Talk to me about turning down a spot in a regional CES

[Anonymous]

More schools (maybe a couple dozen) will offer ELC starting this fall. The names of those schools will be announced by mcps within the next month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

I've heard some people turn it down because their kids don't like writing and there's a lot of writing in CES.

Yes, 4th grade CES was far more demanding than 6th grade advanced english.

[Anonymous]

Yes, turned it down a few years ago during universal selection as did a couple of other students in the school that same year. School had enriched English, great teachers, a great administration, and many high achieving peers. A number of those peers got into MS magnets.

No regrets, still look back on it as a great decision. We loved both the 4th and 5th grade team. Child was happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

Op, if you're in doubt, you should just give up the seat. If you stay, things are going to get more difficult, and you're going to wonder why you accepted in the first place. It might be all the work your child has to do and that you have to support as the parent. It might be the friends your child has to leave behind. It might be the bus ride that's more inconvenient than you expected. It might be the lack of school spirit. It might be the lack of after school activities. It might be the lack of a 5th grade graduation ceremony and celebration (yes, this really happened, or failed to happen).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My kid is in CES and the pressure is intense. The teacher seems set on breaking the kids with an excessive volume of work. I’m definitely in favor of doing things more in depth but the focus on volume is inappropriate for this age. Kid has made good friends so won’t drop out, but it’s not as fabulous as folks here would have you believe and if I’d known then what I know now I’d probably have said no.


Thanks for your perspective.

-OP

Not our experience at all. I have a fifth grader at Barnsley and while there's a lot of writing, the workload is not what I'd call intense. Kids have plenty of time in class to do the majority of their work. Not much homework if they use their time wisely at school. There are a handful of larger projects that require doing work at home -- maybe 1 a quarter.

Perhaps it depends on the school? My 4th grade kid has submitted multiple 3,000+ word assignments so far. Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font. While working on this assignment there were several other lengthy assignments due based on reading a full length chapter book aimed at young adults every week, plus other shorter ones on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do we know which schools has ELC? Please advise

They haven't updated the list yet. I would call and ask when they will. It is hard to make a decision without knowing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

Op, if you're in doubt, you should just give up the seat. If you stay, things are going to get more difficult, and you're going to wonder why you accepted in the first place. It might be all the work your child has to do and that you have to support as the parent. It might be the friends your child has to leave behind. It might be the bus ride that's more inconvenient than you expected. It might be the lack of school spirit. It might be the lack of after school activities. It might be the lack of a 5th grade graduation ceremony and celebration (yes, this really happened, or failed to happen).

Hm... that's an interesting thought, thanks. I'm not really in doubt-- unless a number of key friends plan to leave, which could sway my kid (who otherwise leans against going). Kid doesn't make the final decision, but that's the main thing that would make me reconsider. I guess I was looking to see both what others' experiences were and-- if anyone wants to share-- how others who knew of their decision reacted. That doesn't influence me whatsoever, but I am curious if people didn't care or were judgmental in some way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

Op, if you're in doubt, you should just give up the seat. If you stay, things are going to get more difficult, and you're going to wonder why you accepted in the first place. It might be all the work your child has to do and that you have to support as the parent. It might be the friends your child has to leave behind. It might be the bus ride that's more inconvenient than you expected. It might be the lack of school spirit. It might be the lack of after school activities. It might be the lack of a 5th grade graduation ceremony and celebration (yes, this really happened, or failed to happen).

Hm... that's an interesting thought, thanks. I'm not really in doubt-- unless a number of key friends plan to leave, which could sway my kid (who otherwise leans against going). Kid doesn't make the final decision, but that's the main thing that would make me reconsider. I guess I was looking to see both what others' experiences were and-- if anyone wants to share-- how others who knew of their decision reacted. That doesn't influence me whatsoever, but I am curious if people didn't care or were judgmental in some way.

Why would anyone be judgemental? That'd be weird and would say a lot more about them than about you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do we know which schools has ELC? Please advise

They haven't updated the list yet. I would call and ask when they will. It is hard to make a decision without knowing.

So after the update, could an ES have both ELC & CES choice, or an ES could have either ELC or CES max? Which one is better, ELC or CES? I ask this question because I don't know the differences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

Op, if you're in doubt, you should just give up the seat. If you stay, things are going to get more difficult, and you're going to wonder why you accepted in the first place. It might be all the work your child has to do and that you have to support as the parent. It might be the friends your child has to leave behind. It might be the bus ride that's more inconvenient than you expected. It might be the lack of school spirit. It might be the lack of after school activities. It might be the lack of a 5th grade graduation ceremony and celebration (yes, this really happened, or failed to happen).

Hm... that's an interesting thought, thanks. I'm not really in doubt-- unless a number of key friends plan to leave, which could sway my kid (who otherwise leans against going). Kid doesn't make the final decision, but that's the main thing that would make me reconsider. I guess I was looking to see both what others' experiences were and-- if anyone wants to share-- how others who knew of their decision reacted. That doesn't influence me whatsoever, but I am curious if people didn't care or were judgmental in some way.

Why would anyone be judgemental? That'd be weird and would say a lot more about them than about you, OP.

Oh, for sure. I have a couple of family members who I know will judge it to varying degrees-- on the assumption in one case that a "GT" school is always the best, so one should always choose it, and in another case, I know they already judge me for sending my kid to a school that is not rich and white. It's worth remembering that they don't currently have kids in MCPS, let alone my kid, let alone at their school, so their opinions are not really valid at all. I guess-- now that I'm forced to think about it-- I was wondering if anyone else had that experience from family or from other MCPS parents. Like you said-- it's about them, not about me. And it wouldn't influence me to actually choose CES just for that reason. But I guess I am trying not to let that make me feel defensive, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

Op, if you're in doubt, you should just give up the seat. If you stay, things are going to get more difficult, and you're going to wonder why you accepted in the first place. It might be all the work your child has to do and that you have to support as the parent. It might be the friends your child has to leave behind. It might be the bus ride that's more inconvenient than you expected. It might be the lack of school spirit. It might be the lack of after school activities. It might be the lack of a 5th grade graduation ceremony and celebration (yes, this really happened, or failed to happen).

Hm... that's an interesting thought, thanks. I'm not really in doubt-- unless a number of key friends plan to leave, which could sway my kid (who otherwise leans against going). Kid doesn't make the final decision, but that's the main thing that would make me reconsider. I guess I was looking to see both what others' experiences were and-- if anyone wants to share-- how others who knew of their decision reacted. That doesn't influence me whatsoever, but I am curious if people didn't care or were judgmental in some way.

Why would anyone be judgemental? That'd be weird and would say a lot more about them than about you, OP.

Oh, for sure. I have a couple of family members who I know will judge it to varying degrees-- on the assumption in one case that a "GT" school is always the best, so one should always choose it, and in another case, I know they already judge me for sending my kid to a school that is not rich and white. It's worth remembering that they don't currently have kids in MCPS, let alone my kid, let alone at their school, so their opinions are not really valid at all. I guess-- now that I'm forced to think about it-- I was wondering if anyone else had that experience from family or from other MCPS parents. Like you said-- it's about them, not about me. And it wouldn't influence me to actually choose CES just for that reason. But I guess I am trying not to let that make me feel defensive, either.

In that case, tell them your child wasn't offered a seat in the lottery. Problem solved. If you should change your mind later, before the offer expires I mean, then you can take the seat and tell them your child was taken off the wait-list. Yes it's telling some white lies, but it really is none of their business and will give you cover of that's what you seek.

[Anonymous]

We turned down a spot last year and are happy with the decision.

Because our home school was sending so many kids to CES they developed the same reading program at our school which our child goes to. The teacher went to University of Maryland to be trained to offer it. It's my child's favorite part of the day and we still get the benefits of being with neighborhood friends etc. (the pandemic was disruptive enough and I didn't want more disruption).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you turned down a spot in a regional CES, why? And are you happy with that decision?

If you were on the fence and sent your kid to a CES and ended up happy or regretting it-- why?

Thanks.

I've heard some people turn it down because their kids don't like writing and there's a lot of writing in CES.

Yes, 4th grade CES was far more demanding than 6th grade advanced english.

This is definitely true.

Advanced English at our home MS is not ‘advanced’. It is a mixed ability class for everyone from ESOL students to kids rom the CES.

4th grade writing at the CES was much more demanding and beneficial.

[Anonymous]

Turned down Barnsley. No regrets. Kid is now in college.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps it depends on the school? My 4th grade kid has submitted multiple 3,000+ word assignments so far. Her class just completed an autobiography project that’s ten chapters long, which means many of the kids have written assignments that are 30 pages in length, printed 10pt font. While working on this assignment there were several other lengthy assignments due based on reading a full length chapter book aimed at young adults every week, plus other shorter ones on a daily basis.

Please name the school. This is not at all like my child's CES experience, or any I've heard. I think you are exaggerating. Perhaps you have a child on the wait list and are trying to scare parents away on the hope your child can go.