Ignore 22:01 unless your local school is great. HS matters a lot, I would say most particularly for the mix of kids your child would be going to school with.

Agree though - why would you not be looking to simply move closer to the magnet school as opposed to move entirely to a different unrelated part of the county? Commute would not seem to be the issue if you already live in the northern part of the county as you mentioned.

Just have the kid go to the local high school. No need to go to some prestigious magnet program unless you are trying to impress the neighbors. You child will be better for it.

Http://www.greatschools.net click sol and farms

It's just a very unusual question and outlook on high school education. I think that's why it's throwing people for a bit of a loop.

It will be difficult to really compare multiple high schools since most parents have experience with just one, or maybe two. You can look at the Schools at a Glacé to get some quantifiable measures, but they won't tell you anything about the culture of each school.

Curious, does your child have a preference for any particular program?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in upper Montgomery County and our DC is accepted into all the magnet programs (all 3 programs at Poolesville and RM IB). However, both Poolesville and RM will be far from our home and hence we are contemplating moving to one of the down county HS school clusters (Wootton, Churchill, BCC or Whitman). It will definitely be a financial drain on us to buy a good house in the down county clusters. So, we are not certain if it would be worth to invest in the new house.

What factors would you consider to compare these high schools? For us the quality of education and school environment conducive to learning (less education politics is better) is very important. Please provide us your input, what would you look for.

I don't totally understand. Do you have issues with the magnet programs other than distance? Why don't you move closer to one of the magnet programs your child was accepted to? And don't they offer bus service from your home high school to the magnet anyway? Or has that been cut?

OP here. I understand that magnet programs are very selective and reputed to provide very rigorous education. And I also understand DC would get bus service from local school. However, bus ride will be long and curtail DC's involvement with many after school activities. What I am trying to understand a measurable way to compare couple of high schools in terms of rigor in the curriculum. Its possible that with good teachers some other high school can provide rigorous curriculum, right? I want to get a feel from parents who have experience in both the magnet programs and high rigor HS.

Why did you apply to the magnet to begin with, if you see these as show-stoppers for attendance and will move before sending her on that long bus ride?

I don't get it.

I did not say long bus ride is a show-stoppers, neither I said moving is an easy option for us. We wanted to have the options of deciding and that is why DC applied to the magnet programs. I am seeking help from experienced parents to sort through the options (since we have the options). Why is that hard to get?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in upper Montgomery County and our DC is accepted into all the magnet programs (all 3 programs at Poolesville and RM IB). However, both Poolesville and RM will be far from our home and hence we are contemplating moving to one of the down county HS school clusters (Wootton, Churchill, BCC or Whitman). It will definitely be a financial drain on us to buy a good house in the down county clusters. So, we are not certain if it would be worth to invest in the new house.

What factors would you consider to compare these high schools? For us the quality of education and school environment conducive to learning (less education politics is better) is very important. Please provide us your input, what would you look for.

I don't totally understand. Do you have issues with the magnet programs other than distance? Why don't you move closer to one of the magnet programs your child was accepted to? And don't they offer bus service from your home high school to the magnet anyway? Or has that been cut?

OP here. I understand that magnet programs are very selective and reputed to provide very rigorous education. And I also understand DC would get bus service from local school. However, bus ride will be long and curtail DC's involvement with many after school activities. What I am trying to understand a measurable way to compare couple of high schools in terms of rigor in the curriculum. Its possible that with good teachers some other high school can provide rigorous curriculum, right? I want to get a feel from parents who have experience in both the magnet programs and high rigor HS.

Why did you apply to the magnet to begin with, if you see these as show-stoppers for attendance and will move before sending her on that long bus ride?

I don't get it.

Montgomery IB hands down. Bus or find carpool and don't worry about impact on extra curriculars. When I was in high school, the IB programs were always across town and no one batted an eye.

I totally understand not wanting your kid to have a long ride, but is moving into the Montgomery cluster, or close to it and option? It seems like you'd get the best of both words, plus more house for your money.

Perhaps there are other factors, such as siblings, or commutes that I'm missing?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in upper Montgomery County and our DC is accepted into all the magnet programs (all 3 programs at Poolesville and RM IB). However, both Poolesville and RM will be far from our home and hence we are contemplating moving to one of the down county HS school clusters (Wootton, Churchill, BCC or Whitman). It will definitely be a financial drain on us to buy a good house in the down county clusters. So, we are not certain if it would be worth to invest in the new house.

What factors would you consider to compare these high schools? For us the quality of education and school environment conducive to learning (less education politics is better) is very important. Please provide us your input, what would you look for.

I don't totally understand. Do you have issues with the magnet programs other than distance? Why don't you move closer to one of the magnet programs your child was accepted to? And don't they offer bus service from your home high school to the magnet anyway? Or has that been cut?

OP here. I understand that magnet programs are very selective and reputed to provide very rigorous education. And I also understand DC would get bus service from local school. However, bus ride will be long and curtail DC's involvement with many after school activities. What I am trying to understand a measurable way to compare couple of high schools in terms of rigor in the curriculum. Its possible that with good teachers some other high school can provide rigorous curriculum, right? I want to get a feel from parents who have experience in both the magnet programs and high rigor HS.

Anonymous wrote:We live in upper Montgomery County and our DC is accepted into all the magnet programs (all 3 programs at Poolesville and RM IB). However, both Poolesville and RM will be far from our home and hence we are contemplating moving to one of the down county HS school clusters (Wootton, Churchill, BCC or Whitman). It will definitely be a financial drain on us to buy a good house in the down county clusters. So, we are not certain if it would be worth to invest in the new house.

What factors would you consider to compare these high schools? For us the quality of education and school environment conducive to learning (less education politics is better) is very important. Please provide us your input, what would you look for.

I don't totally understand. Do you have issues with the magnet programs other than distance? Why don't you move closer to one of the magnet programs your child was accepted to? And don't they offer bus service from your home high school to the magnet anyway? Or has that been cut?

Anonymous wrote:wootton, whitman and churchill are considered the better HS.

All are pretty competitive academically (lots of AP's, high sat scores etc)

you can't go wrong academically with any of them.

it might be a little easier to find a lower cost house in wootton than the other two districts

You are comparing apples and oranges. It may be that Wootton, Whitman & Churchill are considered the better high schools. But OP isn't really asking about high schools; she is asking about a high school compared to a competitive-admission magnet program. The RM IB program (not RM itself, but the IB program) is an extremely selective, very rigorous program that is likely superior to the experience available at these high schools. IMO anyone who is qualified and admitted should GO and not miss out on that experience.

I have a child at a Whitman feeder middle school and another at the math/science magnet at Takoma Park MS. The magnet child is getting a superior middle school experience, hands-down, than the one that the well-regarded Whitman feeder MS child is. No question at all - and notwithstanding that one child is at a reputedly "better" school.

OP, go for it.

Go to RM. if you want to move closer you can.

wootton, whitman and churchill are considered the better HS.

All are pretty competitive academically (lots of AP's, high sat scores etc)

you can't go wrong academically with any of them.

it might be a little easier to find a lower cost house in wootton than the other two districts

If it were me and my child had been admitted to RM, I would send her without considering moving for another school. It is highly selective and gets rave reviews - she'll get a great education there.

You may find a carpool once the school year starts.

No way in your situation would I consider the hassle of moving (unless I were moving for some other reason).

We live in upper Montgomery County and our DC is accepted into all the magnet programs (all 3 programs at Poolesville and RM IB). However, both Poolesville and RM will be far from our home and hence we are contemplating moving to one of the down county HS school clusters (Wootton, Churchill, BCC or Whitman). It will definitely be a financial drain on us to buy a good house in the down county clusters. So, we are not certain if it would be worth to invest in the new house.

What factors would you consider to compare these high schools? For us the quality of education and school environment conducive to learning (less education politics is better) is very important. Please provide us your input, what would you look for.