Anonymous
Post 06/10/2022 13:24     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Ritchie Park is a hidden gem with amazing teachers and an awesome principal!
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2022 11:32     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:College Gardens. It's an IB program with a wonderful community and a top-notch principal.


Former CGES parent, now my kids are at RM. I'd disagree that the principal is top-notch. She is ok. She is nice, but lied to my face when my youngest was in 5th grade about the exhibition process. She said all groups were (adjective). Then, it was pretty obvious that Only DC's group was (adjective). I had made a comment, like "larla was disappointed she didn't get her first or second choice." I wasn't complaining or hoping for her to intervene. It was more a parent-to-parent comment about managing 5th grade personalities that I made after a PTA meeting. Anyway, on Exhibition night, nope, I definitely learned that Larla's group was the only one.

In general, she was nice. But she blatantly lied to me. I have no idea why.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 23:03     Subject: Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Garrett Park has a great culture. Teachers for the most part stay for a long time.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 22:49     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:College Gardens. It's an IB program with a wonderful community and a top-notch principal.


Maybe to the parents, but not the staff
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 22:14     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:In my experience as a parent, it seems that principals are the biggest influence on the school climate. It also seems that there is a lot of turnover in principals at elementary schools. My understanding is that administrators are supposed to progress. So, if an elementary principal does well, he’ll move up to a middle school administrative position or a role at the central office. Similarly, a successful middle school principal gets promoted to a high school or central office position, although the turnover rate may slow at the higher levels. The elementary schools my kids went to seemed to have a principal turnover rate of about 2 years, although I don’t know if that’s typical or was just particularly bad luck that might be the exception rather than the rule.


Not my ES. The principal at Stone Mill has been there forever.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 21:25     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
College Gardens. It's an IB program with a wonderful community and a top-notch principal.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 18:20     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Ashburton is very solid from what I’ve seen/heard.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 14:20     Subject: Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:What are the best elementary schools in the Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac area?

I’m looking to apply for a teaching position in those areas


The differences have more to do with your kids than the schools themselves. As someone else wrote, the same kid would do the same at any of these schools.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 13:38     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
It’s further out but we have been happy with flower valley elementary school. It has a nice neighborhood feel and it’s not huge. Our principal is leaving which is a bummer but the assistant principal is very strong.

I hear good things about Barnsley too.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 11:19     Subject: Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
OP, my suggestion is that you take the time to look into individual schools yourself - talk to actual people who have sent kids there, try to visit and get a feel for the place. The reason I say this is that some elementary schools in these high-achieving, high-wealth areas are simply phoning it in, resting on reputational laurels and not putting in the effort needed to give kids a quality education. Others are knocking it out of the park. Unfortunately, we were too focused on high schools when we bought our house and stupidly assumed the ES would be great. It wasn't. Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 09:33     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:In my experience as a parent, it seems that principals are the biggest influence on the school climate. It also seems that there is a lot of turnover in principals at elementary schools. My understanding is that administrators are supposed to progress. So, if an elementary principal does well, he’ll move up to a middle school administrative position or a role at the central office. Similarly, a successful middle school principal gets promoted to a high school or central office position, although the turnover rate may slow at the higher levels. The elementary schools my kids went to seemed to have a principal turnover rate of about 2 years, although I don’t know if that’s typical or was just particularly bad luck that might be the exception rather than the rule.


Two years seems really short for a principal turnover. I think it's more typically in the 6-10 year range.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 09:28     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
In my experience as a parent, it seems that principals are the biggest influence on the school climate. It also seems that there is a lot of turnover in principals at elementary schools. My understanding is that administrators are supposed to progress. So, if an elementary principal does well, he’ll move up to a middle school administrative position or a role at the central office. Similarly, a successful middle school principal gets promoted to a high school or central office position, although the turnover rate may slow at the higher levels. The elementary schools my kids went to seemed to have a principal turnover rate of about 2 years, although I don’t know if that’s typical or was just particularly bad luck that might be the exception rather than the rule.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2022 08:11     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Best for students or best for staff? Check the MCPS school climate surveys.


I want to hear from personal experience

On DCUM, you'll mostly hear gripes.


I know! Some of the constant themes are: society is in freefall, education is at an all-time historic low, the school board is corrupt but there's no credible evidence to support this etc.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2022 22:25     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Best for students or best for staff? Check the MCPS school climate surveys.


I want to hear from personal experience

On DCUM, you'll mostly hear gripes.
Anonymous
Post 06/08/2022 22:10     Subject: Re:Best elementary schools in Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Carderock


Isn't the principal about to leave?


He is fantastic. But yes, he is going to be leading a private elementary school in the area.