High expectation and no stress-- which high school in mcps is best ?

[Anonymous]

Multiple teachers that I know well, about a dozen, say they have higher expectations because they know the students can do better and push them. Sorry no better evidence than that from a teachers perspective. It is no secret Leggit wants to close the achievement gap and does not look likely in the near future. As a parent I have struggled to determine what is best for my kids and I hope thAt I am making the right decisions. Please feel free to disagree and advise - this is educational for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for your input. We will check out The two clusters recommended. Will pass on any W school. DC wants to pursue music interest but also wants to be top 10% acadamically. Younger kids can fellow the feeding schools.

Given your DC's interest in music, I suggest the Einstein cluster too. Einstein HS offers a visual and performing arts academy. Our feeder middle school, Newport Mill, has a good concert band and chorus, as well as a rock band and jazz band (both require auditions).

[Anonymous]

As a Sligo MS parent, it's nice to see that some people are very happy with the cluster, and Sligo is definitely a nice, nurturing environment with a responsive administration. The academics are not rigorous in any sense, in my opinion. The "advanced" classes still teach to a fairly low level of understanding (there is a huge gap between the struggling students and the high-achievers in all classes, which makes differentiation extremely difficult, and it basically does not happen), and there is minimal writing required and very little writing instruction given, although I understand 8th grade is an improvement.

As far as your student's interest in music, if he is interested in instrumental music, the VAPA at Einstein won't apply to him, as that is more theater. And Einstein's long-time and beloved music teacher is retiring, so we will have to wait to see what happens with the music program. Einstein does not have a full orchestra -- string orchestra and band are separate. I believe Blair is the only DCC school with a full orchestra.

[Anonymous]

My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if you can have both, Wootton cluster here, a lot of academic bullying by peers and push to take AP classes. Furthermore, there appears to be a tendency to grade the students harder in the W schools. However, the education my child is getting is great. What they are learning at Wootton is almost advanced as the UMD 25 years ago. Academic pressure also seems to prevent the students from dating etc... Good in my opinion. I hope the stress is not too terrible, but I think they will be prepared for college and have it easier later in life. On the negative side they are so academic that they do not know much about the world. I guess there is no perfect school.

How would you know there seems to be a tendency to grade kids harder in W schools? Do you have experience with same kid at both a W and non-W school?

W parents are delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

My child did not have a stressful HS experience. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain a high GPA and get merit aid.

Too bad for your child's bad HS experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

My child did not have a stressful HS experience. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain a high GPA and get merit aid.

Too bad for your child's bad HS experience.

it's ok. no regrets. hard to beat 2 full rides and 1 full tuition offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

My child did not have a stressful HS experience. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain a high GPA and get merit aid.

Too bad for your child's bad HS experience.

it's ok. no regrets. hard to beat 2 full rides and 1 full tuition offer.

This. This conversation is what I hate about this area.

[Anonymous]

^ Get off DCUM or move then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

My child did not have a stressful HS experience. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain a high GPA and get merit aid.

Too bad for your child's bad HS experience.

it's ok. no regrets. hard to beat 2 full rides and 1 full tuition offer.

But you don't need to have a stressful high school experience to get those things. It's the assuming that stress = rigor that is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

My child did not have a stressful HS experience. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain a high GPA and get merit aid.

Too bad for your child's bad HS experience.

it's ok. no regrets. hard to beat 2 full rides and 1 full tuition offer.

I am not talking about your regret... nobody cares about you (well expect for you obviously)... I am talking about your kids... guess they don't really matter.

Your trees are tall but your forest is empty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids (out of HS now) went to a "stressful" HS in MoCo. It was tough but it has served them well in college/post college. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain high GPA, not to mention huge merit aids.

My child did not have a stressful HS experience. They were able to keep up with the rigor of college and maintain a high GPA and get merit aid.

Too bad for your child's bad HS experience.

it's ok. no regrets. hard to beat 2 full rides and 1 full tuition offer.

I am not talking about your regret... nobody cares about you (well expect for you obviously)... I am talking about your kids... guess they don't really matter.

Your trees are tall but your forest is empty.

They are fine. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

It can only be no stress if the expectation is low. A little bit of stress is good for everybody. That is how a person achieves high level in anything. Only when the stress level becomes too high that is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks for your input. We will check out The two clusters recommended. Will pass on any W school. DC wants to pursue music interest but also wants to be top 10% acadamically. Younger kids can fellow the feeding schools.

You should at least check it out. They are the top-tier HS MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - your question doesn't make any sense. stress comes from the high expectation. you can't have one without the other.

+1.