Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Correct. If there are gangs or drugs, even the most academically-oriented kids will not be immune. There will be peer pressure to get involved with both, whether as a perpetrator or a victim. Both are fairly limited at Wootton and Wootton families want to keep it that way.

Exactly. I actually don’t think any of these people thinking it’s no big deal have any idea the real problems some of these schools have. I went to a terrible high school in another state. There were active gang members and it was scary every single day and completely colored my high school experience in a negative light. I would never want my kids to have to deal with it. The high performing schools do have drug problems but honestly Although that’s not great, I will still take it over violence.

Gaithersburg has active gang members and lots of behavior issues. At least one of the feeder schools that Crown is getting if Wootton moves is one that feeds to GHS. I’m not sure why people think that somehow we are going to be ok with this. If we were ok with it then we would have moved to a much cheaper house in the GHS attendance zone.

And to add, many many of us in the Wootton cluster stretched to be able to get a house in that zone. Many of us are not rich at all and decided the investment in our child’s education was more important than many other things. We are not rich, not by a long shot. So losing considerable money in our investment does matter-it affects our children’s future.

Of course there are exceptions like anything else, but when a child has parents that don’t show any interest in their education, provide no consequences and show no concern when their kid is causing trouble at school-that’s a problem. Has this happened in our cluster with a child? Absolutely-but the difference is the PTA is strong and collectively doesn’t accept it so pushes for these issues to be dealt with. Once a good piece of Wootton gets pushed out-And is replaced with GHS kids it will just be a downward spiral. I believe most people who judge went to excellent schools and truly don’t know the difference.

So you can think it’s gross all you want. I want my kids safe. I want them to go to school without being scared.

And Wootton has lots and lots of drugs

And if you read my post-I acknowledged that. Still think it’s better than violence. I can do my best to teach my kids to make good choices and not engage with drugs but I can prevent someone from trying to hurt them at school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Correct. If there are gangs or drugs, even the most academically-oriented kids will not be immune. There will be peer pressure to get involved with both, whether as a perpetrator or a victim. Both are fairly limited at Wootton and Wootton families want to keep it that way.

Exactly. I actually don’t think any of these people thinking it’s no big deal have any idea the real problems some of these schools have. I went to a terrible high school in another state. There were active gang members and it was scary every single day and completely colored my high school experience in a negative light. I would never want my kids to have to deal with it. The high performing schools do have drug problems but honestly Although that’s not great, I will still take it over violence.

Gaithersburg has active gang members and lots of behavior issues. At least one of the feeder schools that Crown is getting if Wootton moves is one that feeds to GHS. I’m not sure why people think that somehow we are going to be ok with this. If we were ok with it then we would have moved to a much cheaper house in the GHS attendance zone.

And to add, many many of us in the Wootton cluster stretched to be able to get a house in that zone. Many of us are not rich at all and decided the investment in our child’s education was more important than many other things. We are not rich, not by a long shot. So losing considerable money in our investment does matter-it affects our children’s future.

Of course there are exceptions like anything else, but when a child has parents that don’t show any interest in their education, provide no consequences and show no concern when their kid is causing trouble at school-that’s a problem. Has this happened in our cluster with a child? Absolutely-but the difference is the PTA is strong and collectively doesn’t accept it so pushes for these issues to be dealt with. Once a good piece of Wootton gets pushed out-And is replaced with GHS kids it will just be a downward spiral. I believe most people who judge went to excellent schools and truly don’t know the difference.

So you can think it’s gross all you want. I want my kids safe. I want them to go to school without being scared.

And Wootton has lots and lots of drugs

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Gangs of Downtown Crown

Downtown crown doesn’t go to GHS. Just FYI.

Yes it does.

not all of it.

All of Rosemont goes to GHS, including the Crown island, which is the part of Rosemont likely to be reassigned to Crown/Wootton.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/ServiceAreaMaps/RosemontES.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Gangs of Downtown Crown

Downtown crown doesn’t go to GHS. Just FYI.

Yes it does.

not all of it.

I’m not that concerns with the part to be zoned into option H. But getting overcrowded is a real concern. I don’t want my kids go to a mega school and I also don’t want another boundary study any time soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Gangs of Downtown Crown

Downtown crown doesn’t go to GHS. Just FYI.

Yes it does.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Correct. If there are gangs or drugs, even the most academically-oriented kids will not be immune. There will be peer pressure to get involved with both, whether as a perpetrator or a victim. Both are fairly limited at Wootton and Wootton families want to keep it that way.

Exactly. I actually don’t think any of these people thinking it’s no big deal have any idea the real problems some of these schools have. I went to a terrible high school in another state. There were active gang members and it was scary every single day and completely colored my high school experience in a negative light. I would never want my kids to have to deal with it. The high performing schools do have drug problems but honestly Although that’s not great, I will still take it over violence.

Gaithersburg has active gang members and lots of behavior issues. At least one of the feeder schools that Crown is getting if Wootton moves is one that feeds to GHS. I’m not sure why people think that somehow we are going to be ok with this. If we were ok with it then we would have moved to a much cheaper house in the GHS attendance zone.

And to add, many many of us in the Wootton cluster stretched to be able to get a house in that zone. Many of us are not rich at all and decided the investment in our child’s education was more important than many other things. We are not rich, not by a long shot. So losing considerable money in our investment does matter-it affects our children’s future.

Of course there are exceptions like anything else, but when a child has parents that don’t show any interest in their education, provide no consequences and show no concern when their kid is causing trouble at school-that’s a problem. Has this happened in our cluster with a child? Absolutely-but the difference is the PTA is strong and collectively doesn’t accept it so pushes for these issues to be dealt with. Once a good piece of Wootton gets pushed out-And is replaced with GHS kids it will just be a downward spiral. I believe most people who judge went to excellent schools and truly don’t know the difference.

So you can think it’s gross all you want. I want my kids safe. I want them to go to school without being scared.

Oh, OK.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/wootton-high-school-shooting/65-8467ac1e-8603-46fa-b0d0-6b7c621b9e0d

This happens/can happen anywhere. And nobody was hurt, which is of course best case scenario for that kind of thing. Hope the kid gets the help he needs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Gangs of Downtown Crown

Downtown crown doesn’t go to GHS. Just FYI.

or is it split?

Anonymous wrote:The Gangs of Downtown Crown

Downtown crown doesn’t go to GHS. Just FYI.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Correct. If there are gangs or drugs, even the most academically-oriented kids will not be immune. There will be peer pressure to get involved with both, whether as a perpetrator or a victim. Both are fairly limited at Wootton and Wootton families want to keep it that way.

Exactly. I actually don’t think any of these people thinking it’s no big deal have any idea the real problems some of these schools have. I went to a terrible high school in another state. There were active gang members and it was scary every single day and completely colored my high school experience in a negative light. I would never want my kids to have to deal with it. The high performing schools do have drug problems but honestly Although that’s not great, I will still take it over violence.

Gaithersburg has active gang members and lots of behavior issues. At least one of the feeder schools that Crown is getting if Wootton moves is one that feeds to GHS. I’m not sure why people think that somehow we are going to be ok with this. If we were ok with it then we would have moved to a much cheaper house in the GHS attendance zone.

And to add, many many of us in the Wootton cluster stretched to be able to get a house in that zone. Many of us are not rich at all and decided the investment in our child’s education was more important than many other things. We are not rich, not by a long shot. So losing considerable money in our investment does matter-it affects our children’s future.

Of course there are exceptions like anything else, but when a child has parents that don’t show any interest in their education, provide no consequences and show no concern when their kid is causing trouble at school-that’s a problem. Has this happened in our cluster with a child? Absolutely-but the difference is the PTA is strong and collectively doesn’t accept it so pushes for these issues to be dealt with. Once a good piece of Wootton gets pushed out-And is replaced with GHS kids it will just be a downward spiral. I believe most people who judge went to excellent schools and truly don’t know the difference.

So you can think it’s gross all you want. I want my kids safe. I want them to go to school without being scared.

Oh, OK.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/wootton-high-school-shooting/65-8467ac1e-8603-46fa-b0d0-6b7c621b9e0d

The Gangs of Downtown Crown

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Correct. If there are gangs or drugs, even the most academically-oriented kids will not be immune. There will be peer pressure to get involved with both, whether as a perpetrator or a victim. Both are fairly limited at Wootton and Wootton families want to keep it that way.

Exactly. I actually don’t think any of these people thinking it’s no big deal have any idea the real problems some of these schools have. I went to a terrible high school in another state. There were active gang members and it was scary every single day and completely colored my high school experience in a negative light. I would never want my kids to have to deal with it. The high performing schools do have drug problems but honestly Although that’s not great, I will still take it over violence.

Gaithersburg has active gang members and lots of behavior issues. At least one of the feeder schools that Crown is getting if Wootton moves is one that feeds to GHS. I’m not sure why people think that somehow we are going to be ok with this. If we were ok with it then we would have moved to a much cheaper house in the GHS attendance zone.

And to add, many many of us in the Wootton cluster stretched to be able to get a house in that zone. Many of us are not rich at all and decided the investment in our child’s education was more important than many other things. We are not rich, not by a long shot. So losing considerable money in our investment does matter-it affects our children’s future.

Of course there are exceptions like anything else, but when a child has parents that don’t show any interest in their education, provide no consequences and show no concern when their kid is causing trouble at school-that’s a problem. Has this happened in our cluster with a child? Absolutely-but the difference is the PTA is strong and collectively doesn’t accept it so pushes for these issues to be dealt with. Once a good piece of Wootton gets pushed out-And is replaced with GHS kids it will just be a downward spiral. I believe most people who judge went to excellent schools and truly don’t know the difference.

So you can think it’s gross all you want. I want my kids safe. I want them to go to school without being scared.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Correct. If there are gangs or drugs, even the most academically-oriented kids will not be immune. There will be peer pressure to get involved with both, whether as a perpetrator or a victim. Both are fairly limited at Wootton and Wootton families want to keep it that way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Sure, it is a community. If there is no relative loss of that community between an option to have Wootton at its current location and an option to move it to the Crown location, then it would seem the "community" concern is limited to that which would be added to the community...like Fields Road, perhaps.

If that is not the case, it might be better to provide detail. If that is the case, then just ew.

I love how many of the critics here automatically look at this issue through the "ew" lens, instead of Woottom families wanting to keep their school exactly where it is and remediate the immediate issues with the building.

Lift and shift of Wootton to Crown will destroy what Wootton families have built for numerous reasons that have been exhaustively articulated in this and other threads. You might think it will enhance the student population through diversity - but unless you can GUARANTY that the "new Wootton" will rank #3 amongst all Maryland public high schools (or at least not drop out of the top 5, where it's been for several years) - then the move is not in the best interests of the Wootton community. The move will be to save MCPS money at the expense of Wootton families.

Who cares about the school's rank among Maryland public schools? I can see that it might matter for property values, not because it's relevant but because it's a short hand that realtors/buyers might use. But aside from that, it has no meaning and no value. (If anything, it would help college admissions since AOs compare kids with others from the same school.) It *is* relevant that kids are surrounded by other high performing kids. But that would still be the case if another cohort of kids joins the current Wootton community. Plus, the kids get a brand spanking new school!

It may not have any meaning and no value to you. In that case, feel free to put your kids into a failing public school. Live by your values or be a hypocrite.

It has meaning to parents and kids who want a great education. Families around the country buy homes in areas where there are good schools. Because there is such high demand for good schools, the property values in those areas are generally high.

Again, guarantee that Wootton's ranking and underlying educational achievement as a student body won't go down if it moves to Crown. I can guarantee you that Wootton parents will be upset if they traded a brand new building for a precipitous drop in both. Right now, parents are willing to tolerate a remediated school building and wait 10 years for a full renovation.

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Anonymous wrote:I"m confused. If they use Crown for Wootton, and move one or two additional GHS neighborhoods to Crown, how does that the overcrowding at the neighboring schools like RM, QO, NW?

It doesn't. It achieves the following:

1. Removes the political pressure from Wootton families on MCPS to remediate (not renovate) issues at Wootton
2. Removes Wootton from the Capital Improvement Plan in 2035 (after being removed twice previously, but now permanently - third time's a charm)
3. Moves the Wootton boundary to include GHS neighborhoods by moving Wootton 3 miles, achieving previous boundary study goals/recommendations that were rejected
4. Redistributes the high achievers from Wootton to a new school and mixes them with kids from much lower-achieving school(s), hoping for improved grades by peer influence
5. Removes the political pressure from vocal, non-W school neighborhoods that such schools are bastions of white, privileged, rich families
6. Frees up prime real estate on Wootton Parkway for substantial residential development, enriching a developer that will make campaign contributions for years to come
7. Covers up a mistake by MCPS in accepting "free land" and building a new high school in a congested, high-traffic area right off the highway
8. Generates more tax revenues from increased business at the shops and restaurants surrounding Crown (and potential campaign contributions for years to come from those businesses)

Can you expand a little more on your #4?

Not the pp but It means Wootton will not be a top performing school anymore. That list that comes out with the best high schools in MD-it will no longer be on it. Basically it will probably be a very small step up from Gaithersburg HS.

What lists?
Why do you think that will happen?
What actual impact would it have if that does happen?

US News and World report-heard of that? Wootton is ranked 191 nationally.
What makes a school great? It’s usually a very strong and active PTA. It correlates to high parent involvement. Rosemont basically has no PTA. And the reviews of Fields road are absolutely awful. The impact will be much time that is supposed to be for instruction now devoted to managing behavior issues.

Are you concerned about dilution? Because the Wootton cohort & PTA would pretty much stay intact with a move to the Crown location. What does the ranking, in and of itself, generate, aside from marginally higher real estate prices? The understanding is that it does not result in preferential admission to college on an individual basis.

High school is by period/course. The likely placement of academically minded Wootton students in honors-level/advanced classes, which certainly stay available with any reasonably sized portion of the intact cohort, would tend to keep them with others similarly interested and less prone to being difficult (in the manner about which you may be expressing concern) in the classroom, even if from (gasp!) Fields Road.

Did you ever actually go to high school? You think kids are only with the kids they are in classes with and that’s it? It’s a community. There is so much more to it than just being in classes with other similarly academic kids.

Sure, it is a community. If there is no relative loss of that community between an option to have Wootton at its current location and an option to move it to the Crown location, then it would seem the "community" concern is limited to that which would be added to the community...like Fields Road, perhaps.

If that is not the case, it might be better to provide detail. If that is the case, then just ew.

I love how many of the critics here automatically look at this issue through the "ew" lens, instead of Woottom families wanting to keep their school exactly where it is and remediate the immediate issues with the building.

Lift and shift of Wootton to Crown will destroy what Wootton families have built for numerous reasons that have been exhaustively articulated in this and other threads. You might think it will enhance the student population through diversity - but unless you can GUARANTY that the "new Wootton" will rank #3 amongst all Maryland public high schools (or at least not drop out of the top 5, where it's been for several years) - then the move is not in the best interests of the Wootton community. The move will be to save MCPS money at the expense of Wootton families.

Who cares about the school's rank among Maryland public schools? I can see that it might matter for property values, not because it's relevant but because it's a short hand that realtors/buyers might use. But aside from that, it has no meaning and no value. (If anything, it would help college admissions since AOs compare kids with others from the same school.) It *is* relevant that kids are surrounded by other high performing kids. But that would still be the case if another cohort of kids joins the current Wootton community. Plus, the kids get a brand spanking new school!