Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Just a heads-up. The quality of teaching and the atmosphere really depend on the school. I love Walter Johnson, and BCC, Whitman not so much. Walter Johnson has the selective APEX program which is great.
Since all the best high schools are overcrowded, you'd have to rent somewhere, at least on paper.

How are you in a position to opine intelligently on the current atmosphere at three different high schools?

Because some of my kids went out of cluster to attend different programs at these schools. It's highly unusual, and that's why I'm posting, to give my perspective.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their website is currently down but just google non-resident tuition later tonight or tomorrow when the site is back up. I think it's around $18k. You are not able to attend an overcrowded school, which covers several of the high schools bordering DC (like BCC and Whitman).

For that, you could afford some privates/parochials--that's what we pay for ours (not one of the Big 3s, obviously, which are more like 35-40K). Don't think I'd want MCPS with their overcrowded classrooms, 2.0 curriculum mess, etc. We'd gladly go back to our IB Deal feeder before MCPS.

Sounds like you used to be in DCPS, but now have chosen private. So it sounds like your knowledge of MCPS comes primarily from DCUM.

PP here, you're right. If it brings you any comfort, we would never do VA schools, since we'd much rather live in MoCo than VA, if given the choice. We used to live inbound for one of the "Ws" in MoCo, but that was before kids were school-aged.

We are in private for now, but may head back to DCPS for middle and/or high school, depending on how things go. That decision is still a few years away.

P.S. We do know a few people with kids in MoCo schools--for example, some friends who live in the Flora Singer neighborhood who like it a lot (Forest Glen area of Silver Spring). So some of my intel is non-DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their website is currently down but just google non-resident tuition later tonight or tomorrow when the site is back up. I think it's around $18k. You are not able to attend an overcrowded school, which covers several of the high schools bordering DC (like BCC and Whitman).

For that, you could afford some privates/parochials--that's what we pay for ours (not one of the Big 3s, obviously, which are more like 35-40K). Don't think I'd want MCPS with their overcrowded classrooms, 2.0 curriculum mess, etc. We'd gladly go back to our IB Deal feeder before MCPS.

Sounds like you used to be in DCPS, but now have chosen private. So it sounds like your knowledge of MCPS comes primarily from DCUM.

PP here, you're right. If it brings you any comfort, we would never do VA schools, since we'd much rather live in MoCo than VA, if given the choice. We used to live inbound for one of the "Ws" in MoCo, but that was before kids were school-aged.

We are in private for now, but may head back to DCPS for middle and/or high school, depending on how things go. That decision is still a few years away.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their website is currently down but just google non-resident tuition later tonight or tomorrow when the site is back up. I think it's around $18k. You are not able to attend an overcrowded school, which covers several of the high schools bordering DC (like BCC and Whitman).

For that, you could afford some privates/parochials--that's what we pay for ours (not one of the Big 3s, obviously, which are more like 35-40K). Don't think I'd want MCPS with their overcrowded classrooms, 2.0 curriculum mess, etc. We'd gladly go back to our IB Deal feeder before MCPS.

Sounds like you used to be in DCPS, but now have chosen private. So it sounds like your knowledge of MCPS comes primarily from DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their website is currently down but just google non-resident tuition later tonight or tomorrow when the site is back up. I think it's around $18k. You are not able to attend an overcrowded school, which covers several of the high schools bordering DC (like BCC and Whitman).

For that, you could afford some privates/parochials--that's what we pay for ours (not one of the Big 3s, obviously, which are more like 35-40K). Don't think I'd want MCPS with their overcrowded classrooms, 2.0 curriculum mess, etc. We'd gladly go back to our IB Deal feeder before MCPS.

I did some poking around and it looks like MCPS has comparable class sizes to DC if it’s a title I or Focus school. Apparently MCPS has a website link where you can check a school’s class size throughout the year. This is really a neat tool. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/enrollment/

MCPS also has new curriculum for elementary and middle schools, so they are no longer 2.0.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/curriculum-implementation.aspx

Anonymous wrote:Their website is currently down but just google non-resident tuition later tonight or tomorrow when the site is back up. I think it's around $18k. You are not able to attend an overcrowded school, which covers several of the high schools bordering DC (like BCC and Whitman).

For that, you could afford some privates/parochials--that's what we pay for ours (not one of the Big 3s, obviously, which are more like 35-40K). Don't think I'd want MCPS with their overcrowded classrooms, 2.0 curriculum mess, etc. We'd gladly go back to our IB Deal feeder before MCPS.

Dear PP,

Out of the 34 best high schools in the DMV, MCPS has 7 public high schools, whereas VA has 1.Please note SAT scores, National Merit Semi Finalists, and Presidential Scholars data are included.

Source: https://www.lotusprep.com/best-high-schools-dc/

Here are the latest NAEP report, which is taken in 4th and 8th grades: http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/05222018/TabJ-NAEPResults.pdf

The report lists Baltimore but does not directly list MCPS, so I take what pp said with a grain of salt.


For the first time, 50 percent of Virginia fourth graders achieved at or above the proficient level in mathematics, with 12 percent earning advanced scores. Students in no other state performed at a statistically higher level. Forty-three percent of the commonwealth’s grade-4 students met or exceeded the rigorous national standard for proficiency in reading, with 12 percent demonstrating advanced reading skills. Only students in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Department of Defense schools performed at a statistically higher level in fourth-grade reading. For those interested here are the NAEP reports for VA see here: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2018/04-apr10-gov.shtml

Please note: NAEP results reflect the performance of representative samples of students in each state and nationwide. NAEP results are not reported for school divisions or for individual schools.

Welcome to DCUM OP, consider what’s best for your family. If that’s MoCo or VA so be it. Just don’t be mislead by crazy posters. We value diversity, families and well educated families in MoCo.

Anonymous wrote:
Just a heads-up. The quality of teaching and the atmosphere really depend on the school. I love Walter Johnson, and BCC, Whitman not so much. Walter Johnson has the selective APEX program which is great.
Since all the best high schools are overcrowded, you'd have to rent somewhere, at least on paper.

Staff morale at WJ is an issue. At some point, that bubble will burst.

Anonymous wrote:
Just a heads-up. The quality of teaching and the atmosphere really depend on the school. I love Walter Johnson, and BCC, Whitman not so much. Walter Johnson has the selective APEX program which is great.
Since all the best high schools are overcrowded, you'd have to rent somewhere, at least on paper.

How are you in a position to opine intelligently on the current atmosphere at three different high schools?

Just a heads-up. The quality of teaching and the atmosphere really depend on the school. I love Walter Johnson, and BCC, Whitman not so much. Walter Johnson has the selective APEX program which is great.
Since all the best high schools are overcrowded, you'd have to rent somewhere, at least on paper.

As of 2017, $16,203 for MCPS high schools. $11,919 for Fairfax.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/look-at-all-the-suburban-kids-paying-tuition-to-attend-dc-public-schools/2017/07/28/a546eede-7321-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html

Don’t do it! Reputation built in 1980s...glory days long gone. If you are going to pay for public school chose VA. They rank 4th in NAEP scores nationwide. Still don’t believe me? Read the Kirwan Commission report on the state of Maryland schools...then ignore the comments that will (inevitably) follow this one which will say MCPS is different. (No doubt from a Blair magnet parent). Those students are window dressing on a failing school system. Or my personal favorite: Kirwan only applies to Baltimore schools. MCPS is the largest school district in the state - so Kirwan conclusions also apply here.

Why not move to an apartment and rent your current home for 4 years?

Their website is currently down but just google non-resident tuition later tonight or tomorrow when the site is back up. I think it's around $18k. You are not able to attend an overcrowded school, which covers several of the high schools bordering DC (like BCC and Whitman).

nm