Are the Bethesda/Potomac public schools worth the financial sacrifice to live there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is it you hope to gain by sending your kids to Bethesda/Potomac schools over the Silver Spring schools? I think that's what you must evaluate. I grew up here - went to DCPS (which sucked even worse back then), but had many friends who went the private school (Big 3) route. We've all ended up about the same. In my professional life, I've met many graduates of the W high schools. We work in the same places, have similar professional experiences. In the end, there are so many factors that go into a child's happiness and success in life, that it seems hard to say whether or not a certain educational experience was "worth the sacrifice," other than the piece of mind it may give you as a parent. And of course, that piece of mind can be false. Also, your kids are young - you don't yet know what sort of school environment will or won't work for your kids. If moving to one of these districts would cause great financial stress or cause you to purchase a house you would resent, I think you need to ask yourself what it is you are looking to gain from these schools - other than a general feeling that you've sent your kids to "good" schools.

OP here. I agree with you and that's essentially why I've posed the question. Someone else also made a siminal point. I think for me, even though I don't know what the future holds, I want to give them every advantage that I can. So if the W schools have better teachers, more involved parents, conscientious students, superior academic and extracurricular opportunities, I want my kids to have that. Who wouldn't? I want to stack the odds as much in favor of success as possible (success meaning having a good overall HS experience - academincally and socially). I don't know if the Bethesda/Potomac schools IN FACT have that over other schools as touted. So that's why I posted. It bothers me a little that I have not heard much from parents of the other schools - I was expecting that people would share some positive experiences.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you got a lot of responses about Silver Spring schools because of how you asked the question. IF you read other threads, there is a lot of great feedback on Silver Spring schools, but I think that there is less consistency. (Ex. YOu might have a good elementary school, but not a great middle school.) We're sticking around at least for elementary school- we love the community and we''re not eager to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you got a lot of responses about Silver Spring schools because of how you asked the question. IF you read other threads, there is a lot of great feedback on Silver Spring schools, but I think that there is less consistency. (Ex. YOu might have a good elementary school, but not a great middle school.) We're sticking around at least for elementary school- we love the community and we''re not eager to leave.

Yea, you're probably right. My question was more like word vomit. I was able to gain some focus in looking through the responses. FWIW, we're actually in the Wheaton/Glenmont area of Silver Spring. Our area is nice, but there is a lot of people choosing private schools so that creates a stark socioeconomic contrast between the kids who attend public schools and the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. It's a bizarre dynamic.

[Anonymous]

Wheaton/Glenmont might not be exemplary of Silver Spring schools in general, because I agree people who have the means often choose Catholic schools in that area. Somewhere like 20910 or Forest Knolls or Woodmoor or Woodside or SS near Kensington would be examples of areas of Silver Spring where most people choose public schools.

[Anonymous]

Agree on the Rockville recommendation - Robert Frost to Wootton

[Anonymous]

Yes, from a parent in Gaithersburg who kids are in private.

If we had bought in Bethesda our house would of appreciated way more and education would be free. A win win situation....