best public school experiences at each level?

I would do Mann through 5th, then move to Pyle for 6th. Mann is a fantastic school with an extra teacher in each class. You will not get that anywhere in MCPS. But the good schools in DC, like Deal, are not as good as Pyle.

GL!

[Anonymous]

^^ oops that should read the best MIDDLE schools in DC are nothing like Pyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

To help give more tailored advice, our question is:

1. Move to the Eaton or Mann districts now, then move to Bethesda (Pyle or Westland) for 6th grade

2. Move to the Wood Acres or Bradley Hills neighborhoods now, and then feed into Pyle-Whitman

WWYD? Are we silly to even consider moving twice, so that our kids get the best public school experiences at each level?

We left Dupont for Woodacres when our kids were 6 & 3, never regrated it for one second. I think you may be surprised by the bells and whistles of the Bethesda Schools, heck Woodacres has a planetarium . Also open your search to Brookmont neighborhood. It goes to bannockburn (small and sweet) and it is a gem of an area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

To help give more tailored advice, our question is:

1. Move to the Eaton or Mann districts now, then move to Bethesda (Pyle or Westland) for 6th grade

2. Move to the Wood Acres or Bradley Hills neighborhoods now, and then feed into Pyle-Whitman

WWYD? Are we silly to even consider moving twice, so that our kids get the best public school experiences at each level?

I would do Mann through 5th, then move to Pyle for 6th. Mann is a fantastic school with an extra teacher in each class. You will not get that anywhere in MCPS. But the good schools in DC, like Deal, are not as good as Pyle.

GL!

That not entirely true. At our close in Bethesda school and Im sure many others, there are breakout teachers. Yes the homeroom is one teacher but for things like reading, the class gets split into ability groups where the kids with needs go off as do the advanced kids and the core group remains all with different teachers who then rotate to the next class. It the end the kids get the attention they need in much smaller groups not to mention lots of specialists like feelings counselors, speech therapists and so on. All without having to pay stupid high PTA dues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand why you're asking these questions but unfortunately, I don't think you can get a useful answer because there are too many variables. The specifics of the neighborhoods, schools, and the kids vary too much to offer generalized lessons learned for your family.

For example, the degree of cohesiveness and inclusiveness varies a lot at different MCPS schools and depend too on the kids in each cohort.

If you like the ES choices you have in DC and don't already own a home in MD, then I would move ahead with your DC school. If you haven't already been doing this, I would explore MoCo real estate and then assess neighborhoods and school options once you find a house you will bid on. I don't think you need to wait to make a change between elementary and middle school.

I would take it year by year as you get settled in the DC school and consider specific houses in Maryland. My kids are in middle school now and it seems like every year there are kids coming and going--they don't have a stable cohort.

People can look at the mobility rate of schools, which is how many students are coming and going during the year. At schools with high poverty, you see a higher mobility rate, as their housing may be insecure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand why you're asking these questions but unfortunately, I don't think you can get a useful answer because there are too many variables. The specifics of the neighborhoods, schools, and the kids vary too much to offer generalized lessons learned for your family.

For example, the degree of cohesiveness and inclusiveness varies a lot at different MCPS schools and depend too on the kids in each cohort.

If you like the ES choices you have in DC and don't already own a home in MD, then I would move ahead with your DC school. If you haven't already been doing this, I would explore MoCo real estate and then assess neighborhoods and school options once you find a house you will bid on. I don't think you need to wait to make a change between elementary and middle school.

I would take it year by year as you get settled in the DC school and consider specific houses in Maryland. My kids are in middle school now and it seems like every year there are kids coming and going--they don't have a stable cohort.

People can look at the mobility rate of schools, which is how many students are coming and going during the year. At schools with high poverty, you see a higher mobility rate, as their housing may be insecure.

Or there is cyclical diplomatic / world bankers in the neighborhoods like with the areas the OP is talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't plan your whole life around your current neighbors.

I agree with this person. Also, be careful making this move. I did the same move - you don’t necessarily get “better schools” - you just get kids with parents who are educated and push them. So, the teachers and curriculum in Montgomery County aren’t better than in D.C. And also, you can get this exact same experience in D.C. and be closer to all of the other cultural opportunities D.C. has to offer - the only thing to do out in the ‘burbs is go to the mall. There are certain parts of MoCo where the experience is really sterile, dull and homogenous - think Wootton, Churchill high school clusters and all of their feeder middle schools and elementary schools.

Also, please don’t move here thinking everyone plays together in the neighborhood after school and you’re going on mom walks and going next door to borrow sugar. It is not like that. In fact, I would say you see more of that in D.C. neighborhoods than out here. Like I said life and the people out here can be very homogenous, afraid to speak up regarding local and national/political issues - they can be very insular and not at all cosmopolitan in their views or lifestyle so it can be stifling.

Just think hard. Read all of the posts here - these will be your neighbors. Now, go read the posts on the DC forum - different vibe and tone. That is the difference you will see in person as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

To help give more tailored advice, our question is:

1. Move to the Eaton or Mann districts now, then move to Bethesda (Pyle or Westland) for 6th grade

2. Move to the Wood Acres or Bradley Hills neighborhoods now, and then feed into Pyle-Whitman

WWYD? Are we silly to even consider moving twice, so that our kids get the best public school experiences at each level?

I would do Mann through 5th, then move to Pyle for 6th. Mann is a fantastic school with an extra teacher in each class. You will not get that anywhere in MCPS. But the good schools in DC, like Deal, are not as good as Pyle.

GL!

That not entirely true. At our close in Bethesda school and Im sure many others, there are breakout teachers. Yes the homeroom is one teacher but for things like reading, the class gets split into ability groups where the kids with needs go off as do the advanced kids and the core group remains all with different teachers who then rotate to the next class. It the end the kids get the attention they need in much smaller groups not to mention lots of specialists like feelings counselors, speech therapists and so on. All without having to pay stupid high PTA dues

Not the same thing as having 2 dedicated full-time teachers in each class. Not even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

To help give more tailored advice, our question is:

1. Move to the Eaton or Mann districts now, then move to Bethesda (Pyle or Westland) for 6th grade

2. Move to the Wood Acres or Bradley Hills neighborhoods now, and then feed into Pyle-Whitman

WWYD? Are we silly to even consider moving twice, so that our kids get the best public school experiences at each level?

I would do Mann through 5th, then move to Pyle for 6th. Mann is a fantastic school with an extra teacher in each class. You will not get that anywhere in MCPS. But the good schools in DC, like Deal, are not as good as Pyle.

GL!

That not entirely true. At our close in Bethesda school and Im sure many others, there are breakout teachers. Yes the homeroom is one teacher but for things like reading, the class gets split into ability groups where the kids with needs go off as do the advanced kids and the core group remains all with different teachers who then rotate to the next class. It the end the kids get the attention they need in much smaller groups not to mention lots of specialists like feelings counselors, speech therapists and so on. All without having to pay stupid high PTA dues

Not the same thing as having 2 dedicated full-time teachers in each class. Not even close.

Yah you're right, all those poor Bethesda kids who come out of grade school not knowing reading and math. Want to compare test scores between schools? Or is this where you come in and say the kids are the difference