Anonymous
Post 03/04/2016 18:28     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
OP, One thing you want to know about Bethesda that is evident in this thread is that there is a real ignorance and intolerance by some parents and the school administrations themselves for children with special needs. They believe that these children are too much work and bring down their perfect test scores.

If you can relate to these parents then you will want to avoid Bethesda Elementary.

If you want a wonderful, truly inclusive environment for your child where he or she will learn how to be friends with a diverse group of children you should look at Bethesda. I don't know anyone who actually believes what PPs wrote. In fact, the school is much better staffed than other Bethesda elementary schools as a result of all the paraeducators in the building.

There are special needs children at every school and the problem at the other schools is when these children need help there is no one to provide it so the teachers are overwhelmed. At Bethesda there are plenty of resources to go around.

There is a reason why the real estate prices there are the highest in the Bethesda.
Anonymous
Post 03/04/2016 18:03     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Why not downtown Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster? The schools are very good, more socio-economically diverse than the other clusters you mention, but still have high educational standards.

If you rent a home close to downtown, it will be walkable to Metro, shops and restaurants - quite a pleasant lifestyle!



Bethesda Elementary has an extremely high number of SN kids without the resources to attend to them. The non SN kids are getting left to their own devices in classrooms which are full to bursting. Run a search on here for more information. It was a top ES some years ago (about 10) and then got over-burdened as a result.


Yes. Our experience too. Can't take it anymore, exploring alternatives.
Anonymous
Post 03/04/2016 15:18     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Why not downtown Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster? The schools are very good, more socio-economically diverse than the other clusters you mention, but still have high educational standards.

If you rent a home close to downtown, it will be walkable to Metro, shops and restaurants - quite a pleasant lifestyle!



Bethesda Elementary has an extremely high number of SN kids without the resources to attend to them. The non SN kids are getting left to their own devices in classrooms which are full to bursting. Run a search on here for more information. It was a top ES some years ago (about 10) and then got over-burdened as a result.


I am the poster you responded to, and I have a child with special needs in Bethesda Elementary. I am also on the PTA board there.
None of what you say is true.
I would be interested to know whether you are a current parent at this school, and if so, what specific information you could bring to the PTA, so that we can address your concerns. It's what we're here for!

BE is an inclusive school and receives more funding for para-educators and all things pertaining to special ed than similar elementary schools.
One very important aspect to this extra funding is that contrary to other elementary schools, there is practically always a para-educator (or more than one) in each classroom, ready to help any child who needs it - not just the children she is assigned to help.
Other schools either make do with one teacher, or ask for parent volunteers, who may or may not be up to the task.
Another important aspect of inclusion is that children learn tolerance and acceptance at an early age. The school counselor is excellent and several teachers have been there for years, and know exactly what they're doing.

BE won an MCPS award last year for most volunteer hours put in, and parents are highly involved. The PTA can afford to hold STEM and Cultural Arts events for every grade, and provide remedial instruction, food and clothing to the few students who need it. BE implements the Lucy Calkins reading and writing enrichment program for all grades, which not all MCPS schools can afford to do.
BE is also different from other Bethesda schools in that it welcomes the highly-educated but transient population of downtown Bethesda - foreign diplomats and workers on 2-3 year missions. They expect high standards, particularly in math, to be frank! The ESOL population is large, but contrary to other MCPS schools, this does not translate to a high FARMs (poverty) rate. It is merely a reflection of the many nationalities at the school, which bring amazing cultural enrichment. Every year, students in each class have a little show and tell, explain where they come from, and it's fascinating to see what they bring, Samurai helmets or a French coat of arms, etc.... Multi-Cultural Night is the school event of the year.

To OP, and anybody else who's interested, I hope this has given you a clearer picture of Bethesda Elementary.


All you need to do is run a search on here, DCUM for the past 2-3 years to hear many, many parents talk of the over-crowding at BS. And many of those same parents talk about how the teacher and SN aide run to the attention of the few children in class who need help while everyone else is left waiting. That's not having everything under control. Maybe your child's classroom is somehow exempt from that scenario or maybe you're unaware of what is happening with the other children in the class.
Anonymous
Post 03/04/2016 09:45     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Why not downtown Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster? The schools are very good, more socio-economically diverse than the other clusters you mention, but still have high educational standards.

If you rent a home close to downtown, it will be walkable to Metro, shops and restaurants - quite a pleasant lifestyle!



Bethesda Elementary has an extremely high number of SN kids without the resources to attend to them. The non SN kids are getting left to their own devices in classrooms which are full to bursting. Run a search on here for more information. It was a top ES some years ago (about 10) and then got over-burdened as a result.


We go to Bethesda Elementary and love it. The new addition has helped, and for the Kindergarten this year, they added a fifth teacher/class to alleviate crowding.


Yes, most public schools do have to do a juggling act with the numbers - often recruiting a teacher to take an extra class on years with higher intake. Its standard practice.
Anonymous
Post 03/04/2016 08:45     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Why not downtown Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster? The schools are very good, more socio-economically diverse than the other clusters you mention, but still have high educational standards.

If you rent a home close to downtown, it will be walkable to Metro, shops and restaurants - quite a pleasant lifestyle!



Bethesda Elementary has an extremely high number of SN kids without the resources to attend to them. The non SN kids are getting left to their own devices in classrooms which are full to bursting. Run a search on here for more information. It was a top ES some years ago (about 10) and then got over-burdened as a result.


We go to Bethesda Elementary and love it. The new addition has helped, and for the Kindergarten this year, they added a fifth teacher/class to alleviate crowding.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 22:51     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our children attend Bradley Hills and we have been very pleased with the education and general experience overall. The one downside is that they is very limited SES diversity so our kids are getting a skewed view of the world.

If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.


No one is getting a skewed view of the world because they are not living side by side with poverty.


Is anybody getting a skewed view of the world because everybody that they know is wealthy?


I grew up in a town where pretty much everyone was wealthy & attended a K-8 school there with a 0% FARMS rate & , yes, it can result in a pretty skewed perfection of reality in many ways. Attending a more economically diverse high school helped pull me out of that skewed reality but I have friends who entered college having always attended school with other wealthy kids & many of them were shocked, for example, to find out that not everyone's parents gave them spending money every month or paid for them to go on spring break. One of my friends actually thought her family was middle class even though they flew first class internationally & stayed in luxury hotels on a regular basis. Another friend thought it was unfair that she didn't get financial aid because, after all, her parents had to put 4 kids through private boarding school.


Well I can agree that living with your head up your backside will give you a skewed view of life. If you read and travel then less so.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 20:58     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our children attend Bradley Hills and we have been very pleased with the education and general experience overall. The one downside is that they is very limited SES diversity so our kids are getting a skewed view of the world.

If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.


No one is getting a skewed view of the world because they are not living side by side with poverty.


Is anybody getting a skewed view of the world because everybody that they know is wealthy?


I grew up in a town where pretty much everyone was wealthy & attended a K-8 school there with a 0% FARMS rate & , yes, it can result in a pretty skewed perfection of reality in many ways. Attending a more economically diverse high school helped pull me out of that skewed reality but I have friends who entered college having always attended school with other wealthy kids & many of them were shocked, for example, to find out that not everyone's parents gave them spending money every month or paid for them to go on spring break. One of my friends actually thought her family was middle class even though they flew first class internationally & stayed in luxury hotels on a regular basis. Another friend thought it was unfair that she didn't get financial aid because, after all, her parents had to put 4 kids through private boarding school.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 20:33     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Why not downtown Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster? The schools are very good, more socio-economically diverse than the other clusters you mention, but still have high educational standards.

If you rent a home close to downtown, it will be walkable to Metro, shops and restaurants - quite a pleasant lifestyle!



Bethesda Elementary has an extremely high number of SN kids without the resources to attend to them. The non SN kids are getting left to their own devices in classrooms which are full to bursting. Run a search on here for more information. It was a top ES some years ago (about 10) and then got over-burdened as a result.


I am the poster you responded to, and I have a child with special needs in Bethesda Elementary. I am also on the PTA board there.
None of what you say is true.
I would be interested to know whether you are a current parent at this school, and if so, what specific information you could bring to the PTA, so that we can address your concerns. It's what we're here for!

BE is an inclusive school and receives more funding for para-educators and all things pertaining to special ed than similar elementary schools.
One very important aspect to this extra funding is that contrary to other elementary schools, there is practically always a para-educator (or more than one) in each classroom, ready to help any child who needs it - not just the children she is assigned to help.
Other schools either make do with one teacher, or ask for parent volunteers, who may or may not be up to the task.
Another important aspect of inclusion is that children learn tolerance and acceptance at an early age. The school counselor is excellent and several teachers have been there for years, and know exactly what they're doing.

BE won an MCPS award last year for most volunteer hours put in, and parents are highly involved. The PTA can afford to hold STEM and Cultural Arts events for every grade, and provide remedial instruction, food and clothing to the few students who need it. BE implements the Lucy Calkins reading and writing enrichment program for all grades, which not all MCPS schools can afford to do.
BE is also different from other Bethesda schools in that it welcomes the highly-educated but transient population of downtown Bethesda - foreign diplomats and workers on 2-3 year missions. They expect high standards, particularly in math, to be frank! The ESOL population is large, but contrary to other MCPS schools, this does not translate to a high FARMs (poverty) rate. It is merely a reflection of the many nationalities at the school, which bring amazing cultural enrichment. Every year, students in each class have a little show and tell, explain where they come from, and it's fascinating to see what they bring, Samurai helmets or a French coat of arms, etc.... Multi-Cultural Night is the school event of the year.

To OP, and anybody else who's interested, I hope this has given you a clearer picture of Bethesda Elementary.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 19:40     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
OP here -- Thank you to everyone for the replies. I was mostly focusing on those schools because they had homes available within our budget and we wanted to stay close to Bethesda as that is where my husband works. We also have a dog which has limited our rental options, many rentals are not pet friendly. I am absolutely open to looking in the BCC cluster, none of the rental possibilities we have received have been in that cluster, possibly because we requested a 3-4 bedroom home with a yard, or maybe it is outside our budget. I truly appreciate all the replies and I do feel like I have a little better focus now. I am still considering all options, but I am starting to focus on schools and neighborhoods that would be a good fit for us.

I am looking forward to exploring Bethesda and being part of the community. It seems like a lovely place that has lots of good restaurants and great schools. Many thanks for all the replies and feel free to send more.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 09:48     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
This looks like it is about to turn nasty (maybe already has) so I thought I would try to keep it on track. As others have noted, most of the schools in the area are very good with some variations from year to year, often including the Principal who can have a strong presence in an elementary school, much less visible at HS. One thing that matters to many kids is the neighborhood, whether there are lots of kids, few kids, easily accessible (houses close together or far apart) and as they get older (early teens), many like to be able to walk or spend time in the downtown area. We are in a nice neighborhood in the BCC cluster that we picked in part for the easy commute to DC, but if we were to do it over again, would seek out neighborhoods with more kids and easier access to Bethesda. The three Bethesda HS are all different -- Whitman kind of isolated, high-performing but the least diverse, commutes from that area vary a lot; Walter Johnson more urban in that there are places for kids to go at lunch, nice facility, more diverse and high performing though not generally thought as high as BCC or Whitman; BCC is urban, more diverse (though relative to the other schools) , and high performing, commute tends to be easiest into DC. If you think you will stay put, focusing on HS may make more sense than elementary school.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 07:20     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our children attend Bradley Hills and we have been very pleased with the education and general experience overall. The one downside is that they is very limited SES diversity so our kids are getting a skewed view of the world.

If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.


No one is getting a skewed view of the world because they are not living side by side with poverty.


Is anybody getting a skewed view of the world because everybody that they know is wealthy?
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 07:12     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:Our children attend Bradley Hills and we have been very pleased with the education and general experience overall. The one downside is that they is very limited SES diversity so our kids are getting a skewed view of the world.

If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.


No one is getting a skewed view of the world because they are not living side by side with poverty.
Anonymous
Post 03/03/2016 04:42     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Our children attend Bradley Hills and we have been very pleased with the education and general experience overall. The one downside is that they is very limited SES diversity so our kids are getting a skewed view of the world.

If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2016 22:45     Subject: Re:Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
If you will buy in the same neighborhood 2 years later, you really need to check out the housing price you want to pay. The rent around Bradley Hill ES is from $2,300 for an old 3 bedroom house to $6,500 for a new 4-6 bedroom house. Old houses sell for close to $800,000 with only three bedrooms. Many can afford to rent there but few can afford to buy. Similar situation occurs in many of the school you are looking at.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2016 21:26     Subject: Moving to Bethesda -- Renting then buying, choosing an elementary school, all advice welcome...
Anonymous wrote:
Why not downtown Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster? The schools are very good, more socio-economically diverse than the other clusters you mention, but still have high educational standards.

If you rent a home close to downtown, it will be walkable to Metro, shops and restaurants - quite a pleasant lifestyle!



Bethesda Elementary has an extremely high number of SN kids without the resources to attend to them. The non SN kids are getting left to their own devices in classrooms which are full to bursting. Run a search on here for more information. It was a top ES some years ago (about 10) and then got over-burdened as a result.