Another family considering moving to MoCo for the schools, but must stay east - recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every time I read that Bethesda/Potomac have the best schools I get edgy. Bethesda/Potomac/private = higher SES. If you believe that your child will do well and even thrive with diversity - socioeconomic and racial - there are many good choices throughout the county. All schools teach the same curriculum. Bethesda/Potomac/prrivate schools have no monopoloy on engaging teachers. Lower SES elementary schools get more resources.

There, I feel better.

Funny. I get edgy when people who live Downcounty pretend that lower SES students don't require more resources and teacher attention. If you believe that your child will do well getting 1/2 the attention that other children at the school receive, one school is probably as good as another.

There, I feel better.

[Anonymous]

If you believe that your child will do well getting 1/2 the attention that other children at the school receive, one school is probably as good as another.

Probably so, because a high SES school will have twice as many students in a class. So either way, your kid is competing for attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you believe that your child will do well getting 1/2 the attention that other children at the school receive, one school is probably as good as another.

Probably so, because a high SES school will have twice as many students in a class. So either way, your kid is competing for attention.

I'll take my chances, since there aren't really twice as many students in a high SES school and most of these kids are bright enough to work independently.

[Anonymous]

It's not about class size, because many MoCo schools have the maximum class sizes. It's about whether the school is concerned about doing well on MSAs or other measures. If there is reason for concern, the school will focus resources on the kids on the margin. Kids who are likely to do well anyway, and kids who probably won't do well, get less resources. We saw this at our downcounty school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently 14:00 just didn't read your post, or any of the posts that followed it. She saw the acronym HCG and went off....

Can someone explain what HGC and PGC mean?

[Anonymous]

I'll take my chances, since there aren't really twice as many students in a high SES school and most of these kids are bright enough to work independently.

ouch--so kids at lower SES schools are automatically not bright? Interesting...

The bonus of a kid going at a low SES school who does not fit that demographic is that that the school DOES need (and receive) many more resources. So at any given time, you may have an ESOL teacher, a para, a special educator or a academic support teacher (or a combination) in the classroom in addition to the classroom teacher. This obviously allows for more individual attention. Or, you may have more than half the class pulled out for those things, leaving the classroom teacher with a handful of "regular" kids.

There are postivies and negatives about any school situation. But SES =/= intelligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Can someone explain what HGC and PGC mean?

HGC - Highly Gifted Centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you believe that your child will do well getting 1/2 the attention that other children at the school receive, one school is probably as good as another.

Probably so, because a high SES school will have twice as many students in a class. So either way, your kid is competing for attention.

I'll take my chances, since there aren't really twice as many students in a high SES school and most of these kids are bright enough to work independently.

It's not about bright. SES does not determine intelligence. It is about advantage, about a print-rich environment at home.

Your word choice says it all.

[Anonymous]

What is SES?

[Anonymous]

SES = socioeconomic status

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's not about bright. SES does not determine intelligence. It is about advantage, about a print-rich environment at home.

Your word choice says it all.

Fine - motivated enough to work independently.

Either way, the emphasis at the low-SES schools is on improving the performance of kids who don't test well, for a variety of reasons.

Of course, no one wants to say they send their kid to a lousy school, but there's a reason why a house in Chevy Chase goes for far more than the same house in Silver Spring or Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

Have you actually had a child in a Silver Spring school?

[Anonymous]

Have you actually had a child in a Silver Spring school?

If you are talking about the 10:24 pp, she probably hasn't had a child in a Silver Spring school. Frankly, part of the reason we bought in Silver Spring and not Bethesda was to avoid people who think like her.

[Anonymous]

This forum is a constant reminder that class warfare and middle-class flight are alive and well in MoCo. Just whisper "boundary study" and see how quickly people align around the issues of socioeconomic diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Have you actually had a child in a Silver Spring school?

If you are talking about the 10:24 pp, she probably hasn't had a child in a Silver Spring school. Frankly, part of the reason we bought in Silver Spring and not Bethesda was to avoid people who think like her.

LOL, same here. It's refreshing not to encounter people like her in my day-to-day life here in eastern MoCo.