Older child went from good HGC to average to weak local ms and had to find own challenges for 3 years. Experienced limited level of school academic challenge and cruised thru - mostly challenging self to achieve. We as parent had to push him because school and peers did not. Got into HS magnet so after a bit of catch up 1st semester is doing well and well motivated again by peers and school. So basically a dip in quality in MS. Younger child went from HGC to ms magnet along with many peers. HGC to ms magnet meant smoother transition due to similarly challenging academics. Teachers and peer groups make a big difference. Takeaway is: ms magnet is good option to have for higher performing kids. if local ms is performing well less of a issue but mediocre local ms may mean a dip in child's academic challenge.

TPMS, most that chose to return to home school regretted it

Will be going to Eastern and looking forward to the challenge and the work.

Went back to home school and it was fine. Doing Spanish helped I think.

Just as at Eastern the math/science sub par but the English/History fantastic

At Takoma. English has been a boring disaster, but at least we have math and sci.

Anonymous wrote:
A girl I know could not get into a magnet middle school, and returned to her home middle - and it's turned into a disaster. She's bored to tears by the worksheets (poorly photocopied and full of typos) and low standards. Told she can't read past page 15 of the book they're supposed to study, when back at her HGC they would have finished a similar book and started a new one. It's really hard to bear.
Maybe it's not the same in all regular middle schools and this is just a bad MS? Don't know.

My kid didn't get into the magnet middle school and went back to the home middle school, and it hasn't been a disaster. It's been fine. Not much academic challenge, but plenty of personal growth, and a good peer group -- including kids who got into Poolesville and RM IB for next year.

I know several other kids who chose not to apply to the magnet middle school and went back to the home middle school, and it hasn't been a disaster for them, either.

DD went to an HGC and chose to go to our zoned middle school. We had heard good things about it, and she's been happy. Not particularly challenged, but happy.

At least half go to a magnet MS

Did not apply to magnets due to distance...no challenge ....accepted at both RM and Blair for hs.

Math magnet at Clemente. It will be a sacrifice, an extra hour a day in commute time but we will suck it up to give him the challenge and peer group he has loved the last two years.

Seems like about 1/3 of kids from HGC didn't get in or were on waitlist at the middle school magnet so it was very stressful waiting around to see if admitted or not. Seemed to be a big topic of conversation between the kids both before and after the test.

We declined Eastern due to amount of bus travel (60 minutes). Big regret. After 6th grade we transferred to private where she is thankfully engaged again. Yes the classes are smaller and she is thoroughly challenged but at quite a cost. Should have seen the magnets through. 6th grade was extremely dull after HGC in 4th and 5th.

They either try to get into a magnet or go back to home MS school. Some actually choose to the home MS route. Mine is. Commute too long.

A girl I know could not get into a magnet middle school, and returned to her home middle - and it's turned into a disaster. She's bored to tears by the worksheets (poorly photocopied and full of typos) and low standards. Told she can't read past page 15 of the book they're supposed to study, when back at her HGC they would have finished a similar book and started a new one. It's really hard to bear.
Maybe it's not the same in all regular middle schools and this is just a bad MS? Don't know.

where/what do you do for middle school?