Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton is by far the better school and area to live.

Based on what? Even if true, it's also more expensive.

Based on personal experience. I know both areas. I grew up in the RHS area. Many of the neighborhoods are very nice around there, some not so much. Wootton has always been the better school. The neighborhoods around Wootton are very nice as well. I would send my kids to Wootton cluster schools over Rockville High School cluster schools. It's a no-brainier for anyone who grew up in the area.

Anonymous wrote:My DC is at Barnsley and I cannot say enough good things about the principal, teachers, and the counselor! The music teacher, Mrs. Barth, is an absolute treasure ... wish she could be cloned!!!

We moved our DC from another MOCO area ES to Barnsley and it has been a night and day experience.

Wood MS is not our home MS, but I understand the principal at Wood is excellent and won an award this year for her work there.

I don't know anything about Rockville HS.

Both the principal at Wood and the principal at Rockville will not be returning next year.

Anonymous wrote:
So did you look for a school that had a high percentage of Hispanics or move to SE DC just to be politically correct?

I'm guessing that you haven't been to SE DC lately?

http://www.weichert.com/47051461/
http://www.weichert.com/47070955/
http://www.weichert.com/47179532/

My DC is at Barnsley and I cannot say enough good things about the principal, teachers, and the counselor! The music teacher, Mrs. Barth, is an absolute treasure ... wish she could be cloned!!!

We moved our DC from another MOCO area ES to Barnsley and it has been a night and day experience.

Wood MS is not our home MS, but I understand the principal at Wood is excellent and won an award this year for her work there.

I don't know anything about Rockville HS.

"So did you look for a school that had a high percentage of Hispanics or move to SE DC just to be politically correct?"

No, I evaluated the academics and mood of the school without regard to the ethnic make-up. If I felt a school had poor academics or was unsafe, I would not want my kids there. But that is totally different than saying the school was not good because of Hispanic people. Or the converse, I would not choose a school because it had a high Asian population so it must have good academics.

Anonymous wrote:Sterotypes can be good or bad and maybe that is the case but that's why I am looking for information because mine is not based on anything I really know much about. You can't deny that Asian kids have higher test scores than hispanics or African Americans. That is not a stereotype - that is on the average, a fact clearly documented on the MC website. Maybe a stereotype, but I am guessing there are fewer gangs at Walt Whitman HS than there are at Rockville HS or Gaithersburg HS, no? But that's not really the point of my post. I guess I am looking for information about this school that I can't get from the MC website.

Based on my stereotype of rich kids in Bethesda, I will guess that the relevant part about perceptions of gangs is that Whitman HS has a FARMS rate of <5.0%, compared to 30% at Rockville HS and 42% at Gaithersburg HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton is by far the better school and area to live.

Based on what? Even if true, it's also more expensive.

It is the most expensive BECAUSE it is the better school district. Colonial homes go about 200k more than Rockville District.

OP

1. Wootton
2. QO
3. Rockville

I would live in Richard Montgomery before Rockville. Avoid Gaithersburg High.

Anonymous wrote:'For instance, how does a high percentatge of hispanic students in Rockville HS affect the overall school? And then does a high number of Asian students at Wootton have the same effect or is that better (are there for instance less gangs, more studious kids or more academic competition)?"

OP..you may not have meant it but your post sounds like you have some pretty big stereotypes to work through...

So did you look for a school that had a high percentage of Hispanics or move to SE DC just to be politically correct? We all know EVERYONE looks at schools and gets concerned if some red flags are there. Why does everyone have to be so tactful here. Geez! Just look at the "at a glance" at the schools. It is a fact (not opinion) that schools with high Hispanics have poor test scores compared to others - which equals more help needed in class, which equals your kids gets the shaft.

Anonymous wrote:Wootton is by far the better school and area to live.

Based on what? Even if true, it's also more expensive.

Wootton is by far the better school and area to live.

I don't think OP's post was very tactful or PC but I understand their concern. There are So. Many. schools in MoCo and frankly as we've been looking for houses trying to determine which schools are "good enough" is daunting, esp. if you're casting a wide net like we are. When all that's available on MoCo's website are things like test scores and demographics, what else do you go on? Heck I personally don't even have kids yet, so visiting a bunch of schools personally seems premature at this point. But i expect to in the time we'd live there. Is there nothing better than Great Schools?

Sterotypes can be good or bad and maybe that is the case but that's why I am looking for information because mine is not based on anything I really know much about. You can't deny that Asian kids have higher test scores than hispanics or African Americans. That is not a stereotype - that is on the average, a fact clearly documented on the MC website. Maybe a stereotype, but I am guessing there are fewer gangs at Walt Whitman HS than there are at Rockville HS or Gaithersburg HS, no? But that's not really the point of my post. I guess I am looking for information about this school that I can't get from the MC website.

'For instance, how does a high percentatge of hispanic students in Rockville HS affect the overall school? And then does a high number of Asian students at Wootton have the same effect or is that better (are there for instance less gangs, more studious kids or more academic competition)?"

OP..you may not have meant it but your post sounds like you have some pretty big stereotypes to work through...

Rockville cluster parent here. Kid at FV. We like the school. We have had no issues with bullying or anything (child is in K). We started with the new principal (no experience with the retired principal). Having a wonderful experience with my child's teacher this year. The neighborhood is one where you will find families are close. I like the feel of the neighborhood. It feels friendlier than the part of the MOCO that I grew up in (yes, I'm a lifer). I do not know anything about Wood or Rockville or Lucy Barnsley (other than that Lucy B has a highly gifted center in it).

We are moving from VA to MD and considering Wootton, Quince Orchard and Rockville HS clusters. Can you please tell me about your first hand experience at Rockville HS, Earle B. Wood MS, Lucy Barnsley and/or Flower Valley ES? I can see what they look like on paper from the MC school reports -- the diversity, the average SAT scores, etc -- but I can't tell how much I should care for instance about percentatge of FARMS kids, etc or if gangs are a problem or how the diversity affects the school overall or what the positives and negatives of a high percentage of another group is. For instance, how does a high percentatge of hispanic students in Rockville HS affect the overall school? And then does a high number of Asian students at Wootton have the same effect or is that better (are there for instance less gangs, more studious kids or more academic competition)?

FWIW, we are a double income white family and we are looking for a home for about $600K (or less!). If I have to have less home (maybe 3 BR instead of 4) in a better school district and neighborhood I am okay with that - the school is more important.