New chevy chase middle school

[Anonymous]

DH and I are looking to move out if DC to a place with good public schools and a reasonable commute. For that and a handful of other factors, we identified the east Chevy Chase neighborhoods (Rollingwood, Dunlop Hills, etc) as a good place for us. But doing some research, we're learning about the new middle school proposal, and are feeling like it's a major detraction from what we're looking for. Primarily because it seems like it would likely be zoned for those kids that attend Rosemary Hills (so most of the eastern and northern parts of CC) as well as parts of Silver Spring and Krnsington. Looking at the school info for the areas of Kensington and SS that would got to the new middle school, the school performances are not nearly as strong as other parts if CC, plus there are pretty significant numbers of ESOL and FARMS kids coming from those areas. It seems like it would sort of negate the supposed benefit of living in CC, versus Kensington or SS.

That being said, I'm hoping I'm missing something, because it seems like a lot of RH parents are in support, and I can't imagine people in those areas wouldn't raise a racket if they were unhappy with the proposal and zoning.

Can anyone comment on that? DH and I really love everything else about the area, and have seen very little that we like in our price range in the Somerset area or Bethesda. But schools are our primary motivation for moving, and it just doesn't seem like it would make sense to do so for lackluster schools.

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm slightly unsettled by your question because I think there is racism and classism underlying your concern. I have been extremely happy with Rosemary Hills and I do not believe that it's a bad thing in any way that there are lots of kids from SS and Kensington who go to the school. No one can say exactly how good the new middle school will be but I will say that none of my North Chevy Chase neighbors seem worried at all about the diversity of the new school. The Montgomery County school system is not perfect but it is very good and they have been fabulous about addressing some of the extra educational needs of one of my kids. All I can say is that I'm not worried and if you don't want diversity, you should probably look into parts of Bethesda and Potomac where most of the kids are rich and white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are looking to move out if DC to a place with good public schools and a reasonable commute. For that and a handful of other factors, we identified the east Chevy Chase neighborhoods (Rollingwood, Dunlop Hills, etc) as a good place for us. But doing some research, we're learning about the new middle school proposal, and are feeling like it's a major detraction from what we're looking for. Primarily because it seems like it would likely be zoned for those kids that attend Rosemary Hills (so most of the eastern and northern parts of CC) as well as parts of Silver Spring and Krnsington. Looking at the school info for the areas of Kensington and SS that would got to the new middle school, the school performances are not nearly as strong as other parts if CC, plus there are pretty significant numbers of ESOL and FARMS kids coming from those areas. It seems like it would sort of negate the supposed benefit of living in CC, versus Kensington or SS.

That being said, I'm hoping I'm missing something, because it seems like a lot of RH parents are in support, and I can't imagine people in those areas wouldn't raise a racket if they were unhappy with the proposal and zoning.

Can anyone comment on that? DH and I really love everything else about the area, and have seen very little that we like in our price range in the Somerset area or Bethesda. But schools are our primary motivation for moving, and it just doesn't seem like it would make sense to do so for lackluster schools.

Well, then perhaps you should find someplace to live where there are no low income or kids of color! Seriously.
You do understand that all these kids who are FARMS and ESOL all go to Westland and then to BCC right? Somehow the white kids come out ok. My kid goes to one of the Eastern CC schools (hint, not RH) and is doing quite fine. Yes, there are kids who are from more disadvantaged backgrounds who need more academic support and are more disruptive but if your child is getting good support from home, they will do fine.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Honestly, it's not about race. Frankly, it's one of the things I don't like about other areas -- they're SO white. And it's one of the reasons we like BCC over Whitman. That said, the ESOL thing concerns me because I would imagine that a school with a high proportion of ESOL kids is going to need to spend resources on that, and resources are obviously finite. The FARMS thing is just frankly one metric that's routinely considered when trying to get a picture of schools. Whether you like it or not, kids from disadvantaged backgrounds on the whole have less parental involvement, greater learning challenges, etc. Yes, it sounds terrible to say it, but it is what it is. I looked at the test scores at one point, and they were much lower as well, but the MoCo webiste seems to be down right now, so I can't access those.

As far as BCC drawing from the same pools, while that may be, it's also drawing from the rest of CC and part of Bethesda, which means that as a percent of the kids, the disadvantaged kids are a smaller pool. I also feel that middle school is an especially challenging time for kids, and so the make-up of the kids for those years is particularly important to me, in a way that's it's not as much in the k-2 or even HS years.

[Anonymous]

Your children's success in school seems to be hanging by a thread. If you can afford a more exclusive neighborhood or a private school that has the population of students made up of only kids you think your DC need to be around to succeed, then pay for it.

[Anonymous]

The new middle school will be in a nice area of kensington, which I happen to live in. I doubt any of the kids in this neighborhood are ESOL or FARMS if that eases your concern. Also, there will be a boundary study to decide which elementary schools will feed into the new middle school. Additionally, there is currently a boundary study under way that will change the make up of North Chevy Chase ES, Bethesda ES, Chevy Chase ES. This will affect where kids go after Rosemary Hills (which only serves grades K-2).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your children's success in school seems to be hanging by a thread. If you can afford a more exclusive neighborhood or a private school that has the population of students made up of only kids you think your DC need to be around to succeed, then pay for it.

Good one.

[Anonymous]

So let's get this straight, OP: you view a second middle school as a disadvantage because you think ESOL and FARMS rates would be high. However, the highest FARMS rate in the BCC cluster is Rock Creek Forest Elementary at 23%. So the MS, with NCCES and CCES would have a much lower FARMS rate. That 23% rate is well below the average for MoCo. You do understand that the current middle school is going to be severely overcrowded in the next few years even if 6th grades from 2 of the cluster elementaries are not moved there, right? So you prefer that your kid be with more rich white kids in a severely overcrowded school vs. a bit more diversity at a school that has sufficient space for core facilities (cafeteria, lockers, gym) and a smaller total population, is that correct? Your logic is lost on me.

[Anonymous]

OP, where are you getting your information on the new middle school?

[Anonymous]

Is the Rock Creek Hills site a done deal for the middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So let's get this straight, OP: you view a second middle school as a disadvantage because you think ESOL and FARMS rates would be high. However, the highest FARMS rate in the BCC cluster is Rock Creek Forest Elementary at 23%. So the MS, with NCCES and CCES would have a much lower FARMS rate. That 23% rate is well below the average for MoCo. You do understand that the current middle school is going to be severely overcrowded in the next few years even if 6th grades from 2 of the cluster elementaries are not moved there, right? So you prefer that your kid be with more rich white kids in a severely overcrowded school vs. a bit more diversity at a school that has sufficient space for core facilities (cafeteria, lockers, gym) and a smaller total population, is that correct? Your logic is lost on me.

Op here.

I can imagine it would be. 23% is not something I would worry about. Wherever DH got the number, he said it was 78%. now the MoCo school sites aren't working, so I can't check it.

But yeah, 23% I'd view as totally fine. And actually what I thought BCC high would be.

[Anonymous]

Your husband must have been looking at something other than FARMS. It is not nearly that high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, where are you getting your information on the new middle school?

Mostly Gazette articles. But that's just the info on the new school, such as the site selection, the likely boundaries (which aren't clear, but certain school districts are very probable) and the community feedback.

The FARMS and ESOL info was from DH, and I dont know where he got it. Not the district or school website, because those have been down. He says he cant remember or find the site where he got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, where are you getting your information on the new middle school?

Mostly Gazette articles. But that's just the info on the new school, such as the site selection, the likely boundaries (which aren't clear, but certain school districts are very probable) and the community feedback.

The FARMS and ESOL info was from DH, and I dont know where he got it. Not the district or school website, because those have been down. He says he cant remember or find the site where he got it.

Your DH was clearly misinformed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So let's get this straight, OP: you view a second middle school as a disadvantage because you think ESOL and FARMS rates would be high. However, the highest FARMS rate in the BCC cluster is Rock Creek Forest Elementary at 23%. So the MS, with NCCES and CCES would have a much lower FARMS rate. That 23% rate is well below the average for MoCo. You do understand that the current middle school is going to be severely overcrowded in the next few years even if 6th grades from 2 of the cluster elementaries are not moved there, right? So you prefer that your kid be with more rich white kids in a severely overcrowded school vs. a bit more diversity at a school that has sufficient space for core facilities (cafeteria, lockers, gym) and a smaller total population, is that correct? Your logic is lost on me.

Op here.

I can imagine it would be. 23% is not something I would worry about. Wherever DH got the number, he said it was 78%. now the MoCo school sites aren't working, so I can't check it.

But yeah, 23% I'd view as totally fine. And actually what I thought BCC high would be.

I'm not any having trouble accessing the site-here's the link:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/

The 3 schools that are expected to go to the new MS are Rock Creek Forest. According to site, ESOL there is 15%, FARMS is 22%. CCES has ESOL of 2.3, FARMS of 8.9. NCCES has Esol of 3%, Farms 5.6. If the Rock Creek Hills site is a go, that is in a very very nice neighborhood. I wouldn't expect the overall ESOL/FARMS rates to get above the rates I've cited. So there's no reason the 2nd middle school should mean you can't purchase a home in the cluster.