MoCo vs NW DC Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was less than impressed with MCPS and we were in the BCC cluster.

I feel that unless you have a super star academic child, your kid will get educated at the bare minimum.

For example - an on level 6th grade class in social studies and/or science would have assignments that are full in the blank because they give you sentence starters. I’m just not sure how that helps a child get ready for high school writing. English was fine but mostly creative writing. Math homework is never reviewed and they just push through with no cohesion, IMO, of grace to grade standards. Plus, class sizes are too big. In the end, we left for private.

Right-- but contrast around DCPS.

These conversations are just so ridiculous to me. Everyone gives their own personal experience and some weird extreme case. Look at test scores, look at metrics that matter to you as a family or for the unique circumstance with your child.

Regardless of what people think here-- MOCO high schools are some of the highest ranked in the COUNTRY. Bethesda Magazine publishes every year where these students at all moco counties applied for college and acceptances, it's very impressive so those kids are learning. Is this important to you or the top issue for your family? If so maybe check it out. Wilson is fine. We left DC bc I wanted my kids to have a more traditional HS experience with dances, schools, parent involvement in a tighter knit community.

My experience as a DC parent is that not a week goes by without friends in my kids classes moving, going private, playing the lotto again to switch schools so it never feels like there is a strong cohort that is actually going to stay until the end.

I tried to not focus on elementary-- that can be great anywhere, middle and high is where the rubber hits the road, and I don't think you can compare Pyle and the academics there with Macfarland or even Deal. Again- not trying to crap on those schools but it wasn't what we wanted based on what was most important to us.

What do you think is happening at Wilson, exactly?

Not traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that that stay long term. As i said in prior posts/ good for you not for me. Wilson is fine and our kids would have been fine attending but we want our kids attending better schools than we did and having more opportunities and for us that wasn’t Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd recommend you read the MoCo thread. DCPS certainly has it's issues. But MoCo is in chaos right now and has a lot of uncertainty. If your kid gets into the magnet program, MoCo is head and shoulders above anything DC offers. Just don't be one of the geniuses that spends $1.5M for a house in MoCo district and still ends up at a private school...

The DCUM version of MCPS being in chaos and actual chaos are two different things.

This is true....But I'm speaking from first hand knowledge. Lack of leadership in key areas is destroying the system.

There are issues in DC too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was less than impressed with MCPS and we were in the BCC cluster.

I feel that unless you have a super star academic child, your kid will get educated at the bare minimum.

For example - an on level 6th grade class in social studies and/or science would have assignments that are full in the blank because they give you sentence starters. I’m just not sure how that helps a child get ready for high school writing. English was fine but mostly creative writing. Math homework is never reviewed and they just push through with no cohesion, IMO, of grace to grade standards. Plus, class sizes are too big. In the end, we left for private.

Right-- but contrast around DCPS.

These conversations are just so ridiculous to me. Everyone gives their own personal experience and some weird extreme case. Look at test scores, look at metrics that matter to you as a family or for the unique circumstance with your child.

Regardless of what people think here-- MOCO high schools are some of the highest ranked in the COUNTRY. Bethesda Magazine publishes every year where these students at all moco counties applied for college and acceptances, it's very impressive so those kids are learning. Is this important to you or the top issue for your family? If so maybe check it out. Wilson is fine. We left DC bc I wanted my kids to have a more traditional HS experience with dances, schools, parent involvement in a tighter knit community.

My experience as a DC parent is that not a week goes by without friends in my kids classes moving, going private, playing the lotto again to switch schools so it never feels like there is a strong cohort that is actually going to stay until the end.

I tried to not focus on elementary-- that can be great anywhere, middle and high is where the rubber hits the road, and I don't think you can compare Pyle and the academics there with Macfarland or even Deal. Again- not trying to crap on those schools but it wasn't what we wanted based on what was most important to us.

What do you think is happening at Wilson, exactly?

Not traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that that stay long term. As i said in prior posts/ good for you not for me. Wilson is fine and our kids would have been fine attending but we want our kids attending better schools than we did and having more opportunities and for us that wasn’t Wilson.

Um, what? Of course there are “traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that stay long term” at Wilson. My kids have (many) friends at Wilson they’ve been with since ES. They participate in what I assume you’d define as “traditional activities”—sports, theater, etc.—and do so with consistent groups of kids (although of course those groups get bigger as they go from ES to MS to HS).

Like, what are you even talking about?

It’s great that you found what you were looking for, truly. But you can’t just make stuff up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was less than impressed with MCPS and we were in the BCC cluster.

I feel that unless you have a super star academic child, your kid will get educated at the bare minimum.

For example - an on level 6th grade class in social studies and/or science would have assignments that are full in the blank because they give you sentence starters. I’m just not sure how that helps a child get ready for high school writing. English was fine but mostly creative writing. Math homework is never reviewed and they just push through with no cohesion, IMO, of grace to grade standards. Plus, class sizes are too big. In the end, we left for private.

Right-- but contrast around DCPS.

These conversations are just so ridiculous to me. Everyone gives their own personal experience and some weird extreme case. Look at test scores, look at metrics that matter to you as a family or for the unique circumstance with your child.


Lol okay. Take a look at the list of AP classes, sports, and extras at close in Arlington or maryland. They’re not comparable. Multiple people just posted on ot
Regardless of what people think here-- MOCO high schools are some of the highest ranked in the COUNTRY. Bethesda Magazine publishes every year where these students at all moco counties applied for college and acceptances, it's very impressive so those kids are learning. Is this important to you or the top issue for your family? If so maybe check it out. Wilson is fine. We left DC bc I wanted my kids to have a more traditional HS experience with dances, schools, parent involvement in a tighter knit community.

My experience as a DC parent is that not a week goes by without friends in my kids classes moving, going private, playing the lotto again to switch schools so it never feels like there is a strong cohort that is actually going to stay until the end.

I tried to not focus on elementary-- that can be great anywhere, middle and high is where the rubber hits the road, and I don't think you can compare Pyle and the academics there with Macfarland or even Deal. Again- not trying to crap on those schools but it wasn't what we wanted based on what was most important to us.

What do you think is happening at Wilson, exactly?

Not traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that that stay long term. As i said in prior posts/ good for you not for me. Wilson is fine and our kids would have been fine attending but we want our kids attending better schools than we did and having more opportunities and for us that wasn’t Wilson.

Um, what? Of course there are “traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that stay long term” at Wilson. My kids have (many) friends at Wilson they’ve been with since ES. They participate in what I assume you’d define as “traditional activities”—sports, theater, etc.—and do so with consistent groups of kids (although of course those groups get bigger as they go from ES to MS to HS).

Like, what are you even talking about?

It’s great that you found what you were looking for, truly. But you can’t just make stuff up.

It’s not the experience i wanted. Take a look at APs offered, sports, extras, clubs, etc and for me it’s a no brainer. A posted literally just started another thread asking for charted alternatives for their 11/12th grade kids bc Wilson wasn’t viable and this happens way more than the other schools i explored elsewhere. Glad your choice is working for your kid. Wilson is over crowded and the only viable hs in all of dc that’s public and not application based- seems like a gamble for me and I’m quite happy with my choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was less than impressed with MCPS and we were in the BCC cluster.

I feel that unless you have a super star academic child, your kid will get educated at the bare minimum.

For example - an on level 6th grade class in social studies and/or science would have assignments that are full in the blank because they give you sentence starters. I’m just not sure how that helps a child get ready for high school writing. English was fine but mostly creative writing. Math homework is never reviewed and they just push through with no cohesion, IMO, of grace to grade standards. Plus, class sizes are too big. In the end, we left for private.

Right-- but contrast around DCPS.

These conversations are just so ridiculous to me. Everyone gives their own personal experience and some weird extreme case. Look at test scores, look at metrics that matter to you as a family or for the unique circumstance with your child.


Lol okay. Take a look at the list of AP classes, sports, and extras at close in Arlington or maryland. They’re not comparable. Multiple people just posted on ot
Regardless of what people think here-- MOCO high schools are some of the highest ranked in the COUNTRY. Bethesda Magazine publishes every year where these students at all moco counties applied for college and acceptances, it's very impressive so those kids are learning. Is this important to you or the top issue for your family? If so maybe check it out. Wilson is fine. We left DC bc I wanted my kids to have a more traditional HS experience with dances, schools, parent involvement in a tighter knit community.

My experience as a DC parent is that not a week goes by without friends in my kids classes moving, going private, playing the lotto again to switch schools so it never feels like there is a strong cohort that is actually going to stay until the end.

I tried to not focus on elementary-- that can be great anywhere, middle and high is where the rubber hits the road, and I don't think you can compare Pyle and the academics there with Macfarland or even Deal. Again- not trying to crap on those schools but it wasn't what we wanted based on what was most important to us.

What do you think is happening at Wilson, exactly?

Not traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that that stay long term. As i said in prior posts/ good for you not for me. Wilson is fine and our kids would have been fine attending but we want our kids attending better schools than we did and having more opportunities and for us that wasn’t Wilson.

Um, what? Of course there are “traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that stay long term” at Wilson. My kids have (many) friends at Wilson they’ve been with since ES. They participate in what I assume you’d define as “traditional activities”—sports, theater, etc.—and do so with consistent groups of kids (although of course those groups get bigger as they go from ES to MS to HS).

Like, what are you even talking about?

It’s great that you found what you were looking for, truly. But you can’t just make stuff up.

It’s not the experience i wanted. Take a look at APs offered, sports, extras, clubs, etc and for me it’s a no brainer. A posted literally just started another thread asking for charted alternatives for their 11/12th grade kids bc Wilson wasn’t viable and this happens way more than the other schools i explored elsewhere. Glad your choice is working for your kid. Wilson is over crowded and the only viable hs in all of dc that’s public and not application based- seems like a gamble for me and I’m quite happy with my choice.

Another Wilson parent here--it's fine to use the overcrowding of Wilson as a reason not to send your kid there. It is a huge school and it is too crowded (and there are reasons to believe that the "release valves" that are supposed to be coming down the pike will take another few years...BUT the AP/clubs/sports/"traditional" school offerings are huge...that is the advantage of a big public school. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous to you.

No, it’s literally not true. Wilson has tons of clubs, sports, extracurriculars. Wilson has tons of kids who have gone all the way through DCPS. Those are facts.

Again, you don’t like the size of the school, the demographics, the test scores whatever—you’re entitled to your opinion about those things. YOu aren’t entitled to make up facts.

[Anonymous]

We had a better experience at Deal feeder elementary school than in Bethesda.

BCC experience better than our kid's friends at Wilson it seems.

[Anonymous]

OP, save yourself the agony of watching MoCo and DC families justify their decisions based on the worst stereotypes of the schools they are nott attending. The honest answer is you would be fine with either Moco schools, or anything in the Wilson feeder pattern in DC. For most middle-or upper-middle class kids, the experience and outcome will basically be the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, save yourself the agony of watching MoCo and DC families justify their decisions based on the worst stereotypes of the schools they are nott attending. The honest answer is you would be fine with either Moco schools, or anything in the Wilson feeder pattern in DC. For most middle-or upper-middle class kids, the experience and outcome will basically be the same.

+1

Honestly, I don't get all of the navel gazing and hand wringing that people do. If you are deciding between these two choices (MoCo vs Wilson feeder in DCPS), you should decide where you want to live. The schools are not really the issue in either place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was less than impressed with MCPS and we were in the BCC cluster.

I feel that unless you have a super star academic child, your kid will get educated at the bare minimum.

For example - an on level 6th grade class in social studies and/or science would have assignments that are full in the blank because they give you sentence starters. I’m just not sure how that helps a child get ready for high school writing. English was fine but mostly creative writing. Math homework is never reviewed and they just push through with no cohesion, IMO, of grace to grade standards. Plus, class sizes are too big. In the end, we left for private.

Right-- but contrast around DCPS.

These conversations are just so ridiculous to me. Everyone gives their own personal experience and some weird extreme case. Look at test scores, look at metrics that matter to you as a family or for the unique circumstance with your child.

Regardless of what people think here-- MOCO high schools are some of the highest ranked in the COUNTRY. Bethesda Magazine publishes every year where these students at all moco counties applied for college and acceptances, it's very impressive so those kids are learning. Is this important to you or the top issue for your family? If so maybe check it out. Wilson is fine. We left DC bc I wanted my kids to have a more traditional HS experience with dances, schools, parent involvement in a tighter knit community.

My experience as a DC parent is that not a week goes by without friends in my kids classes moving, going private, playing the lotto again to switch schools so it never feels like there is a strong cohort that is actually going to stay until the end.

I tried to not focus on elementary-- that can be great anywhere, middle and high is where the rubber hits the road, and I don't think you can compare Pyle and the academics there with Macfarland or even Deal. Again- not trying to crap on those schools but it wasn't what we wanted based on what was most important to us.

What do you think is happening at Wilson, exactly?

Not traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that that stay long term. As i said in prior posts/ good for you not for me. Wilson is fine and our kids would have been fine attending but we want our kids attending better schools than we did and having more opportunities and for us that wasn’t Wilson.

Um, what? Of course there are “traditional sports and activities and cohorts of kids that stay long term” at Wilson. My kids have (many) friends at Wilson they’ve been with since ES. They participate in what I assume you’d define as “traditional activities”—sports, theater, etc.—and do so with consistent groups of kids (although of course those groups get bigger as they go from ES to MS to HS).

Like, what are you even talking about?

It’s great that you found what you were looking for, truly. But you can’t just make stuff up.

Kid at Wilson and fully agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We picked the DC side in part because I'm guessing MoCo will *have* to redistrict over the next few years, and the uncertainty of what that could bring with such a large and enormous socioeconomic and geographic spread was less appealing than the potential to redistrict in DC. And we've got the luxury of neurotypical kids who are smart but not super over-achievers.

That might be the worst reason for making the decision you did. So glad you chose an objectively worse school district over speculation of what might happen in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that rules regarding pta funds (particularly if they can be used for staffing) are a big distinction

Are there schools that pay for additional aides in the classroom other than Janney and Mann? The vast majority of students, even WOTP, don't attend these two schools.

The Murch HSA used to, but didn't want to be an employer anymore, so they shifted to funding large parts of the non-staff budget (janitorial and office supplies, for example) to allow the school to have a more flexible staffing budget. This allows Murch to have a dedicated aide in every kindergarten classroom and a number of instructional aides/coaches to support students in the other grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s where this thread will go: people will ask what you plan to do for HS—that if you plan to do private, it doesn’t matter, but that BCC and Whitman are a million times better than Wilson.

I’m a Wilson parent uninterested in that debate, just saying that that’s where this conversation will inevitably go since there’s no difference at the ES level (except DC has universal pre-K) and minimal difference at the MS level (except that Deal is pretty overcrowded—but maybe Pyle is too?).

You forgot to include the part that Western Avenue is a de facto Mason-Dixon line with the enlightened in NW while everyone who decamps to MoCo is nothing short of a modern day George Wallace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that rules regarding pta funds (particularly if they can be used for staffing) are a big distinction

Are there schools that pay for additional aides in the classroom other than Janney and Mann? The vast majority of students, even WOTP, don't attend these two schools.

The Murch HSA used to, but didn't want to be an employer anymore, so they shifted to funding large parts of the non-staff budget (janitorial and office supplies, for example) to allow the school to have a more flexible staffing budget. This allows Murch to have a dedicated aide in every kindergarten classroom and a number of instructional aides/coaches to support students in the other grades.

Doesn’t every DCPS school have dedicated K aides? Ours does and isn’t T1 and the PTO doesn’t pay for them. Our PTO has a reasonably healthy budget — in the 90K range — but far less than many of the NW schools I’ve heard about. I believe the Brent PTO pays for aides in 1st (or frees up funding so that those aides can be covered; I’m not sure of the funding mechanism).