Contingency plans if not admitted to HGC?

[Anonymous]

OMG PEOPLE- it's Middle School!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG PEOPLE- it's Middle School!

Well if its HGC its actually 4th and 5th grade and not middle school. but I get your point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

MY DS was not accepted at magnet. I am starting private school search. Could you tell what are considered some good privates in Bethesda area?

Lots of great schools in Bethesda, Potomac, and DC. The application season has just passed, but you have plenty of time to do your research for next year. What grade is your DC entering?

6th

If you are unfamiliar with the private school circuit, I would suggest meeting with an educational consultant, who can meet your child and make recommendations. We did this, and it was very helpful. We are not super knowledgeable about the middle schools around here as we focused our search on high school. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well for us, it is a data point that matters. It says a lot about a school. The students test higher for a number of reasons. Better teachers. Better learning environment. Better parent involvement. Maybe this doesn't matter to you. That is fine too. Some people are totally fine with mediocrity. That is what makes us so diverse.

You're not fine with mediocrity; you don't believe in settling; you put your kid in private school; and yet here you still are, arguing on the MD Public Schools forum with people who have chosen to settle for mediocrity. Why?

Because I know from experience. I am just trying to help those who are looking for other options.

How kind of you. Thank you for your concern!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe because those parents know how to motivate their kids to learn. After all, higher SES status, usually equals higher level of education. I am not the one pushing my DC in school (me with the lone bachelor degree). It is my husband, who has multiple Ivy League degrees who does this. We are well off, but not wealthy (well I guess that is relative).

I feel like this analysis misses a lot of folks. There are plenty of highly educated people, particularly in the DC area, who are not high SES because they chose public service or nonprofit work rather than the private sector. It also misses highly motivated immigrants, who may not be high earning but who care deeply about their kids' academic success. I'm a highly educated nonprofit worker, with a boss with double Ivy degrees, and coworkers from some of the best graduate programs in the country. None of us are high SES unless we are married to someone in the private sector, but all of us have high achieving kids (in public school, no less).

Education is the E in SES. If you are a highly-educated person, you are not low SES, even if you earn minimum wage.

[Anonymous]

^^^oh heck, no, obviously education is not the E in SES. Nonetheless, education is a big component of SES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well for us, it is a data point that matters. It says a lot about a school. The students test higher for a number of reasons. Better teachers. Better learning environment. Better parent involvement. Maybe this doesn't matter to you. That is fine too. Some people are totally fine with mediocrity. That is what makes us so diverse.

You're not fine with mediocrity; you don't believe in settling; you put your kid in private school; and yet here you still are, arguing on the MD Public Schools forum with people who have chosen to settle for mediocrity. Why?

Because I know from experience. I am just trying to help those who are looking for other options.

How kind of you. Thank you for your concern!

Awe, don't mention it. It's a pleasure!

[Anonymous]

E is for Economic "Socio-Economic-Status"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG PEOPLE- it's Middle School!

Well if its HGC its actually 4th and 5th grade and not middle school. but I get your point

You are right...guess I meant to respond to folks saying not getting in puts you behind in middle school.
Take a xanax folks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe because those parents know how to motivate their kids to learn. After all, higher SES status, usually equals higher level of education. I am not the one pushing my DC in school (me with the lone bachelor degree). It is my husband, who has multiple Ivy League degrees who does this. We are well off, but not wealthy (well I guess that is relative).

I feel like this analysis misses a lot of folks. There are plenty of highly educated people, particularly in the DC area, who are not high SES because they chose public service or nonprofit work rather than the private sector. It also misses highly motivated immigrants, who may not be high earning but who care deeply about their kids' academic success. I'm a highly educated nonprofit worker, with a boss with double Ivy degrees, and coworkers from some of the best graduate programs in the country. None of us are high SES unless we are married to someone in the private sector, but all of us have high achieving kids (in public school, no less).

Education is the E in SES. If you are a highly-educated person, you are not low SES, even if you earn minimum wage.

"E" is for Economic
Socio-Economic-Status
SMDH!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe because those parents know how to motivate their kids to learn. After all, higher SES status, usually equals higher level of education. I am not the one pushing my DC in school (me with the lone bachelor degree). It is my husband, who has multiple Ivy League degrees who does this. We are well off, but not wealthy (well I guess that is relative).

I feel like this analysis misses a lot of folks. There are plenty of highly educated people, particularly in the DC area, who are not high SES because they chose public service or nonprofit work rather than the private sector. It also misses highly motivated immigrants, who may not be high earning but who care deeply about their kids' academic success. I'm a highly educated nonprofit worker, with a boss with double Ivy degrees, and coworkers from some of the best graduate programs in the country. None of us are high SES unless we are married to someone in the private sector, but all of us have high achieving kids (in public school, no less).

Education is the E in SES. If you are a highly-educated person, you are not low SES, even if you earn minimum wage.

Actually, Economic is the E. SocioEconomic Status.

[Anonymous]

Sooooooo back to what I thought was OP's original question: what's the back up plan? Our DC was not accepted to the HGC program last year, which I assume was mostly (solely?) due to HGC test score (we did not test prep DC for it, which was a mistake in hindsight, as I think most parents do). DC reads several grade levels ahead, did very well on IQ test, and did very well on other MoCo tests and receives good teacher recs, so, yup, count me as one of the parents who thinks that lots of smarts kids are left out of HGC (and I accept that's the way the cookie crumbles--can't always get in, but doesn't mean DC couldn't have benefitted from HGC and done well). Anyway -- DC loves compacted math this year (obviously got in) but otherwise very bored at home school. DC's teacher confirmed DC's reading off the charts and DC has no reading peers in the class. It has taken months to get more challenge in place for DC, who has been literally bored to tears. We will go private next year. But I'd suggest trying the home school and just being pro-active from day one next fall about being sure your DC has a peer group in the class and is appropriately challenged (if you can make public work, I'd say go for it--private is $$!). Good luck, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sooooooo back to what I thought was OP's original question: what's the back up plan? Our DC was not accepted to the HGC program last year, which I assume was mostly (solely?) due to HGC test score (we did not test prep DC for it, which was a mistake in hindsight, as I think most parents do). DC reads several grade levels ahead, did very well on IQ test, and did very well on other MoCo tests and receives good teacher recs, so, yup, count me as one of the parents who thinks that lots of smarts kids are left out of HGC (and I accept that's the way the cookie crumbles--can't always get in, but doesn't mean DC couldn't have benefitted from HGC and done well). Anyway -- DC loves compacted math this year (obviously got in) but otherwise very bored at home school. DC's teacher confirmed DC's reading off the charts and DC has no reading peers in the class. It has taken months to get more challenge in place for DC, who has been literally bored to tears. We will go private next year. But I'd suggest trying the home school and just being pro-active from day one next fall about being sure your DC has a peer group in the class and is appropriately challenged (if you can make public work, I'd say go for it--private is $$!). Good luck, OP!

I don't think most parents do. In fact, I don't know anyone who did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sooooooo back to what I thought was OP's original question: what's the back up plan? Our DC was not accepted to the HGC program last year, which I assume was mostly (solely?) due to HGC test score (we did not test prep DC for it, which was a mistake in hindsight, as I think most parents do). DC reads several grade levels ahead, did very well on IQ test, and did very well on other MoCo tests and receives good teacher recs, so, yup, count me as one of the parents who thinks that lots of smarts kids are left out of HGC (and I accept that's the way the cookie crumbles--can't always get in, but doesn't mean DC couldn't have benefitted from HGC and done well). Anyway -- DC loves compacted math this year (obviously got in) but otherwise very bored at home school. DC's teacher confirmed DC's reading off the charts and DC has no reading peers in the class. It has taken months to get more challenge in place for DC, who has been literally bored to tears. We will go private next year. But I'd suggest trying the home school and just being pro-active from day one next fall about being sure your DC has a peer group in the class and is appropriately challenged (if you can make public work, I'd say go for it--private is $$!). Good luck, OP!

I don't think most parents do. In fact, I don't know anyone who did.

Just anecdotally, I know two families who are hoping their kids get accepted to HGC (kids are currently in second). One family is prepping their kid for the HGC test and I feel like their kid is basically average to a bit above average. The other family isn't prepping but their kid is so heads and shoulders above everyone - presumably they don't need to.

[Anonymous]

Definitely know parents who prepped their kids for that test, as well as the In-View test in grade 2.