Washington, DC suburbs in MarylandCalvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County
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guess i posted in the wrong section earlier so i am posting here...
I am having a house built in Potomac, MD (close-in). I know it's considered a generally high dollar area. With that being said, I come from modest means, went to public schools, went to college, worked hard and started my own firm. I still maintain that modest upbringing/background/culture that I had growing up as a child. I'm in my early 30's and I have 2 children, a girl and a boy.
It seems as if everyone in the area sends their children to private school. I am not against private schools, I am just wondering if the public schools (both children are elementary age) are any good in the area? I would rather my children go to a great public school vs. a great private school. Just so they'd be able to adept and interact with people of various social/cultural backgrounds. Not saying that children from private schools can't but that the very nature of private schools tends to exclude people from various backgrounds imo. Are the public elementary options in potomac any good? I can't imagine that they'd be horrible considering the relative wealth and cache' of the surrounding area.
guess i posted in the wrong section earlier so i am posting here...
I am having a house built in Potomac, MD (close-in). I know it's considered a generally high dollar area. With that being said, I come from modest means, went to public schools, went to college, worked hard and started my own firm. I still maintain that modest upbringing/background/culture that I had growing up as a child. I'm in my early 30's and I have 2 children, a girl and a boy.
It seems as if everyone in the area sends their children to private school. I am not against private schools, I am just wondering if the public schools (both children are elementary age) are any good in the area? I would rather my children go to a great public school vs. a great private school. Just so they'd be able to adept and interact with people of various social/cultural backgrounds. Not saying that children from private schools can't but that the very nature of private schools tends to exclude people from various backgrounds imo. Are the public elementary options in potomac any good? I can't imagine that they'd be horrible considering the relative wealth and cache' of the surrounding area.
I attended Potomac schools, admittedly quite a while ago. I was in the Winston Churchill cluster (Potomac Elem, Seven Locks Elem, Wayside Elem, perhaps others).
It has always been the case that some parents send their kids to Montessori, Jewish day school, Catholic school, Bullis school in Potomac, or even the German School in Potomac. You have a very diverse set of parents with different priorities. Unless things have changed, it was not a statement about the MCPS elementary schools.
I do know that at some point, Seven Locks was slated for closure but now is getting modernized. Students are sent to a satellite location in the meantime in Bethesda. Some parents may not like that. This is just speculation on my part.
Potomac Elem is known for its Chinese immersion program. I would be astounded to hear that it is now considered a sub-par school.
What I would do in your situation is talk to the people who will be your neighbors and get a range of input on perceived strengths & weaknesses of the elem school serving your new neighborhood. If that's physically difficult, I know that many Potomac parents are on listservs, and the truth tends to come out. Just browsing the archives can be informative.
I think today's parents feel pressured to start kids early on:
languages -- Chinese and Spanish, esp
computer science/tech
basic sciences
it may be the case that private offerings are increasingly deemed more competitive in these areas. It's becoming something of a rat race. My guess is that the public schools are considered solid, but perhaps not enough for the "edge."
I attended Potomac schools, admittedly quite a while ago. I was in the Winston Churchill cluster (Potomac Elem, Seven Locks Elem, Wayside Elem, perhaps others).
It has always been the case that some parents send their kids to Montessori, Jewish day school, Catholic school, Bullis school in Potomac, or even the German School in Potomac. You have a very diverse set of parents with different priorities. Unless things have changed, it was not a statement about the MCPS elementary schools.
I do know that at some point, Seven Locks was slated for closure but now is getting modernized. Students are sent to a satellite location in the meantime in Bethesda. Some parents may not like that. This is just speculation on my part.
Potomac Elem is known for its Chinese immersion program. I would be astounded to hear that it is now considered a sub-par school.
What I would do in your situation is talk to the people who will be your neighbors and get a range of input on perceived strengths & weaknesses of the elem school serving your new neighborhood. If that's physically difficult, I know that many Potomac parents are on listservs, and the truth tends to come out. Just browsing the archives can be informative.
I think today's parents feel pressured to start kids early on:
languages -- Chinese and Spanish, esp
computer science/tech
basic sciences
it may be the case that private offerings are increasingly deemed more competitive in these areas. It's becoming something of a rat race. My guess is that the public schools are considered solid, but perhaps not enough for the "edge."
it's funny you mentioned that chinese immersion program. that's what really started the ball rolling with me thinking about public vs. private school. i've heard good reviews about it. unfortunately, my future neighbors all send their kids to private school. if i have to send my children to private school i will for the sake of social involvement.
guess i posted in the wrong section earlier so i am posting here...
I am having a house built in Potomac, MD (close-in). I know it's considered a generally high dollar area. With that being said, I come from modest means, went to public schools, went to college, worked hard and started my own firm. I still maintain that modest upbringing/background/culture that I had growing up as a child. I'm in my early 30's and I have 2 children, a girl and a boy.
It seems as if everyone in the area sends their children to private school. I am not against private schools, I am just wondering if the public schools (both children are elementary age) are any good in the area? I would rather my children go to a great public school vs. a great private school. Just so they'd be able to adept and interact with people of various social/cultural backgrounds. Not saying that children from private schools can't but that the very nature of private schools tends to exclude people from various backgrounds imo. Are the public elementary options in potomac any good? I can't imagine that they'd be horrible considering the relative wealth and cache' of the surrounding area.
If public schools in Potomac aren't good enough, then I'd say that public schools in 99.9% of America aren't good enough.
If public schools in Potomac aren't good enough, then I'd say that public schools in 99.9% of America aren't good enough.
yea i guess we are talking good in a relative sense...good as compared to the other surrounding schools.
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