MCPS is no longer a desirable school district

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, have you lived elsewhere in the country?

I have lived in Boulder, CO; Los Angeles; Richmond, VA; North Carolina and Miami.

Whether people want to believe it or not DC area public schools are very well funded much moreso than many districts across the country.

I posted earlier that I had older kids who attended MCPS. This school system has declined a ton in the last ten years. I’m not sure if it’s poor management or being closed for so long or Covid, but it’s something far more than just shrugging it off and saying it’s worse elsewhere.
North Carolina and Florida aren’t exactly known for their school system…not sure that’s a great comparison point. MCPS WAS known for having a stellar system. I think that’s the point.

Yep, just about ten years exactly. That was when we moved our eldest to Catholic. I’m still pissed.

+1
For us it started with this constantly changing math curriculum in upper elementary. They just never quite got things back together.

Funny you mention.. I just remembered visiting math class at the open house back when my oldest was in ES. I came home with a very strong desire to put him in private.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been a big McPS defender and have two in the system with one graduated now. And I’m starting to feel very worried. The curriculum issues for 4-8 have been troubling (shifting math curriculum, basically no MS English curriculum). The teachers are demoralized and while some are still incredibly fabulous, it seems like every year my kids’ favorite teachers retire or quit. A lot of the other teachers are just starting to see burned out and don’t grade things until end of quarter, don’t give any feedback, tell kids to figure it out if they have questions. These are MS and HS teachers — our ES teachers were all basically great. And it’s a minority that are bad but it’s really hard — if you have a math teacher that has given up, it’s hard to miss a full year. Or if you never have a good science teacher through bad luck of the draw, it’s hard to be excited about science.
And I am upset about the bathrooms and things like the broken hvac. To have kids and teachers sweating in 90 degree classroom with no bathrooms available…..just doesn’t seem right. Even my public school in a state people would consider craptastic had bathrooms!

I have siblings in smalll town Massachusetts and their schools seem really great. Same with friends in New Hampshire. The county system here is skmewhat challenging.

[Anonymous]

The W clusters are still great and serving kids well

[Anonymous]

Grew up in PG in the 80s/90s and MCPS was basically the jewel in the Maryland public school crown but oh have the mighty have fallen. Howard and AA are far better now and MCPS just seems to be struggling with how to handle it’s diverse needs and in a tight budgetary environment. Yes, compared to other less affluent counties across the country it shines bright but for those who have seen it evolve over time, it’s fallen from its former pedestal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a big McPS defender and have two in the system with one graduated now. And I’m starting to feel very worried. The curriculum issues for 4-8 have been troubling (shifting math curriculum, basically no MS English curriculum). The teachers are demoralized and while some are still incredibly fabulous, it seems like every year my kids’ favorite teachers retire or quit. A lot of the other teachers are just starting to see burned out and don’t grade things until end of quarter, don’t give any feedback, tell kids to figure it out if they have questions. These are MS and HS teachers — our ES teachers were all basically great. And it’s a minority that are bad but it’s really hard — if you have a math teacher that has given up, it’s hard to miss a full year. Or if you never have a good science teacher through bad luck of the draw, it’s hard to be excited about science.
And I am upset about the bathrooms and things like the broken hvac. To have kids and teachers sweating in 90 degree classroom with no bathrooms available…..just doesn’t seem right. Even my public school in a state people would consider craptastic had bathrooms!

I have siblings in smalll town Massachusetts and their schools seem really great. Same with friends in New Hampshire. The county system here is skmewhat challenging.

I have only had a kid in MCPS for 9 years but I agree with everything written above. ES was great. MS less so. It's everything from teachers who don't teach, abominable or unsafe building conditions, to constantly changing curriculums. And to get your bright child into a magnet program feels like the Hunger Games. There are simply not enough seats for bright kids. I have friends/family with kids at good schools in Westchester, suburban Chicago and in NoVA, and the schools seem pretty great. I get pretty jealous when I hear about it. I

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a big McPS defender and have two in the system with one graduated now. And I’m starting to feel very worried. The curriculum issues for 4-8 have been troubling (shifting math curriculum, basically no MS English curriculum). The teachers are demoralized and while some are still incredibly fabulous, it seems like every year my kids’ favorite teachers retire or quit. A lot of the other teachers are just starting to see burned out and don’t grade things until end of quarter, don’t give any feedback, tell kids to figure it out if they have questions. These are MS and HS teachers — our ES teachers were all basically great. And it’s a minority that are bad but it’s really hard — if you have a math teacher that has given up, it’s hard to miss a full year. Or if you never have a good science teacher through bad luck of the draw, it’s hard to be excited about science.
And I am upset about the bathrooms and things like the broken hvac. To have kids and teachers sweating in 90 degree classroom with no bathrooms available…..just doesn’t seem right. Even my public school in a state people would consider craptastic had bathrooms!

I have siblings in smalll town Massachusetts and their schools seem really great. Same with friends in New Hampshire. The county system here is skmewhat challenging.

I have only had a kid in MCPS for 9 years but I agree with everything written above. ES was great. MS less so. It's everything from teachers who don't teach, abominable or unsafe building conditions, to constantly changing curriculums. And to get your bright child into a magnet program feels like the Hunger Games. There are simply not enough seats for bright kids. I have friends/family with kids at good schools in Westchester, suburban Chicago and in NoVA, and the schools seem pretty great. I get pretty jealous when I hear about it. I

So true. Everything above. Have one in ES and one in HS. Not a year goes by where mcps can’t seem to settle on a reading curriculum. Now we’re doing away with benchmark? Why? and teachers do seem completed burned out. My son’s 3rd grade teacher was basically phoning it in this year and it shows, and I don’t blame her. The behavior issues in ES are out of control. Not sure if we’re seeing impacts from the pandemic or what but I talk to teacher friends and they’re demoralized and feeling it (and we’re in a W cluster). My brother lives in Chicago suburbs and their schools seem great-everyone’s chugging along, teachers are great, schools seem robust and well funded. The leadership turnover in MCPS is concerning. We can’t seem to hold onto a strong superintendent and the previous one prior to the acting was terrible. We’re here until our kids are done but I hope the county can figure out how to right the ship.

[Anonymous]

Where are you going OP, so I make sure I don’t go anywhere near.

You are an idiot. MCPS is still one of the top school systems in the country. Many graduate and go to top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again it’s a gigantic school district. Quality differs by school and program.

Sure. But when the school district's slogan is even against your kids, you should take note.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to Montgomery County because of the schools, and now, we are moving out for the exact same reason. MCPS has been deteriorating on so many levels over the last decade. It feels like watching a car wreck in slow motion. Our kids deserve better.

MCPS is one of the 20 largest, most diverse (socioeconomically & ethnically) public school systems in the country. Everyone has a different experience. Too bad it didn't work out for you and your family.

I hope you're going to a smaller, generally all-around wealthy district.

For the record, we have been part of the school system for 10+ years and feel our kids have gotten a very good education and will be better prepared for college that most graduating seniors in the US.

I think MCPS does high achieving in the W's well, but I also think those kids would do well anywhere. One of my kids did great and I'd absolutely agree they were very well prepared for college. They even said college was way easier than high school.
The kids in the middle get lost though, especially at the W high schools. It's a really soul sucking place to be if you struggle with academics at all as our second child did.
Anyways just to echo it's a big HUGE district. IMO too big and unwieldy so that those middle kids do get lost.
-not OP

I'm the poster before the one above. We are not at a W but are involved parents as far as keeping track what's going on in school.

Mine were in MS during the pandemic, and that was a definite low.

But again, OP, you'll be happier in a smaller district. I would venture that MCPS does well compared to other huge districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you going OP, so I make sure I don’t go anywhere near.

You are an idiot. MCPS is still one of the top school systems in the country. Many graduate and go to top schools.

Lynne Harris is back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bye bye bye

No problem leave sooner rather than later.

Darling nephew acceptances from an MCPS school. He will be following his first cousins, who also graduated from MCPS in recent years and were accepted of by many schools like the ones below.

Stanford, MIT, CMU, Yale, UMD, UVA, UNC,

MCPS rocks.

Please take all the book banners, Mandel & Diaz supporters of Moms4Liberty with you.

And all the nut jobs who sued. the county and lost the OPT Out that was glorious.

Keep the idiots out of our public schools.

MCPS PR consultant working overtime.l again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again it’s a gigantic school district. Quality differs by school and program.

Again? Where is the first mention?

Again, girl bye

You must have learned to write in MCPS.

I was in class with your kid. They taught me everything I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to Montgomery County because of the schools, and now, we are moving out for the exact same reason. MCPS has been deteriorating on so many levels over the last decade. It feels like watching a car wreck in slow motion. Our kids deserve better.

MCPS is one of the 20 largest, most diverse (socioeconomically & ethnically) public school systems in the country. Everyone has a different experience. Too bad it didn't work out for you and your family.

I hope you're going to a smaller, generally all-around wealthy district.

For the record, we have been part of the school system for 10+ years and feel our kids have gotten a very good education and will be better prepared for college that most graduating seniors in the US.

Well my kid who did his entire education in MCPS and got As and Bs in his AP English classes just got a D in freshman college English so good luck with that assumption

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a big McPS defender and have two in the system with one graduated now. And I’m starting to feel very worried. The curriculum issues for 4-8 have been troubling (shifting math curriculum, basically no MS English curriculum). The teachers are demoralized and while some are still incredibly fabulous, it seems like every year my kids’ favorite teachers retire or quit. A lot of the other teachers are just starting to see burned out and don’t grade things until end of quarter, don’t give any feedback, tell kids to figure it out if they have questions. These are MS and HS teachers — our ES teachers were all basically great. And it’s a minority that are bad but it’s really hard — if you have a math teacher that has given up, it’s hard to miss a full year. Or if you never have a good science teacher through bad luck of the draw, it’s hard to be excited about science.
And I am upset about the bathrooms and things like the broken hvac. To have kids and teachers sweating in 90 degree classroom with no bathrooms available…..just doesn’t seem right. Even my public school in a state people would consider craptastic had bathrooms!

I have siblings in smalll town Massachusetts and their schools seem really great. Same with friends in New Hampshire. The county system here is skmewhat challenging.

But at least we simrill have eqwity.

[Anonymous]

Things started going south when the BOE shifted from liberal to progressive.