RM versus Wooton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

We are talking about non IB kids. Stay focused.

LOL There are about 120 IB kids, mostly from out of boundaries. Not all kids of those people are in IB. You know zero about RM or RMIB. Clearly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Wootton's FARMS rate is 8.2%.

This is probably due to MCPS’ laughable and ludicrous ever-FARMS policy where if a child used farms at ANY point they are permanently tagged in the system. Highly unlikely there are actually 8.2 percent.

No. Those are two different numbers. The Ever-FARMS rate at Wootton is 12%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

We are talking about non IB kids. Stay focused.

LOL There are about 120 IB kids, mostly from out of boundaries. Not all kids of those people are in IB. You know zero about RM or RMIB. Clearly.

Lol indeed. My two kids spent 8 years at RM. I know plenty

[Anonymous]

I have two students at RM currently. Very different kids, neither IB. We live within walking distance of the school in a wonderful neighborhood. Both my kids do very well academically and have found wonderful friends both in and outside of IB at the school. I do not worry for one moment about my kids vaping, doing drugs, getting into gangs etc. Yes, they know it is there. Yes, they know about the third floor bathroom. But they stay away from all that and concentrate on the values we gave them. They have made friends in their sports, afterschool activities and PE. Some teachers are amazing, some less so but that is highschool anywhere. The BS about it being two schools is ridiculous. I love that my kids have friends from different backgrounds. And they love it as well. Pick the neighborhood that makes sense. Use the extra money and less commute time for more important things. The rest will work itself out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two students at RM currently. Very different kids, neither IB. We live within walking distance of the school in a wonderful neighborhood. Both my kids do very well academically and have found wonderful friends both in and outside of IB at the school. I do not worry for one moment about my kids vaping, doing drugs, getting into gangs etc. Yes, they know it is there. Yes, they know about the third floor bathroom. But they stay away from all that and concentrate on the values we gave them. They have made friends in their sports, afterschool activities and PE. Some teachers are amazing, some less so but that is highschool anywhere. The BS about it being two schools is ridiculous. I love that my kids have friends from different backgrounds. And they love it as well. Pick the neighborhood that makes sense. Use the extra money and less commute time for more important things. The rest will work itself out.

I'm glad to hear that! Truly. But, can you see that it might not always work out that way for every kid? Plenty of kids don't have the same privilege as your kids and are more likely to get involved with drugs/gangs. For kids like this, the school environment can make a big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

so? You think they wouldn't do that today to achieve equity?

I think they wouldn't rezone current walkers to become bus riders. They have made a point of this during every boundary study that's happened since the policy revision.

Don't count on that. My kids are zoned for an ES/MS that requires a bus ride. Despite the fact that we live walking distance to another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

RM was not built that long ago. Why can’t it handle the crowd?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

They might not have a choice for liability reasons. Badly behaving teenagers are getting banned from certain establishments.

What schools are doing in lieu of open lunch is letting kids eat anywhere in the school building, not just in the cafeteria during lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

so? You think they wouldn't do that today to achieve equity?

They don’t have the buses or drivers to achieve this anymore. And honestly, most kids in those neighborhoods go to privates or COSAS anyway. But it did destroy their home value

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

We are talking about non IB kids. Stay focused.

LOL There are about 120 IB kids, mostly from out of boundaries. Not all kids of those people are in IB. You know zero about RM or RMIB. Clearly.

About 25 kids from the RM neighborhood get magnet spots every year. More join in 11th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

They might not have a choice for liability reasons. Badly behaving teenagers are getting banned from certain establishments.

What schools are doing in lieu of open lunch is letting kids eat anywhere in the school building, not just in the cafeteria during lunch.

Most lunch places rely on the HS crowds. I have not heard of bans. Most just limit the number inside at one time or allow take out only

[Anonymous]

Wootton won’t have any issues with redistricting. They are added because that area by Rio will leave Wootton for Crown.

If they ended up moving Stone Mill to Crown (doubtful) they would move Ritchie Park back to Wootton since they are walkable. They aren’t going to bus kids miles to Wootton to add diversity. They don’t have the support to do that anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

RM was not built that long ago. Why can’t it handle the crowd?

RM is already overcrowded. They added several new portables just this year. With the even current over-development on Rockville Pike, it will just get worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great you can not go wrong.

RM is more diverse than Wootton economically. And people think its disciplinary problems are worse. The problems are at Wootton as well, maybe slightly different but still there.


If not in IB students can still take great classes and head off to a four-year school well-prepared.

Sports teams are easier to make at RM.

Harder to get into Ivie's top tier from RM (DCUM will disagree on this), IB program all the kids apply to same schools the colleges only take so many kids from each HS so do the math.

All the kids I know from RM have done very well in life ie college then jobs etc....

As for courses at RM a good student not in the IB program has same choices pretty much as any Wootton student would.

If I had it to do over again, not sure which I would pick. Prob RM because of the metro. We use the metro a lot and that extra drive or going to Shady Grove pain.

Only Blair send more kids to the ivies than RM.

Care to back that up with facts/data?

Check out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years and see this list for a snapshot.

https://polarislist.com/best-high-schools-in-maryland

IDK, silly to argue about these things but the link is only for three schools. MIT is not even an Ivy League school. I don't think it supports PP statement of "Only Blair sends more kids to the ivies than RM".

That is why the post said " a snapshot", not a complete list. Have you checked out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years?

I don't care whether you call it a snapshot or a slapshot or whatnot. How does it prove PP's "Only Blair sends more kids to ivies than RM"?? Answer that for me please.

Have you checked Bethesda magazine for at least the 10 years? Don't be lazy. Do your own search