Has anyone had a good experience with MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:mcps ruined my childhood

How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since there’s so many threads lately that bash MCPS, I’m curious if there’s anyone that’s had a good experience with them.

I have a good - not perfect - experience with MCPS. I have a gifted kid who's been through the magnets and loved it. I have a smart kid with attention issues that is going through the neighborhood schools and getting the support needed. Both still love learning and are generally challenged (the neighborhood school child less so, but DC needs to work on the distraction/impulsivity issues so there is that).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's definitely been a strange uptick in anti-MCPS posts lately. Not sure if it's one person with some kind of odd vendetta or some kind of copycat thing, but a lot of them have the same tone.

Look, MCPS is a HUGE system dealing with a massive array of abilities and needs. Everyone seems to think they have the solution, but no one seems to want to do anything but complain. At privates, you will hear a lot less public complaining but plenty of whispered issues - no one wants to admit the product they thought was a panacea is actually not one.

Totally true. Very few people will tell folks on the outside that the place they're spending $35K/year on is anything but awesome, but trust me -- you'll hear the complaining on the inside.

- Signed, someone who went to private HS and whose sister went to private MS and HS

[Anonymous]

I've had a good experience. We're at a Focus School in Silver Spring, and I've been really impressed with the degree to which teachers and administrators *know* my kids. They are incredibly committed, and have a good sense of who my kids are and what they need, which is reflected in the teachers they are assigned, support from the counselor for typical kid stuff, etc.

As an example, my child was supposed to sit for the GT test last week but had a bug. The GT coordinator reached out that same morning to make sure I knew my child could take the test as soon as they felt better. It was a kind gesture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had a good experience. We're at a Focus School in Silver Spring, and I've been really impressed with the degree to which teachers and administrators *know* my kids. They are incredibly committed, and have a good sense of who my kids are and what they need, which is reflected in the teachers they are assigned, support from the counselor for typical kid stuff, etc.

As an example, my child was supposed to sit for the GT test last week but had a bug. The GT coordinator reached out that same morning to make sure I knew my child could take the test as soon as they felt better. It was a kind gesture.

Uh - they're supposed to do that, PP. It's in the written guidelines for the exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a good experience. We're at a Focus School in Silver Spring, and I've been really impressed with the degree to which teachers and administrators *know* my kids. They are incredibly committed, and have a good sense of who my kids are and what they need, which is reflected in the teachers they are assigned, support from the counselor for typical kid stuff, etc.

As an example, my child was supposed to sit for the GT test last week but had a bug. The GT coordinator reached out that same morning to make sure I knew my child could take the test as soon as they felt better. It was a kind gesture.

Uh - they're supposed to do that, PP. It's in the written guidelines for the exam.

Of course. Letting them retake the test is in the guidelines. Proactively reaching out before I'd even called in the absence was nice.

[Anonymous]

Loved my school

[Anonymous]

QO ^^

[Anonymous]

We are having a good experience.We are in an upcounty Focus school. Very caring teachers and a terrific principal who cares about all kids and yes, including those students who are advanced. I wish there was more parent involvement when it comes to the PTA but that's not the school's fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a good experience. We're at a Focus School in Silver Spring, and I've been really impressed with the degree to which teachers and administrators *know* my kids. They are incredibly committed, and have a good sense of who my kids are and what they need, which is reflected in the teachers they are assigned, support from the counselor for typical kid stuff, etc.

As an example, my child was supposed to sit for the GT test last week but had a bug. The GT coordinator reached out that same morning to make sure I knew my child could take the test as soon as they felt better. It was a kind gesture.

Uh - they're supposed to do that, PP. It's in the written guidelines for the exam.

Of course. Letting them retake the test is in the guidelines. Proactively reaching out before I'd even called in the absence was nice.

It was. And what are your thoughts on the curriculum, the school calendar, etc?


Here's the truth for you, OP: the silent majority is happy with MCPS. Why? because they don't know any better. The end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It was. And what are your thoughts on the curriculum, the school calendar, etc?

Here's the truth for you, OP: the silent majority is happy with MCPS. Why? because they don't know any better. The end.

I think that is the correct smiley for the idea that, if somebody's opinion is different from mine, it can only be because they don't know better.

[Anonymous]

ignorance is bliss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It was. And what are your thoughts on the curriculum, the school calendar, etc?

Here's the truth for you, OP: the silent majority is happy with MCPS. Why? because they don't know any better. The end.

I think that is the correct smiley for the idea that, if somebody's opinion is different from mine, it can only be because they don't know better.

Exactly.. I hate to say it but it's exactly the type of response that I suspected would come from the naysayers.

[Anonymous]

Overall, we've had positive experience in MCPS. There are many system issues, for sure, but it's not reasonable to expect a large, complex school system trying to serve so many needs to be without issues. Our kids are finishing 8th and 11th grade. We moved in when area was very balanced with white, HI, AA and some Asians. Subsequent years HI population grew and now over 50% of ES. Area MS highly diverse with higher HI and AA then white, Asian, middle eastern, and many mixed races. The area serves a mixed population of immigrants, working class, upwardly mobile, and long time Marylanders too.

The area ES and MS performance level is considered lower for MCPS, but the principal and teachers and active parents made the community successful and education experience positive. Both kids were advanced so went to HGC and thrived. Very few classmates wanted to or tried to. Most were fine with staying near home. One returned to local MS and excelled with a cohort of higher performing peers and went to magnet HS along with handful of others. Other child continued to magnet MS and HS. The area HS is fine and we know many kids who go there and they will get a good education there.

DCUM discussions need more recognition that schools and communities are often quite different. Since every child and family's needs and preferences can vary there is no one size fits all. The teachers and schools our kids attended all tried to do what they could to help educate them. We were not satisfied with every encounter and outcome, but MCPS has provided a pretty good education for most of the students we know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It was. And what are your thoughts on the curriculum, the school calendar, etc?

Here's the truth for you, OP: the silent majority is happy with MCPS. Why? because they don't know any better. The end.

I think that is the correct smiley for the idea that, if somebody's opinion is different from mine, it can only be because they don't know better.

Unless you come out with your own thoughtful analysis of the school system under discussion, your opinion doesn't count for much, PP. Others have laid out in detail why they are happy/unhappy with MCPS. If the best you can do is bleat out: "I feel the staff knows my kid", well, that's not really cutting it, is it? Especially at the elementary school level, where that is their job! Return in a few years and tell me how well teachers know your kid in middle and high school.