Takoma Park Middle School quality?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are moving from the Boston area to Takoma Park in July. Currently our child is in 7th grade at a secular private school but he really wants to start in public once we move and we've heard very encouraging things about Montgomery Blair, which we'd feed into. Can anyone who has direct experience comment or direct us to an existing thread on the academic and social quality of Takoma Park Middle School? Are the teachers pretty solid? Curriculum decent? Have there been any major issues with discipline, bullying, violence? Thanks for any insight.

TPMS is a great MS. It also hosts the county's MS STEM magnet. The magnet involves 3 classes, and there are 8 total periods, so a lot of mixing with the general population.

It has electives in programming, robotics, and engineering that aren't available at every school. It also has a well-regarded music and theater program.

Most subjects are taught every other day except math which is every day. I know this isn't true at all MCPS MS, but they take this seriously. The TPMS math team is popular, for example, is the strongest in the county and consistently wins many awards each year.

They offer HIGH, advanced social studies, which is fairly challenging. Every student takes advanced English, and although the teachers are fine, the curriculum is probably the biggest disappointment, but I think this is true at every MS in the county.

It's also a diverse and accepting school. My kids were really happy there which is saying something because MS is usually not a great experience.

What are the 3 classes in the magnet? It's not an all-day program?

No, it's just a STEM magnet. The classes are math, science, and computer science.

OP, this info is not relevant to you. Your child will not be able to enter the magnet in 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

I have an 8th grader at TPMS and have been consistently impressed with the school, the teaching staff, the administration and the facilities. I’m no fan of MCPS so I don’t say that lightly but TPMS has been excellent without exception.

[Anonymous]

I agree with prior advice - try it out for 8th, see how it goes, and then decide whether you want to go private for 9th (and/or apply to magnets).

I would make sure your child is placed in the right math/social studies class - there are enriched offerings but they look at test scores (MAP assessments) and grades to determine who gets in.

[Anonymous]

Parent of former Takoma Park Middle School, and a former MCPS sub. I found it had one of the worst - essentially non-existing - discipline issues in the county, and that is saying something.
Examples
As a substitute there, I was assaulted by a student (in hockey terms, the student cross-checked me!); it took threatening to sue the principal to get even a one day in-school suspsension for the student. Even though it was the easiest school for me to sub at, I eventually stopped taking assignments there as it was very poorly run.
Again, while subbing, two students started trading punches. Called security. Securities response: "we asked the two students if they were fighting and they said no." OK...

When my child attended, they would often bring home weekly or daily stories of out of control fighting in the bathrooms, classes, etc. My favorite was how there was an on-going "fight club" in one of the bathrooms. The bathroom even had some admin posted outside it, but the admin would never go into the bathroom to stop the fights.

Had friends pull their child out of TPMS because the admin failed to properly address the constant physical bullying of their child, including the student being physically assaulted by fellow students (but just off school property)
Another friend pulled their child for a few days due to the trauma of seeing another student beat bloody and near senseless (story was parents had to take to the emergency room after school). The school claimed it didn't happen "during school", which was true, it happened a few minutes after the final bell rang. And since they had no footage of the stairwell, they claimed they had no evidence it happened.I mean, besides the beaten and bloody student.

Knew of multiple other instances of physical assaults of students on other students that the admin refused to admit happened; parents started calling the police rather than deal with the school

But hey, other parents thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. If you're in the honors/magnet classes, there was a far less chance you got beaten up.

To each their own!

[Anonymous]

Further info from the parent/sub that said discipline at TPMS was horrid.
If your long term goal is Blair High School, just want to say I had positive experiences subbing there. It's no "big W" school, but pretty good. Students that I'd had as a sub at TPMS that were crazy out-of-control were calmed down by the time I saw them at Blair. And I think it was a combination of maturity (nothing more melty than an 8th grade boy's brain) and the fact that Blair took discipline seriously.

Also you should learn about the "down county consortium". Basically although Blair would be your home school, you have multiple options as to which High School your child attends. There are also magnet options for high school. A useful link describing the dcc:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/downcounty/

You may also be interested in perusing the "application only" program tab, which is the magnet and focus programs. All are in high demand; some are by lottery and others (the magnet) are criteria-based.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grader at TPMS and have been consistently impressed with the school, the teaching staff, the administration and the facilities. I’m no fan of MCPS so I don’t say that lightly but TPMS has been excellent without exception.

Similarly, DC is shy but strong academically. Has really enjoyed TPMS. There have been zero issues with discipline or bullying which is impressive for any MS. There's a great group of neighborhood kids too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Further info from the parent/sub that said discipline at TPMS was horrid.
If your long term goal is Blair High School, just want to say I had positive experiences subbing there. It's no "big W" school, but pretty good. Students that I'd had as a sub at TPMS that were crazy out-of-control were calmed down by the time I saw them at Blair. And I think it was a combination of maturity (nothing more melty than an 8th grade boy's brain) and the fact that Blair took discipline seriously.

Also you should learn about the "down county consortium". Basically although Blair would be your home school, you have multiple options as to which High School your child attends. There are also magnet options for high school. A useful link describing the dcc:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/downcounty/

You may also be interested in perusing the "application only" program tab, which is the magnet and focus programs. All are in high demand; some are by lottery and others (the magnet) are criteria-based.

Blair is a huge school but everyone says it's incredibly well run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child attended and it was great. Lots of extracurriculars — Wonderful instrumental music teacher!![/quote]

I thought she was absent a lot. The choir teacher is quite good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grader at TPMS and have been consistently impressed with the school, the teaching staff, the administration and the facilities. I’m no fan of MCPS so I don’t say that lightly but TPMS has been excellent without exception.

Similarly, DC is shy but strong academically. Has really enjoyed TPMS. There have been zero issues with discipline or bullying which is impressive for any MS. There's a great group of neighborhood kids too.

Don't fool yourself. My kid witnesses bullying when she was there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grader at TPMS and have been consistently impressed with the school, the teaching staff, the administration and the facilities. I’m no fan of MCPS so I don’t say that lightly but TPMS has been excellent without exception.

Similarly, DC is shy but strong academically. Has really enjoyed TPMS. There have been zero issues with discipline or bullying which is impressive for any MS. There's a great group of neighborhood kids too.

Don't fool yourself. My kid witnesses bullying when she was there.

And my kids don’t. Bullying happens everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grader at TPMS and have been consistently impressed with the school, the teaching staff, the administration and the facilities. I’m no fan of MCPS so I don’t say that lightly but TPMS has been excellent without exception.

Similarly, DC is shy but strong academically. Has really enjoyed TPMS. There have been zero issues with discipline or bullying which is impressive for any MS. There's a great group of neighborhood kids too.

Don't fool yourself. My kid witnesses bullying when she was there.

And my kids don’t. Bullying happens everywhere.

I've also been a sub there and the kids I interacted with seemed uncharacteristically supportive and kind but it's still middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would make sure your child is placed in the right math/social studies class - there are enriched offerings but they look at test scores (MAP assessments) and grades to determine who gets in.

They told us at Back to School Night this year that all 8th graders were placed in advanced Social Studies. That wasn’t true for our DC in 6th and 7th, so I don’t know if it was a whole school switch this year or only for 8th graders.

To answer the OP’s question, we have a child in the magnet at TPMS and had a child in our home middle school. We like the diversity and block scheduling at TPMS, and they offer great electives. We also like the way the magnet is integrated into the school. Our child has lots of non-magnet friends. Disciplinary issues seem more or less the same as our home school.

Our older one is now in the magnet program at Blair. It’s huge, but that means loads of course offerings and activities, and they do a lot to try to make it feel smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child attended and it was great. Lots of extracurriculars — Wonderful instrumental music teacher!![/quote]

I thought she was absent a lot. The choir teacher is quite good.

My child has not reported many absences by the band teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of former Takoma Park Middle School, and a former MCPS sub. I found it had one of the worst - essentially non-existing - discipline issues in the county, and that is saying something.
Examples
As a substitute there, I was assaulted by a student (in hockey terms, the student cross-checked me!); it took threatening to sue the principal to get even a one day in-school suspsension for the student. Even though it was the easiest school for me to sub at, I eventually stopped taking assignments there as it was very poorly run.
Again, while subbing, two students started trading punches. Called security. Securities response: "we asked the two students if they were fighting and they said no." OK...

When my child attended, they would often bring home weekly or daily stories of out of control fighting in the bathrooms, classes, etc. My favorite was how there was an on-going "fight club" in one of the bathrooms. The bathroom even had some admin posted outside it, but the admin would never go into the bathroom to stop the fights.

Had friends pull their child out of TPMS because the admin failed to properly address the constant physical bullying of their child, including the student being physically assaulted by fellow students (but just off school property)
Another friend pulled their child for a few days due to the trauma of seeing another student beat bloody and near senseless (story was parents had to take to the emergency room after school). The school claimed it didn't happen "during school", which was true, it happened a few minutes after the final bell rang. And since they had no footage of the stairwell, they claimed they had no evidence it happened.I mean, besides the beaten and bloody student.

Knew of multiple other instances of physical assaults of students on other students that the admin refused to admit happened; parents started calling the police rather than deal with the school

But hey, other parents thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. If you're in the honors/magnet classes, there was a far less chance you got beaten up.

To each their own!

When did this happen? Parent of a current student and my kid’s experience bears absolutely no relation to what you have just described. Sounds like a completely different school (and my kid is an 8th grader).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grader at TPMS and have been consistently impressed with the school, the teaching staff, the administration and the facilities. I’m no fan of MCPS so I don’t say that lightly but TPMS has been excellent without exception.

Similarly, DC is shy but strong academically. Has really enjoyed TPMS. There have been zero issues with discipline or bullying which is impressive for any MS. There's a great group of neighborhood kids too.

Don't fool yourself. My kid witnesses bullying when she was there.

And my kids don’t. Bullying happens everywhere.

I've also been a sub there and the kids I interacted with seemed uncharacteristically supportive and kind but it's still middle school.

“Uncharacteristically supportive” I’d also what I’ve witnessed. Great way to describe it. Difference makers the TPMS student service club is incredibly popular and seems to generate at least some kindness and empathy among the students.