Can't decide whether to stay in Einstein/downcounty zoning or move

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accepting that achievement is dependent more on the family than the school, what about safety concerns? Any sense of whether they are something to take seriously, or do you think all the HS in MoCo have problems. And what about being surrounded by motivated/qualified peers?

I know enough Einstein families not to be concerned about safety. RE: motivated/qualified peers, my kids have plenty now (as do my neighbors' kids). I understand there is a demographic of unmotivated kids at many Downcounty schools who come from families with social and other issues which make it difficult for those kids to learn. It does not bother me that my kids are exposed to those kids - in fact, I think it is a good thing, because throughout their lives they will need to learn to get along with people who are vastly different from them. As my friend whose children graduated from Blair (and who went on to top-20 schools - all three of them) said, "my kids can talk to, and get along with ANYONE."

Do I worry that my kids will be dragged down by that demographic (is that what you are asking?)? No, I don't. They travel in their own demographic, and are motivated by what they live at home, and by their like-minded peers at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Percent of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements

Eintein: 54%
Bethesda: 80%

Since you already live in Silver Spring, I'd see how the kids do in elementary/middle schools before I would move. My first choice was also Bethesda/Kensington - shorter commute and better schools, but couldn't find a shoebox house we could afford.

16:18 here, acknowledging these statistics (which I already had, and which we considered prior to buying in Silver Spring). Do you think, given what little we know about OP (she is involved in/concerned about her kids' education) are at risk of being in that 46% at Einstein who don't meet U of Maryland entrance requirements? Because I have zero concern about that. I am 100% confident that my kids, now ages 12 and 9, will exceed those requirements.

I don't worry about statistics. I focus on my own kids.

Sorry, should have said, do you think OP's kids are at risk of being in that 46%? Typed too fast.

[Anonymous]

What about the emotional and psychological stress of being an average student in an academic pressure cooker like Whitman or Churchill? ( silly assumption that there are any average students in Bethesda or Potomac, I know). What about the social pressures of not having the $300 jeans, car on your 16th birthday, fancy vacations and private pool membership because your parents spend every cent on the mortgage on the shoebox they could afford in the fancy school districts? What about the life skills you don't learn when you grow up in an environment where everyone is from the same ethnic and socioeconomic background?
All schools have some problems, they just have different kinds of problems. Drinking/driving at unsupervised parties while mummy and daddy are away, mroe expensive drugs, teen pregnancies that are terminated, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Percent of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements

Eintein: 54%
Bethesda: 80%

Since you already live in Silver Spring, I'd see how the kids do in elementary/middle schools before I would move. My first choice was also Bethesda/Kensington - shorter commute and better schools, but couldn't find a shoebox house we could afford.

Just curious, where is that stat from? Are all Bethesda high schools included in the 80%?

[Anonymous]

OP here. RE: possible concerns about Whitman or Churchill. I share those concerns and would never move there. I'd prefer to stay. If we move we would move to BCC or possibly WJ, though I would be interested to hear if those schools suffer from the same issues as the schools in Potomac, etc.

Here is a question- if the education is good/comparable and safety isn't a concern, why are the housing prices 200,000-300,000 less in the downcounty consortium? (This is a genuine question- still trying to puzzle all of the various considerations out).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Percent of Students Meeting University System of Maryland Entrance Requirements

Eintein: 54%
Bethesda: 80%


Just curious, where is that stat from? Are all Bethesda high schools included in the 80%?

That was just for Bethesda-CHevy Chase HS. I got the stats from Montgomery County PUblic Schools website.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/secondary.shtm#hs

And for PP who don't look at the statistics - I am aware that your child can be at the top of his class, successful and can grow up to talk to ANYONE, but just like the 11:07 said, "why are houses more affordable around Einstein v. Bethesda schools?

[Anonymous]

Poster 8:37 "Not at DD's MoCo MS. Her MS is piloting enriched science instruction for every classroom."

That's the same as saying "everyone is advanced." Do you honestly think teachers can teach advanced/enriched science to a class of 30 middle schoolers at every point on the educational spectrum and meet the needs of every kid?

[Anonymous]

What MS is it the differentiates for social studies and science?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. RE: possible concerns about Whitman or Churchill. I share those concerns and would never move there. I'd prefer to stay. If we move we would move to BCC or possibly WJ, though I would be interested to hear if those schools suffer from the same issues as the schools in Potomac, etc.

Here is a question- if the education is good/comparable and safety isn't a concern, why are the housing prices 200,000-300,000 less in the downcounty consortium? (This is a genuine question- still trying to puzzle all of the various considerations out).

Long-winded PP here who loves SS. I don't think the schools are the same. Statistically speaking, going on test scores, western MC schools are "better." Affluent parents who can afford to buy in lily-white Potomac and Bethesda are indeed surrounding their children with like-minded, culturally similar students. Here in SS and Wheaton, we have much more racial and socioeconomic diversity, and lower test scores (which go along with that). Therefore housing here in eastern MC is cheaper.

To me personally, that latter piece doesn't translate to poor education. I am not afraid of racial and socioeconomic differences. I feel sure my children will do well surrounded by them.

I am an informed person - I am a lawyer and my husband a college professor. We are not flying by the seats of our pants, or ignoring realities. We have made an informed and reasoned decision.

I know that many and maybe most educated, affluent parents like me don't feel and think the way I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What MS is it the [sic] differentiates for social studies and science?

The whole county is going in this direction--if it hasn't gone that way already, namely one size fits all "advanced" middle school courses. My point is that teachers are going to teach to the middle regardless... and when the range of preparedness is so large, it's bound to impact the learning experience of those kids who truly *are* advanced. One could argue that the "middle" in Bethesda/Potomac is going to be different than the "middle" in the DCC and other Red Zone schools.

[Anonymous]

Long-winded PP suggests that Einstein does not offer a "poor education." I don't think anyone thinks that it does. The question is really is at as good an education? I think your answer seems to be that it is when you consider the diversity as part of the education, or am I misunderstanding you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To me personally, that latter piece doesn't translate to poor education. I am not afraid of racial and socioeconomic differences. I feel sure my children will do well surrounded by them.

I am an informed person - I am a lawyer and my husband a college professor. We are not flying by the seats of our pants, or ignoring realities. We have made an informed and reasoned decision. I know that many and maybe most educated, affluent parents like me don't feel and think the way I do.

And I believe because of YOUR education, your kids will make the most of what is being offered at the school, no matter what the differences are. My mom used to always say that if a child wants to learn they'll learn anywhere. unfortunately, not every student or parent cares. As much as I believe that my child would succeed and would be able to get into top colleges from an average high school, I also believe s/he will have a better chance to get into top college because s/he went to Bethesda High School (or any other top HS) because of its name.

[Anonymous]

(and I obviously still did not figure out how to quote correctly...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long-winded PP suggests that Einstein does not offer a "poor education." I don't think anyone thinks that it does. The question is really is at as good an education? I think your answer seems to be that it is when you consider the diversity as part of the education, or am I misunderstanding you?

Long-winded PP here. Yes, you are understanding me correctly.

And to clarify, I don't think Einstein offers a "poor education" but I do think its educational offerings, in the strictly academic sense of that term, are indeed inferior e.g. to those at Whitman. To me, those differences are not sufficient to cause me to move to Bethesda or Potomac, when I consider the diversity factor, and all of the down sides (for our family and me personally) involved in moving out of this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To me personally, that latter piece doesn't translate to poor education. I am not afraid of racial and socioeconomic differences. I feel sure my children will do well surrounded by them.

I am an informed person - I am a lawyer and my husband a college professor. We are not flying by the seats of our pants, or ignoring realities. We have made an informed and reasoned decision. I know that many and maybe most educated, affluent parents like me don't feel and think the way I do.

And I believe because of YOUR education, your kids will make the most of what is being offered at the school, no matter what the differences are. My mom used to always say that if a child wants to learn they'll learn anywhere. unfortunately, not every student or parent cares. As much as I believe that my child would succeed and would be able to get into top colleges from an average high school, I also believe s/he will have a better chance to get into top college because s/he went to Bethesda High School (or any other top HS) because of its name.

Long-winded here. Well, it's your decision to make, obviously, but re: the bolded part above, I think you are wrong. Top students are a dime a dozen at Bethesda High, and top colleges are accustomed to seeing applications from dozens or hundreds of them each year. OTOH, a comparable student from Einstein or Northwood or Wheaton High will stand out, by virtue of coming from the underdog school.

That is a statistical fact.