Thanks to all for your insights! Appreciate it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you all for your helpful replies! Sounds like I should reach out to the local school's principal and/or PTA president to see if they will give us a tour this fall. I understand that it can be disruptive and they do not need to "sell" parents on the local school, but we are touring some area private schools and would feel uncomfortable selecting our public school over the other options without even a look. Thanks!

NP — why would you roll your eyes at this?

School is an important choice. The idea that parents can’t even enter these buildings is ridiculous.

+1 I agree that the eyeroll is unwarranted and there should be some openness to parents entering school buildings.

A tour is just one data point but it can be helpful. I've volunteered in schools (not MCPS) where seeing the way multiple teachers shouted at kids lined up in the hallway would have been a dealbreaker in terms of sending my kid there. The problem will be that there are several classes per grade so you won't know which teachers your kid will get.

It will also be important to talk to parents in the neighborhood and look at climate survey results as well as the MD school report card for the school

Hey OP - years ago, we moved cities and moved from a 50 kid daycare to a 200 kid daycare. I had to change my mindset. In the small daycare, the director was a presence in the classrooms and was around to chat with parents. At the large daycare, the director did not want unscheduled interactions with parents.

MCPS elementary schools probably have 500+ kids and 50-100+ incoming kindergarteners next year. Some schools do tours. Others don’t. Some PTAs are involved in tours, others absolutely do not. Do call the front office, but realize that unless you have specific concerns, you may not be able to meet the principal. Private schools recruit students. Public schools do not.

Many schools have open houses where parents can observe their children’s classes on Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. You could ask the principal if you could observe some classes that day because there would already be adults walking into and out of classrooms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you all for your helpful replies! Sounds like I should reach out to the local school's principal and/or PTA president to see if they will give us a tour this fall. I understand that it can be disruptive and they do not need to "sell" parents on the local school, but we are touring some area private schools and would feel uncomfortable selecting our public school over the other options without even a look. Thanks!

NP — why would you roll your eyes at this?

School is an important choice. The idea that parents can’t even enter these buildings is ridiculous.

I don’t think you’re going to learn much from a tour. You’ll learn way more by talking to families who currently have children in that school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you all for your helpful replies! Sounds like I should reach out to the local school's principal and/or PTA president to see if they will give us a tour this fall. I understand that it can be disruptive and they do not need to "sell" parents on the local school, but we are touring some area private schools and would feel uncomfortable selecting our public school over the other options without even a look. Thanks!

NP — why would you roll your eyes at this?

School is an important choice. The idea that parents can’t even enter these buildings is ridiculous.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you all for your helpful replies! Sounds like I should reach out to the local school's principal and/or PTA president to see if they will give us a tour this fall. I understand that it can be disruptive and they do not need to "sell" parents on the local school, but we are touring some area private schools and would feel uncomfortable selecting our public school over the other options without even a look. Thanks!

OP here - thank you all for your helpful replies! Sounds like I should reach out to the local school's principal and/or PTA president to see if they will give us a tour this fall. I understand that it can be disruptive and they do not need to "sell" parents on the local school, but we are touring some area private schools and would feel uncomfortable selecting our public school over the other options without even a look. Thanks!