If you have a kid in MCPS ES now, would you recommend it?

[Anonymous]

We had a great K year at east silver spring!

[Anonymous]

I recommend it on one condition: you live in a wealthy area. Parents there will be highly motivated and have the means to push their children to excel, and will pressure schools to up their game, provide PTA enrichment, not let bad teachers stay, etc...

Elementary in general is a time to learn how to socialize, and there is not as much academic learning as some would like. MCPS does offer some interesting advanced classes in middle and especially high school.

[Anonymous]

We have loved Barnsley! Great mix of kids both in neighborhood and with special programs (DHOH, GT/LD, CES), wonderful teachers, phenomenal principal! Highly recommend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love it. We moved to MoCo for the schools and we are very happy with the academics, parent community, and extra curriculars. Bannockburn ES.

Bannockburn is very nice, we have friends with kids there. We are just down the road at Woodacres and are very happy there.

[Anonymous]

Very happy at Bradley Hills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I recommend it on one condition: you live in a wealthy area. Parents there will be highly motivated and have the means to push their children to excel, and will pressure schools to up their game, provide PTA enrichment, not let bad teachers stay, etc...

Elementary in general is a time to learn how to socialize, and there is not as much academic learning as some would like. MCPS does offer some interesting advanced classes in middle and especially high school.

Not true at all. Some of the schools that parents have been happy about based on their feedback here and feedback through friends are in fact FOCUS or Title one schools. These schools tend to have tons of community engagement and a small size of dedicated families who are working hard to support and advocate for their school. My kids attended a Focus school up until a year ago and we miss that amazing school terribly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I recommend it on one condition: you live in a wealthy area. Parents there will be highly motivated and have the means to push their children to excel, and will pressure schools to up their game, provide PTA enrichment, not let bad teachers stay, etc...

Elementary in general is a time to learn how to socialize, and there is not as much academic learning as some would like. MCPS does offer some interesting advanced classes in middle and especially high school.

Not true at all. Some of the schools that parents have been happy about based on their feedback here and feedback through friends are in fact FOCUS or Title one schools. These schools tend to have tons of community engagement and a small size of dedicated families who are working hard to support and advocate for their school. My kids attended a Focus school up until a year ago and we miss that amazing school terribly.

Tend to agree. Focus and Title 1 schools have significantly smaller class sizes. If you're involved in your child's education, they'll do well at any school and likely better in a school where they can occasionally get individual attention. The myth of good and bad schools is based on test averages, not individual outcomes.
'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope, absolutely not. Regret putting my kid in public.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I recommend it on one condition: you live in a wealthy area. Parents there will be highly motivated and have the means to push their children to excel, and will pressure schools to up their game, provide PTA enrichment, not let bad teachers stay, etc...

Elementary in general is a time to learn how to socialize, and there is not as much academic learning as some would like. MCPS does offer some interesting advanced classes in middle and especially high school.

Not true at all. Some of the schools that parents have been happy about based on their feedback here and feedback through friends are in fact FOCUS or Title one schools. These schools tend to have tons of community engagement and a small size of dedicated families who are working hard to support and advocate for their school. My kids attended a Focus school up until a year ago and we miss that amazing school terribly.

Tend to agree. Focus and Title 1 schools have significantly smaller class sizes. If you're involved in your child's education, they'll do well at any school and likely better in a school where they can occasionally get individual attention. The myth of good and bad schools is based on test averages, not individual outcomes.
'

+1 I'd add that the weakest young teachers at our Focus School have always moved to wealthier schools after a very short while. I don't know how they perform at their new schools, but I can't imagine a geographic change addressed the fundamental issues.

Meanwhile, the teachers who have stayed at our school win all sorts of local and regional awards, which makes a sort of sense. If you are really good at your job, you may as well use your gifts with a student (and parent) population that appreciates it.

[Anonymous]

Highly recommend Flora Singer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have loved Barnsley! Great mix of kids both in neighborhood and with special programs (DHOH, GT/LD, CES), wonderful teachers, phenomenal principal! Highly recommend!

CES kids rarely mix with neighborhood kids. My DC went to HGC there. I didn't like the Principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Highly recommend Forest Knolls ES. We've had a really high ratio of good teachers. And the PTA and community are great. Houses east of University and North of Dennis are in the walk zone, so not apt to be rezoned.

I wouldn’t count on that. My kids are walking distance to an ES and a MS. However, we are zoned for an ES and a MS that are almost 2 miles away that the kids are bused to.

There might be some changes OP, so it’s hard to know what neighborhoods will lead into which schools 5 years from now.

+1 Aren't a lot of the FK areas being zoned to Montgomery Knolls, most likely?

We're currently zoned for FK/SSI/Northwood (we live in South Four Corners off Forest Glen), but my understanding is that it will likely will change to MK/Eastern/Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Highly recommend Forest Knolls ES. We've had a really high ratio of good teachers. And the PTA and community are great. Houses east of University and North of Dennis are in the walk zone, so not apt to be rezoned.

I wouldn’t count on that. My kids are walking distance to an ES and a MS. However, we are zoned for an ES and a MS that are almost 2 miles away that the kids are bused to.

There might be some changes OP, so it’s hard to know what neighborhoods will lead into which schools 5 years from now.

+1 Aren't a lot of the FK areas being zoned to Montgomery Knolls, most likely?

We're currently zoned for FK/SSI/Northwood (we live in South Four Corners off Forest Glen), but my understanding is that it will likely will change to MK/Eastern/Blair.

As I mentioned above, the areas east of University and north of Dennis are in the walk zone which isn't part of any rezoning options. South Four Corners could get zoned to Montgomery Knolls/Pine Crest, and possibly Eastern. But not Blair. HS reassignment is not part of the boundary study. The rezoning will be decided in November.

[Anonymous]

We are in College Gardens ES, going into 5th grade and I woul absolutely recommend it. Class sizes were decent so far 20-24 kids from k and up (24 last year in 4th). We have had great teachers and administration is very responsive. I think our principal is simply amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, absolutely not. Regret putting my kid in public.

Same.

Without school names and/or reasons these comments are meaningless.