Middle Schools for Cap Hill
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Anonymous
One of the challenges we had with CHML was that the school doesn't have a coherent response to how the Montessori model works in MS. I think this is because it doesn't; it was designed for ECE. Instead of acknowledging that fact and saying, "Look, as we move into upper ES and MS a more traditional model emerges" they try and just skirt the issue. The overarching theme seems to be that if you dare question Montessori then you aren't a believer and you probably ought not attend. The class sizes at the MS are really, REALLY small. Like fewer than 30 kids (I think 7th grade was under 20 in the audited stats). That makes it very hard for any real differentiation or to offer, for instance, AP level work. The economics just don't support an AP class or teacher for 3 or 4 kids. The building is AMAZING. It looks like the kind of school I would want my kids to attend. But the actual book learning inside walls does not yet match the shiny new curtains. |
Anonymous
Leadership is definitely worse at CHML. Ask around on Moth and you'll get tons of stories from families who left. |
Anonymous
Different poster but I was just asked to join a book club on the Hill and am looking forward to meeting Muffy. Not sure if her hair is nice but I’ll check. |
Anonymous
Jefferson’s math proficiency is 20%, CHML is 33.8%. This is from the SY 2021/2022 directory. So I don’t get the above comment. |
Anonymous
Thank you |
Anonymous
I thought that smaller class sizes was attractive in a middle school. More individualized attention. Perhaps less distractions. With Montessori teaching each child where they are, I would think that advanced children would work at their level even without AP courses. Maybe a MS parent could weigh in on that? |
Anonymous
They don't mean "class" as in single class out of 6 classes that make up the grade... they mean class as in grade. The ENTIRE 7th grade at CHML was like 19 kids. |
Anonymous
Yes, but the obvious problem with CHML is that most of the low scoring students haven't been poor. By contrast, Jefferson's few UMC students knock it out of the park on...PARCC. |
Anonymous
Montessori parent here. CHML is not a true montessori. Maybe as a final, final last resort. Try Truth Montessori in Brookland if you want a better montessori middle. |
Anonymous
| I think many parents bail for Basis or Latin l/ll (if they can) not because SH is that bad but to have a guarantee HS option (and no application headaches) that is better than Eastern. |
Anonymous
So you are chalking this up to teaching and not socioeconomic disparities. If so, I don’t know if it’s true but I understand your position and will keep that in mind. |
Anonymous
| High achieving boy who went on to doing very well in a test-in high school: We went with Jefferson and never had any regrets. I'm convinced he'd have done well at Elliot-Hine or Stuart-Hobson. He'd have been fine at Basis, too. The reason he excelled at Jefferson and became the academically strong and well-rounded person he now is is because he had committed and caring teachers who "get" middle schoolers and who worked with him to get him where he wanted and let him own the process. And because it's close by, he was able to pursue sports and scouts, which enriched his pandemic experience. And he had a set of genuine and funny and also some academically strong friends. Had he been in a place like Basis, he'd have become a kid worried and "pressed" about academics. As it stands, he became a caring, well-rounded, and academically strong teenager. |
Anonymous
Some parents, not many. Come on, no secret that SH throws a bunch of kids working at an 7th, 8th, even 9th grade level into the very same social studies and science classes as kids working 2,3 even 4 grade levels behind them. |
Anonymous
What middle school tracks for social studies and science? |
Anonymous
It’s called differentiation and teachers have to meet all the levels in the same class that’s the expectation |