Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:right, but people on DCUM are not asking about Harford County or Washington County, they are asking about DC metro. Maryland is a small state, so a higher proportion of the state is located within the DC metro area (good schools, high income). Virginia is bigger and areas like Richmond, Tidewater and SW Virginia have an effect.

Fact is that Virginia schools in the DC metro are better than their counterparts in Maryland.

+1 Plus-- we have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better Public/State Universities.

How? You can't just look at Fairfax County. You have look at Alexandria and Arlington as well.

Arlington Co. is one of the best school systems in the country....some of the schools are better than those in both Fairfax and MoCo. We are weeny-teeny, tiny in comparison--but that translates into more $ per kid, smaller class sizes, etc. my first grader has 19 kids and a teacher and an aide in his N.Arlington school---little brother has 18 with teacher and aide in K.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:right, but people on DCUM are not asking about Harford County or Washington County, they are asking about DC metro. Maryland is a small state, so a higher proportion of the state is located within the DC metro area (good schools, high income). Virginia is bigger and areas like Richmond, Tidewater and SW Virginia have an effect.

Fact is that Virginia schools in the DC metro are better than their counterparts in Maryland.

+1 Plus-- we have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better Public/State Universities.

How? You can't just look at Fairfax County. You have look at Alexandria and Arlington as well.

Anonymous wrote:LOL illegals pedro and juan love maryland's free public schools and in state tuition

Yeah, I mean those illegals are really killing the schools!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's only ranked that because the majority of the weighting is based on how much money each state throws at its public schools.
Maryland definitely tops this with all its unions, ESL expenses, planning days, training courses, and costly consultant studies to figure out what curriculum can create proficiency.

DC spends more $ on its students than MD and most of the country, yet it is ranked at the bottom. Nice union throw in--way to show your bias.

Check out WHERE the funds are coming from in DC and MD. Sure would be great if MD got that amount or percentage of federal, not state/county, funds!

Those catfights will never get old.

Anonymous wrote:If it's Fairfax vs. MoCo, Fairfax wins.

ok, but you do realize that this particular article was NOT about the battle of the burbs, right?

It is about statewide education systems. I think overall, MD's K-12 system is slightly better, but college/university is where VA does well. That said, MD does have a fairly strong community college system. I base what I say on being the daughter of 1) a school administrator father in a fairly rural MD county 1.5 hours to DC and 2) a mother who worked in the community college in the same county for years. I now live in the VA burbs for commuting reasons (Mine and my husband's). There are trade offs to either state. I'll be happy to send my child to any number of the VA public universities/colleges if we're still here when she reaches college age, but I think the people running our state currently are freaking idiots and don't really even think of myself as "Virginian" even though I've been here 14 years now.

If it's Fairfax vs. MoCo, Fairfax wins.

Anonymous wrote:It's only ranked that because the majority of the weighting is based on how much money each state throws at its public schools.
Maryland definitely tops this with all its unions, ESL expenses, planning days, training courses, and costly consultant studies to figure out what curriculum can create proficiency.

DC spends more $ on its students than MD and most of the country, yet it is ranked at the bottom. Nice union throw in--way to show your bias.

It's only ranked that because the majority of the weighting is based on how much money each state throws at its public schools.
Maryland definitely tops this with all its unions, ESL expenses, planning days, training courses, and costly consultant studies to figure out what curriculum can create proficiency.

LOL illegals pedro and juan love maryland's free public schools and in state tuition

I think that if your child goes to public school in either state, they will be getting a good education. D.C....not so much. I went to Churchill in Potomac. I was super lucky and was able to take oceanography, astronomy and anthropology while in high school. I also took a class on architectural design and designed a home. I still have the blue prints. There were some wonderful classes to choose from along with the regular curriculum. I don't know many other people who had those types of classes offered to them in public school.

I see that Education Week has their corporate HQ in bethesda md. Shocked I am not. As far as house buying goes, va has 2.2 million more people so my study says va is a better place for people to live.

Anonymous wrote:right, but people on DCUM are not asking about Harford County or Washington County, they are asking about DC metro. Maryland is a small state, so a higher proportion of the state is located within the DC metro area (good schools, high income). Virginia is bigger and areas like Richmond, Tidewater and SW Virginia have an effect.

Fact is that Virginia schools in the DC metro are better than their counterparts in Maryland.

+1 Plus-- we have waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better Public/State Universities.

right, but people on DCUM are not asking about Harford County or Washington County, they are asking about DC metro. Maryland is a small state, so a higher proportion of the state is located within the DC metro area (good schools, high income). Virginia is bigger and areas like Richmond, Tidewater and SW Virginia have an effect.

Fact is that Virginia schools in the DC metro are better than their counterparts in Maryland.

There are always questions about where to buy. Hope this helps:

Maryland ranks No. 1 in education for fifth year in a row; Virginia ranks fourth

By Lynh Bui,

Updated: Thursday, January 10, 12:01 AM



For the fifth year in a row, Maryland’s public school system took the top ranking in an annual study that examines state education policies and student achievement across all 50 states and the District.

Education Week gave Maryland a B-plus in its “Quality Counts 2013” assessment. Maryland was the only state to earn the grade.


Maryland schools again rank No. 1


For fifth year in a row, Education Week gives high marks for early education, college readiness.


Massachusetts, New York and Virginia trailed immediately behind Maryland, with overall grades of B. These four states maintained the same rankings they held in last year’s report.

Although the District is not a state, Education Week included it in the evaluation and ranked it 45th overall with a C-minus.

The nonprofit Editorial Projects in Education publishes Education Week, which relies on policy surveys of the states and data from such sources as the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau to develop its rankings.

Using more than 100 indicators, researchers review graduation rates, achievement gaps, support for teachers and education funding.

Maryland received high marks for its investment in early childhood education and policies related to college and workforce readiness, according to the publication.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said the state’s commitment to funding education amid the economic downturn has allowed for its continued success.

“Every year, there’s a challenge to sustain the big investment we’ve made in education,” O’Malley said. “But when you see the results and the greater numbers of kids graduating and taking AP courses and entering kindergarten ready to learn, those accomplishments make it a little easier to justify and defend the investment.”

O’Malley said it also helps that Maryland boasts the highest median household income in the nation and has one of the most educated workforces in the country.

But despite the success, said Judy Jenkins, director of curriculum for the Maryland State Department of Education, the state still has challenges.

“We’re excited, but on the other hand, we’re also thinking about how we need to continue the improvements to provide our children with the highest level of instruction possible,” she said.

“We know that in terms of eliminating the achievement gap, we still have much work to be done,” she added.

South Dakota was ranked last, with a D-plus. The nation overall got a C-plus.