Can Prince George's schools ever be improved?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to know what people in Prince George's think. Can we really work to improve the school system or is it a lost cause? We have no intention of selling our home and would really like to work on making the public schools a better option but it seems like an up hill battle. Some of the problems I see is that you have better chances of winning in Vegas than of getting into the specialty problems and even when you do many are housed in the same building as problem schools. There's often no before and aftercare options at the schools. From what I've heard some neighborhood elementary schools are not too bad, especially if there's an active PTA or PTO but most of the middle schools and high schools are mad houses with kids completely out of control. Is there anything that can be done? I'm looking for truely helpful suggestions, not the ever frequent "move out of the county or put you kids in private school".

[Anonymous]

Of course they can be improved. PGC spends a ton on its public schools. The parents need to demand excellence.

[Anonymous]

No its a cultural issue

[missey4974]

[b] My husband & I have no intention putting our son in PG County schools. Im actually looking at private schools one is GDS in Georgetown or Holy Trinity in Bowie, MD, There's couple other good private schools in the county.

[missey4974]

One other is Holy Temple Christian Academy I heard thats a good school as well

[Anonymous]

I am sure the PG schools can be improved - other school systems have improved, and there is nothing inherently different about PG than any other huge urban system.

I'm afraid I'm not helping, though, and I feel badly about that. Our neighborhood school is pretty bad, even at elementary, and so we've opted out and are going to private. PG county was hit hard by the bursting of the housing bubble, and so we are way under water in our house and can't even move out of PG.

That said...we love our town in PG and I have no intention to leave. Any ideas of how one can support the local schools while opting out of them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sure the PG schools can be improved - other school systems have improved, and there is nothing inherently different about PG than any other huge urban system.

I'm afraid I'm not helping, though, and I feel badly about that. Our neighborhood school is pretty bad, even at elementary, and so we've opted out and are going to private. PG county was hit hard by the bursting of the housing bubble, and so we are way under water in our house and can't even move out of PG.

That said...we love our town in PG and I have no intention to leave. Any ideas of how one can support the local schools while opting out of them?

Well, your taxes are still going to support them even though you're not using them. That's support!

[Anonymous]

I would love to see PG schools improve. However, with the constant budget cuts, it makes improving the system difficult except for a few school communities like (Tulip Grove and Whitehall). Those two schools have substantial parental support which help the administators and teachers. Those two schools are high performing and can compete with the best of Maryland elementary schools. Many of the other PG County schools suffer from lack of parental support, budget issues, and teacher turnover. Why are so few PG schools ranked in the top 100? Our kids are smart but somehow the schools are not equal.

Only 1 family in our South Bowie neighborhood is using the local public school and they told us to stay private if you can afford it. All the other families with elementary school children are using private schools. We are using private and hate the fact we pay $20,000 in taxes (two houses) and can't use our local public school. The money spent on private school could be used to save for college if PG County schools were acceptable.

How can we make them better? If you find out please let me know I would love to help.

Also, why is there only 1 outstanding charter school in PG County? Can be get more choices in this area too?

[Anonymous]

I think more community involvement is the way. Our neighborhood has book drives and does a lot of things on the neighborhood level to support the school even if we don't have kids there. Also, a strong PTA is critical. So often the admins make decisions without taking parents into account. You really have to advocate for your local school. Think of it this way, if the local school improves the whole neighborhood. Who knows, your property values might actually go up!

[Anonymous]

PG County schools will only get worse over time. As long as poor blacks keep moving out of DC into PG things will only deteriorate. On the other hand as whites move into DC the DCPS schools will get better. Its a pattern that any sociologist will tell you about.

[Anonymous]

It appears some feel the overpaid Superintendent of MCPS in the neighboring County believes part of the solution to the problem in PG County is heterogeneous grouping in the classroom by ability. This strategy is called the social justice philosophy that promises to improve the public educational system. I hope this brilliant revelation from the neighboring County is helpful. THe MCPS Superintendent has been reading again and is sold on the idea of social justice to improve educational performance of our students and this begins with heterogeneous grouping by ability in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No its a cultural issue

Care to elaborate?

[Anonymous]

These audio tapes sum of pg county pretty accurately http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2632466

[Anonymous]

OK in the OP it specifically said things that were truely helpful, not general negativity about PG

[Anonymous]

wider use of charter schools that can impose behavior requirements on the students. If more of the ESs are tolerable and it is MS where, as a PP noted, things are a "madhouse" then it is not a question of spending more money on teachers - it is a question of changing the culture of behavior at the school. That's hard, but some charters have managed to do so successfully.