Where to move in montgomery county for good schools???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair is not even in the same league as Whitman, Churchill, Wootton, WJ, or BCC. Magnet program might be fine, but it is NOT like the others. Sure, it's probably great as far as national rankings, but it is nowhere near the top Montgomery County schools that gave MoCo the reputation it has. And Einstein is the worst of the MoCo schools. I would think Einstein isn't that great even when compared nationally. But obviously doesn't hold a candle to the others mentioned.

Blair has a magnet program and it isn't representative of the other Silver Spring schools.

There are quite a few MoCo high schools where students are performing below and, in some cases, well below national averages - Blake, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, Paint Branch, Seneca Valley, Springbrook, Watkins Mill and Wheaton. They tend to be located in Gaithersburg/Germantown, Silver Spring or Wheaton areas. Individual students at those schools may perform well, but overall the statistics are fairly grim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are in a language immersion program and we have been very happy with their education to date. I think Sligo Creek ES, Woodlin, and other elementary schools in close-in Silver Spring are A-ok. I know that the schools in Silver Spring are not as highly-rated as the ones in Bethesda/Chevy Chase, and suspect this is mostly about test scores.

I imagine I'm in the minority in my thinking, but IMO, a child who has an intellectually stimulating and stable home life will do as well in a Silver Spring school as s/he will in a B/CC or Potomac (or wherever) school. And a bonus: That child will stand out when it is time to apply for college. Our babysitter, a product of Oakland Terrace ES, Sligo Middle School, and Einstein HS - all "bad" schools - is headed to Princeton this fall. She was accepted at several other top-tier colleges as well. Had she applied from Whitman or Wooton or the like, her application would not have stood out in the same way.

There are some great magnets available for both elementary and middle schools in this area. My older son is headed to Takoma Park's nationally-recognized math/science magnet this fall and we are delighted. Even if we could send him to Pyle over Takoma's magnet, we wouldn't.

Princeton, like other Ivy League schools, does like diversity, so your babysitter may well have had an advantage in the admissions process over a comparable candidate from Whitman, Churchill or B-CC. The real question, though, will be whether she can keep up with her classmates once she's there. Students who came from Whitman or Wooton generally are going to have an easier adjustment to a top university than an Einstein graduate. They are used to big ponds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery schools in Bethesda, Potomac and most of Rockville are exceptional. Montgomery schools in Damascus, Poolesville, parts of Gaithersburg (Quince Orchard area), and the Olney area are quite decent. The Montgomery schools in Silver Spring, Kensington (Einstein), most of Gaithersburg/Germantown and Wheaton are generally the pits, at least at the high school level.

Wow...what is your basis for this comment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are in a language immersion program and we have been very happy with their education to date. I think Sligo Creek ES, Woodlin, and other elementary schools in close-in Silver Spring are A-ok. I know that the schools in Silver Spring are not as highly-rated as the ones in Bethesda/Chevy Chase, and suspect this is mostly about test scores.

I imagine I'm in the minority in my thinking, but IMO, a child who has an intellectually stimulating and stable home life will do as well in a Silver Spring school as s/he will in a B/CC or Potomac (or wherever) school. And a bonus: That child will stand out when it is time to apply for college. Our babysitter, a product of Oakland Terrace ES, Sligo Middle School, and Einstein HS - all "bad" schools - is headed to Princeton this fall. She was accepted at several other top-tier colleges as well. Had she applied from Whitman or Wooton or the like, her application would not have stood out in the same way.

There are some great magnets available for both elementary and middle schools in this area. My older son is headed to Takoma Park's nationally-recognized math/science magnet this fall and we are delighted. Even if we could send him to Pyle over Takoma's magnet, we wouldn't.

Princeton, like other Ivy League schools, does like diversity, so your babysitter may well have had an advantage in the admissions process over a comparable candidate from Whitman, Churchill or B-CC. The real question, though, will be whether she can keep up with her classmates once she's there. Students who came from Whitman or Wooton generally are going to have an easier adjustment to a top university than an Einstein graduate. They are used to big ponds.

Actually our babysitter is a white upper-middle-class girl whose parents are both highly educated professionals. She did not have any advantage in the admissions process vis-a-vis her race. She may have had an advantage in terms of the high school she came from. At Whitman etc., students like her are a dime a dozen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair has a magnet program and it isn't representative of the other Silver Spring schools.

Can you clarify what you mean, "isn't representative"?

Anonymous wrote:There are quite a few MoCo high schools where students are performing below and, in some cases, well below national averages - Blake, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, Paint Branch, Seneca Valley, Springbrook, Watkins Mill and Wheaton. They tend to be located in Gaithersburg/Germantown, Silver Spring or Wheaton areas. Individual students at those schools may perform well, but overall the statistics are fairly grim.

Poster 12:32 here. That is my point exactly. Some of our friends' kids attend the schools you cite here. Their parents are upper-middle class and highly-educated; their homes are stable; the kids are good students; they are engaged in various community service and enrichment activities year-round. Regardless of the "grim" (I think that's an overstatement for at least some of the schools, but whatever) statistics, these kids will do well. They may even have an advantage in the college admissions process over their Whitman etc. peers.

So I guess what I'm saying is that you are making my point for me. If my particular child is well-positioned, and if he is getting a good education (I am confident that this is so), I don't worry about the stats too much. Our children are growing up in an affluent white family with two well-educated parents, in a large metro area with lots of cultural and other benefits in their lives. They are already way ahead of most of the world. How perfect does it have to be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Actually our babysitter is a white upper-middle-class girl whose parents are both highly educated professionals. She did not have any advantage in the admissions process vis-a-vis her race. She may have had an advantage in terms of the high school she came from. At Whitman etc., students like her are a dime a dozen.

I was not suggesting she received a preference due to her race. Instead, Princeton and the other Ivies do seek students from different parts of the country and from different schools in a particular region. That is "diversity," too. However, she may be in for an awakening when she gets to Princeton and realized that, in your words, "students like her are a dime a dozen." The Whitman students already know that there are lots of kids just as smart as they are, if not smarter; your babysitter may not, because she's used to being a big fish in a substantially smaller pond. It may help her gain admission to a school like Princeton, but it won't necessarily help her once she's there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, she may be in for an awakening when she gets to Princeton and realized that, in your words, "students like her are a dime a dozen." The Whitman students already know that there are lots of kids just as smart as they are, if not smarter; your babysitter may not, because she's used to being a big fish in a substantially smaller pond. It may help her gain admission to a school like Princeton, but it won't necessarily help her once she's there.

This assumes that the college-track curriculum at Whitman is more rigorous than it is at Einstein (or Blair or wherever). I don't believe that, and you have nothing to substantiate that claim (which is inherent in your post).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Poster 12:32 here. That is my point exactly. Some of our friends' kids attend the schools you cite here. Their parents are upper-middle class and highly-educated; their homes are stable; the kids are good students; they are engaged in various community service and enrichment activities year-round. Regardless of the "grim" (I think that's an overstatement for at least some of the schools, but whatever) statistics, these kids will do well. They may even have an advantage in the college admissions process over their Whitman etc. peers.

So I guess what I'm saying is that you are making my point for me. If my particular child is well-positioned, and if he is getting a good education (I am confident that this is so), I don't worry about the stats too much. Our children are growing up in an affluent white family with two well-educated parents, in a large metro area with lots of cultural and other benefits in their lives. They are already way ahead of most of the world. How perfect does it have to be?

It doesn't have to be - and can't be - "perfect," but if you hope or expect that your child is going to attend and thrive at a top college or university, he or she will be better prepared, both academically and socially, at a school like Whitman or Wooton than at an Einstein or Kennedy. Getting into a college is only part of the equation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery schools in Bethesda, Potomac and most of Rockville are exceptional. Montgomery schools in Damascus, Poolesville, parts of Gaithersburg (Quince Orchard area), and the Olney area are quite decent. The Montgomery schools in Silver Spring, Kensington (Einstein), most of Gaithersburg/Germantown and Wheaton are generally the pits, at least at the high school level.

Wow...what is your basis for this comment?

Yes, what is your basis for this sweeping comment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This assumes that the college-track curriculum at Whitman is more rigorous than it is at Einstein (or Blair or wherever). I don't believe that, and you have nothing to substantiate that claim (which is inherent in your post).

The courses are more rigorous, the teachers are, on average, of higher quality (given a choice, they will accept positions at higher-performing schools), and the number of high-achieving students is substantially larger. If the converse were true, you'd expect to see affluent families flocking to schools like Einstein and Kennedy so their children could reap the benefits you've identified during the college admissions process, and it's just not happening. Instead, test scores continue to decline at a number of the schools in this part of the county. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This assumes that the college-track curriculum at Whitman is more rigorous than it is at Einstein (or Blair or wherever). I don't believe that, and you have nothing to substantiate that claim (which is inherent in your post).

The courses are more rigorous, the teachers are, on average, of higher quality (given a choice, they will accept positions at higher-performing schools)

You don't have any factual basis for any of these statements. You just don't.

Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It doesn't have to be - and can't be - "perfect," but if you hope or expect that your child is going to attend and thrive at a top college or university, he or she will be better prepared, both academically and socially, at a school like Whitman or Wooton than at an Einstein or Kennedy. Getting into a college is only part of the equation.

I've seen enough Silver Spring students attend and thrive at top colleges and universities to feel reassured that my own privileged kids will, likewise, be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This assumes that the college-track curriculum at Whitman is more rigorous than it is at Einstein (or Blair or wherever). I don't believe that, and you have nothing to substantiate that claim (which is inherent in your post).

The courses are more rigorous, the teachers are, on average, of higher quality (given a choice, they will accept positions at higher-performing schools), and the number of high-achieving students is substantially larger.

So are you saying that Montgomery County's curriculum changes from school to school? More affluent, smarter students means more rigorous courses? And the schools with poor or middle class students have an easier curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This assumes that the college-track curriculum at Whitman is more rigorous than it is at Einstein (or Blair or wherever). I don't believe that, and you have nothing to substantiate that claim (which is inherent in your post).

The courses are more rigorous, the teachers are, on average, of higher quality (given a choice, they will accept positions at higher-performing schools), and the number of high-achieving students is substantially larger.

So are you saying that Montgomery County's curriculum changes from school to school? More affluent, smarter students means more rigorous courses? And the schools with poor or middle class students have an easier curriculum?

Yes, I think that's what s/he is saying - that by definition, students from SS are ill-prepared for college relative to their "W" high school peers. The less affluent the school, the more dumbed-down the curriculum, dontcha know.

That, and that there is no civilized society to speak of in Eastern Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Actually our babysitter is a white upper-middle-class girl whose parents are both highly educated professionals. She did not have any advantage in the admissions process vis-a-vis her race. She may have had an advantage in terms of the high school she came from. At Whitman etc., students like her are a dime a dozen.

I was not suggesting she received a preference due to her race. Instead, Princeton and the other Ivies do seek students from different parts of the country and from different schools in a particular region. That is "diversity," too. However, she may be in for an awakening when she gets to Princeton and realized that, in your words, "students like her are a dime a dozen." The Whitman students already know that there are lots of kids just as smart as they are, if not smarter; your babysitter may not, because she's used to being a big fish in a substantially smaller pond. It may help her gain admission to a school like Princeton, but it won't necessarily help her once she's there.

Conversely, living in the Whitman pressure cooker/bubble doesn't necessarily do kids any favors because: 1) they're all burned out from spending their entire lives working to get into college, and 2) they have very little experience dealing with kids from different socio-economic backgrounds. I've seen Whitman kids at Ivy League schools and they are not all well adjusted and thriving. Of course I am sure many are thriving, but it's a mistake to think that Whitman is some sort of academic Eden.