Pyle vs Westland MS - Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westland has always been a bit of an outlier in the Bethesda schools because it consistently underperforms its demographics.

As a population, the kids have absolutely every advantage possible, but each demographic group does more poorly than would be predicted, and more poorly than the same group in other schools.

And why is that?

[Anonymous]

OP here - guys can we please focus on MY question: Pyle vs. Westland. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:hello,
Those of you with first-hand info; do you have feedback on these two MS? Either stronger academically/ enrichment/ electives than the other?

Thanks!

Pyle is the strongest in the state and one of the best in the Country.

No. Pyle is not even better than Frost.
The strongest in the state is TPMS.

OP here - so you do not think Pyle is stronger than Westland? I thought it is a positive that Westland is a smaller school. 800 or so students compared to 1300 at Pyle.

Pyle is stronger than Westland for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My child is an 8th grader at Westland.
My college freshman was in a different MCPS cluster (North Bethesda and WJ).

The truth is that your child has to associate with good students. You are who your friends are. This is how kids survive public school, since publics are mandated to welcome everyone. Just because we live in wealthy neighborhoods doesn't mean there aren't some problematic behaviors.

My kids have made good friends in their respective schools and avoid the kids who like to vape, steal from stores, etc.

My pet peeves are:

1. Westland and the BCC cluster in general don't seem to be as hell-bent on academics as the WJ and WW clusters. They're very into "let's all relax and try to persuade parents not to accelerate their kids", which doesn't suit me, because I have a kid who needs acceleration in math. She is bused to BCC for Alg 2, because they don't have a large enough contingent of kids to have that class at Westland. Since we know a lot of the kids from Bethesda Elementary, I think they could very well have had enough students for an Alg 2 class... but MCPS seems to be trying to put the lid on that.

2. The buses are a mess. After multiple fights on the bus, I am now picking her up from Westland.

Yikes this is so not what I wanted to read, as the parent of a current 4th grader at Bethesda Elementary. The 4th grade compacted math class has over 35 students - and I assume other feeders to Westland must have them too. How can there not be enough to accelerate?

PP’s DC is a year ahead of compacted math kids. Your child will be on track for IM in 6th, Algebra in 7th and Geometry in 8. There will be plenty of peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:hello,
Those of you with first-hand info; do you have feedback on these two MS? Either stronger academically/ enrichment/ electives than the other?

Thanks!

Pyle is the strongest in the state and one of the best in the Country.

No. Pyle is not even better than Frost.
The strongest in the state is TPMS.

OP here - so you do not think Pyle is stronger than Westland? I thought it is a positive that Westland is a smaller school. 800 or so students compared to 1300 at Pyle.

Pyle is stronger than Westland for sure.

OP here - thanks for the straightforward answer.

[Anonymous]

Pyle academics are better and there are fewer problems if as PP said your kid associates with kids who are academic minded and stay out of trouble. My kids are at Pyle, have many close friends at Westland and believe we made the right choice when looking at houses in both neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Private school < Pyle < Westland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private school < Pyle < Westland

LOL, NO.
Pyle is stronger than any private MS in the area.

[Anonymous]

Pyle has been strong (but large) for my 8th and 11th graders. Westland has IB program, Pyle doesn’t. Pyle is the only feeder to WW so a majority of the 6th graders are still the same all the way through 12th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private school < Pyle < Westland

I think you confused the less than sign for the greater than sign.

Pyle and Westland make a great case for split articulation. Wood Acres should feed Westland so kids can still be walkers.

[Anonymous]

This conversation is as ridiculous as the notion that Takoma Park is more than simply the least bad of the east county schools with a few seats set aside for a carrot program designed to entice kids just like the ones at Westland and pyle to prop it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My child is an 8th grader at Westland.
My college freshman was in a different MCPS cluster (North Bethesda and WJ).

The truth is that your child has to associate with good students. You are who your friends are. This is how kids survive public school, since publics are mandated to welcome everyone. Just because we live in wealthy neighborhoods doesn't mean there aren't some problematic behaviors.

My kids have made good friends in their respective schools and avoid the kids who like to vape, steal from stores, etc.

My pet peeves are:

1. Westland and the BCC cluster in general don't seem to be as hell-bent on academics as the WJ and WW clusters. They're very into "let's all relax and try to persuade parents not to accelerate their kids", which doesn't suit me, because I have a kid who needs acceleration in math. She is bused to BCC for Alg 2, because they don't have a large enough contingent of kids to have that class at Westland. Since we know a lot of the kids from Bethesda Elementary, I think they could very well have had enough students for an Alg 2 class... but MCPS seems to be trying to put the lid on that.

2. The buses are a mess. After multiple fights on the bus, I am now picking her up from Westland.

Yikes this is so not what I wanted to read, as the parent of a current 4th grader at Bethesda Elementary. The 4th grade compacted math class has over 35 students - and I assume other feeders to Westland must have them too. How can there not be enough to accelerate?

Compacted math feeds into 7th grade algebra and geometry in 8th which is a common track. Algebra in 6th is what leads to PP’s situation of being bused to BCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private school < Pyle < Westland

LOL, NO.
Pyle is stronger than any private MS in the area.

By what measure?

[Anonymous]

I would be far more concerned about the HS vs. middle school. Most middle schools suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private school < Pyle < Westland

LOL, NO.
Pyle is stronger than any private MS in the area.

My kids are at Pyle and I think it’s great, but almost half our neighbors go to private middle schools.