What attribute makes each of these 8 schools excellent?

[Anonymous]

Not many mcps parents seem to understand or realize that there are huge discrepancies between mcps within the same system, using the same curriculum. Schools within a five mile radius can differ vastly. Look at the demographics, parent involvement, staff turn over rate, test scores, class sizes, etc...

To the OP, your best bet is to go with your original plan and visit each school that you are interested in in person. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP: I'm the original Piney Branch parent. My son's teacher is teaching him two years of math this year and there's no problem there moving the kids into the math and reading levels that the kids are ready for. She's already talked w/us about what she expects will happen next year and there's no question the school will be able to continue to keep pace with his brain.

It's the first place where I haven't had to advocate or get frustrated w/the school; rather the school gave me their assessment of what he's doing and what they expect to need to do to keep pace with him. Simple as that!

It's a place where there are so many kids who are advanced that these kids can be normal, well-adjusted, well-rounded kids AND be challenged.

The challenging work really is much more in the fabric of the school than at many other MoCo schools (at least in the red zone). They implement the HGC curriculum w/in the school, which isn't happening anywhere else unless you get your children into the HGC magnet for grades 4 & 5. (You would already have had to submit the application to the county for a current 3rd grader)

BTW, you didn't ask about it, but my younger child is in 1st grade at TPES and is getting taught 2 yrs of math right now as well.

Both schools also do lots extra involving reading curriculums (Jr. Great Books in 1st grade, for instance, and a principal's book club at TPES)

Oh, and one other thing. I know kids at other schools who are getting slammed w/homework. Even though my kids are working at a high level, the homework is not even close to excessive (so far). That's a perk to me, as I do feel like homework in elementary school is a waste.

[Anonymous]

Two years of math is quite common in MCPS. Each grade has a grade level version and a "with extensions" version which includes the next years info as well. It is not common to have a first grader taking 4th grade math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: I'm the original Piney Branch parent. My son's teacher is teaching him two years of math this year and there's no problem there moving the kids into the math and reading levels that the kids are ready for. She's already talked w/us about what she expects will happen next year and there's no question the school will be able to continue to keep pace with his brain.

It's the first place where I haven't had to advocate or get frustrated w/the school; rather the school gave me their assessment of what he's doing and what they expect to need to do to keep pace with him. Simple as that!

It's a place where there are so many kids who are advanced that these kids can be normal, well-adjusted, well-rounded kids AND be challenged.

The challenging work really is much more in the fabric of the school than at many other MoCo schools (at least in the red zone). They implement the HGC curriculum w/in the school, which isn't happening anywhere else unless you get your children into the HGC magnet for grades 4 & 5. (You would already have had to submit the application to the county for a current 3rd grader)

BTW, you didn't ask about it, but my younger child is in 1st grade at TPES and is getting taught 2 yrs of math right now as well.

Both schools also do lots extra involving reading curriculums (Jr. Great Books in 1st grade, for instance, and a principal's book club at TPES)




Oh, and one other thing. I know kids at other schools who are getting slammed w/homework. Even though my kids are working at a high level, the homework is not even close to excessive (so far). That's a perk to me, as I do feel like homework in elementary school is a waste.

Hi,
Thanks so much for the info you provided to me. Can you drop me a line at [e-mail]?I am the one who launched the thread and I would like to talk to you more over the phone (if possible) abou TPES and Piney Branch. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

10:06: Two years of above grade level math in one year is not common in MCPS elementaries, at least not in the Red zone. That's what both of my children (and their classmates who are ready) are getting. I've got a 1st grader learning 2nd and 3rd grade math and a 3rd grader learning 4th and 5th grade math.

[Anonymous]

11:05? I am sorry..you said it is not common (except for your children and their classmates) or was that a typo? At our school about 2/3 of the 5th graders are taking 7th grade math...and I don't think that is unusual for MCPS. I have heard that MCPS is trying to scale back the accelration becasue of poor results at the high school levels..but I think that will come with the new elementary school curriculumn.

[Anonymous]

11:24: Maybe you're in the green zone? Over in the red zone, I've seen or had friends at about 5 different MCPS schools and none of them is seeing/getting what I am. There IS a difference school to school. All get 1 yr acceleration. Beyond 1 yr, though, many schools simply can't/don't do it.