Looking for feedback on Downtown Silver Spring and Takoma Park area elementary schools

[Anonymous]

The Takoma Park ES principal was voted best principal in DC area by Washington Post last year. We moved to TKPK from DC two years ago and couldn’t be happier with TPES, Piney Branch ES, and TPMS. Both of our kids have thrived in their respective schools and we are very happy with the quality of teaching.

[Anonymous]

My child will be in kindergarten next year. We are doing immersion but I did go to a new parent meeting at ESS elementary, our zone school. They are going to have 4 kindergarten classes. Of the teachers, 2 will be brand new, one is in their third year, and one has approx 10 years of experience. That really concerned me, especially since I believe teachers can't change schools until after their third year. I believe the principal isn't popular.

ESS does go tpms->Blair in all 4 boundary survey options which I was happy with.

[Anonymous]

If you'd like your child to have a second language, Rolling Terrace is a great opportunity. Check the boundaries carefully; it used to be immersion, but is now dual-language and only available to those in its boundary (the other immersions are lottery and quite a ways out). By the time they left elementary school, my kids' Spanish was better than mine (I passed an AP, but am far from fluent). They continued on at SSIMS and then Blair and both graduated having passed 2 APs (lang and lit). They are both fluent now, and one lives abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. The other has a high-level law job and having a second language made her a more competitive applicant.

Not bad for public school education!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Takoma Park ES principal was voted best principal in DC area by Washington Post last year. We moved to TKPK from DC two years ago and couldn’t be happier with TPES, Piney Branch ES, and TPMS. Both of our kids have thrived in their respective schools and we are very happy with the quality of teaching.

The TKPK schools are huge and not very community oriented. PBES suffers from only having grades 3-5 which means it’s tougher - no little ones to soften the kids up. There are 8-9 classes per grade. And the school building is a dump. And the principal uninspiring. Little natural light, hot, confusing layout, run down. It’s one of the most miserable school buildings I’ve ever been in. The good news is that there is a renovation or perhaps complete rebuild on the cards but they will mean bussing kids elsewhere while it happens. In the meantime, the plans are being hijacked by the usual older white TKPK demanding activist contingent who are insisting that any improvements to the building must continue to include a pool “for equity” and “The community”. The pool housed in PBES that is NOT used to teach kids to swim, doesn’t truly benefit the school at all and exacerbates existing over crowding by taking up space.

TPMS used to be excellent but since the current principal took over it’s been going down hill rapidly as she has pushed many staff to move on and driven a rift through the parent community. It’s still a great school, for now, but who knows just how much more she can screw it up, after all she’s managed a lot of missteps in just 3 years.

[Anonymous]

OP, can you rent? If so, I would hold off on buying for a year when the boundary study will be resolved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child will be in kindergarten next year. We are doing immersion but I did go to a new parent meeting at ESS elementary, our zone school. They are going to have 4 kindergarten classes. Of the teachers, 2 will be brand new, one is in their third year, and one has approx 10 years of experience. That really concerned me, especially since I believe teachers can't change schools until after their third year. I believe the principal isn't popular.

ESS does go tpms->Blair in all 4 boundary survey options which I was happy with.

What do you mean that teachers can't change schools until three years in? I have never heard of that and have definitely been in school with teachers transferring to another school before 3 years. Is that a new rule?

[Anonymous]

Rosemary Hills will (at least currently) put you in the BCC cluster. It's a focus school next year, so smaller classes. Just beware that it's a K-2 school so depending on where you are, the 3-5 school would be North Chevy Chase ES or Chevy Chase ES (both good schools).

[Anonymous]

What do you mean that teachers can't change schools until three years in? I have never heard of that and have definitely been in school with teachers transferring to another school before 3 years. Is that a new rule?

Generally teachers with tenure are the ones who can voluntarily transfer, and tenure doesn't occur until three years in (or one year if you came from another district). Involuntary is open to everyone.

My relative is an mcps teacher. She mentioned this recently as something that teachers aren't happy about, so this may be something new or they may have limited exceptions to the policy recently. Or maybe lengthened time to tenure though that is consistent across Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Takoma Park ES principal was voted best principal in DC area by Washington Post last year. We moved to TKPK from DC two years ago and couldn’t be happier with TPES, Piney Branch ES, and TPMS. Both of our kids have thrived in their respective schools and we are very happy with the quality of teaching.

The TKPK schools are huge and not very community oriented. PBES suffers from only having grades 3-5 which means it’s tougher - no little ones to soften the kids up. There are 8-9 classes per grade. And the school building is a dump. And the principal uninspiring. Little natural light, hot, confusing layout, run down. It’s one of the most miserable school buildings I’ve ever been in. The good news is that there is a renovation or perhaps complete rebuild on the cards but they will mean bussing kids elsewhere while it happens. In the meantime, the plans are being hijacked by the usual older white TKPK demanding activist contingent who are insisting that any improvements to the building must continue to include a pool “for equity” and “The community”. The pool housed in PBES that is NOT used to teach kids to swim, doesn’t truly benefit the school at all and exacerbates existing over crowding by taking up space.

TPMS used to be excellent but since the current principal took over it’s been going down hill rapidly as she has pushed many staff to move on and driven a rift through the parent community. It’s still a great school, for now, but who knows just how much more she can screw it up, after all she’s managed a lot of missteps in just 3 years.

Wow that's super interesting about the pool- this was years ago now but I used to occasionally swim there when I lived close by. I always thought it was a bit random, espcially since the school itself didn't use it- there are other community pools close by (Montgomery college and the new aquatic center in DTSS). That space could be better utilized to benefit the students for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child will be in kindergarten next year. We are doing immersion but I did go to a new parent meeting at ESS elementary, our zone school. They are going to have 4 kindergarten classes. Of the teachers, 2 will be brand new, one is in their third year, and one has approx 10 years of experience. That really concerned me, especially since I believe teachers can't change schools until after their third year. I believe the principal isn't popular.

ESS does go tpms->Blair in all 4 boundary survey options which I was happy with.

I wouldn't worry about teachers merely because they're relatively new. Sometimes new teachers are excellent. Sometimes veteran teachers aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will be in kindergarten next year. We are doing immersion but I did go to a new parent meeting at ESS elementary, our zone school. They are going to have 4 kindergarten classes. Of the teachers, 2 will be brand new, one is in their third year, and one has approx 10 years of experience. That really concerned me, especially since I believe teachers can't change schools until after their third year. I believe the principal isn't popular.

ESS does go tpms->Blair in all 4 boundary survey options which I was happy with.

I wouldn't worry about teachers merely because they're relatively new. Sometimes new teachers are excellent. Sometimes veteran teachers aren't.

I was the first one to post above that teacher turnover at ESS was a problem.

I agree new teachers can be great; my concern with ESS right now is the rate of turnover. They can't retain teachers from year to year at the moment, for whatever reason. This wasn't always true and hopefully it will settle. The current principal is unpopular. When we were at the school I couldn't exactly tell why the principal was unpopular, but it seems to be having a direct affect on teachers and that concerns me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take into account the feeder pattern unless you are leaving or going private at or before middle school.

OP here, and that is a very fair point. I know that there are several boundary studies going on right now, so some of this is in flux. But are the area of middle schools all fairly equal (in terms of education quality, resourcing, etc.)? Or are some stronger than others?

This is not a topic that you are going to get reasonable answers to on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Putting a vote in for Sligo Creek Elementary. My child is in third grade now and has had a very positive experience. Even as an academy parent (non-French), I see the immersion program as a positive. My child has good friends in and out of immersion, and the PTA is very active. Most of the immersion kids live in DTSS or TKPK so play dates are easy and it still very much feels like a neighborhood school.

The on-site after care is also very well-run with sports teams, quarterly outings and regular parent night outs. This helps build community and friendships.

We qualified for the CES but didn't get a spot, however talked about turning it down even if we had been offered a spot because of how comfortable and happy my child is there. The principal is in her first year and is a big improvement from the previous principal. Overall a great k-5 experience with only minor bumps in the road that I think you would experience in any MCPS school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, can you rent? If so, I would hold off on buying for a year when the boundary study will be resolved.

NP, I agree that you should rent for a year or two. If I were you, I'd try to rent near an elementary school where families really like the principal and the school retains same cohort of students K-5. I would also tour private schools because you will want to have a good idea of alternative options, particularly if you are concerned about screen use in schools.

Of the schools you mentioned, I think Takoma Park (TPES/Piney Branch) has the most stability for K-5 and is least likely to be assigned to new middle/high schools through the study currently underway. PPs mentioned downside of large size but I don't know of schools in MCPS that avoid that scenario.

My kids are in the BCC cluster, which includes Rock Creek Forest and Rosemary Hills. Rock Creek Forest will provide more stability through 5th grade but there is a split within the school (Spanish immersion and non-immersion kids go to different middle schools). Rosemary Hills (K-2) is very big and then splits into two schools for grades 3-5. Right now, Rock Creek Forest non-immersion students go to Silver Creek with Rosemary Hills students but the study underway includes options that would change that. Too soon to say how it will change but change appears inevitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Takoma Park ES principal was voted best principal in DC area by Washington Post last year. We moved to TKPK from DC two years ago and couldn’t be happier with TPES, Piney Branch ES, and TPMS. Both of our kids have thrived in their respective schools and we are very happy with the quality of teaching.

The TKPK schools are huge and not very community oriented. PBES suffers from only having grades 3-5 which means it’s tougher - no little ones to soften the kids up. There are 8-9 classes per grade. And the school building is a dump. And the principal uninspiring. Little natural light, hot, confusing layout, run down. It’s one of the most miserable school buildings I’ve ever been in. The good news is that there is a renovation or perhaps complete rebuild on the cards but they will mean bussing kids elsewhere while it happens. In the meantime, the plans are being hijacked by the usual older white TKPK demanding activist contingent who are insisting that any improvements to the building must continue to include a pool “for equity” and “The community”. The pool housed in PBES that is NOT used to teach kids to swim, doesn’t truly benefit the school at all and exacerbates existing over crowding by taking up space.

TPMS used to be excellent but since the current principal took over it’s been going down hill rapidly as she has pushed many staff to move on and driven a rift through the parent community. It’s still a great school, for now, but who knows just how much more she can screw it up, after all she’s managed a lot of missteps in just 3 years.

Wow that's super interesting about the pool- this was years ago now but I used to occasionally swim there when I lived close by. I always thought it was a bit random, espcially since the school itself didn't use it- there are other community pools close by (Montgomery college and the new aquatic center in DTSS). That space could be better utilized to benefit the students for sure.

To clarify, the school gets very minimal use if the PTA fundraises thousands of dollars for lifeguards. It’s not swim instruction though and it is about 4 sessions twice a year involving at most 15 mins in the pool each time. No one is taught to swim and yet the entitled older crowd in the community insist that the pool is essential because the lives of underprivileged children of color are saved because they learn to swim at school. They don’t. Non swimmers are made to stand in the shallow end. The “swim” units are a waste of time. Historically the pool is there because the city donated the land and asked for it, I believe. That was 55 years ago