Takoma Park Middle School quality?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of former Takoma Park Middle School, and a former MCPS sub. I found it had one of the worst - essentially non-existing - discipline issues in the county, and that is saying something.
Examples
As a substitute there, I was assaulted by a student (in hockey terms, the student cross-checked me!); it took threatening to sue the principal to get even a one day in-school suspsension for the student. Even though it was the easiest school for me to sub at, I eventually stopped taking assignments there as it was very poorly run.
Again, while subbing, two students started trading punches. Called security. Securities response: "we asked the two students if they were fighting and they said no." OK...

When my child attended, they would often bring home weekly or daily stories of out of control fighting in the bathrooms, classes, etc. My favorite was how there was an on-going "fight club" in one of the bathrooms. The bathroom even had some admin posted outside it, but the admin would never go into the bathroom to stop the fights.

Had friends pull their child out of TPMS because the admin failed to properly address the constant physical bullying of their child, including the student being physically assaulted by fellow students (but just off school property)
Another friend pulled their child for a few days due to the trauma of seeing another student beat bloody and near senseless (story was parents had to take to the emergency room after school). The school claimed it didn't happen "during school", which was true, it happened a few minutes after the final bell rang. And since they had no footage of the stairwell, they claimed they had no evidence it happened.I mean, besides the beaten and bloody student.

Knew of multiple other instances of physical assaults of students on other students that the admin refused to admit happened; parents started calling the police rather than deal with the school

But hey, other parents thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. If you're in the honors/magnet classes, there was a far less chance you got beaten up.

To each their own!

Not saying that there aren't problem -- it is middle school after all -- but this is not remotely similar to our experience, and we live within walking distance and see/hear kids coming and going in the am and pm.

There have been posters who are threatened by positive feedback about any schools that aren't WOTP and go out of their way to trash talk even though they almost never have any direct or first-hand experience. If you have real interest, the best thing you can do is contact the school directly and get a walkthrough.

of the negative aspect of Blair envy...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are moving from the Boston area to Takoma Park in July. Currently our child is in 7th grade at a secular private school but he really wants to start in public once we move and we've heard very encouraging things about Montgomery Blair, which we'd feed into. Can anyone who has direct experience comment or direct us to an existing thread on the academic and social quality of Takoma Park Middle School? Are the teachers pretty solid? Curriculum decent? Have there been any major issues with discipline, bullying, violence? Thanks for any insight.

Takoma Park Middle School is an excellent choice for parents looking for a diverse, academically strong school for their tweens. I feel the community welcomed our family when we moved to the area. TPMS is the quintessential neighborhood school. Students were surprisingly polite and well-behaved for tweens, and the teachers were, by and large dedicated and passionate. TPMS prepared our kids for high school and beyond. Overall, I can't say enough good things about TPMS. We highly recommend it for any family looking for a top-notch middle school experience for their children.

[Anonymous]

You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

No one has said it doesn’t exist. It’s just not widespread. The school is very well run and the kids are overwhelmingly good kids. My own 8th grader isn’t particularly well connected socially. He has friends but no one very close. Perhaps he’s the type of kid that could be a target for bullies? I asked him recently about bullying and he told me about a single incident he’d encountered on the way home right outside the school where some kids he didn’t know were picking on another kid he didn’t know. He and two other kids stopped them and checked on the kid in tears. Once in his nearly three years at the school a kid was waving around a vape pen in class. Multiple kids reported him to the administration, mostly out of concern for him.

8th grade parents didn’t get to tour the school until this year and met teachers in person. I was very impressed and frankly surprised at everything I saw. I’ve heard the same from every other family I know with kids there. Many of the teachers have been there for decades and they really care about their students. The new principal doesn’t have the charisma of the old one who was amazing but she continues to run the school very well, which I’m grateful for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When did this happen? Parent of a current student and my kid’s experience bears absolutely no relation to what you have just described. Sounds like a completely different school (and my kid is an 8th grader).

2021-2022 year, first and only full year my child did there; I had one of those children who excelled during covid because no school drama.

I think there are big issues with TPMS being very bimodal; students in the honors/magnet classes don't have to witness the behavioral problems that were rampant in on-level and below.
And again, there were other middle schools I worked at where the behavior wasn't as consistent a problem. Of course as DCUM would expect, no consistent issues at Pyle and other "Big W" feeder schools.
But in contrast, White Oak and Parkland MS had reasonably well behaved students. Silver Spring International was worse; Silver Creek wasn't as violent, but the admin tolerated lots of poor behavior.

So last year? My current 8th grader reported nothing of the sort and is pretty well connected to all types of different groups of kids bc of sports. There are lots of classes that aren’t “bi modal”….all English classes, all non magnet science classes, PE/health, foreign language and all electives. Neither of my kids reports disruptive behavior. Some kids are disengaged to be sure but no outbursts, disrespecting the teacher, etc..

Also, would like to point out that although you are correct that many classes are non-magnet, the logistics of scheduling mean that magnet students tend to be sorted together into the non-magnet classes. Indeed, if you read between the lines, that was one of the reasons Deeny chose not to implement - if I recall the correct classes - not to implement magnet-level history at the time; the unspoken issue was if they did, then there would have been almost no mixing between regular and magnet schools. (I think since then a magnet-level social studies has been implemented.)

And the school behavior was bimodal; indeed if I needed to "bounce" an on-level student out of my class (a fairly common tactic at TPMS) for behavior issues, the magnet/honors teachers encouraged me to send the problematic student to their classes. Why? Because the honors/magnet students were there to learn and didn't socially tolerate the problematic behavior. Basically the problem behavior got the opposite of positive feedback from the honors/magnet students; nothing like 30 pairs of stink-eye from peers to shut down a class clown's antics.

As a parent of both a magnet and non-magnet student, I can tell that is definitely not true. All DC's non-magnet classes have a mix which according to them is comparable to the overall student body. My other child who was non-magnet similarly had many friends in the magnet they knew through their classes like advanced english, HIGH etc.

Second this. The kids are only together for the magnet for three classes (math, science and computer science), or apart for non magnet students for two (math and science). All the other classes they are mixed together with no distinction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

^ more Blair envy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

^ more Blair envy

And the constant use of the made-up phrase "Blair Envy" by people in DCUM is a reflection of their severe inferiority complex. Do you understand how stupid you sound? No one else says "Quince Orchard envy" or "WJ envy" or "Poolesville envy."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

^ more Blair envy

And the constant use of the made-up phrase "Blair Envy" by people in DCUM is a reflection of their severe inferiority complex. Do you understand how stupid you sound? No one else says "Quince Orchard envy" or "WJ envy" or "Poolesville envy."

and yet it many suffer from this condition and are obsessed with getting their children into Blair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

^ more Blair envy

And the constant use of the made-up phrase "Blair Envy" by people in DCUM is a reflection of their severe inferiority complex. Do you understand how stupid you sound? No one else says "Quince Orchard envy" or "WJ envy" or "Poolesville envy."

and yet it many suffer from this condition and are obsessed with getting their children into Blair

I can assure you as a parent of kids in multiple schools and someone who has lived here for basically all my life.. the only people obsessed (and that word is a stretch) with their kid getting into Blair are those who want them in the magnet program. Same for RM and Poolesville. No one is actually jealous of anyone whose kid attends the non-magnet part of these schools. But you think what you want to think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys, every public middle school has disruptive behavior. Period. I don't care where you go..when you put 700 kids in the same building there is bound to be behavioral problems. Just admit it and frankly the TPMS parents claiming that none exist at their school are either misinformed, dillusional or just straight up lying. You're telling me that TPMS kids all come from great stable families and that none come from complicated and unfortunate situations?

^ more Blair envy

And the constant use of the made-up phrase "Blair Envy" by people in DCUM is a reflection of their severe inferiority complex. Do you understand how stupid you sound? No one else says "Quince Orchard envy" or "WJ envy" or "Poolesville envy."

and yet it many suffer from this condition and are obsessed with getting their children into Blair

every year like clockwork the tigers get worked up into a lather about blair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When did this happen? Parent of a current student and my kid’s experience bears absolutely no relation to what you have just described. Sounds like a completely different school (and my kid is an 8th grader).

2021-2022 year, first and only full year my child did there; I had one of those children who excelled during covid because no school drama.

I think there are big issues with TPMS being very bimodal; students in the honors/magnet classes don't have to witness the behavioral problems that were rampant in on-level and below.
And again, there were other middle schools I worked at where the behavior wasn't as consistent a problem. Of course as DCUM would expect, no consistent issues at Pyle and other "Big W" feeder schools.
But in contrast, White Oak and Parkland MS had reasonably well behaved students. Silver Spring International was worse; Silver Creek wasn't as violent, but the admin tolerated lots of poor behavior.

So last year? My current 8th grader reported nothing of the sort and is pretty well connected to all types of different groups of kids bc of sports. There are lots of classes that aren’t “bi modal”….all English classes, all non magnet science classes, PE/health, foreign language and all electives. Neither of my kids reports disruptive behavior. Some kids are disengaged to be sure but no outbursts, disrespecting the teacher, etc..

Yup, last year. Happy your child had a better experience at TPMS than other children did. Perhaps being a "well connected" child accepted by multiple groups meant they weren't the one getting beat up? Rarely the "popular kids" that get brutalized. Lucky for you and yours.
But yes, everything I described did happen last year.

Among what grade level kids did all of this happen last year?

My child was 8th, the friend physically assaulted was 8th. Child saw the same sorts of issue in the half year that was 6th. Sorry if we didn't stop and run a survey of the other students that were bullied and beaten and ask them to fill out a questionnaire on their grade level. Had I known your concern, I'm sure we would have. By concern I mean your concern for the school reputation; obviously you have none for bullied and assaulted students.

You’re lying. I don’t know why you would lie but you are.

Nope. Your the lying sack of excrement. Sorry you can't deal with the fact other's experience weren't the same as yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
When did this happen? Parent of a current student and my kid’s experience bears absolutely no relation to what you have just described. Sounds like a completely different school (and my kid is an 8th grader).

2021-2022 year, first and only full year my child did there; I had one of those children who excelled during covid because no school drama.

I think there are big issues with TPMS being very bimodal; students in the honors/magnet classes don't have to witness the behavioral problems that were rampant in on-level and below.
And again, there were other middle schools I worked at where the behavior wasn't as consistent a problem. Of course as DCUM would expect, no consistent issues at Pyle and other "Big W" feeder schools.
But in contrast, White Oak and Parkland MS had reasonably well behaved students. Silver Spring International was worse; Silver Creek wasn't as violent, but the admin tolerated lots of poor behavior.

So last year? My current 8th grader reported nothing of the sort and is pretty well connected to all types of different groups of kids bc of sports. There are lots of classes that aren’t “bi modal”….all English classes, all non magnet science classes, PE/health, foreign language and all electives. Neither of my kids reports disruptive behavior. Some kids are disengaged to be sure but no outbursts, disrespecting the teacher, etc..

Also, would like to point out that although you are correct that many classes are non-magnet, the logistics of scheduling mean that magnet students tend to be sorted together into the non-magnet classes. Indeed, if you read between the lines, that was one of the reasons Deeny chose not to implement - if I recall the correct classes - not to implement magnet-level history at the time; the unspoken issue was if they did, then there would have been almost no mixing between regular and magnet schools. (I think since then a magnet-level social studies has been implemented.)

And the school behavior was bimodal; indeed if I needed to "bounce" an on-level student out of my class (a fairly common tactic at TPMS) for behavior issues, the magnet/honors teachers encouraged me to send the problematic student to their classes. Why? Because the honors/magnet students were there to learn and didn't socially tolerate the problematic behavior. Basically the problem behavior got the opposite of positive feedback from the honors/magnet students; nothing like 30 pairs of stink-eye from peers to shut down a class clown's antics.

As a parent of both a magnet and non-magnet student, I can tell that is definitely not true. All DC's non-magnet classes have a mix which according to them is comparable to the overall student body. My other child who was non-magnet similarly had many friends in the magnet they knew through their classes like advanced english, HIGH etc.

Second this. The kids are only together for the magnet for three classes (math, science and computer science), or apart for non magnet students for two (math and science). All the other classes they are mixed together with no distinction.

You've actually confirmed what I said about lack of mixing. Look at your own words: "non-magnet similarly had many friends in the magnet they knew through their classes like ADVANCED english". The magnet kids are NOT going into "on-level" courses, they are in the "honors" versions of the non-magnet classes, just like your non-magnet child. Yes there is mixing, there just isn't as much mixing as you pretend there was.

But not all students are in the honors and advance classes; and it is those students that I argue TPMS failed miserably, in comparison to other local middle schools with similar demographics.
The magnet kids were NOT taking classes with the students that were struggling academically, that were frustrated with school, that were acting out on that frustration, that had terrible home lives.

Those students existed at TPMS, as they exist at any and all schools; my argument is that TPMS - of the MANY MCPS schools I had experience with - had one of the worst behavioral models in place to deal with these issues. Other schools that I've mentioned, with similar demographics, like White Oak or Parkland, did a much better job of managing the MAJORITY of students needs and issues. Takoma Park might have been great for magnet and honors students, but it was not a great school for students who struggled academically, behaviorally, or socially. Again, I knew a number of parent whose children struggled at TPMS and pulled their child out of that school because they were unhappy with the administration's non-response to the issues raised.

Please stop denying that other people had poor experiences there. It's great if you had a terrific experience there, but not everyone did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are moving from the Boston area to Takoma Park in July. Currently our child is in 7th grade at a secular private school but he really wants to start in public once we move and we've heard very encouraging things about Montgomery Blair, which we'd feed into. Can anyone who has direct experience comment or direct us to an existing thread on the academic and social quality of Takoma Park Middle School? Are the teachers pretty solid? Curriculum decent? Have there been any major issues with discipline, bullying, violence? Thanks for any insight.

DCUM is full of catastrophizing. Take everything negative with a handful of salt.

+1
DCUM can be a fun house mirror. TPMS is a good school even if your child is not magnet. When my youngest was there, a mom kept complaining on DCUM that her daughter with ASD was being bullied but TPMS did nothing to stop the bullies. My DD came home every day and complained that this same child spit repeatedly on other students during PE class and screamed insults and threats at other students after school.

[Anonymous]

All kids on level and above kids at tpms are in “advanced” English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All kids on level and above kids at tpms are in “advanced” English.

This is a problem at most every MCPS MS right now and isn't specific to TPMS. The academics are better than I expected. In fact, I can't imagine a better MS! We had a fantastic experience.