MCPS middle schools where trans kids aren't bullied?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rockville area doesn't seem to have any problems I guess? My son goes to JW and is heading to Richard Montgomery next year and there seems to be issues involving trans kids in the school.

Though I do believe LGBT-wise itself, Wood doesn't seem friendly, if you consider the fact that there was a group of kids that made a "homophobia club" last year. Considering OP lives somewhere around the Silver Spring area, the Einstein cluster could be a good choice. I have a friend whose kid came out trans during their senior year and I know Einstein to some extent has some trans and LGBT students.

Is Wood a bad MS in terms of environment wise of the school life?

I'd say Wood leans a bit to the unhealthy side. While they have a good amount of clubs and social life in the school, there's a bad rep that harms it if you recall the security member at the school who was accused of showing sexual images to a minor, a student in the school making a "homophobic club" as said before, and if most parents from the Rockville cluster still recall the fake gun incident that happened a few years ago around 2018.

[Anonymous]

My son, who is an 8th grader at TPMS agrees with the post above that says the trans kids who act weird and don’t have good social skills are teased or bullied. But, he knows a few others who are trans and who don’t get teased at all and are perfectly accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a little confused as to why you don’t request TPMS since you know what that culture is and it would be good for your child. Wouldn’t you have to transport to any school if you get cosa?

OP here. My only hesitation with requesting TPMS is that it's pretty far away. I'd need to spend more than two hours of my workday driving him to and from school. Luckily, that's not impossible for me to do, but it would be a challenge. I guess I'm hoping that there is another middle school with a similar vibe and reputation that's a little closer to home.

j

Why not have him ride the magnet bus? It's not like they check the magnet credentials for kids to ride.

The magnet bus is for magnet students. Imagine if any rando is allowed to board the bus how dangerous that might be for the students. Am sure if you request it, the school would allow your child to ride it due to the circumstance.

Don't listen to this OP. They don't check your ID on the magnet bus or anything. You can just have your child take the magnet bus if TPMS is your choice. It should also go to Eastern.

The COSA form expressly says COSA students are responsible for their own transportation to the new school. OP needs to read the fine print and not rely on irresponsible anonymous posters for information.

[Anonymous]

My question to OP is do you really get to pick ANY MS you want your kid to go to? I know the unique hardship here is bullying, but did the school say you can choose any as long as you can provide the transportation?

[Anonymous]

A lot of the suggested schools are overcrowded and it would be very hard to get a cosa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is in 8th grade at a Silver Spring (20902) middle school. He's never liked the school and hasn't had many friends throughout middle school. He came out as trans in late spring and started this school year presenting as a boy with a different name and pronouns. With the exception of one, adults at school have been supportive and have followed MCPS policies. Students have been less accepting, and he now faces daily bullying. It's not one kid or one group of kids. Sometimes it's a student he doesn't even know the name of calling him the f slur or "it" out of nowhere. He feels almost universally reviled. He doesn't know any other LGBTQ students there and there doesn't seem to be much school support for them. After a particularly bad day, my son refused to go back to his school. I reached out to the school explaining the situation and asking for advice. I was told that the they would work through a supportive measures plan when my son returned. This type of plan doesn't seem appropriate or likely to help my son's situation, given that issues are so pervasive and basically a matter of school culture. My son's therapist recommended changing schools, and the school pointed us toward COSA, saying it would likely be approved under the circumstances.

I know there are MCPS middle schools with more inclusive cultures, but which ones are they? Our child who's a couple of years older went to the magnet program at TPMS, where kids were proactively asked about their pronouns, lots of other LGBTQ kids were out, the school had an active club for these students and allies, pride month was mentioned, etc. - all missing from my younger son's school. But I'm not sure which middle school to request for my younger son, particularly since he won't be eligible for transportation. I'm not sure how to ascertain the ambient level of hostility toward trans kids at area schools based on publicly-available information. Does anyone have insights or experiences with other Silver Spring middle schools that speak to their culture and treatment of trans kids? What do you think you would do in this situation?

Pyle Middle School, Bethesda is very tolerant.

[Anonymous]

OP have you seen how many folks have recommended Pyle? Is this not an option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My question to OP is do you really get to pick ANY MS you want your kid to go to? I know the unique hardship here is bullying, but did the school say you can choose any as long as you can provide the transportation?

Doubtful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rockville area doesn't seem to have any problems I guess? My son goes to JW and is heading to Richard Montgomery next year and there seems to be issues involving trans kids in the school.

Though I do believe LGBT-wise itself, Wood doesn't seem friendly, if you consider the fact that there was a group of kids that made a "homophobia club" last year. Considering OP lives somewhere around the Silver Spring area, the Einstein cluster could be a good choice. I have a friend whose kid came out trans during their senior year and I know Einstein to some extent has some trans and LGBT students.

Is Wood a bad MS in terms of environment wise of the school life?

I'd say Wood leans a bit to the unhealthy side. While they have a good amount of clubs and social life in the school, there's a bad rep that harms it if you recall the security member at the school who was accused of showing sexual images to a minor, a student in the school making a "homophobic club" as said before, and if most parents from the Rockville cluster still recall the fake gun incident that happened a few years ago around 2018.

Rockville HS cluster is a mixed bag. Though I recall that they have an LGBT club at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP have you seen how many folks have recommended Pyle? Is this not an option?

DC's good friend had issues at Pyle. No one was bullying them but they weren't friendly either.

[Anonymous]

Farquhar has a healthy GSA. Like any school there are kids who suck but the teachers seem to really care and support the LGBTQ+ community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question to OP is do you really get to pick ANY MS you want your kid to go to? I know the unique hardship here is bullying, but did the school say you can choose any as long as you can provide the transportation?

Doubtful.

It's not her child's current school that makes the decision. It sounds like she's planning to make a COSA request and in that request you can list a school or several schools her child is interested in attending due to the bullying. She's here asking for advice about which schools are known as friendly and are close to her home. If TPMS is too far hopefully some of the other schools like Eastern and Loiderman are closer. There's great public transport in that area so maybe her child is near a bus line.

[Anonymous]

I don't see whether OP has come back, but it's going to be harder to get a COSA into a school that is either perceived as substantially better/richer, or one that is over-crowded already.

Pyle is the first but not the second.

Loiderman is the second but not the first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP have you seen how many folks have recommended Pyle? Is this not an option?

DC's good friend had issues at Pyle. No one was bullying them but they weren't friendly either.

That is middle school everywhere in the world. Are you OP?

[Anonymous]

OP, I’m sorry your son is being bullied and the school isn’t handling it better. There is some good advice among the responses.

Maybe try for the COSA and meet with the guidance counselor in the meantime. The COSA might not work out and the guidance counselor is a crapshoot, but it’s worth a try?

If you can handle the school driving for a year then it’s just a year before high school. Wherever he goes for HS maybe he can take a bus.

I hope things look up for your family.