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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Avoid the SSIMS cluster if you can.  The ES are pretty good but SSIMS is a disaster and the building has lead/ asbestos issues.  You will find tons of posts on this here.

[b]Silver spring schools in general have suffered from low investment as it kind of gets lost in the middle.  Not the best and not the most needy.  Buildings are generally older and not top of list for future renovations.[/b]  Woodlin is new though- once they actually finish it![/quote]

This is very true.  Portables need to be taking over the parking lots before MCPS will even evaluate building a new school or addition.

While we have generally been happy at our SS schools, I would ask for real numbers on class sizes in recent years.  Our Focus school is not always able to maintain the required small class sizes for K-2, which is very hard on the teachers to meet the needs of a diverse student body.  [/quote]

I have two kids who went to SSIMS recently, and while the building is run down and odd ( an old high school building in which portions were never renovated), the education has been very good. They have a number of educational programs that people seek out:  language immersion in Spanish and French (which is for kids who went to language immersion elementary schools / are fluent), and the IB (International Baccalaureate) Middle Years Program.   Demographics are diverse: plurality of white kids (maybe 30%), and similar proportions of Latino and Black kids, and smaller proportion of Asian kids.  I think about 40% of kids are free and reduced lunch eligible. Our experience there for our (white, middle class) kids was positive, and was not the “horrible urban poverty” schools stereotype that some people (with no kids in the school) suggest that SSIMS, or schools in Silver Spring, are.

As a result of attending Silver Spring MCPS schools, my kids have grown up with peers from a range of backgrounds — a number of immigrants, multilingual kids — and I think that has served them well. They are not in a white wealthy elite bubble, and they are comfortable with all kinds of people.  [/quote]

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