Any insight regarding Eastern Middle school Magnet Program ?

[Anonymous]

My DC is offered a spot in Eastern Humanities magnet. DC was in CES for grade 4 and 5 and did excel. It’s a hard decision on us now as our home middle school is good too… It’s Cabin John . I understand Eastern Magnet program is good but is it worth the traveling / bus ride and commute ? Also how is the regular math / science program ? How good is the school outside of the magnet program ? Any input is really appreciated . Thank you so much .

[Anonymous]

Yes, EMS is worth the trip. No homeschool teaches writing like EMS does with IDRP - helped my kid in HS, college and beyond.

Also, peer group is not the same at homeschool - smaller number of intellectually advanced kids in home school and lack of ability-level grouping means homeschool class discussion is slow and boring.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP. But other than the magnet program did you like the school overall ? How was the math and science ? If DC is accelerated math would it be separate for magnet students or would it be same for the entire school ? Is there any issues we should be worried about ? Thanks

[Anonymous]

My daughter is in the the Eastern/a Takoma waitlisra—if my kid is amenable I would encourage her to go if she gets off and then switch back to our home middle school if it was not a good fit. You can always go back to the home school; once you give up Eastern, you can’t go back.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. That’s what we are trying to tell DC too. But is it like if you accept Eastern then you are automatically scratched off from Takoma Park wait list . Thanks

[Anonymous]

Are you sure about that? I think in the past you could accept one magnet and remain on the waitlist for the other.

[Anonymous]

The math instruction at Eastern is terrible.

[Anonymous]

There are no official magnet-only sections of math but many students end up in the same sections because their schedules work out that way.

[Anonymous]

PP do you have any first hand experience in regards to the math teaching in Eastern ? That’s what I am concerned about too. Thanks

[Anonymous]

There's a really recent thread on this same exact question that has a lot of information.

[Anonymous]

My DC wound be in accelerated Math 6+ ? Would it be a separate section or not ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure about that? I think in the past you could accept one magnet and remain on the waitlist for the other.

I think that applied to the order of precedence for the choice-based MS magnet consortium programs (Argyle/Loiederman/Parkland), the MS language immersion programs (various middle schools) and the criteria-based MS magnets (Eastern/TPMS or King/Clemente, depending on catchment). In that order (or maybe immersion first), accepting one was not to keep you out of the running/waitlist for another. I think they said that accepting one criteria-based offer does take you out of the other waitlist pool. I could be wrong, though.

With relatively large pools and no ranked pool position (each waitliat draw is supposed to random feom the pool) I'd think that turning down an offered spot at Eastern in the hopes of gaining an offer at TPMS would be a low-yield bet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC wound be in accelerated Math 6+ ? Would it be a separate section or not ?

See above about how cohorting for non-magnet classes happes to some degree based on schedule. If think that would be less the case, though, for 6+ than for 7+ (or AIM; not sure which they are using for the path to Algebra in 7th), as many who make the cut for the humanities pool are eligible for the more advanced math, too.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. Are there any current 6 th grade humanities parents here could give more info about the program in pertaining to real situation and how well you like it for giving up your home school. Thanks again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC wound be in accelerated Math 6+ ? Would it be a separate section or not ?

It would not be a separate section. If you would only accept the spot. If you can be guaranteed that your child would never encounter the mainstream student population at the school, even the highest achieving of them who are in advanced math, then please give up the spot now.