Any info on Capitol Heights Elementary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went for a visit last week and I while was initially excited because it’s a TAG school and seemed better on paper than most schools in the area, I was disappointed. According to the principal the students spend only 30-45 minutes learning to use PCs each WEEK. On the plus side, the small size and co-teaching model were appealing.

This is why we can't have nice things. This is why you were disappointed?

Yes, this is just one of the reasons why this isn’t the right school for us. When I asked the principal about the use of Macs she scoffed and acted like I spoke a foreign language. We toured a lot of schools and while this certainly isn’t the worst (the art teacher’s approach to incorporating fractions into art class was interesting), it didn’t hit some of the marks that are important to our family.

But I guess we all set our sights at different levels...

Your family is looking for maximum computer time? What schools have you found that provide the amount of Mac Use you are looking for?

We’re not looking for maximum screen time, but rather a strong functional knowledge and adeptness. I’m an older parent who quite frankly can’t use a Mac to save my life. I also have worked in higher ed for more than 15 years, with a little time spent at tech schools who attract a lot of PGCPS graduates. Most of those students have no earthly idea how to use basic functions of a PC and their only computers outside of the classroom are their phones.

But our decision to move on is really one of fit. The principal’s response to my question wasn’t solution driven, or even mentioned the alternatives that other parents on this forum stated. She seemed dismissive in my opinion.

We’re over the moon with the school that we ultimately chose, as I’m sure there are a lot of parents who will love CHES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went for a visit last week and I while was initially excited because it’s a TAG school and seemed better on paper than most schools in the area, I was disappointed. According to the principal the students spend only 30-45 minutes learning to use PCs each WEEK. On the plus side, the small size and co-teaching model were appealing.

This is why we can't have nice things. This is why you were disappointed?

Yes, this is just one of the reasons why this isn’t the right school for us. When I asked the principal about the use of Macs she scoffed and acted like I spoke a foreign language. We toured a lot of schools and while this certainly isn’t the worst (the art teacher’s approach to incorporating fractions into art class was interesting), it didn’t hit some of the marks that are important to our family.

But I guess we all set our sights at different levels...

Your family is looking for maximum computer time? What schools have you found that provide the amount of Mac Use you are looking for?

We’re not looking for maximum screen time, but rather a strong functional knowledge and adeptness. I’m an older parent who quite frankly can’t use a Mac to save my life. I also have worked in higher ed for more than 15 years, with a little time spent at tech schools who attract a lot of PGCPS graduates. Most of those students have no earthly idea how to use basic functions of a PC and their only computers outside of the classroom are their phones.

But our decision to move on is really one of fit. The principal’s response to my question wasn’t solution driven, or even mentioned the alternatives that other parents on this forum stated. She seemed dismissive in my opinion.

We’re over the moon with the school that we ultimately chose, as I’m sure there are a lot of parents who will love CHES.

Off topic a bit, but I think you are under-estimating kids' abilities to adapt to new technology. I started using a Mac in college. It took me 10 minutes to figure it out. Advanced computer skills that actually have some value, such as learning programming, are not dependent on the operating system. You could teach a kid to code on a $200 computer or a $2,000 computer. I don't know what the kids you were working with were having trouble with, but with a decent incentive most kids can figure out the basic functions of a pc in a few minutes.