Interesting. DD is in 1st in a Wootton cluster school- Lakewood and she loves it. Sometimes no matter how "great" the school or how "great" the kid- it just isn't a fit (that goes for private schools as well).

A lot of it has to do with the teachers. DD is always encouraged to do more by her teacher- but she is intrinsically motivated as well.

Good luck to you- I hope you find what you're looking for elsewhere.

We have been happy with our ES experience. Do I think it's perfect? No. Do I think my kid isgetting a good education? Yes.

Everyone I know is very happy with Chevy Chase Elementary.

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Wootton cluster. We went private. I thought the public was challenging. But classes were too big, it is too worksheet heavy, and has the overarching problem that all publics have -- teaching to the test.

My child has had an amazing early grade experience at his little private school. We will probably switch to public in higher grades, but for now, the tuition was worth every $.

What test? The MSAs, which don't start until 3rd grade? And by "teaching to the test", do you mean the curriculum, or test prep/drills?

I'm in Wootton cluster. We went private. I thought the public was challenging. But classes were too big, it is too worksheet heavy, and has the overarching problem that all publics have -- teaching to the test.

My child has had an amazing early grade experience at his little private school. We will probably switch to public in higher grades, but for now, the tuition was worth every $.

I agree. I think its awful. I'm in the RM cluster with a 3rd grader.

Wootten cluster. I don't want to post the specific school. I don't think there are many people with a K and 1st grader.

We have 3 in MCPS - 10th, 8th, and 3rd. While I don't love everything the district does or everything about our schools, over the 8 years we've been here, I've been pretty happy with the education the kids have received.

Anonymous wrote:Useless without grade/school info.

OP mentions K and First grade.

Useless without grade/school info.

We were very, very disappointed. Luckily, we were renting while looking for a home to buy. We moved to Fairfax County the day school ended. LOVE the schools!

We moved to Montgomery County for the schools, we have a first-grader and a fourth-grader, and we are very happy with MCPS (which is not to say that MCPS is perfect!).

What school are your children in?

Pp here. There are 20 kids in his class.

What school are you talking about? I have a cHild in 1st grade who is learning very advanced things. I don't know of a preschool that teaches what he's learning in 1st grade.

Is anyone else out there so disappointed with MCPS that you are considering moving? DH and I moved out of DC a few years ago thinking this was a good school system. We have a K and 1st grader. So far its just been incredibly disappointing. The curriculum is not challenging. There is no motivation for the kids to do anything more than the bare minimum. The classes are large. The grading system is ridiculous. I've yet to hear a parent speak positively of MCPS as an organization. Our kids are not in high school yet but clearly math doesn't improve in the upper grades. In K and 1st grade they are doing things they did in preschool.

How did it get this bad in just several years?