I really think MCPS is still resting on their laurels from the 90s, and having spoken with parents who have gone that route, and having visited several schools myself, I don't think the academics would be that different between say a Whitman or BCC MCPS feeder track and the Deal/Wilson track. (And keep in mind, not all MCPSs are created equal).

The question then becomes, do you prefer a city or suburban school? Is diversity important to you or not (ethnic and socioeconomic)? Are the test scores of all students important to you? Do you want the option of an accelerated track? Are you more nervous or more comfortable when you see metal detectors at the entrance?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m OP, and we are IB for Hardy. I’ve heard such mixed things about that school. I just don’t know if it’s better to completely leave DCPS or try Hardy.

What mixed things do you hear about Hardy?

DS is at Hardy this year for 6th grade. So far, it has been fine, pandemic, distance learning and all. The staff has been responsive to DS' particular needs, but that may not be a universal experience. The biggest difference, at least from our perspective, between Hardy and other middle schools is the limited course offerings. Most MoCo schools have, for instance, English, Advanced English etc. for all grades - Hardy just has one track. They do have differentiation in Math at Hardy. I don't know about Deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the one hand I’ve heard that academically the school has been improving a lot. But then I’ve heard compared to certain MS in Moco and Howard County its still well below where a great MS should be. It’s more of are we settling for the best DCPS has to offer?

This so vague that it's pretty much meaningless. What objective measures is statement this based on? If no objective measures, do the people making these claims have experience at both Deal and MD middle schools?

I'd say that 99.9% of the people on DCUM claiming that one school system is better than another is doing so on speculation and hearsay rather than personal experience.

This was certainly our experience of sending a kid to Wilson years ago. I think DCUM consensus has largely shifted on Wilson as it's become more white, but when DS started we heard all kinds of crazy offensive things both in person and on DCUM from people who had clearly never set foot inside the school.

OP, I'd talk with Hardy parents. Also - yes, you may be "settling for the best DCPS has to offer", but our kid would absolutely not have traded their DCPS experience and DCPS friends for better academically performing schools in the suburbs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that is true anymore. Fewer students leave each year, and for 19-20, only about 600 students left DCPS between 5th and 6th, so that is just barely over 1% of the student population leaving before middle school.

This statistic, if true, is meaningless. Many families leave DCPS between 4th and 5th for sought after charters, including two of my kids.

Which means you didn't move to MoCo for middle school, so it is relevant. (BTW 200 student drop between 4th and 5th).

Anonymous wrote:We have a DC at Inspired Teaching for middle school. Small school with a close community. Great teachers.

Are you planning to stay with DCPS/PCS for high school as well?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in Key elementary IB for Hardy and Wilson. The only reason I see us not going this route but moving to MD is of we suddenly decide we need a bigger house. But very likely Hardy it is. I don’t see any reasons to move because of schools. They all follow the same curriculum, they all have AP classes and extracurricular activities to choose from.

DCPS and MCPS follow the same curriculum?

I meant similar. Good students will graduate having similar knowledge.