Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had daughter and son go through Hughes, didn’t have any issues, both took AA classes and both did band. All of their teachers were incredible, especially the band director, she is amazing. As well as orchestra and choir, I have good nothing but great things. The AA/Honors classes seem to have kids who actually want to learn and not cause trouble.

That is the key. If your kid is in AAP classes, they will be ok. But if your kid is in regular, it’ll be a sh@t show.

+1

Can any kid sign up for AP classes or do they need to be in AAP from elementary?

I think Hughes is fine for sporty or artsy kids, the key is parent involvement to get them onto teams or activities outside of school since middle school activities are weak. That's the case at all FCPS middle schools. If they meet people in sports or activities who also go to the school, it helps a lot. Also make sure your kid meets and has a relationship with their counselor. FCPS middle schools are huge and impersonal (esp if your kid ends up not in classes with friends from ES, like mine did) but counselors will help those kids who ask, good ally to have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade parent my daughter is happy at Hughes, we're pleasantly surprised. She's in some advanced classes but also PE, home ec, art are fine. Not sure what problems people have we don't hear much from her and assume that's a positive, lol.

I hate when people say this. Those classes really aren’t where you are going to see the problem kids rear their ugly heads. They aren’t taking art.

Wow you sound really racist and classist. All kids at Hughes are mixed for all electives. Yes, even "problem kids" can be artistic. You sound horrible.

Kids are going to behave better in the classes that they like and are interested in. So the kid who is acting up in the core classes can be perfectly well behaved in the art class.

We know that there is a strong correlation between SES and parents educational achievement and success in school, mainly because kids who come from lower SES families are more likely to have parents who do not have degrees, including a high school degree, and have not introduced their kids to reading and math as toddlers, reading to them and playing games that use numbers, and that they cannot help their kids in ES and MS. This is why lower SES schools have more kids who are behind in class, struggle in classes, and are more likely to have behavioral problems at school. That is not classist, that is basic stats and years of research and publications studying these issues.

+1 Exactly!

Anonymous wrote:Is it fairly easy to make friends or do the groups carry over from elementary? What are the parents like for typical, average students?

Not a Hughes parent, but you will find that in any middle school it all depends. My DD found a niche group and really only one friend from elementary was in the group.
DS expanded his group quite a big while keeping elementary friends.

I think the interests kind of drive it at this age.

Is it fairly easy to make friends or do the groups carry over from elementary? What are the parents like for typical, average students?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade parent my daughter is happy at Hughes, we're pleasantly surprised. She's in some advanced classes but also PE, home ec, art are fine. Not sure what problems people have we don't hear much from her and assume that's a positive, lol.

I hate when people say this. Those classes really aren’t where you are going to see the problem kids rear their ugly heads. They aren’t taking art.

Wow you sound really racist and classist. All kids at Hughes are mixed for all electives. Yes, even "problem kids" can be artistic. You sound horrible.

Kids are going to behave better in the classes that they like and are interested in. So the kid who is acting up in the core classes can be perfectly well behaved in the art class.

We know that there is a strong correlation between SES and parents educational achievement and success in school, mainly because kids who come from lower SES families are more likely to have parents who do not have degrees, including a high school degree, and have not introduced their kids to reading and math as toddlers, reading to them and playing games that use numbers, and that they cannot help their kids in ES and MS. This is why lower SES schools have more kids who are behind in class, struggle in classes, and are more likely to have behavioral problems at school. That is not classist, that is basic stats and years of research and publications studying these issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade parent my daughter is happy at Hughes, we're pleasantly surprised. She's in some advanced classes but also PE, home ec, art are fine. Not sure what problems people have we don't hear much from her and assume that's a positive, lol.

I hate when people say this. Those classes really aren’t where you are going to see the problem kids rear their ugly heads. They aren’t taking art.

Wow you sound really racist and classist. All kids at Hughes are mixed for all electives. Yes, even "problem kids" can be artistic. You sound horrible.

You’re a clueless idiot. The problems seem to come out more in the academic classes. Art is very time consuming and intense - most problem kids aren’t taking art, sorry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7th grade parent my daughter is happy at Hughes, we're pleasantly surprised. She's in some advanced classes but also PE, home ec, art are fine. Not sure what problems people have we don't hear much from her and assume that's a positive, lol.

I hate when people say this. Those classes really aren’t where you are going to see the problem kids rear their ugly heads. They aren’t taking art.

Wow you sound really racist and classist. All kids at Hughes are mixed for all electives. Yes, even "problem kids" can be artistic. You sound horrible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had daughter and son go through Hughes, didn’t have any issues, both took AA classes and both did band. All of their teachers were incredible, especially the band director, she is amazing. As well as orchestra and choir, I have good nothing but great things. The AA/Honors classes seem to have kids who actually want to learn and not cause trouble.

That is the key. If your kid is in AAP classes, they will be ok. But if your kid is in regular, it’ll be a sh@t show.

+1

That can be true of other schools as well. I teach at a L4 center and my regular classes are hit or miss in terms of levels of trouble. I walk by other rooms and they are having just as much trouble when the wrong combination of kids is in one class together.

Anonymous wrote:7th grade parent my daughter is happy at Hughes, we're pleasantly surprised. She's in some advanced classes but also PE, home ec, art are fine. Not sure what problems people have we don't hear much from her and assume that's a positive, lol.

I hate when people say this. Those classes really aren’t where you are going to see the problem kids rear their ugly heads. They aren’t taking art.

7th grade parent my daughter is happy at Hughes, we're pleasantly surprised. She's in some advanced classes but also PE, home ec, art are fine. Not sure what problems people have we don't hear much from her and assume that's a positive, lol.

Yes, I've subbed at several MS and know the developmental level. Student behavior is worse at Hughes than others, for whatever the reasons and I'm not "getting at" anything in particular. As far as admin checking I mean when teacher notes say "this is a tough class, I've asked admin to stop by" and they don't. And when disruptive students leave classroom or take things from others and I call office to let them know, no answer. Please don't imply I can't handle a class, I'm talking about extraordinary circumstances and I find them there more than elsewhere. (Or found...as I said I no longer sub there as of mid Sept, even the beginning of school year was disturbing.)

Anonymous wrote:I am a substitute teacher and will not sub there, even though I love close.. Some nice classes but more where students clearly are not used to listening to adults, doing work, following social norms. Cannot follow basic instructions, constantly talking and walking around....makes you wonder how it is when teacher is there, why basic rules are not established. Admin never comes to check in when I'm subbing, front office doesn't answer phone, and even getting a next-door teacher to help is tough..

Listen, I don't disagree the socio economic factor plays into Hughes some, which is what you're really getting at it here.
Theres pros/cons to that and to lets say over crowded Carson.
Also - this is middle school!! 2 years of developmental chaos.
Subbing high school may be more your speed?
Or elementary much more coddling and the office has nice vibes usually.

I've subbed for a few years and am former teacher and have never expected admin to come check when I'm subbing? lol.
Where did that come from?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had daughter and son go through Hughes, didn’t have any issues, both took AA classes and both did band. All of their teachers were incredible, especially the band director, she is amazing. As well as orchestra and choir, I have good nothing but great things. The AA/Honors classes seem to have kids who actually want to learn and not cause trouble.

That is the key. If your kid is in AAP classes, they will be ok. But if your kid is in regular, it’ll be a sh@t show.

+1

Anonymous wrote:Had daughter and son go through Hughes, didn’t have any issues, both took AA classes and both did band. All of their teachers were incredible, especially the band director, she is amazing. As well as orchestra and choir, I have good nothing but great things. The AA/Honors classes seem to have kids who actually want to learn and not cause trouble.

That is the key. If your kid is in AAP classes, they will be ok. But if your kid is in regular, it’ll be a sh@t show.