Finding the right pyramid in Silver Spring
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Anonymous
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We are trying to find a home in the DC area. Our budget is $650K. While we can do more than that, we really don't want to. For a variety of reasons, Silver Spring looks good for us, but I can't figure out the schools. We're buying the house we will raise our family in so even though our children are young, we want to be comfortable with the high school we'd feed into. From what I can tell, the stronger ES and MS feed into the weaker HS in the DCC. Is this directionally correct? I know there is a choice process at the high school level, but that you are only guaranteed a slot at your home school if you rank it one or two. Does almost everyone choose Blair?
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Anonymous
| You aren't guaranteed the hs of your choice...you are guaranteed your neighborhood school. Think about it: everyone wants the best hs, so tons of kids apply for the limited slots. I know kids who were super smart who didn't get into the hs they wanted. For $650k and a forever home I would expand your search to other areas. |
Anonymous
| I would focus on the areas where the home school is Blair and on the neighborhoods in Silver Spring that feed to B-CC - Rosemary Hills and Rock Creek Forest. For $650K you can do very well there. |
Anonymous
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Our home school is Einstein but our son chose Blair's CAP program. I had mixed feelings about this because as much as I like CAP, I liked Einstein's regular program as well. Our neighbors are very happy with Woodlin and Einstein.
The weak link in our pyramid is Sligo MS and this is a shame, because the ES and HS are quite good and well-liked. My kids went to magnets and not to Sligo, so I have no personal experience with it - but I hear very so-so reports on it. |
Anonymous
| Sligo MS keeps me from moving to a bigger house in the area. We are east silver spring ES feeding into takoma park MS and then Blair. I worry more about the schools the older the child grown. Elementary schools are pretty good wherever you go in the county in my opinion. |
Anonymous
| My neighbors kids and my niece went to Sligo and loved it and excelled. All did well in high school too and have been accepted to good colleges - niece has been accepted to Stanford and a couple of Ivies. Oldest nieghbors kid is at William & Mary. My point being that the school may not be the best in the county, but if parents and kids are vigilant they will be totally fine. If your kid isn't as strong academically, it may be more of an issue. |
Anonymous
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A couple of strong pyramids:
East Silver Spring - Takoma MS - Blair Sligo Creek ES - Silver Spring International - Blair Takoma Park ES/Piney Branch - Takoma MS - Blair Also, to note, that even though Eastern MS gets a bad rap, their magnet program is incredible. |
Anonymous
17:29 here, adding that this is consistent with my neighbors' experiences in terms of it working out fine. My impression is that Sligo is a weak MS, but that kids do fine there and succeed. And I would add that MS in general is a tough time of life and school experience. RE Blair ("does everyone choose Blair?"), as I mentioned, my son is there at the CAP and we like it, but I don't think Blair is *the* DCC HS by any means. I think Einstein is just as good and in some ways better in terms of size and feel. Blair is huge (HUGE) and that is a challenge for many kids. Do not assume that it is better than other DCC high schools, because it just isn't, at least not IMO. |
Anonymous
| I agree that Sligo MS is the weak link. Not worried about Einstein. Blair is enormous and Einstein is a much nicer size and has really improved. I think Einstein will continue to improve. |
Anonymous
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Any thoughts on Northwood HS? Is that the "weak link" for the neighborhoods that feed to Silver Spring International Middle? Or is it ok?
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Anonymous
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I'm hearing great things about Einstein.
Northwood has some issues but I also know smart kids who go there and are happy. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks to all for the helpful replies.
My oldest is in pre-k and frankly, I have no idea how she'll do academically, which makes me risk averse. I don't want to assume that she'll go magnet. My husband and I were academically successful and we are involved parents. Of course, I suspect she will do well in school, but don't all of us think our children are "above-average"? Wherever we end up, I do worry that if she is in the middle of the pack, she'll be given short-shrift. |
Anonymous
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OP - I understand your concerns but, if no learning disabilities, your daughter will likely be where most children of upper-middle class, educated, involved parents fall...not off the charts gifted and talented, but smart, engaged and bright. She is likely to do well in any of the schools discussed here.
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Anonymous
| I believe that Sligo Elem and SIMS go to Northwood, not Blair. |
Anonymous
I will point out here that I have seen many nearby families make housing purchases based on high school quality when their kids aren't even school age (or aren't even born yet), and these attempts to reduce all future educational risk have backfired. They have spent much more on homes because of the rumored quality of a high school their children won't attend for ten or more years into the future. That means ten years of big mortgage payments to finance a high school education that may theoretically be better sometime in the future. If you like a neighborhood and like the elementary school, make a decision based on a shorter time horizon and don't get trapped into a big mortgage. |