Pyle/Whitman or Westland/BCC cluster better fit?
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Anonymous
| Whitman is the richest school in the county. It will not be down to earth. Bcc is a mix of very wealthy to a mix of everything else. Google the w schools. Many have had serious issues this year and student deaths. Very tragic. |
Anonymous
My kid assures me Whitman has the best drugs. |
Anonymous
|
DP. Before making any decision, you should know that Whitman has a far superior academic rep.
Whitman is #1 in MCPS rankings, #1 in Maryland rankings, and #104 in National Rankings. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/montgomery-county-public-schools/walt-whitman-high-school-9150 BCC is #5 in MCPS rankings, #8 in Maryland rankings, and #491 in National Rankings. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/montgomery-county-public-schools/bethesda-chevy-chase-high-school-9137 Notice the % meeting UofM standards to prep for college: Whitman Profile: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf BCC Profile: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04406.pdf Although Whitman did have a serious incident with it's students this year, those kids were not typical Whitman profile. They were from the Greentree Group Home in Bethesda. You can read about it here. https://theblackandwhite.net/71161/news/three-whitman-students-charged-with-murder-after-bethesda-killing/ Subtract the group home and BCC is a tougher crowd overall. https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/bethesda-chevy-chase-high-school-student-attacks-assaults-security-guard-montgomery-county-public-jacob-moore https://wjla.com/news/local/bethesda-chevy-chase-hs-student-jumped-in-school-bathroom-taken-to-er-for-injuries Overall, I think the parents advocating Whitman are giving you good advice. About what the other parent says about "my kid says Whitman has the best drugs" - do you really want to take advice from an anonymous drug using family? Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would go with Whitman. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| I would choose the BCC cluster to avoid Pyle, which is socially cliquey and a bit more moneyed. It's also far bigger and not as well run as Westland. I agree that Whitman is strong, but you're about to start middle, so HS is a ways off still. |
Anonymous
OP here - I thought that was Churchill |
Anonymous
OP here - thanks PP. I thought Pyle was a stronger school academically than Westland, though I like the fact that Westland is smaller. I want my kids to attend the same MS and HS if possible, for stability. |
Anonymous
OP here - thank you; I am tending towards the Pyle/ Whitman cluster, though I hear Pyle is huge, but I think they manage it quite well and put kids into smaller groups? |
Anonymous
Whitman has had far more problems than that. |
Anonymous
Mcps employee says BCCis the wealthiest school in the county, not Whitman. |
Anonymous
Can this thread use language that's any more coded or nasty? We all know what you're trying to drum up here, and it's not gonna work. |
Anonymous
Agreed. |
Anonymous
|
These threads always end up being ridiculous. The Whitman and BCC clusters are both excellent by any objective measure. Anyone who stereotypes either of them likely never sent kids to either. These are big schools with all kids of different groups of kids, and activities of interest to any kid, and what activities and groups you are in will shape how you feel about your experience. Both have a lot of school spirit. I’d focus on neighborhoods and housing stick first, then think about other aspects of fit, like whether you prefer at IB or AP-based model. You really can’t go wrong here if great academics are your primary goal.
With respect to drugs, that’s a problem in DMV schools for sure, as I assume it is virtually everywhere. A parent would be extremely foolish to think that picking one school over another means they are safe from drug worries. You need to be talking to your kids about this by late elementary, and you need to include the dangers of vaping. |
Anonymous
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Based on the MCPS school climate survey from 2018-19, it doesn't sound like the teachers at BCC were very happy at that time and for that reason alone I would avoid it assuming nothing has changed. That being said, BCC was rated as safer than Whitman by teachers.
https://sharedaccountability.mcpsmd.org/SurveyResults/content.php?l=0&sch=406&survey=2019SSE&type=Staff&comparison=2 https://sharedaccountability.mcpsmd.org/SurveyResults/content.php?l=0&sch=427&survey=2019SSE&type=Staff&comparison=2 |
Anonymous
Oops, nevermind, Whitman was rated as safer |
Anonymous
| Parents seem happier at Whitman too fyi |