currently at DCPS, thinking about moving to Maryland for the schools

[Anonymous]

My 8 year old is doing very well at our neighborhood school, but I wonder if I am doing a disservice to him by not moving to MCPS. Things are great now, but middle school is questionable (Deal is not our feed). He is quite advanced at math. I wish I could say how advanced but he is so much better at it than me, it is difficult for me to test! I think it is possible he'd qualify for a magnet or even G & T middle school. Is there any way I could test this-- like a website that can reliably and confidently test a child's aptitude and establish their actual grade level of math? He loves geometry and can do all sort of math problems in his head and likes to do sudoku. And he makes up games involving math on his own. HE is only on grade level for reading and writing, so maybe that would disqualify him for G & T?

Anyway, hAs anyone made this move? Do you regret it?

[Anonymous]

Haven't made this move, but have had a kid in the Takoma middle school magnet. DC loved the magnet, still lives to talk about unusual and fun things learned in all the magnet classes, and had a great peer group.

That said, there are many more qualified applicants than magnet slots, so there is no guarantee even a really bright, math-loving kid will get in. You can improve DC's chances by moving to Takoma Park (there are some reserved spots for "local" kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year old is doing very well at our neighborhood school, but I wonder if I am doing a disservice to him by not moving to MCPS. Things are great now, but middle school is questionable (Deal is not our feed). He is quite advanced at math. I wish I could say how advanced but he is so much better at it than me, it is difficult for me to test! I think it is possible he'd qualify for a magnet or even G & T middle school. Is there any way I could test this-- like a website that can reliably and confidently test a child's aptitude and establish their actual grade level of math? He loves geometry and can do all sort of math problems in his head and likes to do sudoku. And he makes up games involving math on his own. HE is only on grade level for reading and writing, so maybe that would disqualify him for G & T?

Anyway, hAs anyone made this move? Do you regret it?

Tough to say if he would qualify for elementary. My daughter is going into the HGC magnet this fall and I have a friend whose daughter is in it now, and there seems to be a LOT of emphasis on reading and writing. From what I understand most kids are 1-2+ grade levels ahead in math and most are reading many years ahead. Not sure if a kid who is super advanced in math but average in reading would get in. I think later on (MS and HS) they tend to have more STEM focused magnets which might be a better fit. As someone else posted there's also way more qualified kids who apply than get in, so it's a bit of a crap shoot. On the other hand, even if he doesn't get in, if you pick the base school correctly you'd still be getting a top-notch education.

[Anonymous]

Ok thanks. I wish there were some way for me to know just how advanced my kid is in math. Since MD doesn't provide this sort of testing to folks unless they actually live in MD, I think we will just stay put in DC. Seems crazy to uproot the whole family on the off chance that the kid may be so smart that he needs a magnet school or G & T to reach his potential. And he is really happy where he is. So getting him a math tutor for once a week to help him explore math beyond what I can do is what we will likely do.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

You could do the CTY testing to see how advanced he really is. It would cost you money, but I can't think of any other way unless you think his teachers might have a sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could do the CTY testing to see how advanced he really is. It would cost you money, but I can't think of any other way unless you think his teachers might have a sense.

Thanks-- I'll look into that!

[Anonymous]

Go to aleks.com. Have your child take the placement test for yout "best guess" level. If he scores above a 90 take the next level up. If he is below 90 try the level down. The highest 90+ score is the grade level they have mastered, the next level is the level they should be working on.

[Anonymous]

Singapore math also has placement tests online.

[Anonymous]

Maybe Basis for your kid, depending how the lottery looks in 2 or 3 years? We haven't been pleased with math challenge at Latin, although I'm sure others have.

[Anonymous]

OP here- Thanks for the info about alex and singapore math. BASIS is on our radar, but I'm nervous about whether it will actually be able to deliver-- and I fear if it acutally is good, will we actually be able to get in with the lottery. Plus it just seems wrong to have a middle school in an office building. But maybe having "gym" by running laps on the Mall will create nice, if unusual childhood memories.

Lots to think about! I really aprreciate the feedback!

[Anonymous]

It's not PC to say this (I'd get clobbered on the DCPS/Charter board), but I'd be really surprised if you will find the teaching quality and challenge you're probably looking for in any DCPS or DC Charter school after around 7th grade.

I think of a relative who was the headmaster of of private HS in NW for years. He told me that parents coming out of DCPS middle schools (mainly Deal) were invariably shocked and angry when informed that their children, after taking a placement test, would need to attend an intensive summer school program before enrolling. This was so they wouldn't end up behind in writing and math from the get go. Something like 80% of the DCPS parents were told this, even if their kids were very bright and motivated, vs. about 10% of the MoCo parents and DC private school parents.

Think about it, on average, DC charter teachers are paid, on average, around 2/3 what DCPS teachers are paid, and DCPS teachers are paid, on average around 3/4 of what MoCo teachers are paid. So who do the DC schools hire to teach? The most experienced and effective Metro area teachers? Also, there is almost no tracking at the middle school level anywhere in DCPS or DC Charter, and no test-in magnet programs, despite the enormous high-SES/low-SES achievement gap.

How a really bright, well prepped and disciplined kid would be pushed or challenged through middle and high school in this equation is hard to fathom. Chances are very good that they wouldn't be after a point, because of the classroom emphasis on preparing low-SES kids to score proficient on the DC-CAS (given from 3rd to 8th and for 10th). All this will change in course of the next decade? Right.

Parents eager to stay in the city who can't afford privates rarely want to deal with the reality that they're mired in relativism. Hardly hardly the end of the world not to face the truth, but avoiding doing so may not work for you in the long-run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not PC to say this (I'd get clobbered on the DCPS/Charter board), but I'd be really surprised if you will find the teaching quality and challenge you're probably looking for in any DCPS or DC Charter school after around 7th grade.

I think of a relative who was the headmaster of of private HS in NW for years. He told me that parents coming out of DCPS middle schools (mainly Deal) were invariably shocked and angry when informed that their children, after taking a placement test, would need to attend an intensive summer school program before enrolling. This was so they wouldn't end up behind in writing and math from the get go. Something like 80% of the DCPS parents were told this, even if their kids were very bright and motivated, vs. about 10% of the MoCo parents and DC private school parents.

Think about it, on average, DC charter teachers are paid, on average, around 2/3 what DCPS teachers are paid, and DCPS teachers are paid, on average around 3/4 of what MoCo teachers are paid. So who do the DC schools hire to teach? The most experienced and effective Metro area teachers? Also, there is almost no tracking at the middle school level anywhere in DCPS or DC Charter, and no test-in magnet programs, despite the enormous high-SES/low-SES achievement gap.

How a really bright, well prepped and disciplined kid would be pushed or challenged through middle and high school in this equation is hard to fathom. Chances are very good that they wouldn't be after a point, because of the classroom emphasis on preparing low-SES kids to score proficient on the DC-CAS (given from 3rd to 8th and for 10th). All this will change in course of the next decade? Right.

Parents eager to stay in the city who can't afford privates rarely want to deal with the reality that they're mired in relativism. Hardly hardly the end of the world not to face the truth, but avoiding doing so may not work for you in the long-run.


Actually if you do a quick google search you can find the salaries for teachers on line and dcps salaries are higher than Montgomery County. Perhaps some of your information is outdated? Deal 7th graders are taking algebra (for those who are ready) and have a middle school IB program. FYI, I'm not a parent with my head in the sand (I don't have a child in school yet but work with middle school and high school aged youth who are in DC schools).

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/salary.aspx

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Career+Opportunities/Teach+in+Our+Schools/Compensation#1

[Anonymous]

^^ Don't agree that salaries for DCPS teachers are higher than MoCo overall because there's a lot more turnover in DCPS. Not nearly as many good teachers stay for their whole career, so they don't necessarily break into upper payscale echelons. With more than 40% of the kids in charter schools, and the percent rising, you'll see even more turnover over time, because charter salaries aren't competitive.

A OP might also want to consider facilities. Deal is one thing, but if you aren't IB, the other "top" middle schools are charters, or will be (Washington Latin, Two Rivers, the future Basis, DCI) and their facilities are weak (an understatement) compared to both DCPS and MoCo middle schools.

We left Washington Latin's crumbling NW building for a MoCo middle school partly for a nice gym, computers, science labs, art and music rooms, playing fields etc. I know that Latin is moving to a new location with better facilities, but that won't close the gap, not by a long shot. Basis won't even have outdoor space. My kid is into sports as well as math and science and the new Penn Quarter Basis facility didn't inspire.