Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m so confused why it has a bunch of super positive reviews and then other people are suuuuuuper negative. Truly zero idea how to assess this info! Has it changed significantly or are people just having totally different experiences?

I’m a PP. Ask around Takoma Park and you’ll hear the same info as above. Everyone describes it as the “weak link” between two excellent schools. This doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not. It’s completely fine. Your kid will do well there. But the two other schools (before and after Piney Branch are much better). It’s also a run down poorly lit and overcrowded building.

I have to disagree. I felt it was stronger than TPES. My kids had a great experience.

NP here. PP is right. When we moved here in 2019, we heard that exact phrase from everyone we asked about schools - Piney Branch is the “weak link”. We’ve been much more impressed with TPMS. Barely any experience with TPES so can’t comment there.

I think there's a philosophical difference in how these schools are run. At TPES they were mostly concerned about struggling students so students at grade level were neglected and parents were left to pick up the slack. At PBES they seemed to be somewhat more interested in the welfare of all students. I guess this is a problem for some but it worked better for us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m so confused why it has a bunch of super positive reviews and then other people are suuuuuuper negative. Truly zero idea how to assess this info! Has it changed significantly or are people just having totally different experiences?

I’m a PP. Ask around Takoma Park and you’ll hear the same info as above. Everyone describes it as the “weak link” between two excellent schools. This doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not. It’s completely fine. Your kid will do well there. But the two other schools (before and after Piney Branch are much better). It’s also a run down poorly lit and overcrowded building.

I have to disagree. I felt it was stronger than TPES. My kids had a great experience.

NP here. PP is right. When we moved here in 2019, we heard that exact phrase from everyone we asked about schools - Piney Branch is the “weak link”. We’ve been much more impressed with TPMS. Barely any experience with TPES so can’t comment there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m so confused why it has a bunch of super positive reviews and then other people are suuuuuuper negative. Truly zero idea how to assess this info! Has it changed significantly or are people just having totally different experiences?

I’m a PP. Ask around Takoma Park and you’ll hear the same info as above. Everyone describes it as the “weak link” between two excellent schools. This doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not. It’s completely fine. Your kid will do well there. But the two other schools (before and after Piney Branch are much better). It’s also a run down poorly lit and overcrowded building.

I have to disagree. I felt it was stronger than TPES. My kids had a great experience.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m so confused why it has a bunch of super positive reviews and then other people are suuuuuuper negative. Truly zero idea how to assess this info! Has it changed significantly or are people just having totally different experiences?

I’m a PP. Ask around Takoma Park and you’ll hear the same info as above. Everyone describes it as the “weak link” between two excellent schools. This doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not. It’s completely fine. Your kid will do well there. But the two other schools (before and after Piney Branch are much better). It’s also a run down poorly lit and overcrowded building.

NP but also trying to learn about TP public schools. Does anyone know what aftercare is like, and how much time the kids get for recess and such?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I’m so confused why it has a bunch of super positive reviews and then other people are suuuuuuper negative. Truly zero idea how to assess this info! Has it changed significantly or are people just having totally different experiences?

Some posters here love to trash other schools. You have to take this with a grain of salt and read between the lines. The best thing you can do is talk to actual parents whose kids have gone there or maybe even arrange to visit the school.

Maybe I got lucky, but we had a very positive experience there. I even liked it better than TPES because of my kid's teachers were great. Principal Oberdorf was always out front before school started. I'm sure you could speak with her or other parents. I think most people would be happy to answer your questions.

OP here. I’m so confused why it has a bunch of super positive reviews and then other people are suuuuuuper negative. Truly zero idea how to assess this info! Has it changed significantly or are people just having totally different experiences?

Both my kids had excellent teachers all three years. They especially liked the CES program, which prepared them to excel at the TPMS magnet.

It’s huge. Decent teaching but an old dark building in need of maintenance and no real sense of community. Your kid will be in a different class each year (among 8-10) and will have to make new friends each year. It’s widely considered the “weak link” among TKPK schools given that it does not fare well in comparison to TPES and TPMS, which are excellent, esp the latter. You won’t get the warm and fuzzies and you won’t be welcomed by other families but your kid will be fine.

Anonymous wrote:THese are old threads. OP is looking for current parents and the current vibe.

One is almost a year old. The other two were in the past month.

It hasn't changed noticeably in the past year.

And there are pages and pages of discussion on this topic.

This was a good one too.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1129112.page

THese are old threads. OP is looking for current parents and the current vibe.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1131760.page#24964632

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1066184.page

Try using the search function. There are plenty of threads on this topic.

People who are at Piney Branch Elementary—how do you like it? Is there a nice parent community? Does the school have good activities? Mostly interested to hear from folks who are there now, since I know things can change a lot!