Overwhelmed with moving to MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

2E mom here. Mcps has a reputation of excellence for 2e learners. Unfortunately, that reputation is unwarranted outside of specific magnet programs. Unless you have a guaranteed spot in a program, your children will be far better off in Urbana than they wl be in mcps. Mcps is overwhelmed with 2e learners and has no methodology for dealing with them in mainstream schools. Under the current conditions, they are met with contempt by teachers and administration.

Are you in FCPS?

My friends with 2E kids who live in FredCo are much unhappier with FCPS than those of us who live in MoCo and have kids in MCPS.

I agree that MCPS is overwhelmed with 2E learners and lacks sufficient seats to serve them all in the best environment, but FCPS seems to lack sufficient cultural buy-in that a student can be both gifted and need accommodations. In MoCo, there are plenty of advocates and groups to support parents pushing for what their kids need. That infrastructure seems to be missing in FredCo.

Please share if your experience differs.

Not our experience at all- quite the opposite. We have found mcps to be a ableist and antagonistic with our 2e child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

You must be kidding!

No to Damascus and olney and Clarksburg. All are too maga morons.

Look you want good schools W clusters or possibly Quince Orchid.

Otherwise move to Howard county. Better schools at this moment in time.

+1

Clarksburg too maga???? Clearly you don’t know anything about the Clarksburg area. Clarksburg is so diverse.

Yeah, that comment is asinine. So many ignorant people here.

Someone confusing Clarksburg with Damascus again.

The distinction isn't all that significant to me.

Then you have no room to comment since it's clear you're ignorant on this topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

2E mom here. Mcps has a reputation of excellence for 2e learners. Unfortunately, that reputation is unwarranted outside of specific magnet programs. Unless you have a guaranteed spot in a program, your children will be far better off in Urbana than they wl be in mcps. Mcps is overwhelmed with 2e learners and has no methodology for dealing with them in mainstream schools. Under the current conditions, they are met with contempt by teachers and administration.

Are you in FCPS?

My friends with 2E kids who live in FredCo are much unhappier with FCPS than those of us who live in MoCo and have kids in MCPS.

I agree that MCPS is overwhelmed with 2E learners and lacks sufficient seats to serve them all in the best environment, but FCPS seems to lack sufficient cultural buy-in that a student can be both gifted and need accommodations. In MoCo, there are plenty of advocates and groups to support parents pushing for what their kids need. That infrastructure seems to be missing in FredCo.

Please share if your experience differs.

Not our experience at all- quite the opposite. We have found mcps to be a ableist and antagonistic with our 2e child.

Us too with mcps- 2e here and they have been nasty and breaking all kinds of laws- their legal office doesn't even care any more since they almost always win

[Anonymous]

Get onto the MCCPTA Special Ed and Gifted Ed Facebook pages. Check out the AEI website https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched. Locally the non magnet middle schools offer (1) Historical Inquiries in Global Humanities in sixth and seventh, HI in American Studies in eighth. It is more enriched and cohorted for GT kids, except at Takoma MS and Silver Spring which put everyone in the class; (2) accelerated math pathways, (3) foreign language as early as sixth grade (a high school credit course, and (4) a high school tech, engineering or comp sci course in eighth. English supposedly offers some enrichment but many school don’t really do it. Eastern MS does let non magnet students take a Literature elective that is taught by a magnet teacher. I am not sure about Takoma Park. And in high school your child can get into a high school magnet. The elementary child also can do advanced math starting in fourth grade and the Enriched Literacy Curriculum. Takoma Park is your best option for bright kids if you don’t have a Bethesda budget. DCC kids and Richard Montgomery cluster kids also get allotted seats for hs magnet; Eastern, Takoma Park, MLK and Clemente also get allotted seats for middle school magnet. Also look at elementary schools that have local Centers - the list is on the AEI site. That means they gor a Center just for their school. They may have more flexibility for additional students off cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

You must be kidding!

No to Damascus and olney and Clarksburg. All are too maga morons.

Look you want good schools W clusters or possibly Quince Orchid.

Otherwise move to Howard county. Better schools at this moment in time.

+1

Clarksburg too maga???? Clearly you don’t know anything about the Clarksburg area. Clarksburg is so diverse.

Yeah, that comment is asinine. So many ignorant people here.

Someone confusing Clarksburg with Damascus again.

The distinction isn't all that significant to me.

Then you have no room to comment since it's clear you're ignorant on this topic.

Nah, they're very similar but I'd leave the hair splitting to the locals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get onto the MCCPTA Special Ed and Gifted Ed Facebook pages. Check out the AEI website https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched. Locally the non magnet middle schools offer (1) Historical Inquiries in Global Humanities in sixth and seventh, HI in American Studies in eighth. It is more enriched and cohorted for GT kids, except at Takoma MS and Silver Spring which put everyone in the class; (2) accelerated math pathways, (3) foreign language as early as sixth grade (a high school credit course, and (4) a high school tech, engineering or comp sci course in eighth. English supposedly offers some enrichment but many school don’t really do it. Eastern MS does let non magnet students take a Literature elective that is taught by a magnet teacher. I am not sure about Takoma Park. And in high school your child can get into a high school magnet. The elementary child also can do advanced math starting in fourth grade and the Enriched Literacy Curriculum. Takoma Park is your best option for bright kids if you don’t have a Bethesda budget. DCC kids and Richard Montgomery cluster kids also get allotted seats for hs magnet; Eastern, Takoma Park, MLK and Clemente also get allotted seats for middle school magnet. Also look at elementary schools that have local Centers - the list is on the AEI site. That means they gor a Center just for their school. They may have more flexibility for additional students off cycle.

Not sure about all programs. There are no allotted DCC seats for Blair SMCS. Applications are judged based on their candidate's strength.

[Anonymous]

Historical Inquiries in Global Humanities in sixth and seventh is a farce at some schools. For example at Pyle, they dropped it being a separate class for this last 6th grade class. Was told by the principal and head of history that all kids will be mixed, and they will differentiate at kid level. Definitely didn’t happen with 34 kids in the class. Our child’s report card said she had it, she didn’t in reality. What was really crazy, this wasn’t common knowledge. A parent with older kids figured it out and only upon direct questions was it confirmed. MCPS is all about hiding the ball these days.

[Anonymous]

And the county said it was the principal’s decision even though it wasn’t recommended. So tired of the school blaming the county and the county blaming the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Historical Inquiries in Global Humanities in sixth and seventh is a farce at some schools. For example at Pyle, they dropped it being a separate class for this last 6th grade class. Was told by the principal and head of history that all kids will be mixed, and they will differentiate at kid level. Definitely didn’t happen with 34 kids in the class. Our child’s report card said she had it, she didn’t in reality. What was really crazy, this wasn’t common knowledge. A parent with older kids figured it out and only upon direct questions was it confirmed. MCPS is all about hiding the ball these days.

It's about paying lip service to parents and making the students look like they are achieving extraordinary things, when they are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

2E mom here. Mcps has a reputation of excellence for 2e learners. Unfortunately, that reputation is unwarranted outside of specific magnet programs. Unless you have a guaranteed spot in a program, your children will be far better off in Urbana than they wl be in mcps. Mcps is overwhelmed with 2e learners and has no methodology for dealing with them in mainstream schools. Under the current conditions, they are met with contempt by teachers and administration.

Are you in FCPS?

My friends with 2E kids who live in FredCo are much unhappier with FCPS than those of us who live in MoCo and have kids in MCPS.

I agree that MCPS is overwhelmed with 2E learners and lacks sufficient seats to serve them all in the best environment, but FCPS seems to lack sufficient cultural buy-in that a student can be both gifted and need accommodations. In MoCo, there are plenty of advocates and groups to support parents pushing for what their kids need. That infrastructure seems to be missing in FredCo.

Please share if your experience differs.

Not our experience at all- quite the opposite. We have found mcps to be a ableist and antagonistic with our 2e child.

Us too with mcps- 2e here and they have been nasty and breaking all kinds of laws- their legal office doesn't even care any more since they almost always win

I have a gifted child with IEP, bored at school, does well academically, so overall he does well at school with limited services from IEP. I have another child potential to be 2e. She struggles at school academically but she seems to have high IQ as her sibling (waitlist for private evaluation). She behaves well at school. This is the child that we struggle the most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Historical Inquiries in Global Humanities in sixth and seventh is a farce at some schools. For example at Pyle, they dropped it being a separate class for this last 6th grade class. Was told by the principal and head of history that all kids will be mixed, and they will differentiate at kid level. Definitely didn’t happen with 34 kids in the class. Our child’s report card said she had it, she didn’t in reality. What was really crazy, this wasn’t common knowledge. A parent with older kids figured it out and only upon direct questions was it confirmed. MCPS is all about hiding the ball these days.

I'm sorry to hear it. The cohorted social studies at Pyle was great. The 8th grade teacher was DC's favorite. They did this with math too for AIM. The first few years they had a few classes that were working at higher level and had the opportunity to do more puzzles and go in depth and then they made it AIM for everyone and it was awful.

[Anonymous]

Pyle can be problematic because so many parents are pushy and demand their child get into the highest level of classes even if it's not a good match for their child. It happens at the feeder elementary schools in the same way. When they started the faster track for years ago for 4/5 math the parents of the kids who did not make the cut argued and argued until they wore down the principal at our school and it went from one out of 5 classes to 4 out of 5 classes being the accelerated track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

You must be kidding!

No to Damascus and olney and Clarksburg. All are too maga morons.

Look you want good schools W clusters or possibly Quince Orchid.

Otherwise move to Howard county. Better schools at this moment in time.

+1

Clarksburg too maga???? Clearly you don’t know anything about the Clarksburg area. Clarksburg is so diverse.

Yeah, that comment is asinine. So many ignorant people here.

Someone confusing Clarksburg with Damascus again.

The distinction isn't all that significant to me.

Then you have no room to comment since it's clear you're ignorant on this topic.

Nah, they're very similar but I'd leave the hair splitting to the locals.

Clarksburg has changed a lot in 20 years. Damascus not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

2E mom here. Mcps has a reputation of excellence for 2e learners. Unfortunately, that reputation is unwarranted outside of specific magnet programs. Unless you have a guaranteed spot in a program, your children will be far better off in Urbana than they wl be in mcps. Mcps is overwhelmed with 2e learners and has no methodology for dealing with them in mainstream schools. Under the current conditions, they are met with contempt by teachers and administration.

Are you in FCPS?

My friends with 2E kids who live in FredCo are much unhappier with FCPS than those of us who live in MoCo and have kids in MCPS.

I agree that MCPS is overwhelmed with 2E learners and lacks sufficient seats to serve them all in the best environment, but FCPS seems to lack sufficient cultural buy-in that a student can be both gifted and need accommodations. In MoCo, there are plenty of advocates and groups to support parents pushing for what their kids need. That infrastructure seems to be missing in FredCo.

Please share if your experience differs.

Not our experience at all- quite the opposite. We have found mcps to be a ableist and antagonistic with our 2e child.

+1 through Middle School. Got 1000% better in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are considering a move to MCPS from a small school district in the PNW. I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the schools and options.

I have one kid in middle school and one in elementary. Both are neurodivergent. Older kid is a high performer in all areas; was in the gifted program in her previous district. Younger kid is strong in math, not reading, and has other special needs.

It seems we are too late to get into magnet programs, and it’s difficult to find out about the honors and elective offerings for middle school.

I’m trying to decide what areas to focus on and I’m overwhelmed. We don’t have the budget for the top-performing areas. I keep finding articles about fights and drugs and weapons, and I’m nervous about safety.

Which schools or areas should I look into?

Some areas we are considering based on current research are:
-Takoma Park
-Four Corners
-Olney
-Damascus
-Clarksburg
-Urbana (not in MCPS and would be a longer than ideal commute, but seems to have a strong school system with less red-tape to navigate)

You must be kidding!

No to Damascus and olney and Clarksburg. All are too maga morons.

Look you want good schools W clusters or possibly Quince Orchid.

Otherwise move to Howard county. Better schools at this moment in time.

+1

Clarksburg too maga???? Clearly you don’t know anything about the Clarksburg area. Clarksburg is so diverse.

Yeah, that comment is asinine. So many ignorant people here.

Someone confusing Clarksburg with Damascus again.

The distinction isn't all that significant to me.

Then you have no room to comment since it's clear you're ignorant on this topic.

Nah, they're very similar but I'd leave the hair splitting to the locals.

You're clearly ignorant of the subject.
Clarksburg is way more diverse than Bethesda, Potomac and probably where you live.