Anonymous wrote:We decided to stretch and bought a house in the WJ cluster, instead of Einstein, and I have questioned that decision ever since. We're still ES, and the school is fine, but I have heard so many success stories from the Einstein cluster. When we moved, or agent scared us away from it. As a result, we live in a neighborhood surrounded by all white, upper-class, entitled kids. They will all go to college, and get jobs through daddy's connections, etc. It's a bit depressing. So it depends on what you want for your kid, and your standard of living. If you're stretched to buy the house, that financial strain might become stressful. Especially if your neighbors are all blowing money like it grows on trees...

I can't think of any neighborhoods feeding into WJ that would be described as "all white." The WJ kids I've come across are all quite rooted and down to earth. I don't sense the entitlement.

We decided to stretch and bought a house in the WJ cluster, instead of Einstein, and I have questioned that decision ever since. We're still ES, and the school is fine, but I have heard so many success stories from the Einstein cluster. When we moved, or agent scared us away from it. As a result, we live in a neighborhood surrounded by all white, upper-class, entitled kids. They will all go to college, and get jobs through daddy's connections, etc. It's a bit depressing. So it depends on what you want for your kid, and your standard of living. If you're stretched to buy the house, that financial strain might become stressful. Especially if your neighbors are all blowing money like it grows on trees...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a note on the fact that we're not hearing from a lot of Einstein parents on this board - I don't know if there are statistics, but I strongly suspect that this forum (DCUM) skews heavily toward Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Potomac plus Takoma Park and the wealthier parts of Silver Spring.

To the OP - why not put your question to a listserv in your neighborhood. Ask for replies off-list if you want. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Woodside Park, one of (if not the) most expensive neighborhoods in Silver Spring, feeds to Einstein.

Or maybe they don't want to cop to the fact that they bailed MoCo public for HS. Let's be real, are your "educated, self-motivated, non-drug doing kids" going to be hanging with the MS-13 or FARMS kids? Or are they going to self select like every other kid does, regardless of the school. And yes, we bailed on MoCo public because I got tired of having my MS kid getting the shit kicked out of him, and not learning anything. He's much happier at his small private, and he actually has to work hard. Flame away Einstein boosters.

I live in Woodside Park. My kids go to magnets at Blair, but many of our neighbors' kids attend Einstein and are doing well there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a note on the fact that we're not hearing from a lot of Einstein parents on this board - I don't know if there are statistics, but I strongly suspect that this forum (DCUM) skews heavily toward Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Potomac plus Takoma Park and the wealthier parts of Silver Spring.

To the OP - why not put your question to a listserv in your neighborhood. Ask for replies off-list if you want. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Woodside Park, one of (if not the) most expensive neighborhoods in Silver Spring, feeds to Einstein.

Or maybe they don't want to cop to the fact that they bailed MoCo public for HS. Let's be real, are your "educated, self-motivated, non-drug doing kids" going to be hanging with the MS-13 or FARMS kids? Or are they going to self select like every other kid does, regardless of the school. And yes, we bailed on MoCo public because I got tired of having my MS kid getting the shit kicked out of him, and not learning anything. He's much happier at his small private, and he actually has to work hard. Flame away Einstein boosters.

You are an ass. Seriously, and I don't go around saying this to other posters. Perhaps, your kid got picked on because he was demonstrating the god-awful attitude you have displayed in your ignorant ass post. I hope that is not true and he is ok and safe, but I truly feel sorry that he has too be raised by someone with the despicable attitude you have.

Signed,

Someone who knows that having "lower" income does not make you stupid, uneducated or lower class
Someone who knows that every Hispanic kid is not a gang member
Someone who was a FARMS kid
Someone who thanks God that her kids' schools offers free breakfast to everyone so that FARMS kids are not singled out
Someone more concerned about rampant elitism, ignorance and racism than who gets free lunch

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a note on the fact that we're not hearing from a lot of Einstein parents on this board - I don't know if there are statistics, but I strongly suspect that this forum (DCUM) skews heavily toward Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Potomac plus Takoma Park and the wealthier parts of Silver Spring.

To the OP - why not put your question to a listserv in your neighborhood. Ask for replies off-list if you want. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Woodside Park, one of (if not the) most expensive neighborhoods in Silver Spring, feeds to Einstein.

Or maybe they don't want to cop to the fact that they bailed MoCo public for HS. Let's be real, are your "educated, self-motivated, non-drug doing kids" going to be hanging with the MS-13 or FARMS kids? Or are they going to self select like every other kid does, regardless of the school. And yes, we bailed on MoCo public because I got tired of having my MS kid getting the shit kicked out of him, and not learning anything. He's much happier at his small private, and he actually has to work hard. Flame away Einstein boosters.

Anonymous wrote:Just a note on the fact that we're not hearing from a lot of Einstein parents on this board - I don't know if there are statistics, but I strongly suspect that this forum (DCUM) skews heavily toward Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Potomac plus Takoma Park and the wealthier parts of Silver Spring.

To the OP - why not put your question to a listserv in your neighborhood. Ask for replies off-list if you want. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Woodside Park, one of (if not the) most expensive neighborhoods in Silver Spring, feeds to Einstein.

Just a note on the fact that we're not hearing from a lot of Einstein parents on this board - I don't know if there are statistics, but I strongly suspect that this forum (DCUM) skews heavily toward Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Potomac plus Takoma Park and the wealthier parts of Silver Spring.

To the OP - why not put your question to a listserv in your neighborhood. Ask for replies off-list if you want. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Re Newport Mill: My kids used to for to OTES and then to Singer when it opened. I remember a few years ago there were were parents on the OTES listserv who were concerned about the lack of academic rigor at Newport Mill. Has it changed? Or do you disagree with their complaints?

Anonymous wrote:We live in the Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer Community. Most of the kids in our immediate neighborhood have moved away (replaced with young couples and young families). We love our house and neighborhood. I'm very pleased that our daughter got accepted to the TPMS Magnet because we would have had to make the same tough decisions as the OP. The fact is, many people who have the means to do so move to a better school district or go private as their kids get older. Only a percentage of the kids that are currently in Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer will continue on to Einstein. I watched it happen to me as I progressed from ES through Eastern then Blair.

Ive lived in Kensington Heights since 2000, and none of my kids' friends have moved away because of the schools. Only a very few have switched to catholic or magnet schools. I've probably known 20 kids who graduated from Einstein in the last 15 years. I've never heard any of their parents lamenting a lack of rigor (actually quite the opposite) or worry for their kids' safety. These kids all went on to respectable colleges.

I didn't join in on the discussion earlier because I don't have first hand knowledge of Einstein. My DS will be a freshman there in the fall. So far I've been please with course offerings and communication from the Einstein administration.

I've been very happy with our Einstein cluster schools, Oakland Terrace and Newport Mill. The past 3 years at NMMS have been so unexpectedly great. Three years of middle school with zero drama and great teachers/staff (special shout out to the super awesome World Studies and Math teachers there). So glad we didn't listen to the naysayers about moving to a "better" cluster.

For those worrying about safety, my nephew at WJ was punched in the face, knocked unconscious and transported to the ER with a concussion. The boy responsible for this was not punished in any way, no suspension, nothing. My niece has had an iPod touch and phone stolen at WJ. WJ is also a good school, but clearly all schools have issues, and some schools are failing to report their issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer Community. Most of the kids in our immediate neighborhood have moved away (replaced with young couples and young families). We love our house and neighborhood. I'm very pleased that our daughter got accepted to the TPMS Magnet because we would have had to make the same tough decisions as the OP. The fact is, many people who have the means to do so move to a better school district or go private as their kids get older. Only a percentage of the kids that are currently in Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer will continue on to Einstein. I watched it happen to me as I progressed from ES through Eastern then Blair.

I don't think this is true. We are also in that area and everyone we know who is not going to Eastern or TPMS is going to Sligo.

I agree. Most of the kids from Oakland are either going to a magnet or Newport.

Many of my neighbors' kids went to Einstein. They are sophisticated families and have been pleased. I have heard some kids at Westland MS, feeder to BCC, are already into drugs. Seems early to me. Kids at Einstein probably less entitled, more down to earth.

Anonymous wrote:
OP,

We used to live in Silver Spring.
We moved to Bethesda for the schools.

There is no comparison between Einstein and BCC (also an IB school). The student body at BCC is of a different mentality and has been exposed to a much wider culture and sense of the world. Are they snobbish? No, and definitely not compared to the lily white, affluent western Bethesda suburbs. BCC is reasonably diverse because it's the downtown high school.

As a foreigner, I particularly appreciate the multinational aspect of Bethesda. There are many international families here, who are all highly educated and bring something extra to the school cluster.

That being said, I believe parents are the first educators in a child's life, so I'm sure you can have a great experience at Einstein as well. But if the environment can be made a little better, it makes your job as a parent that much easier, right?

WOW
LOL
Every kid in your school is more worldly than the kids in SS.
Worldly teens, a school full of them.
LOL

Anonymous wrote:We live in the Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer Community. Most of the kids in our immediate neighborhood have moved away (replaced with young couples and young families). We love our house and neighborhood. I'm very pleased that our daughter got accepted to the TPMS Magnet because we would have had to make the same tough decisions as the OP. The fact is, many people who have the means to do so move to a better school district or go private as their kids get older. Only a percentage of the kids that are currently in Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer will continue on to Einstein. I watched it happen to me as I progressed from ES through Eastern then Blair.

That is true for any high school pyramid. The question is, what percentage?

Anonymous wrote:We live in the Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer Community. Most of the kids in our immediate neighborhood have moved away (replaced with young couples and young families). We love our house and neighborhood. I'm very pleased that our daughter got accepted to the TPMS Magnet because we would have had to make the same tough decisions as the OP. The fact is, many people who have the means to do so move to a better school district or go private as their kids get older. Only a percentage of the kids that are currently in Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer will continue on to Einstein. I watched it happen to me as I progressed from ES through Eastern then Blair.

I don't think this is true. We are also in that area and everyone we know who is not going to Eastern or TPMS is going to Sligo.

We live in the Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer Community. Most of the kids in our immediate neighborhood have moved away (replaced with young couples and young families). We love our house and neighborhood. I'm very pleased that our daughter got accepted to the TPMS Magnet because we would have had to make the same tough decisions as the OP. The fact is, many people who have the means to do so move to a better school district or go private as their kids get older. Only a percentage of the kids that are currently in Oakland Terrace / Flora Singer will continue on to Einstein. I watched it happen to me as I progressed from ES through Eastern then Blair.