Do you have kids at Blair or other SS/Takoma High school options?

[Anonymous]

What do you like about it? Are they in an academy? Is the regular ed program also a good choice? We're thinking of moving from DC to Silver Spring or Takoma Park. Are there any other high schools we should consider? We don't want a high pressure, highly competitive situation. We're looking for down to earth kids, following their passions and enjoying school and life. Our DD is an average, nice, slightly sporty, slightly arty kid.

[Anonymous]

We have a kid in the Blair CAP program. It's pretty intense with lots of writing work, but the kids tend to be creative and fun. Some of them shop at Value Village and talk about it happily, which DC absolutely loves having been at private school before.

The math/science magnet is supposed to be very intense -- DC has a friend in it who is really intimidated by the other students. However for a kid who just loves math/science and is very talented at it, this probably wouldn't be so much a challenge as a joy.

Apart from the CAP courses (english, social studies, drama, journalism), DC takes honors math and sciences with kids in the "regular" program (don't want to choose loaded words but I'm writing fast, can't think of a better word, and you used it too, so I'll go with it). These classes are certainly challenging, but not impossibly so.

[Anonymous]

thanks this is helpful. I think the "regular" ed is a good thing. I have a fairly "regular" kid! But I have heard that Blair can be intense if you're in a special program. Can kids not in the special programs still get a great education and have access to some of those classes?

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, but I can't really speak to that from direct experience. All I know is the honors math and science teachers, who are actually great and teach challenging courses. But perhaps somebody else can answer your question in more depth.