Rockville HS cluster versus Richard Montgomery cluster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - you should also be more specific regarding what you're looking for, and housing budget, commute, etc.. Rockville city is pretty big.

Gotcha. Budget is 650k. Husband commutes downtown. My almost k-er will likely have an IEP (speech and ot needs), so Ive also been trying to research if one of these clusters is better than the other in terms of sped ed services. Otherwise we like easy access to playgrounds since we have two little ones and we also like easy access to places like downtown bethesda/rockville town center, although have only been to rcokville town center once before but assume living in Rockville, we mau frequent it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC was at Barnsely HGC - part of Rockville cluster, though we live in the RM cluster. So, I have in a small way, experienced both. They are both fine and considered two of the most diverse in race and SES, with Rockville HS cluster being a bit on the lower SES, and maybe a bit less white.

As a PP stated, Rockville cluster is smaller than RM, and the housing prices on that side is cheaper. One good thing about RM cluster is that they set aside 25 seats in the RMIB certificate program for in bound students, not that it's any guarantee that your DC will get in.

Barnsely has HGC and lots of other programs that may bring down the score - like hearing impaired, etc..

College Gardens in RM cluster has chinese immersion, though it's lottery based, and the entire school is the only IB PYP ES in the county (I think).

The entire JW MS in RM cluster has the IB MYP.

So, the RM cluster has the full IB program from ES > MS > HS - if that's your thing.

Thanks for this info!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - you should also be more specific regarding what you're looking for, and housing budget, commute, etc.. Rockville city is pretty big.

Gotcha. Budget is 650k. Husband commutes downtown. My almost k-er will likely have an IEP (speech and ot needs), so Ive also been trying to research if one of these clusters is better than the other in terms of sped ed services. Otherwise we like easy access to playgrounds since we have two little ones and we also like easy access to places like downtown bethesda/rockville town center, although have only been to rcokville town center once before but assume living in Rockville, we mau frequent it.

I don't know about SN programs, but for RM cluster, with that budget and commute to DC, I might look at Beall ES area because of its proximity to Red Line and Rockville Town Center. As for playgrounds, there are tons of playgrounds in every neighborhood in Rockville, both in RM and Rockville clusters.

I've not heard really anything bad about Beall ES, only good.

[Anonymous]

^also look at College Garden area closer to to Town Center.

[Anonymous]

Just throwing this out there, but I had a friend whose children went to Beall and later moved to a house in the Lakewood Elementary cluster. She was very surprised that her kids were much further behind than the Lakewood elementary kids and that her kids had more opportunity for acceleration once they got to Lakewood. Yes, it's the same curriculum, but schools can offer their own levels of enrichment to the curriculum depending on the needs of their school population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC was at Barnsely HGC - part of Rockville cluster, though we live in the RM cluster. So, I have in a small way, experienced both. They are both fine and considered two of the most diverse in race and SES, with Rockville HS cluster being a bit on the lower SES, and maybe a bit less white.

As a PP stated, Rockville cluster is smaller than RM, and the housing prices on that side is cheaper. One good thing about RM cluster is that they set aside 25 seats in the RMIB certificate program for in bound students, not that it's any guarantee that your DC will get in.

Barnsely has HGC and lots of other programs that may bring down the score - like hearing impaired, etc..

College Gardens in RM cluster has chinese immersion, though it's lottery based, and the entire school is the only IB PYP ES in the county (I think).

The entire JW MS in RM cluster has the IB MYP.

So, the RM cluster has the full IB program from ES > MS > HS - if that's your thing.

and whether your DC can keep up with IB magnet kids.

True, but from what I have heard, RM cluster kids are mostly doing great in the program.

I am about a year removed from IB program but when my kids were there, not too many kids joined in the 11th grade - too hard and too much work. IB kids look half dead by junior year due to lack of sleep.

I dont know that my kids will do IB program. One of them definitely wont but my other DS is still way too young for me to have a feel about that. But I am interested in how both clusters as a whole including the elem schools and middle schools compare to each other. Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - you should also be more specific regarding what you're looking for, and housing budget, commute, etc.. Rockville city is pretty big.

Gotcha. Budget is 650k. Husband commutes downtown. My almost k-er will likely have an IEP (speech and ot needs), so Ive also been trying to research if one of these clusters is better than the other in terms of sped ed services. Otherwise we like easy access to playgrounds since we have two little ones and we also like easy access to places like downtown bethesda/rockville town center, although have only been to rcokville town center once before but assume living in Rockville, we mau frequent it.

I should add to this that nice, safe family oriented neighborhood, community and schools are our top priorities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just throwing this out there, but I had a friend whose children went to Beall and later moved to a house in the Lakewood Elementary cluster. She was very surprised that her kids were much further behind than the Lakewood elementary kids and that her kids had more opportunity for acceleration once they got to Lakewood. Yes, it's the same curriculum, but schools can offer their own levels of enrichment to the curriculum depending on the needs of their school population.

Thanks! Ill look into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - you should also be more specific regarding what you're looking for, and housing budget, commute, etc.. Rockville city is pretty big.

Gotcha. Budget is 650k. Husband commutes downtown. My almost k-er will likely have an IEP (speech and ot needs), so Ive also been trying to research if one of these clusters is better than the other in terms of sped ed services. Otherwise we like easy access to playgrounds since we have two little ones and we also like easy access to places like downtown bethesda/rockville town center, although have only been to rcokville town center once before but assume living in Rockville, we mau frequent it.

I don't know about SN programs, but for RM cluster, with that budget and commute to DC, I might look at Beall ES area because of its proximity to Red Line and Rockville Town Center. As for playgrounds, there are tons of playgrounds in every neighborhood in Rockville, both in RM and Rockville clusters.

I've not heard really anything bad about Beall ES, only good.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

OP here, aside from my specific needs that I noted above, I really am looking to educate myself on the two clusters and how they compare to each other, so even if you dont have specific recommendation for me, thats okay because Im more looking for the general comparisons and feedback that people have from their experiences with one or both clusters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, aside from my specific needs that I noted above, I really am looking to educate myself on the two clusters and how they compare to each other, so even if you dont have specific recommendation for me, thats okay because Im more looking for the general comparisons and feedback that people have from their experiences with one or both clusters.

did someone already share this with you. It has stats for each school. Obviously it won't give you the full picture or any feel of the schools, but it's a datapoint.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/glance/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, aside from my specific needs that I noted above, I really am looking to educate myself on the two clusters and how they compare to each other, so even if you dont have specific recommendation for me, thats okay because Im more looking for the general comparisons and feedback that people have from their experiences with one or both clusters.

did someone already share this with you. It has stats for each school. Obviously it won't give you the full picture or any feel of the schools, but it's a datapoint.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/glance/

Yes, I just discovered that link this week. Thanks! Just looking for more first hand/ anecdotal comparisons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just throwing this out there, but I had a friend whose children went to Beall and later moved to a house in the Lakewood Elementary cluster. She was very surprised that her kids were much further behind than the Lakewood elementary kids and that her kids had more opportunity for acceleration once they got to Lakewood. Yes, it's the same curriculum, but schools can offer their own levels of enrichment to the curriculum depending on the needs of their school population.

Lakewood doesn't have illegal immigrants to have to catch up. You can only go so far when a lot of the kids are struggling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just throwing this out there, but I had a friend whose children went to Beall and later moved to a house in the Lakewood Elementary cluster. She was very surprised that her kids were much further behind than the Lakewood elementary kids and that her kids had more opportunity for acceleration once they got to Lakewood. Yes, it's the same curriculum, but schools can offer their own levels of enrichment to the curriculum depending on the needs of their school population.

Lakewood doesn't have illegal immigrants to have to catch up. You can only go so far when a lot of the kids are struggling.

Beall is rated an 8 on greatschools (which is based off of standardized testing)...doesn't sound to me like a "lot" of the kids are struggling.

[Anonymous]

OP, you should look at Churchill cluster. much much better. None of my friends would ever live in Rockville or RM clusters.