Overwhelmed with DCC options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is switching from private school to a DCC school next year for 9th grade. I'm totally overwhelmed by the DCC system and all the options it offers. What is the deal with all the programs at each school? Do you have to be in one of them or is there general population school, too? Which ones are good? If I want my smart kid to get a really good education, what programs and schools should I be looking at? I just can't figure out which schools/programs are good versus which are low-performing. Thanks for the help.

A lot will depend on your address. Which DCC school is your home zoned for? That is the only one where you are guaranteed a spot, assuming you rank it #1 or #2 on your choice form.

This is true. They make kids go through the process of "choosing" a school based on their interests (and the schools treat these open houses like "marketing events"). Kids are very disappointed if they don't get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't have to be in one of the special programs? Are they better than general population? What if I think IB is way too rigorous? Are there other special programs that are particularly good? Also, are an of these schools unsafe?

DCUM is going to claim they are all unsafe. It’s going to say all MCPS high schools except the Ws are unsafe.

Instead of relying on DCUM, check out the MCPS school climate surveys, particularly the teacher survey where teachers rate whether a school is safe for staff and students:
https://sharedaccountability.mcpsmd.org/SurveyResults/content.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're zoned for Einstein. When you say "special programs/application programs/magnet programs at several DCC schools and the DCC academy programs" are you talking things like the International Studies & Law vs. CAP and Magnet vs. doing an automotive track as an academy?

If you're zoned for Einstein, and your child enrolls there, the academy programs they will choose from are: Visual and Performing Arts, Teacher Academy, Academy of Finance and Technology, Renaissance Academy, and the IB Academy. Renaissance and IB are more generalized; Renaissance entails taking a bunch of AP classes.

But do they have to choose an academy or can you just go to the high school regularly? Are the academy programs considered "better" education-wise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, that explains things a little more. There just seem to be so many options. As for safety, let's put away the bias for the W schools right now. How are the DCC schools individually? Is there gang activity at them?

Going to get my popcorn.

OP is either a troll or very clueless. Is there gang activity in your neighborhood? In the neighborhood near yours?

OP, if you are even real. Why are you switching to public? What are your kid's interests and favorite subjects. Are they "advanced" in their private school? Even though MCPS has a crappy MS curriculum, I think it is best to switch kids in MS rather than in HS. I'd meet with a counselor at the HS your student is zoned for to figure out what their schedule might look like, or you could create a new thread that isn't as charged with language about gangs, etc. and ask here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, that explains things a little more. There just seem to be so many options. As for safety, let's put away the bias for the W schools right now. How are the DCC schools individually? Is there gang activity at them?

Going to get my popcorn.

OP is either a troll or very clueless. Is there gang activity in your neighborhood? In the neighborhood near yours?

OP, if you are even real. Why are you switching to public? What are your kid's interests and favorite subjects. Are they "advanced" in their private school? Even though MCPS has a crappy MS curriculum, I think it is best to switch kids in MS rather than in HS. I'd meet with a counselor at the HS your student is zoned for to figure out what their schedule might look like, or you could create a new thread that isn't as charged with language about gangs, etc. and ask here.

+1

Currently going through this process for DCC. DD has some idea about which school(s) she's interested in, but going to all the open houses in coming weeks. Already eliminated magnets and application programs. We've known kids who have attended all DCC schools, not through magnets, and thrived. It's about finding the right fit.

OP - I understand feeling overwhelmed by the process, but your anxiety about safety and gangs is over the top. There must be families in your neighborhood who attend DCC schools that you can talk to in person, rather than stoking the DCUM fires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're zoned for Einstein. When you say "special programs/application programs/magnet programs at several DCC schools and the DCC academy programs" are you talking things like the International Studies & Law vs. CAP and Magnet vs. doing an automotive track as an academy?

If you're zoned for Einstein, and your child enrolls there, the academy programs they will choose from are: Visual and Performing Arts, Teacher Academy, Academy of Finance and Technology, Renaissance Academy, and the IB Academy. Renaissance and IB are more generalized; Renaissance entails taking a bunch of AP classes.

But do they have to choose an academy or can you just go to the high school regularly? Are the academy programs considered "better" education-wise?

Yes, they will have to choose an academy. They won't be required to complete a capstone or internship, but they'll at least take a few electives along one of the academy pathways. It's really not a big deal if you don't want it to be. My kid graduated from Einstein last year, and was a member of VAPA, but all he had to do for it was take 3 or 4 arts electives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is switching from private school to a DCC school next year for 9th grade. I'm totally overwhelmed by the DCC system and all the options it offers. What is the deal with all the programs at each school? Do you have to be in one of them or is there general population school, too? Which ones are good? If I want my smart kid to get a really good education, what programs and schools should I be looking at? I just can't figure out which schools/programs are good versus which are low-performing. Thanks for the help.

A lot will depend on your address. Which DCC school is your home zoned for? That is the only one where you are guaranteed a spot, assuming you rank it #1 or #2 on your choice form.

This is true. They make kids go through the process of "choosing" a school based on their interests (and the schools treat these open houses like "marketing events"). Kids are very disappointed if they don't get in.

And Blair has historically been very difficult to get into via the choice process unless you live in their base area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really depends on your child. Blair has a great STEM (math/science) magnet and a very good humanities magnet while also being a good all-around school - but it is 3500 kids and your child needs to be able to navigate that. Kennedy has a local IB program that could provide your child rigorous study, and Northwood is smaller with academies, although I've not heard much about the rigor of its program. Bottom line is to attend the evening parent meetings that are put on by MCPS in the fall for DCC that can help delineate the differences.

3500 kid school with a capacity of 2800

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're zoned for Einstein. When you say "special programs/application programs/magnet programs at several DCC schools and the DCC academy programs" are you talking things like the International Studies & Law vs. CAP and Magnet vs. doing an automotive track as an academy?

If you're zoned for Einstein, and your child enrolls there, the academy programs they will choose from are: Visual and Performing Arts, Teacher Academy, Academy of Finance and Technology, Renaissance Academy, and the IB Academy. Renaissance and IB are more generalized; Renaissance entails taking a bunch of AP classes.

But do they have to choose an academy or can you just go to the high school regularly? Are the academy programs considered "better" education-wise?

Yes, they will have to choose an academy. They won't be required to complete a capstone or internship, but they'll at least take a few electives along one of the academy pathways. It's really not a big deal if you don't want it to be. My kid graduated from Einstein last year, and was a member of VAPA, but all he had to do for it was take 3 or 4 arts electives.

Is Hufflepuff one of the academies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're zoned for Einstein. When you say "special programs/application programs/magnet programs at several DCC schools and the DCC academy programs" are you talking things like the International Studies & Law vs. CAP and Magnet vs. doing an automotive track as an academy?

If you're zoned for Einstein, and your child enrolls there, the academy programs they will choose from are: Visual and Performing Arts, Teacher Academy, Academy of Finance and Technology, Renaissance Academy, and the IB Academy. Renaissance and IB are more generalized; Renaissance entails taking a bunch of AP classes.

But do they have to choose an academy or can you just go to the high school regularly? Are the academy programs considered "better" education-wise?

Yes, they will have to choose an academy. They won't be required to complete a capstone or internship, but they'll at least take a few electives along one of the academy pathways. It's really not a big deal if you don't want it to be. My kid graduated from Einstein last year, and was a member of VAPA, but all he had to do for it was take 3 or 4 arts electives.

Needing to use 4 elective spots on top of graduation requirements of PE, health, technology, etc actually does sound restrictive to me, in that they probably don’t have much elective space beyond that if they plan to take the 5 core courses (math, english, social studies, world language, science) each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really depends on your child. Blair has a great STEM (math/science) magnet and a very good humanities magnet while also being a good all-around school - but it is 3500 kids and your child needs to be able to navigate that. Kennedy has a local IB program that could provide your child rigorous study, and Northwood is smaller with academies, although I've not heard much about the rigor of its program. Bottom line is to attend the evening parent meetings that are put on by MCPS in the fall for DCC that can help delineate the differences.

3500 kid school with a capacity of 2800

Blair's enrollment is closer to 3300 this year. Building capacity is 2889, plus they have 18 (!) portables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're zoned for Einstein. When you say "special programs/application programs/magnet programs at several DCC schools and the DCC academy programs" are you talking things like the International Studies & Law vs. CAP and Magnet vs. doing an automotive track as an academy?

If you're zoned for Einstein, and your child enrolls there, the academy programs they will choose from are: Visual and Performing Arts, Teacher Academy, Academy of Finance and Technology, Renaissance Academy, and the IB Academy. Renaissance and IB are more generalized; Renaissance entails taking a bunch of AP classes.

But do they have to choose an academy or can you just go to the high school regularly? Are the academy programs considered "better" education-wise?

Yes, they will have to choose an academy. They won't be required to complete a capstone or internship, but they'll at least take a few electives along one of the academy pathways. It's really not a big deal if you don't want it to be. My kid graduated from Einstein last year, and was a member of VAPA, but all he had to do for it was take 3 or 4 arts electives.

Needing to use 4 elective spots on top of graduation requirements of PE, health, technology, etc actually does sound restrictive to me, in that they probably don’t have much elective space beyond that if they plan to take the 5 core courses (math, english, social studies, world language, science) each year.

It works fine if the academy you choose has the electives you want to take anyway.

[Anonymous]

Kennedy's IB program is the same as RM, it is smaller and it being application-based is new. Have been really happy with Kennedy. The teachers have all been really responsive and involved and the work is challenging.

Einstein kids can also do IB at Einstsin starting in 11th grade, it's just not cohorted like RM or Kennedy. But if you're zoned for it already... Definitely the DCC selection can not be one: we took the spot at Kennedy, but Einstein was our lottery choice (that's separate than magnet applications) and we didn't get it. Have heard good things about the MC2 program, especially for Stem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, that explains things a little more. There just seem to be so many options. As for safety, let's put away the bias for the W schools right now. How are the DCC schools individually? Is there gang activity at them?

Going to get my popcorn.

OP is either a troll or very clueless. Is there gang activity in your neighborhood? In the neighborhood near yours?

OP, if you are even real. Why are you switching to public? What are your kid's interests and favorite subjects. Are they "advanced" in their private school? Even though MCPS has a crappy MS curriculum, I think it is best to switch kids in MS rather than in HS. I'd meet with a counselor at the HS your student is zoned for to figure out what their schedule might look like, or you could create a new thread that isn't as charged with language about gangs, etc. and ask here.

OMG gangs are out of control! Except there hasn't been a single reported incident at any MCPS in years. This has been discussed and debunked already numerous times. Eventually, the same poster links some old news article about MS13 activity in TX or some other place as proof. Everyone laughs at them and goes about their business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, that explains things a little more. There just seem to be so many options. As for safety, let's put away the bias for the W schools right now. How are the DCC schools individually? Is there gang activity at them?

You are in a good spot with Einstein as your home school. We live in Woodside Park fwiw and have been very happy with Einstein for our kids (both have graduated). They had a great experience there, made lots of friends, were involved in a lot of activities, and went to competitive colleges.

No gang activity.