If you could choose any MCPS cluster for DC, which would it be and why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why should any one care which school any student goes to. If you want to do apples to apples comparison then here's what you can do -

AP classes - how many, which ones, and AP scores

SAT/ACT scores.

That's all the comparison I need.

Test scores are almost completely related to wealth of the community not school quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why should any one care which school any student goes to. If you want to do apples to apples comparison then here's what you can do -

AP classes - how many, which ones, and AP scores

SAT/ACT scores.

That's all the comparison I need.

Test scores are almost completely related to wealth of the community not school quality.

Which shows how crappy MCPS is at teaching unless you have tutors, parents teaching a home, test prep classes etc....

[Anonymous]

+1. Where is the value added from school if everything is SES5?

[Anonymous]

Except it is true for the entire country. The biggest correlating factors to success at school are parent income and parent education. More the $$ spent, class size, teacher education..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids are also at WJ. One thing to keep in mind about the WJ cluster is that it is somewhat unique among the Potomac and Bethesda clusters due to the fact that there are many, many apartments and townhomes in North Bethesda (most which feeds to WJ). This means there are more families at WJ with incomes across a wider spectrum than you'll find at Churchill, Whitman and Wooten.

Percent of students at Walter Johnson with Free and Reduced Meals status: 8%
Percent of students at Walter Johnson who have ever had Free and Reduced Meals status: 18%

The same numbers for MCPS at a whole: 35%/43%

But yes, that's more than at Churchill (5%/10%), Whitman (<5%, <5%), and Wootton (<5%, 11%).

Eh, there's still a big gray area between qualifying for FARMS and being able to afford a million dollar house. That area that feeds into WJ does have more options (apts, town homes) for those who are priced out of the SFH market than the other W schools. But those options are of course still out of reach for many, I can't imagine being able to afford the rents on a salary that also qualified for FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sherwood belongs on the list too -- 55% white.

our cluster

love being in a more "rural" environment, as we're not in Olney proper

solid schools
yes, some nouveau riche assholes - But they're everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why should any one care which school any student goes to. If you want to do apples to apples comparison then here's what you can do -

AP classes - how many, which ones, and AP scores

SAT/ACT scores.

That's all the comparison I need.

Test scores are almost completely related to wealth of the community not school quality.

Which shows how crappy MCPS is at teaching unless you have tutors, parents teaching a home, test prep classes etc....

The majority of my 9th graders in on level classes read anywhere from a 1st to 4th grade level.

What miracle should I perform to get all 29 of the kids (per class) to reach proficiency level by June?

b/c it's my fault, no?

[Anonymous]

It is the school's fault. What happened in the elementary years. Are you saying they just showed up in 9th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is the school's fault. What happened in the elementary years. Are you saying they just showed up in 9th grade?

Ah, so it wasn't the ninth-grade teacher's fault, it's the fault of the kindergarten teacher, the first-grade teacher, the second-grade teacher...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sherwood belongs on the list too -- 55% white.

And there's even a W in the name!

Still no W in Bethesda-Chevy Chase, though.

[Anonymous]

I liked an earlier poster who felt it should be referred to as B-CC East West Highway Campus so it could get a W (two)

[Anonymous]

QO.

School spirit and everybody loves it. Seems happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why should any one care which school any student goes to. If you want to do apples to apples comparison then here's what you can do -

AP classes - how many, which ones, and AP scores

SAT/ACT scores.

That's all the comparison I need.

Test scores are almost completely related to wealth of the community not school quality.

Which shows how crappy MCPS is at teaching unless you have tutors, parents teaching a home, test prep classes etc....

The majority of my 9th graders in on level classes read anywhere from a 1st to 4th grade level.

What miracle should I perform to get all 29 of the kids (per class) to reach proficiency level by June?

b/c it's my fault, no?

No, it sounds like it is the border patrol's fault

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the school's fault. What happened in the elementary years. Are you saying they just showed up in 9th grade?

Ah, so it wasn't the ninth-grade teacher's fault, it's the fault of the kindergarten teacher, the first-grade teacher, the second-grade teacher...?

Yes, it is. Who do you blame? Not all parents have time to sit down and teach the kids. They are in school for 6hrs every day for 9 years prior to you. They should have learned something with all those great MCPS teachers, correct?

[Anonymous]

Churchill. The only good cluster other than Whitman.