What makes MoCo so great?

Nothing. It is still slipping by based on its reputation in the 89s, 90s and early 2000s.

I think MCPS is going to lose more elementary levels kids to private schools in the next few years. As an above poster said, the kids who had the old curriculum probably were getting a better education, at least for the brighter children and above average kids. The new 2.0 curriculum and new report cards are disappointing.. It is driving me and other families to consider private schools..
Really sad, because of a lot of us moved to montogmery county for the what we thought were excellent schools...

23:04 do you have any experience with RM or Julius West or are you basing your asertations on rumor mill?

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has seen a dramatic change in enrollment. While it was a majority white system in the '80s, Hispanics make up the majority today with blacks falling slightly behind. So, with the decline in well prepared students the school system has fallen in educational performance (MSAs, HSAs, etc).

This is factually incorrect. Hispanics do not make up the majority. MCPS is 33% white, 27% Hispanic, 14% Asian.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/pdf/Demo_OfficialSchoolEnrollments2012_2013.pdf

Also, I interpret your statement to mean that white = well-prepared and Hispanic/black = not well-prepared. Is that what you meant to say?

Anonymous wrote: ... here are a good number for unhappy MCPS parents. MCPS is not great.

There are no aides in the classrooms and class sizes keep getting bigger. MCPS has budget problems.

The superintendent has a very bad relationship with parents. He's arrogant, rude, not effective, and has a hard time hiding is disdain for any parental involvement.

Curriculum 2.0 sucks. The new report card is terrible. You will have no idea how your child is doing. Everyone gets a P and ES grades are random. When my child got a few ES grades, I asked why and the explanation was very arbitrary. Even if your child gets ES grades, you still have no idea how they are actually doing. They don't give unit assessments, the assessments are based on teacher observation so teacher's can't give you any examples of how they are doing. You just end up seeing piles of worksheets come home. Math is too easy and too repetitive. Same thing over and over. What's worse is that they will re-introduce and then repeat the same thing over and over again the next year. Curriculum 2.0 ended acceleration so if your kids picked it up in an earlier grade they have to do it again. Enrichment is some bullshit extra worksheets that aren't any more challenging than the regular work.

MCPS used to be much better. Parents with older kids and younger kids are upset that their older kid received a better education.

MCPS has seen a dramatic change in enrollment. While it was a majority white system in the '80s, Hispanics make up the majority today with blacks falling slightly behind. So, with the decline in well prepared students the school system has fallen in educational performance (MSAs, HSAs, etc). It is not a great system, IMO, but an okay system. Of course the breathless PR people and the unions that depend on the system being perceived as good wont agree with me.

MoCo touts itself. I grew up there and am now in Fairfax. Fairfax is fantastic but in the DC Area, Fairfax is always in MoCo's shadow notwithstanding data that shows Fairfax is as good or better. MOCO is a has been and the taxes are awful. Fairfax IS.

It sounds like your child will get the same education in both places, but you won't have to deal with all the frenzied entitled parents if you stay in DC. We have enjoyed not knowing so many of them by staying in Silver Spring.

The Parents Coalition is crazy but there are a good number for unhappy MCPS parents. MCPS is not great.

There are no aides in the classrooms and class sizes keep getting bigger. MCPS has budget problems.

The superintendent has a very bad relationship with parents. He's arrogant, rude, not effective, and has a hard time hiding is disdain for any parental involvement.

Curriculum 2.0 sucks. The new report card is terrible. You will have no idea how your child is doing. Everyone gets a P and ES grades are random. When my child got a few ES grades, I asked why and the explanation was very arbitrary. Even if your child gets ES grades, you still have no idea how they are actually doing. They don't give unit assessments, the assessments are based on teacher observation so teacher's can't give you any examples of how they are doing. You just end up seeing piles of worksheets come home. Math is too easy and too repetitive. Same thing over and over. What's worse is that they will re-introduce and then repeat the same thing over and over again the next year. Curriculum 2.0 ended acceleration so if your kids picked it up in an earlier grade they have to do it again. Enrichment is some bullshit extra worksheets that aren't any more challenging than the regular work.

MCPS used to be much better. Parents with older kids and younger kids are upset that their older kid received a better education.

The IB program at RM only represents 20% of the school population. It raises the averages but does not totally control them..

It's not in Virginia.

Anonymous wrote:

Parents Coalition. Their "leader" thinks she knows all. Just ask her and get ready for a delusional earful.

Yes, I remember the Montgomery County Parents Coalition blog post that blamed MCPS for buying artificial turf from a French company that supports the French Olympic team. See, I'm not making it up:

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2012/08/guest-post-mcps-supports-french-olympic.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS is the most overrated and it is not perceived as one of the best in the nation. Please stop PP

Those ratings tell you that MCPS is e.g. #5 in the nation among school systems fail to clarify that "among school systems" means "among large, county-based school systems with student populations of 65,000+". They don't count school systems that don't fit that description, e.g. the many, MANY town-based school systems in New England (Mass. especially) and other areas of the country, which are actually much better than MCPS. If those systems were factored in, I highly doubt that MCPS would score anywhere near the top.

MCPS is ok. It's not great, but it's ok.

It has great PR people, as you can tell from its many self-congratulatory press releases.

Yes, like when RM is in the top 100 list it fails to mention it is their IB component and not the rest of the thugs that go there. That school is a TOTAL NIGHTMARE. it's middle school JW is actually worse.

Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS is the most overrated and it is not perceived as one of the best in the nation. Please stop PP

Those ratings tell you that MCPS is e.g. #5 in the nation among school systems fail to clarify that "among school systems" means "among large, county-based school systems with student populations of 65,000+". They don't count school systems that don't fit that description, e.g. the many, MANY town-based school systems in New England (Mass. especially) and other areas of the country, which are actually much better than MCPS. If those systems were factored in, I highly doubt that MCPS would score anywhere near the top.

MCPS is ok. It's not great, but it's ok.

It has great PR people, as you can tell from its many self-congratulatory press releases.

What does "SES" stand for?

The problem is, one can't really generalize about "MCPS." It's a huge huge school system. Comparing Potomac to Darnestown to White Oak ... Please. There are huge differences in what you will encounter depending on where in the county you live. Yet MCPS has done a fabulous job ($10 million PR budget) in selling Brand MCPS. I've got to say, if this is one if the best school stems in the country... I fear for our country. If your not in on an upper SES area,be prepared to work *very very hard* to ensure that your kid gets the education he/she needs/deserves given the taxes you're paying. Bottom line, you have to be quite savvy. And the bureaucracy is a nightmare. Tons of lip service to "parent involvement," but really, so much of it is involvement Kabuki.