Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. The small district comment makes sense to me, ans we have considered falls church city, but does that apply to dcps which is smaller than mcps and fcps?

No.

DCPS has its advocates on DCUM, who in a moment will sing its praises. However, colleagues with kids in DCPS and volunteers to DCPS all tell me there are some individual teachers or principals who try hard, but overall it is a mess - not unlike a much larger system. It has a surprisingly large bureaucracy.

DCPS has a lottery system.

Do you feel lucky? And are you willing to gamble with your child’s education on the line?

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the responses. The small district comment makes sense to me, ans we have considered falls church city, but does that apply to dcps which is smaller than mcps and fcps?

No.

DCPS has its advocates on DCUM, who in a moment will sing its praises. However, colleagues with kids in DCPS and volunteers to DCPS all tell me there are some individual teachers or principals who try hard, but overall it is a mess - not unlike a much larger system. It has a surprisingly large bureaucracy.

Thanks for the responses. The small district comment makes sense to me, ans we have considered falls church city, but does that apply to dcps which is smaller than mcps and fcps?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no honors program anywhere in DCPS. You are dependent on the staff at your particular school to provide any advanced work. Some do, some don’t. MoCo has its issues but at least they have SOMEthing for advanced learners.

DCPS does in class differentiation really well. They don't need a separate honors program. DCPS kids get just as far ahead as MoCo kids.

This isn’t the case at our NW DCPS school. They cut out differentiation, and homework, and many other things…

Anonymous wrote:We cannot afford to live there, but I would pick Arlington County Public Schools (good CKLA curriculum in elementary now) or Falls Church City Schools.

My sense is that smaller public school systems are being more successful at this moment in time, but also those 2 systems have pretty solid curricula at the moment. If for elementary grades and if in APS, I would apply for the ATS lottery and pray my kids got in.

Arlington isn't only full of rich families. Regardless, APS is garbage when it comes to gifted learning services at the elementary level. Prepare to parent supplement or pay for enrichment if your kid is above average. The only possible plus is the phone away for the day policy contingent on how they finally implement it. However, this won't ameliorate the useless DEI push-in model of learning and how it benefits no one except the kids whose parents selfishly advocate for it.

We cannot afford to live there, but I would pick Arlington County Public Schools (good CKLA curriculum in elementary now) or Falls Church City Schools.

My sense is that smaller public school systems are being more successful at this moment in time, but also those 2 systems have pretty solid curricula at the moment. If for elementary grades and if in APS, I would apply for the ATS lottery and pray my kids got in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no honors program anywhere in DCPS. You are dependent on the staff at your particular school to provide any advanced work. Some do, some don’t. MoCo has its issues but at least they have SOMEthing for advanced learners.

DCPS does in class differentiation really well. They don't need a separate honors program. DCPS kids get just as far ahead as MoCo kids.

^^ and you don't have to worry about your kid "qualifying" for it by some random test.

Anonymous wrote:There is no honors program anywhere in DCPS. You are dependent on the staff at your particular school to provide any advanced work. Some do, some don’t. MoCo has its issues but at least they have SOMEthing for advanced learners.

DCPS does in class differentiation really well. They don't need a separate honors program. DCPS kids get just as far ahead as MoCo kids.

Anonymous wrote:How does acceleration in MCPS and FCPS work for twice exceptional kids?

My kid has dyslexia, so her profile is spiky. She tests well into the 99th percentile for math, but needs tutoring to remain on grade level for reading. Her reading comprehension is strong, but she’s not above grade level on DIBELS or anything like that.

Would she qualify for acceleration or does a kid need to be 99th percentile across the board?

For your 2E daughter, it’s worth re-asking this question in the sub-forum for AAP; it pertains specifically to FCPS.

I posted the first response and am so disappointed by FCPS’s war on the AAP, but my sense is they take disabilities - including 2E - seriously. It’s worth asking.

But others would have more personal experiences to share.

How does acceleration in MCPS and FCPS work for twice exceptional kids?

My kid has dyslexia, so her profile is spiky. She tests well into the 99th percentile for math, but needs tutoring to remain on grade level for reading. Her reading comprehension is strong, but she’s not above grade level on DIBELS or anything like that.

Would she qualify for acceleration or does a kid need to be 99th percentile across the board?

Anonymous wrote:There is no honors program anywhere in DCPS. You are dependent on the staff at your particular school to provide any advanced work. Some do, some don’t. MoCo has its issues but at least they have SOMEthing for advanced learners.

I think FCPS does pretty well for advanced learners in high school. The trick is keeping your kids advanced while FCPS continues watering down the advanced programs for younger learners - and just the education in general - through jumping on fad after fad.

Find the right principal who quietly bucks the central office and it can still be done.

There is no honors program anywhere in DCPS. You are dependent on the staff at your particular school to provide any advanced work. Some do, some don’t. MoCo has its issues but at least they have SOMEthing for advanced learners.

There is nothing wrong with the elementary schools in upper NW. My kids attended two different ones and I worked in a third one.
I would hire a math tutor, but I'd do it regardless of the school.

DCPS is an utter disaster. Avoid at all costs.

FCPS is busy destroying its Advanced Academic Program with equity initiatives such as E3 Math, the new elementary LA curriculum, equity grading/ SBG, banning homework and trying to push the “pull out method” (which doesn’t work).

MCPS banned police and eliminated their SROs in schools. Now there are violent brawls in the hallways and they have to lock the students out of the school bathrooms (they have to just hold it).

We have two early elementary kids and are planning to move to upper NW or the near in burbs. One of our kids may really benefit from an honors type program but of course we don't know if they would qualify. Too early to tell for the other one. Is one system a better bet overall? It seems like everyone has a major gripe with every system and I understand no public school system is perfect.