Reply to Public elementary schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I didn't know there were still farms in Bethesda.[/quote]
 :D That's quite funny. I like your sense of humor, it reminds me of something I might say.

On the off chance that you were being serious, however, I would point out that FARMS is an acronym for "free and reduced meals" thus the FARMS rate is the % of kids eligible for free or reduced cost lunches - an indicator of the socioeconomic breakdown of the school community and possible diversity in that aspect.[/quote]

My kid went to an MCPS school where 100 % of the kids got free breakfast -- all they had to do was show up to qualify. No one even had to fill out a single form. There were kids whose parents did not speak a word of English in my DC"s class. The teacher, however, was kick-ass -- thousands of times more devoted and inspiring than the teachers now at our more tony school. My DC learned a lot and came home talking about school every day. Plus they were exposed to people from all walks of life, not just white bread Bethesda/Chevy Chase. Your assumptions about FARMS schools incorrect IMO. I'm glad we've learned that first hand.[/quote]

I agree with your overall sentiment, PP.  But when you look at test scores at high-FARMs schools it is clear that high FARMs means lower performance at the school.  Sure the teachers are dedicated and of course it's important to be exposed to a broad group of people, but if a teacher is overwhelmed with non English speaking students who require a lot of remediation, it's possible to expect that average or high performing students will get the time and teaching they deserve.  This is what I've observed.  It's disheartening but true.   [/quote]

What you say may or may not be true, but test score are almost irrelevant to it.  Test scores, esp. in elementary school, mostly tell you the SES of the parents-- it doesn't tell you whether your kid would get a good education at that school vs another school (which is what I think of when I want a "high performing school").[/quote]

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