PP again -- I also should say that my DS in the magnet has LOTS of friends outside the magnet program, both because he knew them at his elementary school and because he loves to play sports and has bonded that way. These are all really nice kids who seem focused on school.

Eastern middle school. Yes, he's in the magnet but he has several non-magnet classes, including math. He's quite challenged and engaged in math. His other non-magnet class is science, which is also challenging. Those teachers aren't babysitting or giving grades away -- so far expectations are high.

Plus, there are lots of kids there who aren't in the magnet and whose parents have high expectations. And overall, there's a big emphasis on achievement.

I know what you mean -- my second child may not get into the magnet and I do worry about that. Based upon what I've seen though, he will also have the opportunity to be challenged.

Anonymous wrote:Now that I have a child in middle school, I have a different perspective about middle schools being "problematic," as the PP states above. My child is in one of the schools frequently identified this way, and now I realize that the entire problematic thing is entirely correlated to people's perception of the percentage of poor and nonwhite students. The curriculum is the same, the challenge is the same ...

I have to say that I think my child is getting a great education and he's met a lot of nice kids. Happily, they are kids of all backgrounds -- I think this is an important part of preparation for life. There are some challenges but the staff and principal are amazing -- they are right on top of things and work hard to make the school a pleasant, peaceful place to learn.

As for the issues, to me they are typical middle school issues. I would be willing to bet that schools in the western part of the county have similar ones, but because it's upper middle class white kids who are the perpetrators it's not seen as threatening.

All I'm saying is -- don't let these terms such as "problematic" scare you away from east county schools. I think middle school is problematic in general, but no more so here in Silver Spring.

Hi - I'm the pp that mentioned problematic middle schools. Thanks for your views - this is good to hear. Could you say which school your child is in and whether he/she is in a magnet? I actually am not white, so for me, it's not an issue of race, but my worry is having enough children in the school focused on academic achievement and intending to attend college (so I guess it is a socioeconomic issue?). I worry that unless my child is in one of the middle school magnets, he won't be challenged enough in the regular program school and will begin to settle for grade-level mediocrity. He's better than that, but I don't feel confident that he can (or should) get into one of the magnets.

13:50 here, I have to agree with the poster re: middle schools. Based on the parents I have met through the PTA at Forest Knolls, I have a very hard time believing the middle school won't be strong with TONS of parental involvement by the time the current 3-5 graders get there. Forest knolls just won an award for the most parent volunteer hours of any Moco school...yes not everyone in the school is white, and yes not every one of the parents speeks English, but none of this should scare anyone away.

Rosemary Hills
Woodmoor
...
...
Oakland Terrace
Forest Knolls

A PP mentioned Indian Spring, this is another nice area, probably in between Woodmoor and Oakland Terrace in terms of home value stability. The ES are similar in each neighborhood, middle school and later Rosemary Hills is a better bet.

From what I've seen on this board, Woodmoor people feel pretty confident that from a neighborhood perspective they have a great area.

Now that I have a child in middle school, I have a different perspective about middle schools being "problematic," as the PP states above. My child is in one of the schools frequently identified this way, and now I realize that the entire problematic thing is entirely correlated to people's perception of the percentage of poor and nonwhite students. The curriculum is the same, the challenge is the same ...

I have to say that I think my child is getting a great education and he's met a lot of nice kids. Happily, they are kids of all backgrounds -- I think this is an important part of preparation for life. There are some challenges but the staff and principal are amazing -- they are right on top of things and work hard to make the school a pleasant, peaceful place to learn.

As for the issues, to me they are typical middle school issues. I would be willing to bet that schools in the western part of the county have similar ones, but because it's upper middle class white kids who are the perpetrators it's not seen as threatening.

All I'm saying is -- don't let these terms such as "problematic" scare you away from east county schools. I think middle school is problematic in general, but no more so here in Silver Spring.

Oakland Terrace is a great elementary school, though, as someone mentioned in 2012 it will be splitting into 2 schools- DCC29 and OTES. The middle schools are a bit problematic, but I would argue that Einstein HS has become a very strong, solid school. Of all the DCC high schools, I feel it is the best one. Within OTES boundaries, one great neighborhood is Forest Estates, bounded by Georgia Ave, Sligo Creek Pkwy, Dennis & Forest Glen. It is a very close community, houses hold their value and can be rented easily because it's walking distance to metro & shops.

We looked at many of the same neighborhoods. Rosemary Hills is more expensive because it feeds into the BCC cluster, and for people who look solely to test scores to evaluate schools, that's going to beat the schools in the other neighborhoods hands down. However, whenever we looked at a house in that area, we just were left cold by the house and the neighborhood. Also wasn't sure how I felt about my Silver Spring address being the ugly stepchild to those at BCC schools who lived in Bethesda.

Honestly, I can't figure out why Woodmoor is more expensive, and I live there! It is a very beautiful neighborhood with a nice community feel and most of the houses have been fixed up nicely. And it does feed into Blair HS, which is generally more desireable than Northwood (Forest Knolls) or Einstein (Oakland Terrace). I do think it is poised to hold its value, because people tend to buy there for the long term, not just as a starter house. Many families in the neighborhood go private, so they could live anywhere but choose to live there. That said, I don't know if all of that warrants the higher prices in the neighborhood.

I have heard great things about the Forest Knolls and Oakland Terrace neighborhoods. What kept me from buying into either one was the high school options - I really found Blair to be the only acceptable downcounty option at the time we bought (Northwood had just reopened so had no track record at the time). However, if I had it to do over again, I might give Forest Knolls a chance. People seem very pleased with the elementary school, and I also hear that the middle school is improving, whereas I am nervous about the middle school for Woodmoor. I do agree with the pp though - it is not an aesthetically appealing neighborhood. But I could get over that for $100k more in my pocket.

Another pp mentioned Indian Springs - also worth a look. The Highland View elementary is well regarded. Houses are very similar to Woodmoor, and the unimproved ones can be quite the bargain. Right near the YMCA too.

We live in the forest knolls neighborhood too and we couldn't be happier. Yes, some houses are not great but that is the exception. We have been here 5 years and are best friends with the 4 couples on our block (get together without kids every weekend plus play dates, zoo trips, etc). Our neighbors without kids are original owners and very elderly, very sweet. Great feel to the neighborhood, block parties, etc
We have kids at the school and it is amazing! We had thought of going private when we our ds was an infant until we became more familiar with the school and I am very pleasantly surprised.

We really like Oakland Terrace and our neighborhood. We can walk to the metro, neighborhood filled with young kids, etc. You can get a lot for your money. Rosemary Hills doesn't have as much of a neighborhood feel.

We really like our neighborhood around Oakland Terrace, and we love the school. Some have said the middle school and high school are not as good as others but our kids aren't there yet. One thing to consider, though, is that they are opening a new elementary school in the McKenney Hills area in Fall 2012 that will move a bunch of kids from Oakland Terrace. The boundary study is here: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/pdf/DCC29_OptionsSecondRoundRevised.pdf if you want to look at what neighborhoods the new school will likely draw from.

I take exception to PP's statement about Forest Knolls.

We live in Northwood Park and it's really nice and highly "desirable" according to real estate agents. Our block has lots of very nice houses, many of which with big additions. Other parts of Four Corners are nice as well. There are old 50's style houses in the areas right around Forest Knolls that might be considered less desirable, which may be what PP is referring to.

Indian Spring and Woodmoor are nice neighborhoods too but their school choices are much less desirable.

Forest Knolls is a great school, but much of the housing stock is hideous. We have some friends in Woodmoor, and they love it. It seems like a great neighborhood, but schools may not be as good as in the other neighborhoods you are looking. Indian Spring would be a better bet than Woodmoor for combination of nice home in the price range and good school.

Historically, the Rosemary Hills district has held its value much better than the adjacent neighborhoods that are not in the B-CC cluster. Also check out the Rock Creek Forest cluster as well.

Rosemary Hills, Oakland Terrace, Forest Knolls, and Woodmoor

I'm looking at homes at these areas/schools and it seems to be that I can find about 400-500k homes in Rosemary Hills (on the low end) and Woodmoor (middle-high range). On the other hand I can find below 400k in Oakland Terrace and especially in Forest Knolls area. Our philosophy is to buy the smallest home at the best block. We also want to make sure that it is a place where homes keep their value and are good when we sell them or possibly rent out years later. Although I'm sure they are all very desirable, but what would be considered as the most desired neighborhood? Can someone give their opinion and rank from most desired to less desired among the four? Can someone help us find the "best block" within the four and give a ranking, or even suggest other places? One of us is commuting to Baltimore and the other is going downtown DC. Thanks!