The high schools aren't terrible at all. They have lower scores than wealthier areas but that doesn't mean that the schools themselves aren't good or that your child will have lower scores. There are many advantages to bringing up children in Silver Spring schools.

Anonymous wrote:Why are the high schools so terrible what happens to all the good kids in prior grades?

The high schools aren't terrible at all. They have lower scores than wealthier areas but that doesn't mean that the schools themselves aren't good or that your child will have lower scores. There are many advantages to bringing up children in Silver Spring schools.

Other good neighborhoods are near Forest Glen (and many are walkable to metro) and bordering Kensington (like the neighborhoods that goes to Oakland Terrace Elementary).

I agree with the PP that the elementary and high schools are good, and middle school is the weakest part of SS schools. I also agree that they are improving and not a reason to avoid the area.

I am the PP who generally ranked the neighborhoods last night. OP - there are lots of silver spring school haters. definitely talk to people in th eneighborhoods you're interested in. Several Blair kids in our area are going to Ivy and Liberal Arts Ivy-type schools, as well as other top-tier public and private colleges. The magnets are of course national known.

The general weakness in SS schools is in the middle schools, compares to west county. But as more parents keep their kids in public schools throughout elementary, these will likely improve. The local parochial and privates are not considered as high quality as the public schools academically.

We live in north four corners and love it. We have lots of friends and neighbors (no less than 10) who are at ssi, north wood, and Blair and absolutely love it.
Please get 1st hand reports before making any decisions.
We have very friendly, professional neighbors whose kids are great, happy, smart, well-adjusted kids who have no plans of going private or moving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the high schools so terrible what happens to all the good kids in prior grades?

Their parents choose private or move.

This is simply untrue. My kids are still in middle but all the neighborhood kids I know continued on to Blair (our local school) and they are all smrt, well motivated, AP-taking kids. I don't know a single person who sent their kids to private or moved.

+1

In fact, I know people who sent their kids to private for elementary and then public for middle and high school.

Anonymous wrote:Why are the high schools so terrible what happens to all the good kids in prior grades?

We stay put because we love Silver Spring, and send our kids to the high schools. We are happy with Einstein, one kid went to Blair CAP which we also loved.

We only know one family who went private after ES.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't it depend on whether you are looking at elementaries, middles, or high schools? How would the forum rank just elementary schools in SS? middle schools? HSs?

Yep, there are good elementary options in some neighborhoods, but the middle and high schools (excepting Rosemary Hills as someone mentioned previously which feeds into the BCC cluster) are going to be um, not stellar, is perhaps the most tactful way of putting it...less tactful would be "I would never let my child go there."

What personal experience do you have with middle and high schools in Silver Spring?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the high schools so terrible what happens to all the good kids in prior grades?

Their parents choose private or move.

This is simply untrue. My kids are still in middle but all the neighborhood kids I know continued on to Blair (our local school) and they are all smrt, well motivated, AP-taking kids. I don't know a single person who sent their kids to private or moved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the high schools so terrible what happens to all the good kids in prior grades?

Their parents choose private or move.

This is not true at all and I hope that you talk to some people who actually live in Silver Spring before making a decision. There is a high school choice program (although you are guaranteed a slot at your "home" school) and both Blair and Einstein are sought out for high school. I think Northwood is also pretty good. Middle schools are the weakest link in Silver Spring, but Takoma middle and SSIMS get good reviews and others seem to be improving, if your kids are still young. I'm sure that there are some people who choose private or move, but many stay for the long haul. There is a lot of diversity in Silver SPring, but many of us see this as a plus.