What is the best High School in PG County? (Baltimore: middle-class, apartments)

[selhars]

Although I'm single, no kids, and live in Bowie which is supposed to have decent schools, I'm reading some of the posts and don't know WHAT to think of PG schools.

IF I had children I don't know whether I'd send them to public schools or not -- probably not.
I don't even know if I'd send them to public school -- anywhere -- any county.

I feel as a parent I'd have more say if I paid tuition that a school knew it would lose if I were not happy...and I think my children would get a better education in private school. Is that even debatable?

I come from a family of educators. A MAIN problem is that politicians and academics who don't TEACH -- think THEY know what's best. But they don't ask TEACHERS.

I won't say what major city's school system a friend works for but here is what the latest contract proposal for her district is offering:
-- school district will no longer have to provide DESKS for teachers, copy machines, nor SUFFICIENT learning materials or textbooks
-- schools with more than 1000 students would no longer have to have a librarian
-- counselors would no longer be guaranteed an office with privacy, a telephone or a door
-- no limit to how many hours you'd teach in a row or how many classes in a row with no break
-- teachers could be assigned classes OUTSIDE their subject area
-- NO limit on class size! (current limit is 33)
-- teachers would not be allowed to use reasonable force to protect themselves
-- the school would not have to provide water fountains or a teacher lounge
-- a ten percent pay cut...

....AND pay would be linked to student performance.

Now you tell me how on earth can you have the first list...and yet want to link teacher pay to student test scores?

I don't even know what to say...not provide desks, phones, not even enough of ANY KIND of learning materials?
If the school isn't providing learning materials, there is no librarian, the counselors office has no privacy, and the teacher is teaching outside his subject area --what the he11 is going on!!

I though this above contract offer list HAS to be a joke.....from all I can tell....it's not.

The reason kids are not learning is NOT the teachers. I'm NOT a parent, but I think it IS the parents. If parents don't demand better to get better, and if parents aren't on a kid's butt to do his/her work, and check that work -- or find someone who can...that's on THEM...the parents....NOT teachers. But teachers are the easy scapegoat.

[RamblingMan]

Originally Posted by pgtvatitans

Indian Head is in Charles County.

Fort Washington has lost a lot of value. There have been waterfront properties for sale as low as the low $100k so I think it is much different now then when you were there.

Where have you seen a waterfront property for anywhere near $100K? In the past three years of watching the market, I haven't seen anything even close to that price. The lowest price I've seen for a waterfront house was about $500k for a property that was almost a tear-down (on a nice 1/2 acre lot), and at that price it sold in about a week. There are a few waterfront lots for sale right now, but the asking price for even 1/3 acre of shallow water creekfront is about $250K.

Fort Washington may have lost a lot of value, but there are no cheap waterfront properties.

[kosmo65]

Frankly, I am horrified at the responses to the original question. My brother teaches at one of the high schools that was mentioned as a "must avoid" - the same high school he and I attended in the mid to late 1980s. The same high school where neither of us ever saw the kind of violence mentioned as having happened during that timeframe in this thread, and where we both felt safe.

My brother is not a tough guy; he's a geek. He loves his job, he loves the kids, and says he's never once felt threatened or worried. He's taught AP, IB, and also the kids who struggle the most, which he says was the most challenging thing, but also the best experience. He's consistently gotten top ratings from his students over the 14 years he's been teaching in PG county. There are students from 57 countries in his classes this year, so diversity is his daily life.

Each school will have teachers like him. Each school will have children with parents who care. The converse is also true.

Please, go LOOK at the schools. I remember being terrified to go to Jr. High School, as I had heard rumors of "race wars" there. My parents took me to visit the school one day, and it turned out it was just a school. Yes, PG County schools have a bad rap, but that does not mean that good students cannot thrive in the system.

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by RamblingMan

Where have you seen a waterfront property for anywhere near $100K? In the past three years of watching the market, I haven't seen anything even close to that price. The lowest price I've seen for a waterfront house was about $500k for a property that was almost a tear-down (on a nice 1/2 acre lot), and at that price it sold in about a week. There are a few waterfront lots for sale right now, but the asking price for even 1/3 acre of shallow water creekfront is about $250K.

Fort Washington may have lost a lot of value, but there are no cheap waterfront properties.

I retract my comment. The property I was referring to is here:

13424 Queens Ln Fort Washington MD - Public Property Records Search - Realtor.com®

It's not right on the water as I originally thought, but it's very close. I originally saw it described as such, but it is not. My apologies.

[bmwguydc]

Discussions and opinions regarding schools can become contentious, especially based upon personal experience, but please remember to address the merits of another member's post, and not engage the other member in personal attacks or flame wars as that serves no purpose to the OP. Thank you.

[RamblingMan]

Originally Posted by pgtvatitans

I retract my comment. The property I was referring to is here:

13424 Queens Ln Fort Washington MD - Public Property Records Search - Realtor.com®

It's not right on the water as I originally thought, but it's very close. I originally saw it described as such, but it is not. My apologies.

No apologies necessary. I was really curious as to what you'd seen. Around here, waterfront usually carries a premium that doesn't get discounted very much even when property values are otherwise falling. Being close to the water or even having a water view is worth much less.

[bowian]

Originally Posted by pgtvatitans

Even with that said, there are still some places in the county that do perform like Tulip Grove or Heather Hills Elementary in Bowie (according to School Digger they are both in the top 10% of elementary schools in the state). Those schools are always amongst the best in the entire county. Tulip Grove is virtually even in the number of black and white students, while Heather Hills is majority black students. What's different? It's a different environment, different mentality, different priorities and expectations. This shows you that it's possible for black students to be successful, but what makes these schools unique is a) they are in wealthy areas, and b) there was a high standard of learning before there were less white students going there. This shows you that if these same expectation were in place in other places perhaps you would see more uniform success, but the reality is the school system has performed poorly even when the county was majority white.

You didn't mention Whitehall Elementary in Bowie, which usually consistently performs very well. In fact, it outperforms Tulip Grove most years. It didn't do as well last year, in a major way, not sure why. The student population is similar to Tulip Grove's.

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by bowian

You didn't mention Whitehall Elementary in Bowie, which usually consistently performs very well. In fact, it outperforms Tulip Grove most years. It didn't do as well last year, in a major way, not sure why. The student population is similar to Tulip Grove's.

I couldn't remember the other name of the school, it's been a while since I've been to Bowie. Yes I remember a few years ago when it was considered the highest rated school in the county, but yes that definitely should be on the list and illustrates my point of how a population with a sizable black population can still perform well.

[scrapper105]

OP, I'm sorry that this thread has gotten so far off topic that it's doubtful that it's of any use to you. I'm sorry about that.

I have children in elementary school but have friends with children at Eleanor Roosevelt and Northwestern High School. You can use greatschools to look at their stats, but I can talk with you a little bit about the culture at those schools. I also have a friend with a child at Parkdale High School - I know this girl and her friends and they are lovely young women. Again, the stats at Parkdale aren't great - but my friend's daughter is doing well there, is active and involved, and they are having a good experience.

Different things work for different kids - some white kids will do just fine at a majority Black/Latino high school and some won't. And vice versa. Only you know what will work for your kid.

Both are very safe, have a robust offering of programs, and as long as your kid isn't looking to start trouble, they would be FINE there.

And to corrent something a previous poster said about Eleanor Roosevelt. ERHS is a regular high school and in boundary students go there no problem. It also has a science/tech magnet program and students must test in to that program. It is impossible to go to ERHS if you are out of boundary and NOT in the magnet program.

Please direct message me if you'd like to chat more. Sounds like you and your child are in a sticky situation and I'm happy to help.

[scrapper105]

Moderator, please review this thread to determine if you might need to close it. Thanks.