Change in Fort Washington (Bethesda, Bowie: low income, real estate, 2014)

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by Mos82

Oxon was rezoned now only has 1500 kids, 500 of them are in the magnet program

That's great to hear. I see the new campus driving down Indian Head Highway and it looks beautiful. The students are better served when student to teacher ratio is as small as possible. Im sure the Magnet/Science and Technology programs are still doing well.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by UrbanScholar

That sums it up. Especially regarding the schools. I see a LOT of transportation buses from the private schools in FTW. So its not surprising that there is little involvement with the schools. Unfortunately and in general, the parents of the kids remaining in public schools don't participate or feel like they are fighting an uphill battle.

It's a shame and a huge disservice to the children. I used to teach and a lot of the issues I encountered stemmed from the parents' attitude towards their childrens' education. There is a sense of apathy towards learning with many of the younger parents who don't realize the long term impact that it will have on their children. I had a thirteen year old student that hung out all night with thirty year old drug dealers and only came to school to avoid truancy issues. When staff contacted his mother to address his behavioral issues, she threatened to sue the school rather than properly parent her child. Teachers can only do so much when the love of learning and proper behavior is not instilled in the child from a young age.

Ironically, I'm sure that the public schools in D.C. will end up being more ideal than the suburban schools with the shift in demographics. Already, even some of the neighborhoods in N.E. and S.E. appear to be more desirable than many P.G. neighborhoods.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by UrbanScholar

That sums it up. Especially regarding the schools. I see a LOT of transportation buses from the private schools in FTW. So its not surprising that there is little involvement with the schools. Unfortunately and in general, the parents of the kids remaining in public schools don't participate or feel like they are fighting an uphill battle.

I'm sure parents are concerned about the education of their children. However, there must be an attitude that is conducive to learning in the home as well as at school. A child who has been instilled with a love of learning from an early age is destined for success in the educational realm. My mother, who was a high school English teacher, brought home cartons of unused books she received from the school when I was young and I devoured them. I wonder if these parents who are struggling with the quality of education at these schools are supplementing what their children are learning with any extra academic programs at home? Again, since I don't have children, I wouldn't know the first thing about what is going on in the schools in this area but I would hope that parents and staff are working together to address these issues and improve the situation.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

I'm curious as to what people define as "good shopping"? There are grocery stores such as Giant and Tangier Outlets isn't bad at all. Everywhere can't be Tyson's Corner.

As for the schools that's merely a function of demography. You'd run into the same problem in Charles County and the rest of PG frankly.

Tanger is a great start. We haven't ever had shopping at that level so it is nice to see some higher end stores in the area drawing in people (and tax dollars) from all over MD/VA. I personally would like to see an upgrade in the grocery options and, perhaps, some nice mid-priced restaurants like you see in Bowie/Annapolis and even Largo. Maybe I am just used to a more urban-oriented shopping district? I did enjoy spending time with friends at my local Whole Foods dining area when I lived in NYC. Even Annapolis has a great town center with various restaurants to enjoy. NH does provide some of these amenities but is not have the same appeal as a Towne Center does for the local community.

Fort Washington definitely has a different appeal than a Tyson's Corner or Bethesda but it could definitely develop as a nice mix of residential with a small central business district (similar to Bowie) with strategic planning. Bowie is a great family-oriented town with a lot of appeal and activities for people of all ages to enjoy. I believe that Fort Washington could be at the same level or better.

[NYtoDC]

Originally Posted by Mos82

What was the last sentence implying? Because both of Charles County majority black HS test better then PG " Gold Standard" Roosevelt. Let's not talk about Bmore county black HS.. Which blows PG ' away....using race as a excuse to justify PG schools is the problen

I definitely don't think it is a matter of race but socioeconomic issues. The science and tech kids I went to school with were from all ethnic backgrounds but there were many AA students who went on to become engineers, doctors, lawyers. etc. Again, it definitely stems from the home environment. As a former teacher, I really wish parents would stop seeing the teachers as the "parent" from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. That notion is absurd. If the parents want to see improvements in testing, they must create an attitude of learning from the womb. That is how children become high achievers. Many African students in this area (e.g. Nigerians) go on to attend Ivy League colleges and become high earners because of the attitude that is cultivated in their households from an early age. AA households with the same high expectations for their children usually have similar results.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by Mos82

What was the last sentence implying? Because both of Charles County majority black HS test better then PG " Gold Standard" Roosevelt. Let's not talk about Bmore county black HS.. Which blows PG ' away....using race as a excuse to justify PG schools is the problen

What tests are you referring to?

Only 32% of majority black Westlake 10th graders are proficient on the PARCC tests, only 43% at North Point but 60% are proficient at Roosevelt, which by the way is also majority black.

http://www.schooldigger.com/go/MD/sc...44/school.aspx

[FortWashingtoneer]

I've lived in Ft Washington for 12 years, and moved here from Alexandria for the same reasons as Baghead. I keep hoping that the southern part of the area would "wake up" a little bit. No I don't want it to be another Waldorf but it would be nice to have some amenities like a free-standing coffee shop or a Panera.

The SafeWay is just not cutting it anymore - many times I've attempted to purchase items only to find that they are past their sell-buy date. The Giant is like walking back in time. I sure hope that rumor about a Wegman's coming is true.

Unless you want pizza, Chinese, or fast food, the restaurant options are very limited.

The southern part of FTW has a lot of professionals living there (and more once the MGM is done) who would be happy to spend their money locally for creature comforts.

[Fast GTO]

I wouldn't be so sure that everyone cares about their kids school performance...just look at test scores. If you think it is poor teaching you need to think again.

[Baghead]

Originally Posted by Fast GTO

I wouldn't be so sure that everyone cares about their kids school performance...just look at test scores. If you think it is poor teaching you need to think again.

I propose the Hollywood method


1. Hire Michelle Pfeiffer/Hillary Swank white woman
2. ?
3. School saved!

[FortWashingtoneer]

Southern Fort Washington has a lot of potential - close to DC, affordable homes, close to the National Harbor, but not too close, a brand new police station, a growing professional population (just look at buses full of people riding into the District every day). And it has a lot of empty land, almost a blank slate for some smart planning.

I honestly think that if FTW had some local leadership with vision, and we stop with the mentality that we are just another part of PG County, we could really turn the area into an oasis where people want to live. The schools aren't going to be getting any better in the next 10-20 years. We can't wait for that. But what we can do is develop an area where DINKs want to live. Couples without kids, which is becoming a lot more common.

They won't care about the schools, they just want to be close to where they work and have good places to eat and shop nearby. I also don't feel that building nice things means that we will draw in the "hoodlums". New construction that is taken care of and targets middle class shoppers is not going to have gangs of kids hanging around.

And we can't not do anything because we are worried about more traffic. Other areas in the DMV have a whole lot more going on and traffic is no worse. We can keep waiting for the county to "get around" to dealing with 210, and maybe by 2030 they'll start working on the Old Fort intersection, and 10 years after that Swann Creek Rd, or we can tie road improvements into the expansion of goods and services.