magnet schools for Bethesda kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good afternoon,

We recently moved into Parkside (20814) and have a 4th grader. I am just starting to learn about the magnet opportunities in 6th grade in this area. The websites are a tad confusing (clearly I wouldn't qualify for one of them!).

Which ones are we eligible for (for transportation) and which ones are we eligible for (without transportation)?

If you look at the transportation schedule you'll find your child would likely need to get on a bus around 6.15am at the nearest middle school and be dropped off there around 5.15pm.

Wow..my child commutes from Potomac and the bus times are 7:06 and 4:05. There is not a more efficient bus stop from Bethesda? It is not that far away. Many people drive to the last stop on the route and save quite a bit of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The first part of this post is simply not true, at least not for the Whitman cluster in terms of there being "plenty" of kids attending the magnets.

There are exact numbers in the Choice Study and they are so low for the Whitman cluster that on some charts they don't even list them for privacy reasons.

True from the Bethesda area high schools the Whitman cluster sends very few. On the other hand BCC sends 11 and WJ sends 17 to the two high school magnets. Westland sends 10 and North Bethesda sends 6 to the middle school magnets.

These are very low numbers overall, compared to the student populations of these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Blair magnet had 38 NMSF this year Whitman had 10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Lowell? In DC? I live nearby, and it only goes through 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Blair magnet had 38 NMSF this year Whitman had 10

Those are great numbers and clearly show that the magnet program there is special and has special kids. Definitely the good side of Blair. But lets not pretend there is not a bad side too. And the bad side is very bad. Eyes wide open is all. If I had a kid there that was not in the magnet program, I would be a little concerned.

http://wjla.com/news/local/only-on-7-gang-rivalry-sparks-massive-brawl-at-silver-spring-high-school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Lowell? In DC? I live nearby, and it only goes through 8th grade.

I got mixed up, have a couple colleague that live in Takoma Park that send their younger kids to Lowell, assumed they would continue through HS. I guess I don't know where they will go for HS after. Maybe Burke? I should ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

I am a parent with both Blair and Whitman experience, and I would go that far.

I'm referring to the magnet curriculum. The math/science curriculum at Blair is unparalleled elsewhere in the county (except Poolesville magnet), and the kids in the magnet feed off one another. The population is high-performing and motivated in ways that are not duplicated elsewhere (understandably).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of Bethesda area kids who attend Eastern, Takoma Park, Blair and RMIB. I am not going to knock their home high schools (we are zoned for one of them) but the magnet programs are qualitatively different in terms of curriculum as well as the peer group. That does not mean that every bright kid would be better off in the magnet programs but if you have a kid who would thrive in that environment (enriched curriculum, able to work at least two grade levels above actual grade, faster pace, cross-disciplinary work, high expectations, peer group that is also bright and loves to learn) it is worth the bus ride. Yes you take non-magnet courses with the general school population but that is not a terrible thing. Takoma Park is a good middle school. At Eastern your child's math and science class is likely to have mostly magnet kids. Blair is a very good school. If you are taking AP or honors level classes the teachers are great. We have been very happy with social studies and english at blair. Foreign languages not so much.

Bethesda parent of 1 Eastern and 1 Takoma magnet student. Agree about the "qualitatively different" part for MS. Magnet MS made a huge difference. Child was much more prepared for high school than other students who were at home school. At the MS level, there is no option for advanced academics. By contrast, at least in HS, there are advanced academics (AP or IB depending on school). Opting for the magnet in HS is a trade off between travel time and what you could use that extra time for if you stayed at home school. Some of our kids opted not to do HS magnet for this reason. Home HS with AP/IB load is fine.

IMO, Blair math and science magnet is on a separate plane from other HS programs. The classes offered there are truly advanced, not available anywhere else in the county, and the peer group has a pretty good chunk of crazy smart kids as well as plain old very smart/highly motivated kids. Families admitted to this program should not kid themselves that a home high school w/ lots of APs will be a comparable experience.

FWIW, many parents in Bethesda carpool one or both ways to Blair, Eastern or Takoma. The drive is quick but the bus route is 3x as long due to the way everyone is routed through Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Lowell? In DC? I live nearby, and it only goes through 8th grade.

I got mixed up, have a couple colleague that live in Takoma Park that send their younger kids to Lowell, assumed they would continue through HS. I guess I don't know where they will go for HS after. Maybe Burke? I should ask.

I live in Takoma Park and don't know anyone who sends their kids to private.

I do know one family in Silver Spring whose DC went to Lowell and then to Einstein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of Bethesda area kids who attend Eastern, Takoma Park, Blair and RMIB. I am not going to knock their home high schools (we are zoned for one of them) but the magnet programs are qualitatively different in terms of curriculum as well as the peer group. That does not mean that every bright kid would be better off in the magnet programs but if you have a kid who would thrive in that environment (enriched curriculum, able to work at least two grade levels above actual grade, faster pace, cross-disciplinary work, high expectations, peer group that is also bright and loves to learn) it is worth the bus ride. Yes you take non-magnet courses with the general school population but that is not a terrible thing. Takoma Park is a good middle school. At Eastern your child's math and science class is likely to have mostly magnet kids. Blair is a very good school. If you are taking AP or honors level classes the teachers are great. We have been very happy with social studies and english at blair. Foreign languages not so much.

Bethesda parent of 1 Eastern and 1 Takoma magnet student. Agree about the "qualitatively different" part for MS. Magnet MS made a huge difference. Child was much more prepared for high school than other students who were at home school. At the MS level, there is no option for advanced academics. By contrast, at least in HS, there are advanced academics (AP or IB depending on school). Opting for the magnet in HS is a trade off between travel time and what you could use that extra time for if you stayed at home school. Some of our kids opted not to do HS magnet for this reason. Home HS with AP/IB load is fine.

IMO, Blair math and science magnet is on a separate plane from other HS programs. The classes offered there are truly advanced, not available anywhere else in the county, and the peer group has a pretty good chunk of crazy smart kids as well as plain old very smart/highly motivated kids. Families admitted to this program should not kid themselves that a home high school w/ lots of APs will be a comparable experience.

FWIW, many parents in Bethesda carpool one or both ways to Blair, Eastern or Takoma. The drive is quick but the bus route is 3x as long due to the way everyone is routed through Blair.

+1

That is what I mean by "head and shoulders."

~Whitman parent with kids in both schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Blair magnet had 38 NMSF this year Whitman had 10

Those are great numbers and clearly show that the magnet program there is special and has special kids. Definitely the good side of Blair. But lets not pretend there is not a bad side too. And the bad side is very bad. Eyes wide open is all. If I had a kid there that was not in the magnet program, I would be a little concerned.

http://wjla.com/news/local/only-on-7-gang-rivalry-sparks-massive-brawl-at-silver-spring-high-school

This thread is about the magnet. Specifically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Blair magnet had 38 NMSF this year Whitman had 10

Those are great numbers and clearly show that the magnet program there is special and has special kids. Definitely the good side of Blair. But lets not pretend there is not a bad side too. And the bad side is very bad. Eyes wide open is all. If I had a kid there that was not in the magnet program, I would be a little concerned.

http://wjla.com/news/local/only-on-7-gang-rivalry-sparks-massive-brawl-at-silver-spring-high-school

But she's not talking about kid not being in the magnet program. She's talking about kid being in the magnet program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you child STEM driven it may proven enriching to shoot for Takoma-Blair but as the PP said the rest of the programs are ehhhh compared to a proper AP load at the W's and the logistics and quality of life need to be taken into account. These programs were designed to pull W kids over so there is some meat on the carrot but there is also a reason there are none of these programs at the local schools. Unless your kids is tacking towards being an elite student they will most likely be better served at their home school. An A student at Whitman will have a better experience during and after high school than a B student at Blair's program, an A magnet student at blair can do what ever they want.

As a parent with personal knowledge of W schools as well as magnet programs I cannot agree with this post

+1

Night and day. Blair is head and shoulders above Whitman

I am not sure I would go that far. The top students at Blair certainly best the top students at Whitman when you look at factors such as National Merit Scholars or college placement. But after those top 10 or so students, a divergence begins to grow. The median student or below at Whitman is much more likely to attend a four year college as compared to Blair. It is not to say anything negative about Blair generally, but just more to point out that the magnet program really is a school within a school there. A lot of my friends in Takoma Park who don't have STEM kids are very closely considering privates and Lowell is a popular choice.

Lowell? In DC? I live nearby, and it only goes through 8th grade.

I got mixed up, have a couple colleague that live in Takoma Park that send their younger kids to Lowell, assumed they would continue through HS. I guess I don't know where they will go for HS after. Maybe Burke? I should ask.

I live in Takoma Park and don't know anyone who sends their kids to private.

I do know one family in Silver Spring whose DC went to Lowell and then to Einstein.

I live in the part of Silver Spring that feeds to TPMS and know one kid at Lowell and one at Sidwell. The rest (magnet and not magnet) are happy at TPMS. While my kids aren't high school aged yet, all of our babysitters and swim coaches are at Blair (some at CAP, some just in AP) and they've all done well in college admissions and are happy, well adjusted, non gang-affiliated, kids.