Best elementary school for a STEM gifted child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park ES is the lower elementary K-2 that puts half of their first grade into their science "magnet" (it's called a magnet because they leave 10 spots open for out-of- boundary students, but they are not eligible for future benefits.) TPES feeds into Piney Branch ES where there is one 27-student class of fourth and fifth graders, respectively, at aside for their local Center for Enriched Studies. Then, about 25 PBES students are invited directly into the Takoma Park Middle School STEM magnet without the heavy competition the rest of the lower county. If I knew what I was doing 15 years ap when we'd bought our house, we'd have moved into that school some.

Lots of misinformation in this thread about TPES/PBES so let me address some things:

The TPES magnet curriculum happens starting in 1st grade, and if your child is above, say, the 80th percentile he'll be in it. MANY kids are in it at TPES - as far as I can tell there's no limit to who gets this. It's unremarkable, and frankly, it's just what parents who value education and have a brighter than average kid would expect out of regular school. This is for 1st and 2nd.

When you move to PBES in 3rd nothing happens. Not even enriched math. ]For my child, a very bright, 99th percentile kid, it was an incredible boring year. We were disappointed with the curriculum but had a good teacher so it was fine.

In 4th you can attend the local CES. This year there are TWO classes of 4th graders (about 1/4 of the 4th grade). No idea if it will continue to be this large. Local CES is nice, and we are grateful for it, but it's not great for a truly super gifted kid for a few reasons. 1.) The local cohort, filled with lots of super smart and motivated kids, is watered down compared to the centers. 2.) It's just accelerated work and lots of it. It's not going to suit a kid who is truly off the charts exceptional (our kid is not this, and therefore does fine). Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing, but a kid who needs genius-level support is not going to be well suited to a local CES.

Middle School magnets of an accelerated academic (not interest-based) nature in MCPS are a crapshoot. Of all the qualified kids, only a fraction are permitted to attend through lottery. We're hoping to find another county to move to by that time so that we can have a smaller environment with more accessible paths to enrichment.

That's not accurate. There are differentiated groupings that work on different things. For example, DC who is in 3rd at PBES recently finished long-division and is currently working multiplying fractions. I do not think this is standard for 2.0.

Unremarkable and “what you would expect” are a bit of an oxymoron in MCPS 1st and 2nd math! As someone who knows children of the same age in both TPES and a regular ES, I’d like to state that the TPES program is remarkable and definitely moves at a faster rate than the regular curriculum.


To PP above, that sounds exactly like what my DC in a regional CES is doing in compacted 4/5 right now. So those third graders may be doing 2.0 compacted 4/5? How I wish that were more widely available....

Our youngest is at TPES and our oldest is at PBES. We really couldn't be happier with the schools. The smaller class sizes combined with dedicated STEM and accelerated math classes are unique. We moved to the area because we liked the feel of Takoma, but the schools are a huge plus.

TPES has the only elementary level magnet program in MCPS and PBES also has a dedicated STEM teacher.

The accelerated math track that starts at TPES by 3rd is similar to 4th grade compacted as an earlier poster mentioned.

Also, find the smaller class sizes at TPES which range from 16-20 kids is especially helpful for the younger kids.

Keep in mind that those programs were put into those schools due to the very high level of poverty in the Takoma Park Area and the parents clamored for years for enrichment to keep their kids in different classes than the kids who don’t need “enrichment”. I would tour the area before I made any decisions to send my kids to a program over there. TP uses the STEM classes as carrots to middle class parents. Ask your self if it is worth it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park ES is the lower elementary K-2 that puts half of their first grade into their science "magnet" (it's called a magnet because they leave 10 spots open for out-of- boundary students, but they are not eligible for future benefits.) TPES feeds into Piney Branch ES where there is one 27-student class of fourth and fifth graders, respectively, at aside for their local Center for Enriched Studies. Then, about 25 PBES students are invited directly into the Takoma Park Middle School STEM magnet without the heavy competition the rest of the lower county. If I knew what I was doing 15 years ap when we'd bought our house, we'd have moved into that school some.

Lots of misinformation in this thread about TPES/PBES so let me address some things:

The TPES magnet curriculum happens starting in 1st grade, and if your child is above, say, the 80th percentile he'll be in it. MANY kids are in it at TPES - as far as I can tell there's no limit to who gets this. It's unremarkable, and frankly, it's just what parents who value education and have a brighter than average kid would expect out of regular school. This is for 1st and 2nd.

When you move to PBES in 3rd nothing happens. Not even enriched math. ]For my child, a very bright, 99th percentile kid, it was an incredible boring year. We were disappointed with the curriculum but had a good teacher so it was fine.

In 4th you can attend the local CES. This year there are TWO classes of 4th graders (about 1/4 of the 4th grade). No idea if it will continue to be this large. Local CES is nice, and we are grateful for it, but it's not great for a truly super gifted kid for a few reasons. 1.) The local cohort, filled with lots of super smart and motivated kids, is watered down compared to the centers. 2.) It's just accelerated work and lots of it. It's not going to suit a kid who is truly off the charts exceptional (our kid is not this, and therefore does fine). Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing, but a kid who needs genius-level support is not going to be well suited to a local CES.

Middle School magnets of an accelerated academic (not interest-based) nature in MCPS are a crapshoot. Of all the qualified kids, only a fraction are permitted to attend through lottery. We're hoping to find another county to move to by that time so that we can have a smaller environment with more accessible paths to enrichment.

That's not accurate. There are differentiated groupings that work on different things. For example, DC who is in 3rd at PBES recently finished long-division and is currently working multiplying fractions. I do not think this is standard for 2.0.

Unremarkable and “what you would expect” are a bit of an oxymoron in MCPS 1st and 2nd math! As someone who knows children of the same age in both TPES and a regular ES, I’d like to state that the TPES program is remarkable and definitely moves at a faster rate than the regular curriculum.


To PP above, that sounds exactly like what my DC in a regional CES is doing in compacted 4/5 right now. So those third graders may be doing 2.0 compacted 4/5? How I wish that were more widely available....

Our youngest is at TPES and our oldest is at PBES. We really couldn't be happier with the schools. The smaller class sizes combined with dedicated STEM and accelerated math classes are unique. We moved to the area because we liked the feel of Takoma, but the schools are a huge plus.

TPES has the only elementary level magnet program in MCPS and PBES also has a dedicated STEM teacher.

The accelerated math track that starts at TPES by 3rd is similar to 4th grade compacted as an earlier poster mentioned.

Also, find the smaller class sizes at TPES which range from 16-20 kids is especially helpful for the younger kids.

Keep in mind that those programs were put into those schools due to the very high level of poverty in the Takoma Park Area and the parents clamored for years for enrichment to keep their kids in different classes than the kids who don’t need “enrichment”. I would tour the area before I made any decisions to send my kids to a program over there. TP uses the STEM classes as carrots to middle class parents. Ask your self if it is worth it

Takoma Park is a diverse area, and decades ago when these programs began the area was also different than today. The FAMRS rate at TPES is around 35% which is why it's a focus school. This is also why many classes often have only 16 kids instead of 25-30. It really is an amazing school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's also possible there some people who are a little bitter about these things. Regardless, many of President Obama's staff chose to live in TKPK as does our Congressman Jamie Raskin, our County executive Marc Elrich, and an unusually high percentage of the county council. It's the oldest commuter suburb of DC and a short commute to the hear of the city on the red-line. DC has changed immensely in recent years, and frankly that doesn't sit well with everyone.

WAPO: Takoma Park at Core of Obama White House
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/takoma-park-liberals-at-the-core-of-the-white-house/2014/10/29/b3395174-5de6-11e4-9f3a-7e28799e0549_story.html?utm_term=.e25338658be2

NYT: Takoma Park a Diverse Suburb
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/realestate/takoma-park-md-a-diverse-washington-dc-suburb.html

THRILLIST: Takoma Park etc
https://www.thrillist.com/state-of-the-suburbs/washington,-dc

Thanks for the info!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. See I’m glad I asked! I have no idea about all this magnet stuff. Good thing my husband grew up in MiCo. He’ll have a better idea. But great to know the regular schools aren’t going to cut it. And when I mentioned he was gifted,
I’m just saying it’s his strong point. Very strong. But not trying to suggest there aren’t plenty of gifted children out there!

Move to fairfax county in VA - MoCo doesnt address gifted kids' needs any more

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park ES is the lower elementary K-2 that puts half of their first grade into their science "magnet" (it's called a magnet because they leave 10 spots open for out-of- boundary students, but they are not eligible for future benefits.) TPES feeds into Piney Branch ES where there is one 27-student class of fourth and fifth graders, respectively, at aside for their local Center for Enriched Studies. Then, about 25 PBES students are invited directly into the Takoma Park Middle School STEM magnet without the heavy competition the rest of the lower county. If I knew what I was doing 15 years ap when we'd bought our house, we'd have moved into that school some.

Lots of misinformation in this thread about TPES/PBES so let me address some things:

The TPES magnet curriculum happens starting in 1st grade, and if your child is above, say, the 80th percentile he'll be in it. MANY kids are in it at TPES - as far as I can tell there's no limit to who gets this. It's unremarkable, and frankly, it's just what parents who value education and have a brighter than average kid would expect out of regular school. This is for 1st and 2nd.

When you move to PBES in 3rd nothing happens. Not even enriched math. ]For my child, a very bright, 99th percentile kid, it was an incredible boring year. We were disappointed with the curriculum but had a good teacher so it was fine.

In 4th you can attend the local CES. This year there are TWO classes of 4th graders (about 1/4 of the 4th grade). No idea if it will continue to be this large. Local CES is nice, and we are grateful for it, but it's not great for a truly super gifted kid for a few reasons. 1.) The local cohort, filled with lots of super smart and motivated kids, is watered down compared to the centers. 2.) It's just accelerated work and lots of it. It's not going to suit a kid who is truly off the charts exceptional (our kid is not this, and therefore does fine). Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing, but a kid who needs genius-level support is not going to be well suited to a local CES.

Middle School magnets of an accelerated academic (not interest-based) nature in MCPS are a crapshoot. Of all the qualified kids, only a fraction are permitted to attend through lottery. We're hoping to find another county to move to by that time so that we can have a smaller environment with more accessible paths to enrichment.

That's not accurate. There are differentiated groupings that work on different things. For example, DC who is in 3rd at PBES recently finished long-division and is currently working multiplying fractions. I do not think this is standard for 2.0.

Unremarkable and “what you would expect” are a bit of an oxymoron in MCPS 1st and 2nd math! As someone who knows children of the same age in both TPES and a regular ES, I’d like to state that the TPES program is remarkable and definitely moves at a faster rate than the regular curriculum.


To PP above, that sounds exactly like what my DC in a regional CES is doing in compacted 4/5 right now. So those third graders may be doing 2.0 compacted 4/5? How I wish that were more widely available....

Our youngest is at TPES and our oldest is at PBES. We really couldn't be happier with the schools. The smaller class sizes combined with dedicated STEM and accelerated math classes are unique. We moved to the area because we liked the feel of Takoma, but the schools are a huge plus.

TPES has the only elementary level magnet program in MCPS and PBES also has a dedicated STEM teacher.

The accelerated math track that starts at TPES by 3rd is similar to 4th grade compacted as an earlier poster mentioned.

Also, find the smaller class sizes at TPES which range from 16-20 kids is especially helpful for the younger kids.

Keep in mind that those programs were put into those schools due to the very high level of poverty in the Takoma Park Area and the parents clamored for years for enrichment to keep their kids in different classes than the kids who don’t need “enrichment”. I would tour the area before I made any decisions to send my kids to a program over there. TP uses the STEM classes as carrots to middle class parents. Ask your self if it is worth it

Keep in mind that those programs remain in those schools due to the political savvy of the parents and the outsized sway of the town of Takoma Park.

Seriously, PP, have you ever stepped foot in that school??? It's been a few years but my DC was supposed to have a basketball practice at the TPES that unbeknownst to me was cancelled due to their back to school nite. Since we were there we went ahead and fought our way through the throngs of parents to confirm the gym was otherwise occupied. Entirely different class of people than my nearby ES, by all appearances that's the place the intelligentsia send their little ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Keep in mind that those programs remain in those schools due to the political savvy of the parents and the outsized sway of the town of Takoma Park.

Seriously, PP, have you ever stepped foot in that school??? It's been a few years but my DC was supposed to have a basketball practice at the TPES that unbeknownst to me was cancelled due to their back to school nite. Since we were there we went ahead and fought our way through the throngs of parents to confirm the gym was otherwise occupied. Entirely different class of people than my nearby ES, by all appearances that's the place the intelligentsia send their little ones.

What are you saying here, PP? That the gym was full of people whom you eyeballed and found -- well, what? Non-intelligentsia-ish? They didn't look like Allan Bloom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many kids are gifted here. Its very hard to get into gifted programs as there are only a few. No public elementary school has a strong stem program. You need to go private.

No private has a stem program stronger than public either. You can either homeschool or you can look to enrich by searching opportunities for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Keep in mind that those programs remain in those schools due to the political savvy of the parents and the outsized sway of the town of Takoma Park.

Seriously, PP, have you ever stepped foot in that school??? It's been a few years but my DC was supposed to have a basketball practice at the TPES that unbeknownst to me was cancelled due to their back to school nite. Since we were there we went ahead and fought our way through the throngs of parents to confirm the gym was otherwise occupied. Entirely different class of people than my nearby ES, by all appearances that's the place the intelligentsia send their little ones.

What are you saying here, PP? That the gym was full of people whom you eyeballed and found -- well, what? Non-intelligentsia-ish? They didn't look like Allan Bloom?

Nope, saying the exact opposite. Yes, just eyeballing, but by all appearances a cut well above the folks at our ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. See I’m glad I asked! I have no idea about all this magnet stuff. Good thing my husband grew up in MiCo. He’ll have a better idea. But great to know the regular schools aren’t going to cut it. And when I mentioned he was gifted,
I’m just saying it’s his strong point. Very strong. But not trying to suggest there aren’t plenty of gifted children out there!

Move to fairfax county in VA - MoCo doesnt address gifted kids' needs any more

FCPS' gifted program is lightweight compares to MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park ES is the lower elementary K-2 that puts half of their first grade into their science "magnet" (it's called a magnet because they leave 10 spots open for out-of- boundary students, but they are not eligible for future benefits.) TPES feeds into Piney Branch ES where there is one 27-student class of fourth and fifth graders, respectively, at aside for their local Center for Enriched Studies. Then, about 25 PBES students are invited directly into the Takoma Park Middle School STEM magnet without the heavy competition the rest of the lower county. If I knew what I was doing 15 years ap when we'd bought our house, we'd have moved into that school some.

Lots of misinformation in this thread about TPES/PBES so let me address some things:

The TPES magnet curriculum happens starting in 1st grade, and if your child is above, say, the 80th percentile he'll be in it. MANY kids are in it at TPES - as far as I can tell there's no limit to who gets this. It's unremarkable, and frankly, it's just what parents who value education and have a brighter than average kid would expect out of regular school. This is for 1st and 2nd.

When you move to PBES in 3rd nothing happens. Not even enriched math. ]For my child, a very bright, 99th percentile kid, it was an incredible boring year. We were disappointed with the curriculum but had a good teacher so it was fine.

In 4th you can attend the local CES. This year there are TWO classes of 4th graders (about 1/4 of the 4th grade). No idea if it will continue to be this large. Local CES is nice, and we are grateful for it, but it's not great for a truly super gifted kid for a few reasons. 1.) The local cohort, filled with lots of super smart and motivated kids, is watered down compared to the centers. 2.) It's just accelerated work and lots of it. It's not going to suit a kid who is truly off the charts exceptional (our kid is not this, and therefore does fine). Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing, but a kid who needs genius-level support is not going to be well suited to a local CES.

Middle School magnets of an accelerated academic (not interest-based) nature in MCPS are a crapshoot. Of all the qualified kids, only a fraction are permitted to attend through lottery. We're hoping to find another county to move to by that time so that we can have a smaller environment with more accessible paths to enrichment.

That's not accurate. There are differentiated groupings that work on different things. For example, DC who is in 3rd at PBES recently finished long-division and is currently working multiplying fractions. I do not think this is standard for 2.0.

Unremarkable and “what you would expect” are a bit of an oxymoron in MCPS 1st and 2nd math! As someone who knows children of the same age in both TPES and a regular ES, I’d like to state that the TPES program is remarkable and definitely moves at a faster rate than the regular curriculum.


To PP above, that sounds exactly like what my DC in a regional CES is doing in compacted 4/5 right now. So those third graders may be doing 2.0 compacted 4/5? How I wish that were more widely available....

Our youngest is at TPES and our oldest is at PBES. We really couldn't be happier with the schools. The smaller class sizes combined with dedicated STEM and accelerated math classes are unique. We moved to the area because we liked the feel of Takoma, but the schools are a huge plus.

TPES has the only elementary level magnet program in MCPS and PBES also has a dedicated STEM teacher.

The accelerated math track that starts at TPES by 3rd is similar to 4th grade compacted as an earlier poster mentioned.

Also, find the smaller class sizes at TPES which range from 16-20 kids is especially helpful for the younger kids.

Keep in mind that those programs were put into those schools due to the very high level of poverty in the Takoma Park Area and the parents clamored for years for enrichment to keep their kids in different classes than the kids who don’t need “enrichment”. I would tour the area before I made any decisions to send my kids to a program over there. TP uses the STEM classes as carrots to middle class parents. Ask your self if it is worth it

Keep in mind that those programs remain in those schools due to the political savvy of the parents and the outsized sway of the town of Takoma Park.

Seriously, PP, have you ever stepped foot in that school??? It's been a few years but my DC was supposed to have a basketball practice at the TPES that unbeknownst to me was cancelled due to their back to school nite. Since we were there we went ahead and fought our way through the throngs of parents to confirm the gym was otherwise occupied. Entirely different class of people than my nearby ES, by all appearances that's the place the intelligentsia send their little ones.

Look, TPES has a real mix of kids and parents. Yes, there are a lot of affluent families moving here form Cap Hill and the like, but there are also a lot or poor and immigrant families here too. I am in the school once a week. you will not see the full diversity on back to school night -- some parents are working or watching the kids. It is a broad spectrum, truly. As to the enrichment, there isn't much separated -- the school (to my knowledge) uses the magnet money across the board. The magnet draw is more for teacher expertise and cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The curriculum is the same across the county. At the MS level there are magnet and enriched classes. At the high school level there are STEM tracks, AP and magnets. There is no acceleration or advancement for K-3 and only compacted math for 4/5. Science is bad at the ES level across the county. It just isn't in the curriculum in a substantive manner.

The highest academic math performers are at ES schools in Churchill, Whitman and Wootton. A portion of these kids used to travel to the TPMS magnet but with the cohort changes they are in their home schools. Pyle, Frost, and Cabin John now have the highest math performers - mostly in the 99-98 percentiles in the county while TPMS now has a few high performers from other schools but mostly able yet not very high performers in the program. If your kid likes math/science but is not a genius or one of the highest performers than TPMS is helpful with the 25 spots for kids that wouldn't normally make it . What is bad is that if your kid misses that cut off then you may not even have an able cohort within TPMS. SSMI has more high performers than TPMS so if you want Silver Spring but don't want to bank on the magnet this is another option.

For a STEM gifted kid, I'd choose a school that feeds into Cabin John, Pyle or Frost.

What??? Is this joke?
For STEM, these schools don't even come close to TPMS

TPMS magnet program only takes a limited number of students. If one considers the rest of the school, Cabin John and Frost are much stronger in STEM.

Of course, if people have confidence that their kids can get into the Magnet program in TPMS, it would not with ES they go to (as long as it is down county).

Cabin John and Frost cannot come close to Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park ES is the lower elementary K-2 that puts half of their first grade into their science "magnet" (it's called a magnet because they leave 10 spots open for out-of- boundary students, but they are not eligible for future benefits.) TPES feeds into Piney Branch ES where there is one 27-student class of fourth and fifth graders, respectively, at aside for their local Center for Enriched Studies. Then, about 25 PBES students are invited directly into the Takoma Park Middle School STEM magnet without the heavy competition the rest of the lower county. If I knew what I was doing 15 years ap when we'd bought our house, we'd have moved into that school some.

Lots of misinformation in this thread about TPES/PBES so let me address some things:

The TPES magnet curriculum happens starting in 1st grade, and if your child is above, say, the 80th percentile he'll be in it. MANY kids are in it at TPES - as far as I can tell there's no limit to who gets this. It's unremarkable, and frankly, it's just what parents who value education and have a brighter than average kid would expect out of regular school. This is for 1st and 2nd.

When you move to PBES in 3rd nothing happens. Not even enriched math. ]For my child, a very bright, 99th percentile kid, it was an incredible boring year. We were disappointed with the curriculum but had a good teacher so it was fine.

In 4th you can attend the local CES. This year there are TWO classes of 4th graders (about 1/4 of the 4th grade). No idea if it will continue to be this large. Local CES is nice, and we are grateful for it, but it's not great for a truly super gifted kid for a few reasons. 1.) The local cohort, filled with lots of super smart and motivated kids, is watered down compared to the centers. 2.) It's just accelerated work and lots of it. It's not going to suit a kid who is truly off the charts exceptional (our kid is not this, and therefore does fine). Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing, but a kid who needs genius-level support is not going to be well suited to a local CES.

Middle School magnets of an accelerated academic (not interest-based) nature in MCPS are a crapshoot. Of all the qualified kids, only a fraction are permitted to attend through lottery. We're hoping to find another county to move to by that time so that we can have a smaller environment with more accessible paths to enrichment.

That's not accurate. There are differentiated groupings that work on different things. For example, DC who is in 3rd at PBES recently finished long-division and is currently working multiplying fractions. I do not think this is standard for 2.0.

Unremarkable and “what you would expect” are a bit of an oxymoron in MCPS 1st and 2nd math! As someone who knows children of the same age in both TPES and a regular ES, I’d like to state that the TPES program is remarkable and definitely moves at a faster rate than the regular curriculum.


To PP above, that sounds exactly like what my DC in a regional CES is doing in compacted 4/5 right now. So those third graders may be doing 2.0 compacted 4/5? How I wish that were more widely available....

Our youngest is at TPES and our oldest is at PBES. We really couldn't be happier with the schools. The smaller class sizes combined with dedicated STEM and accelerated math classes are unique. We moved to the area because we liked the feel of Takoma, but the schools are a huge plus.

TPES has the only elementary level magnet program in MCPS and PBES also has a dedicated STEM teacher.

The accelerated math track that starts at TPES by 3rd is similar to 4th grade compacted as an earlier poster mentioned.

Also, find the smaller class sizes at TPES which range from 16-20 kids is especially helpful for the younger kids.

Keep in mind that those programs were put into those schools due to the very high level of poverty in the Takoma Park Area and the parents clamored for years for enrichment to keep their kids in different classes than the kids who don’t need “enrichment”. I would tour the area before I made any decisions to send my kids to a program over there. TP uses the STEM classes as carrots to middle class parents. Ask your self if it is worth it

Keep in mind that those programs remain in those schools due to the political savvy of the parents and the outsized sway of the town of Takoma Park.

Seriously, PP, have you ever stepped foot in that school??? It's been a few years but my DC was supposed to have a basketball practice at the TPES that unbeknownst to me was cancelled due to their back to school nite. Since we were there we went ahead and fought our way through the throngs of parents to confirm the gym was otherwise occupied. Entirely different class of people than my nearby ES, by all appearances that's the place the intelligentsia send their little ones.

Look, TPES has a real mix of kids and parents. Yes, there are a lot of affluent families moving here form Cap Hill and the like, but there are also a lot or poor and immigrant families here too. I am in the school once a week. you will not see the full diversity on back to school night -- some parents are working or watching the kids. It is a broad spectrum, truly. As to the enrichment, there isn't much separated -- the school (to my knowledge) uses the magnet money across the board. The magnet draw is more for teacher expertise and cohort.

Of course, and very few parents are even there for the magnet, but the fact remains there is a good mix of people in the community and it's a well supported school. There are plenty of people who could go elsewhere who are not scared off by diversity as the PP was trying to do. The magnets are no longer a carrot, now the communities that have them put up a fight to keep them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The curriculum is the same across the county. At the MS level there are magnet and enriched classes. At the high school level there are STEM tracks, AP and magnets. There is no acceleration or advancement for K-3 and only compacted math for 4/5. Science is bad at the ES level across the county. It just isn't in the curriculum in a substantive manner.

The highest academic math performers are at ES schools in Churchill, Whitman and Wootton. A portion of these kids used to travel to the TPMS magnet but with the cohort changes they are in their home schools. Pyle, Frost, and Cabin John now have the highest math performers - mostly in the 99-98 percentiles in the county while TPMS now has a few high performers from other schools but mostly able yet not very high performers in the program. If your kid likes math/science but is not a genius or one of the highest performers than TPMS is helpful with the 25 spots for kids that wouldn't normally make it . What is bad is that if your kid misses that cut off then you may not even have an able cohort within TPMS. SSMI has more high performers than TPMS so if you want Silver Spring but don't want to bank on the magnet this is another option.

For a STEM gifted kid, I'd choose a school that feeds into Cabin John, Pyle or Frost.

What??? Is this joke?
For STEM, these schools don't even come close to TPMS

TPMS magnet program only takes a limited number of students. If one considers the rest of the school, Cabin John and Frost are much stronger in STEM.

Of course, if people have confidence that their kids can get into the Magnet program in TPMS, it would not with ES they go to (as long as it is down county).

Cabin John and Frost cannot come close to Takoma Park.

Are you sure about that?

For example, in competitions like mathcounts, I've never seen anyone from Takoma Park MS NOT from their magnet program.
If you just pick the top kids, yes, TPMS is stronger. But that is not a program you just enter if you live in the zone.

Again, TPMS is strong in STEM if you can get in the magnet program. But there is simply no point to live in its school zone.
For non-magnet part, Cabin John and RFMS are clearly stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma Park ES is the lower elementary K-2 that puts half of their first grade into their science "magnet" (it's called a magnet because they leave 10 spots open for out-of- boundary students, but they are not eligible for future benefits.) TPES feeds into Piney Branch ES where there is one 27-student class of fourth and fifth graders, respectively, at aside for their local Center for Enriched Studies. Then, about 25 PBES students are invited directly into the Takoma Park Middle School STEM magnet without the heavy competition the rest of the lower county. If I knew what I was doing 15 years ap when we'd bought our house, we'd have moved into that school some.

Lots of misinformation in this thread about TPES/PBES so let me address some things:

The TPES magnet curriculum happens starting in 1st grade, and if your child is above, say, the 80th percentile he'll be in it. MANY kids are in it at TPES - as far as I can tell there's no limit to who gets this. It's unremarkable, and frankly, it's just what parents who value education and have a brighter than average kid would expect out of regular school. This is for 1st and 2nd.

When you move to PBES in 3rd nothing happens. Not even enriched math. ]For my child, a very bright, 99th percentile kid, it was an incredible boring year. We were disappointed with the curriculum but had a good teacher so it was fine.

In 4th you can attend the local CES. This year there are TWO classes of 4th graders (about 1/4 of the 4th grade). No idea if it will continue to be this large. Local CES is nice, and we are grateful for it, but it's not great for a truly super gifted kid for a few reasons. 1.) The local cohort, filled with lots of super smart and motivated kids, is watered down compared to the centers. 2.) It's just accelerated work and lots of it. It's not going to suit a kid who is truly off the charts exceptional (our kid is not this, and therefore does fine). Don't get me wrong - it's a good thing, but a kid who needs genius-level support is not going to be well suited to a local CES.

Middle School magnets of an accelerated academic (not interest-based) nature in MCPS are a crapshoot. Of all the qualified kids, only a fraction are permitted to attend through lottery. We're hoping to find another county to move to by that time so that we can have a smaller environment with more accessible paths to enrichment.

That's not accurate. There are differentiated groupings that work on different things. For example, DC who is in 3rd at PBES recently finished long-division and is currently working multiplying fractions. I do not think this is standard for 2.0.

Unremarkable and “what you would expect” are a bit of an oxymoron in MCPS 1st and 2nd math! As someone who knows children of the same age in both TPES and a regular ES, I’d like to state that the TPES program is remarkable and definitely moves at a faster rate than the regular curriculum.


To PP above, that sounds exactly like what my DC in a regional CES is doing in compacted 4/5 right now. So those third graders may be doing 2.0 compacted 4/5? How I wish that were more widely available....

Our youngest is at TPES and our oldest is at PBES. We really couldn't be happier with the schools. The smaller class sizes combined with dedicated STEM and accelerated math classes are unique. We moved to the area because we liked the feel of Takoma, but the schools are a huge plus.

TPES has the only elementary level magnet program in MCPS and PBES also has a dedicated STEM teacher.

The accelerated math track that starts at TPES by 3rd is similar to 4th grade compacted as an earlier poster mentioned.

Also, find the smaller class sizes at TPES which range from 16-20 kids is especially helpful for the younger kids.

Keep in mind that those programs were put into those schools due to the very high level of poverty in the Takoma Park Area and the parents clamored for years for enrichment to keep their kids in different classes than the kids who don’t need “enrichment”. I would tour the area before I made any decisions to send my kids to a program over there. TP uses the STEM classes as carrots to middle class parents. Ask your self if it is worth it

Keep in mind that those programs remain in those schools due to the political savvy of the parents and the outsized sway of the town of Takoma Park.

Seriously, PP, have you ever stepped foot in that school??? It's been a few years but my DC was supposed to have a basketball practice at the TPES that unbeknownst to me was cancelled due to their back to school nite. Since we were there we went ahead and fought our way through the throngs of parents to confirm the gym was otherwise occupied. Entirely different class of people than my nearby ES, by all appearances that's the place the intelligentsia send their little ones.

That is because 1) you apparently not accustomed to a middle class school on that side of the city and 2) as progressive as they pretend to be Takoma Park found a way to cut it’s zone in half and by some complete accident the majority of the poor kids in TP ended up at eastern middle school. Don’t worry they meet back up at Blair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The curriculum is the same across the county. At the MS level there are magnet and enriched classes. At the high school level there are STEM tracks, AP and magnets. There is no acceleration or advancement for K-3 and only compacted math for 4/5. Science is bad at the ES level across the county. It just isn't in the curriculum in a substantive manner.

The highest academic math performers are at ES schools in Churchill, Whitman and Wootton. A portion of these kids used to travel to the TPMS magnet but with the cohort changes they are in their home schools. Pyle, Frost, and Cabin John now have the highest math performers - mostly in the 99-98 percentiles in the county while TPMS now has a few high performers from other schools but mostly able yet not very high performers in the program. If your kid likes math/science but is not a genius or one of the highest performers than TPMS is helpful with the 25 spots for kids that wouldn't normally make it . What is bad is that if your kid misses that cut off then you may not even have an able cohort within TPMS. SSMI has more high performers than TPMS so if you want Silver Spring but don't want to bank on the magnet this is another option.

For a STEM gifted kid, I'd choose a school that feeds into Cabin John, Pyle or Frost.

What??? Is this joke?
For STEM, these schools don't even come close to TPMS

TPMS magnet program only takes a limited number of students. If one considers the rest of the school, Cabin John and Frost are much stronger in STEM.

Of course, if people have confidence that their kids can get into the Magnet program in TPMS, it would not with ES they go to (as long as it is down county).

Cabin John and Frost cannot come close to Takoma Park.

Are you sure about that?

For example, in competitions like mathcounts, I've never seen anyone from Takoma Park MS NOT from their magnet program.
If you just pick the top kids, yes, TPMS is stronger. But that is not a program you just enter if you live in the zone.

Again, TPMS is strong in STEM if you can get in the magnet program. But there is simply no point to live in its school zone.
For non-magnet part, Cabin John and RFMS are clearly stronger.

#1 I would hope no one would judge an entire program of science and math standings based on math counts! Many of the kids on math counts at TPMS have done lots of outside prep. That really doesn't define the quality of the program overall.

#2 Many kids at TPMS magnet are in-boundary and would be at TPMS anyway.

I'm sure CJ and Frost are good schools too. I don't know why y'all need to try to one up here, though. It's silly.