Moving from Arlington to Bethesda(ish) for job--best school clusters?
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Anonymous
No, not at all. |
Anonymous
No sweetie, my kids were in privates. Not worth the money |
Anonymous
Covid changed a lot of families income. It's okay you switched to free school. |
Anonymous
Nah... She is smart with her money and definitely smarter than you. She is not dumb like you who think throwing money on an interior product will somehow makes your kids smarter. |
Anonymous
You sound so educated. |
Anonymous
So, what middle school do you attend? |
Anonymous
Sorry you got rejected there kiddo. Maybe next time. |
Anonymous
Wrong again sweetie. Covid didn't impact our income. We switched before that. |
Anonymous
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OP here, once again--thanks to all who have provided helpful replies.
To be clear, we're genuinely not interested in private school. Our child was at one of the top schools in the DMV until recently and we weren't impressed. I don't want to start yet another public vs. private war. If it makes MCPS families feel any better, I am hearing all of the same complaints about the district "going downhill" from FCPS families, too. I don't think it's a MD vs. VA thing. I think it's a pandemic thing. What I don't understand, because I only recently started reading anything to do with MoCo, is if there are problems that go beyond the current issues with DL and the admin during the pandemic. I'd like to treat this as a discrete issue, since it won't last forever. If the posters complaining about MCPS are just upset about DL/leadership during COVID, then it's really no concern of mine. If there are larger structural issues to be aware of, that would be good to know. Ex. we are currently zoned in APS and there is a *huge* divide in school quality between North Arlington and South Arlington--it's really discouraging. FCPS also has really uneven quality between "have" and "have not" schools. Magnets are all done by lottery and we've been waitlisted in the 200s each time we've applied at the ES level. TJ, the STEM magnet, is moving to a lottery-based admissions system as well, rather than a test-based one. My impression is that MCPS is more equitable, though there are pockets of concentrated wealth (I get the sense this is Whitman/BCC clusters?). It seems like there are accessible pathways to a really great education whether you live in Bethesda, or Kensington, or Rockville, or Silver Spring, even if there is some variance in test scores/course offerings at home schools. Is that a fair assessment? |
Anonymous
I am |
Anonymous
I didn't realize that you got a discount on your taxes if you don't use the public school. Is that for all people without kids in the school, or just people with school age kids who opt for private? |
Anonymous
Yep. Exactly, that's a fair assessment. There are lots of programs and offerings all over MCPS. |
Anonymous
DCUM gonna DCUM  Good Lord...
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Anonymous
+2. I would put Churchill in that pocket of concentrated wealth too. |
Anonymous
Some of the same issues in MCPS. There is a perception of inequity (the Ws, Winston Churchill, Whitman, Wootton, WJ and BCC) v title ix and Focus schools (more FARMS kids in atrendance), and people like to say its about segregation and anyone at a W is racist. In reality, it's about housing prices (houses are more expensive in the W catchment areas). And, the Title ix and Focus schools actually receive MORE funding from the Feds and state than the W schools. But, the PTAs, Boosters and Ed Foundations at the Ws raise more money. That is where the inequities stem from. The curriculum is the same. As far as bigger picture deficiencies in MCPS, since you are new, I will lay it ouout, again: - central office is growing, as are class sizes and school sizes at those W schools. Central Office is out of touch, handing down mandates that make no sense, and are not in the best interest of students - cuts to special ed have taken place at all levels over the past 10 years. What once was a shining jewel (people used to move here for our excellent special ed programs), has been gutted. - no accountability and no consequences. There is a HUGE push to end the school to prison pipeline, and end the disparity of suspensions, expulsions, etc., which are higher among black and brown students than white students, even though there are fewer of them. The result is that kids of all ages can do whatever they want. Sell drugs at your HS? Repeatedly have temper tantrums in ES, throwing scissors, chairs, etc.? Cheating in MS, or even doing no work? Bullying at any school? None of these are problems any more. Put the offenders in a room, get everyone to sing kumbaya, and all is well. - Administrators (Principals, Asst Principals) come through MCPS and are trained to drink the MCPS Koolaid. They don't question the insanity coming from Central Office, because it jeopardizes their own career. -teachers are pulled from class all the time. IEP meetings, 504 meetings, more and more meetings. More amd more paperwork. It doesn't really matter, because they just have to teach to whatever standardized test is happening - gotta keep up the AYP (annual yearly progrese) per NCLB (no child left behind). The kid who does no work, ever? End of quarter, asked to write a paragraph - that's the make up work, get an A, and move them along. No one is allowed to fail in mcps. - speaking of not failing, just putting in any effort gives you a 50%. And the grading system is beyond generous. Kid can get an 89.5 (A) and a 79.5 (B) and end up with an A, same as a kid who got a 98 and a 95. - Facilities themselves are a disaster. Most are either aging/decrepit (bathrooms constantly clogged/out of commission, roof tiles flying off, wings that are hot and others that are cold - kids need to wear layers at all times of year, mold in most buildings, not to mention rodents), or severly overcrowded. By severely, to the point where hallways and stairwells need to be declared one way in order for kids to be able to get to class on time. Temporary/portable classrooms stay in place for decades. - funding - there isn't nearly enough. Not for more school buildings, not to fix the leaky roofs and ancient air conditioning systems, not for textbooks. I am sure others can give you more, but this should give you some idea of what a disaster MCPS is. And that does not even bring into account the lack of teaching (for what will likely be a year and a half) and that there is no plan to help kids at any grade level catch up. This disaster is only going to get worse. |