What Makes a School in PG County Bad? (Baltimore, Greenbelt: private schools, vouchers)

[kjg1963]

My daughter is currently in the PG system and is doing good. She is in the Science and Tech program. She did well on her SATs. My son was in PG until 10th Grade. He then moved to Carroll County. When he got there, he was well ahead of the kids up there. He breezed through 11th and 12th with mostly As. He had already learned material in 10th grade that they were just taking in 12th up there. I don't think the curriculum is lagging in PG, I think it really depends on the kid. If you have a desire to learn, you will be challenged and placed in more advanced classes. If you don't care, then you aren't going to excel. I may be one of the lucky ones with kids that, on their own initiative, decided to take school seriously. In my home, you are just expected to graduate. Its not a major hurdle in life to get over. There is no fear that it won't happen, and when it does, its not like the biggest event ever, with a huge celebration making a kid think they accomplished something truly outstanding and wonderful. It seems everyone's expectations of their kids are so low that graduation is the epitomy of accomplishment. There should be no fear that a child won't graduate. It should be a given.

[jessy0780]

My personal experience- I went from a Columbia elementary school (3rd &4th grade) to a PG elementary school (Lamont- 5th & 6th grade), many years ago. In my 5th grade class, I was taught things that I had learned in the 3rd grade. By 6th grade, I was moved to a TAG class, with an excellent teacher, but some of the stuff I had still already learned.
In middle school (PG), there were fights everyday in the hallways, and kids in my classes were constantly being suspended. Same thing with my high school- in Riverdale. Also, in hs, there were frequent locker searches, bomb threats, fights, lockdowns, and several incidents where kids brought guns to school. Also, at my graduation, a kids father was stabbed, trying to protect his son.
In hs, I took a regular Spanish class, outside of the university program that the rest of my classes were in. I was horrible at Spanish, and the class was in the comprehensive program- basically the kids who don't care at all about school. The kids in that class were disrespectful to the teacher- cussing her out and threatening her, and did nothing but sit and talk through the entire class. The administrator came into the class a couple of times a week to talk to students. I was one of 2 or 3 students who actually did any work in that class all year long. Most of those students did not pass, about half did not graduate. It was well known in hs that the "regular classes or comprehensive program" were a joke, and that a lot of kids got passed just so the teachers wouldn't have to put up with them again. It was funny back then, now it's just sad.
Obviously not all of the schools in PG are like this, but this is my personal experience in 3 PG public schools.

[cool rob]

Back to the topic at hand, I went to Prince George's County Public schools from k-12, I was awarded a partial academic scholarship and went to college in Baltimore and took out student loans to cover the rest. The schools asnd students are only as strong as their parents and teachers. It didn't matter then and it still shouldn't matter now, their were plenty of fights, even two of my classmates were killed during my 4 years in high school, however it did not directly affect me, because I stayed away from the dumb $hit and ignorance. If you properly monitor your children, teach them to lead and not follow, and keep them busy in academics and extracuricular activities, you leave no window for them to get in with a rough crowd or act a fool themselves. I think what Iscalder was pointing out is that Prince George's County Public Schools should not be singled out because Montgomery schools can be bad themselves, but once again, I beleive the parent makes the student and school stronger. The SAT Scores will go up if the parents choose to not sleep in on Saturday mornings and instead take the child to a free SAT prep class. One last point, Prince George's County (because of the prevelance of low income housing and low scoring schools) has many oppurtunities that other districts do not have. Many scholarships, waivers, and free academic and sports related programs exsist, just based off of your zip code. They need to be taken advantage of.

[lscalder]

Originally Posted by cool rob

Back to the topic at hand, I went to Prince George's County Public schools from k-12, I was awarded a partial academic scholarship and went to college in Baltimore and took out student loans to cover the rest. The schools asnd students are only as strong as their parents and teachers. It didn't matter then and it still shouldn't matter now, their were plenty of fights, even two of my classmates were killed during my 4 years in high school, however it did not directly affect me, because I stayed away from the dumb $hit and ignorance. If you properly monitor your children, teach them to lead and not follow, and keep them busy in academics and extracuricular activities, you leave no window for them to get in with a rough crowd or act a fool themselves. I think what Iscalder was pointing out is that Prince George's County Public Schools should not be singled out because Montgomery schools can be bad themselves, but once again, I beleive the parent makes the student and school stronger. The SAT Scores will go up if the parents choose to not sleep in on Saturday mornings and instead take the child to a free SAT prep class. One last point, Prince George's County (because of the prevelance of low income housing and low scoring schools) has many oppurtunities that other districts do not have. Many scholarships, waivers, and free academic and sports related programs exsist, just based off of your zip code. They need to be taken advantage of.

I agree with your post. If you noticed other posters were single out PG county school but from my experienced I witness the same things that was going on in Montgomery county schools which I graduated in 2002 so I know the same things are going on in the schools that I attended. What I witness in Montgomery County high school I wished I never saw. I never knew what crack pipe looked like until a ex friend of mine was caught with it selling it to students and the buyers were not poor children.

I never went to any high school parties because I was never into drugs/alcohol which was supplied by the middle class/wealthy student because their parents could afford to have bottles upon bottles of liquor in their homes. Those students who's parents gave them credit cards/cars while in high school were mostly the ones skipping school. The kids taking school bus was the ones not likely to skip because the metro stop was 45 mins to 1 hour walk away from the school.

[bunky3301]

I thought this post was going to get back on topic??? But no its been on RACE , other county schools systems with similar problems etc, etc.

The problem is fairly simple but will never be truly address in PG county because of the political leaning in the entire DC area. It's hard to say you've been wrong all these years trying to make the school system a social experiment instead of JUST TEACHING the KIDS !!!

The DC schools system is in the same trouble that PG has been all these years , poor management and poor direction. DC has been doing a test study with the "voucher system" and it's been very successful. Listen to the parents that have children in the program.

Yet because the "IDEA" came from a differing view point or political party it will be shot down automatically by the NEA a very liberal group. If they really cared about educating children they would at least try the program and if its not perfect then help to make it better. But competition in the education business and that seems to be what it is these days a "business" needs to be established NOW.

It will help America's future as a whole in my opinion, it will help the teacher continue to be a great teacher and I hope bring up salaries for teachers as well. I think the last average I heard being spent on a single child in the DC school system was almost $10,000 a year of tax payer monies. That is ridiculous IMO and the cost should only be about half of that amount and lets give the teachers who deserve a raise a real RAISE.

Its not just the PG or DC school systems that are failing our "future" which is our children. This is happening in school systems all across the Nation and its time for true change.

But I do fear that the NEA has such a strong hold on American Education and doesn't want to give up that power for anything, even if it means a better future for America's Children.

[cool rob]

Originally Posted by bunky3301

I thought this post was going to get back on topic??? But no its been on RACE , other county schools systems with similar problems etc, etc.

The problem is fairly simple but will never be truly address in PG county because of the political leaning in the entire DC area. It's hard to say you've been wrong all these years trying to make the school system a social experiment instead of JUST TEACHING the KIDS !!!

The DC schools system is in the same trouble that PG has been all these years , poor management and poor direction. DC has been doing a test study with the "voucher system" and it's been very successful. Listen to the parents that have children in the program.

Yet because the "IDEA" came from a differing view point or political party it will be shot down automatically by the NEA a very liberal group. If they really cared about educating children they would at least try the program and if its not perfect then help to make it better. But competition in the education business and that seems to be what it is these days a "business" needs to be established NOW.

It will help America's future as a whole in my opinion, it will help the teacher continue to be a great teacher and I hope bring up salaries for teachers as well. I think the last average I heard being spent on a single child in the DC school system was almost $10,000 a year of tax payer monies. That is ridiculous IMO and the cost should only be about half of that amount and lets give the teachers who deserve a raise a real RAISE.

Its not just the PG or DC school systems that are failing our "future" which is our children. This is happening in school systems all across the Nation and its time for true change.

But I do fear that the NEA has such a strong hold on American Education and doesn't want to give up that power for anything, even if it means a better future for America's Children.

It seems that too much importance is being placed on teachers, chancellors and school boards, and parents are being ommitted from the equation. It we truly want to fix this school system, lets start by fixing the social economic system as a whole.

For example: If mom A is working 2 jobs to support child, mom has no time for child. Lets help mom A whose working those 2 jobs by getting her in school so one day she can work only one job.

Now on the other hand: If mom B is woking 0 jobs and still has no time for child, mom B still needs and deserves the same help that working mom gets help!

And mom C who is working 3 jobs, still has no time for child, but makes too much money to get ANY help, and receives none.

That is the biggest and hardest concession that we have to make, and it is a very hard pill to swallow! I hope that makes sense, it did in my head as I typed it!

[ChocLot]

Thanks for all of the replies. I basically agree with the mindset that it's not necessarily PG county schools, but the students/parents themselves. I truly think you'd be hardpressed to find an elementary school child unwilling to learn. Now, of course by the time MS and HS rolls around, the hormones are raging and as such, many of the problems mentioned here (gangs, fights, disobedience) can happen anywhere in America.

I mainly asked this question because my children attend PG public schools. My oldest is an eighth grader; she's an honor student and will be attending a Science & Tech program at the HS level. My other children are in 4th grade and K and both are doing well. The schools they attend are clean, well-kept and the teachers seem motivated. I'm satisfied with the curriculum of all of my children and feel they are being well-challenged. I guess I just don't see the "PG schools are bad" signs.

Just to note: I attended DC public schools. They DESERVE their horrible reputation. Just absolutely awful. But with that said, I now have a B.A. from UMD-CP and am pursuing my master's. So....is it really the schools or the individual child/student?

[Mom21]

Just to note: I attended DC public schools. They DESERVE their horrible reputation. Just absolutely awful. But with that said, I now have a B.A. from UMD-CP and am pursuing my master's. So....is it really the schools or the individual child/student?

You raise an interesting point. I also know several PG students that just were not up to par, their education was truly inferior and it showed up in test scores. Yet, they went on to attend college, struggled initially, had to PAY FOR remedial classes, but after a lot of hard work, went on to graduate and have good paying jobs. Some are teachers now (hope that's not the problem, LOL!)

[RaisedWell]

Originally Posted by ChocLot

So....is it really the schools or the individual child/student?

It's the individual child/student and the home environment (parenting). I'm saying this based on my observation, my experience, and my upbringing.

I think we need parenting classes. Many parents do not know how much school has changed since the 70's etc. So many do not know how to help their child make the transition from elementary to middle and from middle to high.

So many people think that its about the income level. No it isn't!! My parents were poor. I was on free/reduced lunch. I attended DC Public and PG Schools and I went on to graduate from American University. My salary as a teacher is low enough that my children are in that free and reduced meals (FARMS) population and so are many of their friends. I hate it when people are so ready to jump out there and say that the poor performing schools are in the lower income areas. I teach in Clinton and my school is under alternative governance now. We have been on the news and everything for the violent fights and assaults. Please keep that in mind folks. If you are not in the trenches everyday you have no idea what is really happening or why a school is performing poorly.

No one really mentions the good news. We had a number of schools with a high concentration of the FARMS/Special Ed/African American population make AYP all over the county. The FARMS population as a whole has increased in test scores. I feel pretty dam proud of this because I work hard everyday and this is the population that I serve.

[Mom21]

I feel pretty dam proud of this because I work hard everyday and this is the population that I serve.

Thank GOD for teachers like you! Hang in there, the children need you.