Great schools in Calvert county?

[Anonymous]

When people talk about the best schools in MD, it's usually about Moco and Hoco

But I came across these really highly rated schools while I was looking at waterfront property on redfin:

Northern HS - 10/10
https://www.greatschools.org/maryland/owings/507-Northern-High-School/

Huntingtown HS - 9/10
https://www.greatschools.org/maryland/huntingtown/2518-Huntingtown-High-School/

Was I just ignorant about Calvert county schools or are they underappreciated in general?

[Anonymous]

Rankings can only tell you so much; however, those schools aren't ranked highly on Niche:

Northern HS is only 3804 in the country and 80 in MD
Huntingtown HS is better--1101--and 28 in MD

MCPS and HoCo monopolize the top 16 HS's in MD, with the exception of Urbana in Frederick County.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, wonder how the methodology for rankings differs for each site

[Anonymous]

This is a story about race. These schools are 80% white or greater. If you made any MoCo school 80% white, its test scores would also be 10/10. It is an unfortunate truth that in our area low test scores are correlated with a school’s proportion of low-income black and Hispanic students. This, incidentally, is why these scores are meaningless. A white middle-class kid will do the same at a 5/10 school or a 10/10 school. The only difference is that in Calvert County he’s likely to become a Trump supporter. I have family there who love it because it’s so far from what they fear: cities full of minorities.

[Anonymous]

Calvert County Public Schools does not seem to publish demographic information by school - or, if they do, I couldn't find it.

Calvert County overall is 78% non-Hispanic white, 3% foreign-born, 29% college graduate or higher, median household income $97,000. Basically a wealthy, white county.

[Anonymous]

I left MCPS for Calvert County and haven’t looked back. Much better system and it’s smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I left MCPS for Calvert County and haven’t looked back. Much better system and it’s smaller.

Why? What makes it better, in your opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a story about race. These schools are 80% white or greater. If you made any MoCo school 80% white, its test scores would also be 10/10. It is an unfortunate truth that in our area low test scores are correlated with a school’s proportion of low-income black and Hispanic students. This, incidentally, is why these scores are meaningless. A white middle-class kid will do the same at a 5/10 school or a 10/10 school. The only difference is that in Calvert County he’s likely to become a Trump supporter. I have family there who love it because it’s so far from what they fear: cities full of minorities.

It's not only in our area. This is the unfortunate reality everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left MCPS for Calvert County and haven’t looked back. Much better system and it’s smaller.

Why? What makes it better, in your opinion?

4 high schools
http://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_123339/File/Calvertnet/District%20Info/About%20Us/Profile/District%20Profile%202016.pdf

That's a dream imo.

We left MCPS for a smaller system with "only" 12 high schools. But 12 vs. 26 (I believe) is still ideal. MCPS is too large. So of course people with money will have a choice to move into a higher performing school with students facing fewer obstacles. The system then becomes a group of smaller systems working independently. There is no true MCPS.

In essence, a 4-high school system can run itself much more easily and is, in some cases, no different from higher-performing clusters in a larger county that stand apart from the other clusters facing more challenges.

Our local high school in this new system, which is within walking distance, has under 7% FARMs. People around us aren't rich; we're mainly all in the "middle." This is easier on teachers, too, who can actually instruct b/c there aren't too many students facing academic and/or social-emotional issues.

I spent the bulk of my career working with a challenging population. While we had success stories, over the last decade or so, it became impossible to do right by kids b/c we were told not to fail too many - or that it was our fault that kids weren't reading at grade level by the end of the year. There's only so much a teacher can do.

[Anonymous]

So it's better because it's smaller and has very few poor kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So it's better because it's smaller and has very few poor kids?

Until the system understands what equity means, small size and homogeneity are indeed factors. You get one chance to raise your kids, and if a system is broken b/c it refuses to understand the true meaning of equity, I'm certainly not waiting around for it to fix itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it's better because it's smaller and has very few poor kids?

Until the system understands what equity means, small size and homogeneity are indeed factors. You get one chance to raise your kids, and if a system is broken b/c it refuses to understand the true meaning of equity, I'm certainly not waiting around for it to fix itself.

Indeed, you only get once chance to raise your kids. Calvert County went 57% for Donald Trump. That’s not how I’m raising mine. (Montgomery County went 20% for Trump.)

https://www.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/president/maryland/

[Anonymous]

And yet, Calvert County is still ranked lower than MCPS in MD (#6 vs #2) and nationally (2620 vs 585 out of 10,758 school districts).

And if you don’t like Niche, try US News: you don’t hit a Calvert County school until #18 in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it's better because it's smaller and has very few poor kids?

Until the system understands what equity means, small size and homogeneity are indeed factors. You get one chance to raise your kids, and if a system is broken b/c it refuses to understand the true meaning of equity, I'm certainly not waiting around for it to fix itself.

What is the true meaning of equity, in your opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it's better because it's smaller and has very few poor kids?

Until the system understands what equity means, small size and homogeneity are indeed factors. You get one chance to raise your kids, and if a system is broken b/c it refuses to understand the true meaning of equity, I'm certainly not waiting around for it to fix itself.

What is the true meaning of equity, in your opinion?

based on my experiences as a teacher for over 25 years (mostly working in challenging schools)?

1. Promoting rigor across the board - Let's not pretend that Johnny can read and then pass him along. Reading at a 5th grade level in 9th grade is not acceptable.
2. Eliminating magnets - Magnets create schools within schools and promote segregation. Instead of busing others into the community., let's work together to ensure that the community is supporting its schools.
3. Removing "choice" - See #2. When the NEC was created, it caused issues within the neighborhoods and unfair competition among schools. So it's OK to say that MY school is better than yours?
4. Restoring discipline - I won't go into more detail over this topic. Just ask teachers whet they think about the Code of Conduct and how it's empowered students to behave poorly, as they know teachers (and admin) have no real say in disciplinary actions.
5. Reaching out to community - Teach parents the importance of education. Seamlessly integrate MH services throughout the community. Ensure that all schools have wellness centers.

five measures - with at least 50 more I could list if I had the time . . .

Unitl the system stops using a band aid approach to addressing problems, I'll glad choose a smaller system where my voice is heard.