Meaningful difference between good.great DC public elementary schools and MD public E schools?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are considering a move to a neighborhood in either DC NW or southern MD (Bethesda, Chevy Chase) so we will be in a better position to send our daughter to a good public elementary school a few years from now (we currently live in a DC NW neighborhood with public schools we're not happy with). One of us works in downtown DC and the other in Bethesda, so either choice would leave one of us with a longer commute, so the commuting issue doesn't play into our decision. After doing research on public schools in both places, and reading posts on DCUM, we're still undecided which is the better decision. Have others found a meaningful difference between the good, well-known DC NW schools and the MD schools?

[Anonymous]

I don't think there is much to choose between them. But if you go on the Md side you have the good public schools for Middle and High School - even if you aren't currently planning to use it, it is nice to have the option.

[Anonymous]

For us, we left DCPS for a better MoCo school and it was a huge difference. In elementary school there is opportunity for subject acceleration (1-2 grades in math, more if necessary), homogenous/flexible grouping in reading so that DC is reading books at right reading level, access to the magnet programs for the Highly Gifted Centers (one of which is right in Chevy Chase). Also school teaches way more social studies and science than our "great" upper NW DCPS did. And MoCo schools offer instrumental music classes beginning in 4th grade.

Depending on where in Bethesda (downtown Bethesda or "north" bethesda, which is more like Rockville?) the one parent works, it may actually be smart to pick a MoCo neighborhood w/ a short commute to the Bethesda job but a longer commute to the DC job if the Bethesda working parent could commit to being the main "school backup" parent. If you want this role to be more evenly divided then a school in upper NW (like Janney or Lafayette) would keep both of you within a 1/2 hour of school. All Whitman and BCC cluster schools are strong, but it makes sense to research & visit them and decide which fits your family best.

Would agree with PP that middle and high school choices are much stronger in MoCo than DCPS, especially when considering access to magnet programs.

We left DC 2 years ago, and I can honestly say that our MoCo school is better in a million ways. Academically, the kids are tested and tracked much more carefully which means that the assignments are more meaningful matched to skills learned/not yet learned. Extras like art/music/pe are better. (DC's pe teacher in DCPS treated the elementary school kids to endless drills like they were marine recruits and made them run around the school building. MoCo pe teacher is creative with all kinds of games to build muscles/coordination & engage kids & build teams/leadership/problem-solving). Socially we have experienced very welcoming environment w/ no bullying or fighting. Extras like school events (field day, science fair, international night, school plays, afterschool programs) are all either much stronger or weren't even offered at former DCPS.

I could go on and on, and all this from someone who would have liked to continue living in DC!

[Anonymous]

Students in some elementary schools in NW DC have access to a full half day per week of arts from veteran artists / art educators with Fillmore Arts Center. Two years ago over 30 graduates of DCPS's Wilson HS matriculated to Ivies or highly selective privates. More than 30 to State flagship institutions.