Contingency plans if not admitted to HGC?

[Anonymous]

I'm just wondering what most people do if their child is not admitted to HGC? Do you appeal? Do you have another plan (private school, supplementing outside of school)? Do you just let it be and not do anything? Just trying to figure out next steps if need be.

[Anonymous]

Dual path: appeal and private, although after combing through the archives, I'm not as convinced the HGC would offer as much as a private with small class sizes. Many parents have posted that the curriculum has been gutted and the teaching is spotty, saying that the real value is in the cohort of students.

[Anonymous]

Accept the fact that perhaps your child isn't HGC material?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dual path: appeal and private, although after combing through the archives, I'm not as convinced the HGC would offer as much as a private with small class sizes. Many parents have posted that the curriculum has been gutted and the teaching is spotty, saying that the real value is in the cohort of students.

OP here. Are we allowed to see test results and recommendations? I assume the MCPS website has the appeals process spelled out somewhere?

[Anonymous]

I'm the person asking about Pinecrest...we didn't get an email so I'm assuming my kid didn't get in. I guess there is a possibity still of wait pool, since it doesn't sound like they email kid's parents who were only waitlisted. But otherwise we will just stay at home school. We do like it there. I think my kid will be fine there...had a few reservations about HGC actually. I would have liked to have had the option to send DC for sure, rather than be told no out right but...it's 4th and 5th grade. No two years will make or break any kids total educational experience. Hopefully they will continue some level of differentiation at the home school. I really think appeals tend to go no where and I just don't want to invest too much time/energy/attention to it. And as far as middle school magnets go...take one thing at a time. I'm sure some friends of DC's will go to HGC, but plenty of very smart kids will be left. But as for the whole process. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accept the fact that perhaps your child isn't HGC material?

That's cold, PP. Many perfectly capable kids do not get invites due to the scarcity of spots. And the pressure based on one test is simply nuts. It's a hard system, and no way for it to be perfectly fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accept the fact that perhaps your child isn't HGC material?

Wow, you are mean. It's just a question for heaven's sake.

[Anonymous]

We chose not to appeal our child's rejection a few years ago, and briefly considered the GT/LD ES at Barnsley (gifted/talented and learning disabled), which however was quite far from our home. Finally we chose to stay put at the home school, with mixed results: our child's special needs were excellently accommodated, but the acceleration was simply not there. He spent his time reading, reading, reading, anything he could lay his hands on! At school he got in trouble for reading under his desk.
We are now looking for a similar GT/LD placement for middle school, which if it materializes will be much closer to our house.

[Anonymous]

Attend home school with neighborhood friends and appreciate a later morning bus and earlier afternoon bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dual path: appeal and private, although after combing through the archives, I'm not as convinced the HGC would offer as much as a private with small class sizes. Many parents have posted that the curriculum has been gutted and the teaching is spotty, saying that the real value is in the cohort of students.

Do you have a private in mind that will offer the same caliber of student? Sometimes I worry that small classes will have fewer high performers. In theory the teacher has time for more differentiation but I don;t know if you can count on it.

[Anonymous]

I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dual path: appeal and private, although after combing through the archives, I'm not as convinced the HGC would offer as much as a private with small class sizes. Many parents have posted that the curriculum has been gutted and the teaching is spotty, saying that the real value is in the cohort of students.

OP here. Are we allowed to see test results and recommendations? I assume the MCPS website has the appeals process spelled out somewhere?

. The test results come with the actual letters by Friday. To see recommendations you have to make a records request. See the Stanislav case from the Md Board of Ed for more specifics. All is not lost, maybe the HGC folks did not have your email address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

But the kids are not ALL on the level of the top 2-5% of MCPS kids...you're kidding yourself if you think so..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dual path: appeal and private, although after combing through the archives, I'm not as convinced the HGC would offer as much as a private with small class sizes. Many parents have posted that the curriculum has been gutted and the teaching is spotty, saying that the real value is in the cohort of students.

The curriculum has not been gutted, and the teaching is as spotty as any other teaching. Depending on the school, there might be some duds -- which goes for any school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Accept the fact that perhaps your child isn't HGC material?

That's cold, PP. Many perfectly capable kids do not get invites due to the scarcity of spots. And the pressure based on one test is simply nuts. It's a hard system, and no way for it to be perfectly fair.

New poster but I don't think that statement was mean or cold. It was very honest, and sometimes you have to be honest. If you don't get a place for your kid because they didn't see them thriving in their school then you just have to move on and do something else. Its not a medal for everyone culture - that's why there is a test and that's why only a few kids get spots.

And that folks, is how the world used to be.