Where do you consider MCPS high schools on a scale of good-bad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It’s funny bc svhs and NW are basically within a mile of each other on 118 (ish) yet 3 greatschool SES levels apart.

SO FAR YET SO CLOSE!

Northwest gets the kids from Darnestown and Boyds, the nicer part of Germantown. SVHS pulls from the rough neighborhoods.

I live in the "nicer" part of Germantown and if we stay where we are (we are renting), our kids will attend Northwest. From what I can tell, it is a good school. We would like to stay in the area and specifically in our current neighborhood (we are buying next year), but we are also considering neighborhoods zoned for Clarksburg and Quince Orchard.

I find it funny that so many people on this site denigrate Northwest as if it is ganglandia. Yet I see so many accolades for QO. When you look at the demographics of the school, the primary difference is that QO has a higher percentage of white students. The FARMS percentage for these schools are not far apart:

Quince Orchard: 21.3%
Northwest: 22.5%

Also, Northwest had a higher average for SAT scores for the 2017-2018 school year, 1145 to QO's 1134.

I think Seneca Valley has the potential to be a great school. Yes, it currently pulls from areas in Germantown that are densely populated (lots of apartments), but the upcoming boundary study will hopefully create 3 wonderful schools between Clarksburg and Germantown.

Here are the "At A Glance" Reports for both schools if you want to look for yourself:
Northwest: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04246.pdf
Quince Orchard: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04125.pdf

Very different schools... the main difference is the overall vibes of the school. QO is run by Kentlands, Lakelands, and Darnestown kids. NW is run by the citizens of Cinnamon woods. NW has robberies in the parking lot of their own school, this doesn't happen at QO and a riot would start if it did. Look similar on paper but completely different schools in reality. Have you seen the student bodies? NW is the next best thing if you can't afford the QO or Wootton area but definitely a level down for schools.

most of darnestown goes to NW... only a portion goes to QO

Most darnestown kids districted for NW go private or COSA to QO

How would a large chunk of kids get a COSA to QO? It also seems unlikely that most folks in that area could afford to send their kids to private school, but that seems a bit more plausible than widespread granting of COSAs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

So invite more poor people to come to the county?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Well, I have a kid at Wheaton and we are not low income. And honestly it is (so far) great.

Didn't wheaton get the former science coach from Blair, and they recently won some science competition. Most of the HSs seem to have some interesting programs, so if your child is into it, I think they can do well in most of the HS. However, I do think it's important for a student to have a peer cohort.

In which high schools do academically-motivated students not have a peer cohort, and how do you know?

In schools that have a lower % of high achieving students, it's much harder to find a peer cohort that you can also be friends with. The greater the diversity, the greater chance most kids have in finding their peer group.

I don't live in a W cluster. We chose RM for its diversity. I'm sure most schools have varying amounts of high achieving students, but when the numbers dwindle, it's just harder to find.

My kid is at Einstein, and while her friends are not "obsessed" about getting into high-recognition college, they are bright students. They don't even know the students who end up dropping out, so I'm not sure how the drop-out rate affects them.

yes, we know einstein in segregated: honors kids, remedial kids, drop outs. they all never cross paths.

Touché

Do they have fencing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair is superior, people in Ws wish they knew before they moved

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

The point is the schools serving those neighborhoods have 20-30% FARMS students. That is the preferred range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

The point is the schools serving those neighborhoods have 20-30% FARMS students. That is the preferred range.

In the past the county located most its low-income housing in one of several areas like Rockville or east SS. In the interest of economic diversity future projects should be placed in areas with the lowest FARMs to better serve the county's residents. Perhaps, this would even benefit school's like CHurchill where a lack of racial sensitivity is an ongoing problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

The point is the schools serving those neighborhoods have 20-30% FARMS students. That is the preferred range.

In the past the county located most its low-income housing in one of several areas like Rockville or east SS. In the interest of economic diversity future projects should be placed in areas with the lowest FARMs to better serve the county's residents. Perhaps, this would even benefit school's like CHurchill where a lack of racial sensitivity is an ongoing problem.

Rockville?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

In the past the county located most its low-income housing in one of several areas like Rockville or east SS. In the interest of economic diversity future projects should be placed in areas with the lowest FARMs to better serve the county's residents. Perhaps, this would even benefit school's like CHurchill where a lack of racial sensitivity is an ongoing problem.

When you talk about low-income housing located by the county, what specifically are you referring to?

MPDUs?

Properties owned or managed by HOC? http://www.hocmc.org/rental-programs/properties.html

Or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

Are you just looking at elementary schools?

Woodside feeds to Einstein which already has a high percentage of FARMS. And Takoma Park goes to Blair.

These kids are not zoned for Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

Woodlin ES is relatively low poverty (21% FARMs, compared to 39% for elementary schools countywide) and low ESOL (14%, compared to 25% for elementary schools countywide), but it's not a white-enclave school: 39% white, 25% black, 21% Hispanic, 7% Asian-American, compared to 27%, 21%, 33%, 14% for elementary schools county-wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

Are you just looking at elementary schools?

Woodside feeds to Einstein which already has a high percentage of FARMS. And Takoma Park goes to Blair.

These kids are not zoned for Whitman.

Not really. Higher than for the overall county (40% vs. 27%), but many MCPS high schools have a higher percentage than Einstein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

The point is the schools serving those neighborhoods have 20-30% FARMS students. That is the preferred range.

In the past the county located most its low-income housing in one of several areas like Rockville or east SS. In the interest of economic diversity future projects should be placed in areas with the lowest FARMs to better serve the county's residents. Perhaps, this would even benefit school's like CHurchill where a lack of racial sensitivity is an ongoing problem.

As close in neighborhoods have become more desirable more urban poverty is showing up in the outer burbs like Gaithersburg and Briggs Chaney. I think there was an article on GGW about this a while ago.

https://ggwash.org/view/31707/watch-poverty-suburbanize-in-montgomery-county

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should build low income/high density homes in all nice neighborhoods starting with historic TP and woodside. When those residents welcome them in with open arms then we can talk about moving west.

This makes no sense. There already are low income/high density housing in those areas.

not as much as the surrounding areas. The segregation past that built those areas and their UMC SFHs needs to be stripped down until they reach a level similar to their neighbors. Woodside was built as a white enclave just as Bethesda was.

Are you just looking at elementary schools?

Woodside feeds to Einstein which already has a high percentage of FARMS. And Takoma Park goes to Blair.

These kids are not zoned for Whitman.

Not really. Higher than for the overall county (40% vs. 27%), but many MCPS high schools have a higher percentage than Einstein.

There are 6 high schools with a higher FARMS than Einstein: Gaitherburg (close at 40.1), Kennedy, Wheaton, Watkins Mill, Springbrook and Northwood.