Anyone sick of being looked down on for living in PG?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think a lot of people repeat "the schools in PG are awful" without really doing any research or comparing them to similar neighborhoods in Montgomery or NoVA.

I was actually just looking at schools in MoCo and some of the Great Schools ratings are abysmal, especially for middle and high schools. (I know Great Schools isn't the be all and end all).

[Anonymous]

At my home in PG looking over a lake and some neighbors playing golf now. Looking forward to our gorgeous community pool opening in a couple months. Love that my family has plenty of room to live and entertain and that we are not paying a huge mortgage so we can afford to send DD to an excellent private school. So, no, not sick of anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think a lot of people repeat "the schools in PG are awful" without really doing any research or comparing them to similar neighborhoods in Montgomery or NoVA.

I was actually just looking at schools in MoCo and some of the Great Schools ratings are abysmal, especially for middle and high schools. (I know Great Schools isn't the be all and end all).

Yup. I think a lot of people overlook this. MoCo and NoVA are not universally great, just like PG is not universally bad. You can buy into the top-ranked school pyramid in PG for the same price as a middle to low-ranked school pyramid in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

But what MoCo does well is magnets. The options for PG are SO LIMITED. You bust your butt doing the lottery for the 1-2 good options everyone else wants too. Sure MoCo has some terrible schools, and coasts on reputation, but you can buy a house in the more affordable inner suburbs and know that you will have K-12 magnet options (and SEVERAL of them at each grade level) beyond your zoned school. I posted a few pages back about needing to leave Laurel to get closer to DC, and while I'm intrigued about the great work at Hyattsville and Mt. Rainier ES's, the big black hole of options for MS and HS is so daunting. Contemplating Silver Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But what MoCo does well is magnets. The options for PG are SO LIMITED. You bust your butt doing the lottery for the 1-2 good options everyone else wants too. Sure MoCo has some terrible schools, and coasts on reputation, but you can buy a house in the more affordable inner suburbs and know that you will have K-12 magnet options (and SEVERAL of them at each grade level) beyond your zoned school. I posted a few pages back about needing to leave Laurel to get closer to DC, and while I'm intrigued about the great work at Hyattsville and Mt. Rainier ES's, the big black hole of options for MS and HS is so daunting. Contemplating Silver Spring.

We're in Upper Marlboro now and also considering Silver Spring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i live in PG but if I could afford to I wouldn't. I read over the other threads and many say to the same effect that was the only way to get a middle class life style in the area. My husband and I are content but my 12 year old son is having problems. Maybe he is a knuckle head but there are just so many other knuckle head kids in the malls & schools he is under the impression it isn't as serious of a deal as it is. He actually dumbs down his speech when away from the home. We lament not being able to afford a better area or private schools. The are some area with nicer houses for sure but much of the county has a few too many knuckle headed kids IMHO.

Not to be mean, but ur child is a reflection of what is taught and enforced at home. I grew up in Landover, went to public schools my whole life and graduated from Duval. I never had any "pressure' to be a "knuckle head" and my parents would have never allowed it anyway. and never thought about "dumbing" down my speech....never had to. I had tons of friends and none of us fit that stereotype or got mixed into a "bad crowd" I never understand that saying anyways. You are what you are taught and what u see

BS I have had PG administrators tell me the same thing as the mother of a 12 year old. Many of the Black kids in particular will not only throw off their speech but will go so far as to not turn in their homework. They'll do the homework under their parents watchful eyes then not turn it in. They'll also throw exams lest anyone think they're a nerd. It's a serious issue not easily explained by the level of parental involvement .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i live in PG but if I could afford to I wouldn't. I read over the other threads and many say to the same effect that was the only way to get a middle class life style in the area. My husband and I are content but my 12 year old son is having problems. Maybe he is a knuckle head but there are just so many other knuckle head kids in the malls & schools he is under the impression it isn't as serious of a deal as it is. He actually dumbs down his speech when away from the home. We lament not being able to afford a better area or private schools. The are some area with nicer houses for sure but much of the county has a few too many knuckle headed kids IMHO.

Not to be mean, but ur child is a reflection of what is taught and enforced at home. I grew up in Landover, went to public schools my whole life and graduated from Duval. I never had any "pressure' to be a "knuckle head" and my parents would have never allowed it anyway. and never thought about "dumbing" down my speech....never had to. I had tons of friends and none of us fit that stereotype or got mixed into a "bad crowd" I never understand that saying anyways. You are what you are taught and what u see

BS I have had PG administrators tell me the same thing as the mother of a 12 year old. Many of the Black kids in particular will not only throw off their speech but will go so far as to not turn in their homework. They'll do the homework under their parents watchful eyes then not turn it in. They'll also throw exams lest anyone think they're a nerd. It's a serious issue not easily explained by the level of parental involvement .

Sorry Not buying it. Iam a black male grew up in Landover went to PG county schools my whole life, never saw this issue at all! Kids doing the homework but not turning it in? Thats almost laughable, what would be the reason? We were middle class kids, working class kids etc.

There definitely "knuckle heads" in my middle school who had no intention of doing any serious work but there was never pressure not "talk" a certain way or to not turn in your homework. No kid wants to be labeled a "nerd" but no one wanted to be labeled "stupid" either

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you navigate the schools in PG? The homes are lovely and people are nice, but these schools are awful! We commute to GDS and its a terrible drive everyday. I would love to sell my house but it's underwater. What do people you know in similar circumstances do about this?

What area in PG do u currently live? Also use the MD state report card as a guide, "Great Schools.com" isn't always accurate. They have a school like Perrywood Elementary as a 5 but there test scores are about 88-92 proficiency in both Math & Reading.

I had never been to this site! Thanks so much for mentioning it. A lot of detailed and useful information!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you navigate the schools in PG? The homes are lovely and people are nice, but these schools are awful! We commute to GDS and its a terrible drive everyday. I would love to sell my house but it's underwater. What do people you know in similar circumstances do about this?

What area in PG do u currently live? Also use the MD state report card as a guide, "Great Schools.com" isn't always accurate. They have a school like Perrywood Elementary as a 5 but there test scores are about 88-92 proficiency in both Math & Reading.

I had never been to this site! Thanks so much for mentioning it. A lot of detailed and useful information!

No problem ? are u currently a pg county resident?

[Anonymous]

I second the use of the MD State Report Card- I used it to show my mom who is ALL about Montgomery County and looks down on us for living in PG (yet raised us here) how most of the schools where I am are doing as well as, if not BETTER than MANY MANY of her sparkling, precious MoCo schools. We will go private for HS if my daughter doesn't get into S/T at ERHS, but that's just because of the size of the other high schools without S/T, which makes the day to day class experience smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you navigate the schools in PG? The homes are lovely and people are nice, but these schools are awful! We commute to GDS and its a terrible drive everyday. I would love to sell my house but it's underwater. What do people you know in similar circumstances do about this?

What area in PG do u currently live? Also use the MD state report card as a guide, "Great Schools.com" isn't always accurate. They have a school like Perrywood Elementary as a 5 but there test scores are about 88-92 proficiency in both Math & Reading.

I had never been to this site! Thanks so much for mentioning it. A lot of detailed and useful information!

Wow. Live in outer space?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I second the use of the MD State Report Card- I used it to show my mom who is ALL about Montgomery County and looks down on us for living in PG (yet raised us here) how most of the schools where I am are doing as well as, if not BETTER than MANY MANY of her sparkling, precious MoCo schools. We will go private for HS if my daughter doesn't get into S/T at ERHS, but that's just because of the size of the other high schools without S/T, which makes the day to day class experience smaller.

It isn't just the test scores that make MoCo better, shame you didnt take your mom's advice after she had to learn it the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I second the use of the MD State Report Card- I used it to show my mom who is ALL about Montgomery County and looks down on us for living in PG (yet raised us here) how most of the schools where I am are doing as well as, if not BETTER than MANY MANY of her sparkling, precious MoCo schools. We will go private for HS if my daughter doesn't get into S/T at ERHS, but that's just because of the size of the other high schools without S/T, which makes the day to day class experience smaller.

It isn't just the test scores that make MoCo better, shame you didnt take your mom's advice after she had to learn it the hard way.

Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I second the use of the MD State Report Card- I used it to show my mom who is ALL about Montgomery County and looks down on us for living in PG (yet raised us here) how most of the schools where I am are doing as well as, if not BETTER than MANY MANY of her sparkling, precious MoCo schools. We will go private for HS if my daughter doesn't get into S/T at ERHS, but that's just because of the size of the other high schools without S/T, which makes the day to day class experience smaller.

It isn't just the test scores that make MoCo better, shame you didnt take your mom's advice after she had to learn it the hard way.

No hard way learning here...(I'm the poster)...Have multiple degrees behind my name and a wonderful, fulfilling job as a health-care professional. ERHS S/T graduate, full ride to UMCP. CHOSE freely to live in PG, and love it, for the reasons that the other pp's have very nicely pointed out. I bought into the top tier schools in PG to have a nice lifestyle and be able to afford private HS, and will be able to do just that- in fact, a top DC independent on Cathedral Avenue, to be exact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my home in PG looking over a lake and some neighbors playing golf now. Looking forward to our gorgeous community pool opening in a couple months. Love that my family has plenty of room to live and entertain and that we are not paying a huge mortgage so we can afford to send DD to an excellent private school. So, no, not sick of anything.

Yeah I remember feeling that way too, until my $1M house (Oak Creek) sunk in value to $400K. And there are still short sales on my block for $500K. We are next in line to dump our place. We are burning money my staying and its not worth it to painfully commute to the good private schools in DC. Our PG dream has died. Over it. For sale. Goodbye.