Top 10 Schools in MoCo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Peer group is the number one relative quality of a school. And that plays out pretty consistency across most statistics and measurables. Yes that does bode well for the poor kids but if we are really being honest they are going to fail at a much higher rate anyway. Which once again goes back to Peer group being the main measure of quality.

it isn't how new the paint is. And teacher and leadership quality only moves the needle so far.

And how do you measure "quality of peer group"?

Access to opportunities and outcomes that facilitate happiness

No.

Quality of peer group is driven by their values. The kids and parents value: academic excellence, hard work, staying out of trouble, teamwork, honesty, integrity.



How do you measure that? I’d take a hard look at their parent(s) or just ask the kid wha s/he values. Ultimately, stats like truancy, delinquency, petty crimes, lying, test scores, grades.

Churchill measures high on the AP score list, and normally ranks high of any rating used to measure Maryland high schools, but I wouldn't equate that with a high rating for honesty and integrity. My children have reported that cheating amongst peers is high at the school because of the pressure to get As by any means necessary. This "peer group" vibe has been deeply instilled for a long time including back when students hacked into the electronic grade books of teachers and changed grades.

The "peer group" at Churchill also likes to party with drugs and alcohol. Drugs range from marijuana to acid, heroin, and fentanyl. Some parents have the philosophy that partying is a part of teenage life so they condone the activities. The drugs are sold everywhere in the school - in the classroom, in the hallways, in bathrooms, and on athletic fields. Even the athletes use drugs to enhance their performance and cheat.

This is not the peer group I would have knowingly chosen for my children.

Serious question for non-Churchill parents. Are there schools where the social life does not favor drinking/drugs? I would seriously consider moving out of the Churchill cluster if I thought there was a public school with good educational outcomes and a much less of a party culture. From what I see, it is pervasive. Even the kids with high academic potential/aspirations are drinking and partying as freshmen.

No, the difference is the station of the drug dealers. At a school like Blair they are the scariest people at the party or they would be robbed, at Churchill they are the most popular as everybody just wants to party. Parents don't chose schools for high achievers as they will do well almost anywhere, parents chose schools to limit the floor that average and mischievous kids are exposed to. Little rich kids at Churchill tend to get the benefit of the doubt coupled to multiple 2nd and 3rd chances. Some Latino kid hanging around wannabe bangers up and down Georgia Ave is going to put into the system quickly. White kids pretending to be bangers just draw an eye roll form cops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
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W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

I'd pick a W school over your school any day, any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

I don't think that many people are really advocating for this. You sound high strung and paranoid.
I don't have kids at Einstein, wheaton or Blair, but none of the parents I know who have kids at those schools give much thought to the W schools at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

That, plus class warfare. Or something.

One of the things that disadvantages poor kids is being at a school with lots of other poor kids. It helps poor kids, but does not harm non-poor kids, to be at a school that does not have lots of other poor kids. If you want to keep your children entirely away from poor kids at school, public school is not for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

I don't think that many people are really advocating for this. You sound high strung and paranoid.
I don't have kids at Einstein, wheaton or Blair, but none of the parents I know who have kids at those schools give much thought to the W schools at all.

That.
But we know for sure that most W parents (especially on DCUM ), are obsessed with Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

You can’t beat the W’s, especially Wootton.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

I'd pick a W school over your school any day, any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. Little rich kids at Churchill tend to get the benefit of the doubt coupled to multiple 2nd and 3rd chances.

True, but that doesn't apply to the tall rich kids. If your child is over 5'6" then you will be fine.

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard that WJ, BCC, QO, and RM aren’t completely filled with drugs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High performing students in any school - W or ganglandia- will end up in mostly AP classes. You could be in W or QO or Watkins Mill HS and not take AP classes and the chances would be that you were mediocre or below. There is a reason that colleges look for mostly A's in the hardest courses that your school offers. Hardest classes currently are either AP or IB.

The AP courses at these schools are not at the same level. Look at the test results (just a selection of schools):

2017 AP Pass Rates (3 or above):
Kennedy - 36.2
Watkins Mill - 34.1
Rockville - 54.9
QO - 57.2
Einstein - 61.9
Clarksburg - 69.1
RM - 79.9
B-CC - 80.4
Churchill - 85.3
Blair - 86.3
WJ - 87.1
Poolesville - 87.7
Whitman - 88.2
Wootton - 89.2

These pass rates also don't show the wide disparity between schools on scores between 3 and 5. The schools at the low end do not provide the same quality of education.

Do they not provide the same level of education, or they educating students from differing backgrounds with different starting points? A kid from a two lawyer family in Whitman is (on the whole) going to be exposed to a lot more in terms of education at home than the kid of a first generation parent (who may not speak English as a first language) working a blue collar job.

Getting the latter kid caught up to the point of getting a 3 may take a better education than getting the Whitman kid a 5.

PP, thank you for stating it so well -- so much of the differences between these schools are the school populations, the affluence of the different families and how more well-off families more easily provide their child a background that supports school success. Families with limited education, limited English language skills have a steeper climb to provide parent support for the child's education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good
schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

Sports teams aren't all that either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good
schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

Sports teams aren't all that either.

Which W schools are you talking about that have a rating between 4 and 7?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

I'd pick a W school over your school any day, any time.

Most people would and every person at a W did. The parents at the W’s can afford to send their kids to any school in the DC reigon. They chose that school. Most of the parents in the rest of the schools save BCC live where they can afford and pick the least bad option. With few exceptions the W’s were never in the cards for 95% of those people and that is what drives their bitterness. Everybody hates on the party they weren’t invited to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Magnet MCPS anything
Private school HS
Catholic school HS
.
.
.
.
.
W schools

I actually don't think so.
The W's are equal to the top privates but they both (W's & privates ) are way behind the Magnets.

MCPS is working hard to make sure that this won't be the case in 5 years.

The Magnets are just filled with kids willing to make the drive from the west county. And you can't have both sides of the argument and say there are systemic triggers holding low income and minority kids down and then say that rich parents should know that there is no risk sending their kids to school with those kids to the east county school. If schools like Einstein, Wheaton and Blair are as good as people make them out to be why do people keep wanting to ship poor kids over to the West County and break up the Ws? Out of spite, jealousy or bitterness? If having poor kids doesn't stop them from being good schools, keep them.

W's are mostly overrated. They ratings often range between 4 and 7. Nothing to get excited about.

I'd pick a W school over your school any day, any time.

Most people would and every person at a W did. The parents at the W’s can afford to send their kids to any school in the DC reigon. They chose that school. Most of the parents in the rest of the schools save BCC live where they can afford and pick the least bad option. With few exceptions the W’s were never in the cards for 95% of those people and that is what drives their bitterness. Everybody hates on the party they weren’t invited to.

No bitterness here at all. We had a 750K budget which we knew wouldn't go far in the W areas so we picked a house and a school in upcounty which we love. I think most people are like us. On the surface, it's nice to know that your child is attending a school that is rated a 9/10 but most of us know what really drives those stats. Our school is a 7/8 and we know it's not because of the quality of the teaching but all about the demographics. Most smart and reasonable people know this so they don't go crazy or go bitter by the W's. The people who think that the ratings are driven by anything else are morons.