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I will be relocating to the DC area soon and I am looking for schools for my elementary and middle school kids. We are coming from Miami where all the emphasis is on testing, gifted programs, stressing and squeezing children so they perform on dumb tests rather than actually teaching. I desperately want to get away from the counter productive "teach to the test" mentality and am seeking a nurturing environment where my kids can read all they want without having their book pre-approved by teachers for AR testings, and where children are allowed recess everyday. I want to buy a house but my choice will be determined by the school that will fit my kids and their needs. Again I am hoping for a caring environment where teachers actually teach a curriculum...Any suggestions? Is there a school your kids have gone to and you've loved it for those reasons?
I will be relocating to the DC area soon and I am looking for schools for my elementary and middle school kids. We are coming from Miami where all the emphasis is on testing, gifted programs, stressing and squeezing children so they perform on dumb tests rather than actually teaching. I desperately want to get away from the counter productive "teach to the test" mentality and am seeking a nurturing environment where my kids can read all they want without having their book pre-approved by teachers for AR testings, and where children are allowed recess everyday. I want to buy a house but my choice will be determined by the school that will fit my kids and their needs. Again I am hoping for a caring environment where teachers actually teach a curriculum...Any suggestions? Is there a school your kids have gone to and you've loved it for those reasons?
Thanks!
I should note, the DC suburbs, are known to be highly competitive. They are great schools, but you need to realize exactly the environment they are going to be going into. The best schools in DC are known to be feeder schools for the Ivy League, John Hopkins, University of Virginia, Georgetown, etc.
You may want to look into Takoma Park, MD though, if there is any place you will have a more of that type of approach, it's there. It's a liberal hippy suburb. So they kind of have different attitudes about this type of stuff. Otherwise if you want a school that is likely to be competitive, but very good, you are looking at Western Montgomery County, Arlington, or Fairfax County.
The teach to the test mentality is common inside DC though. Just be aware. The DCPS and Charter schools are a mixed bag of downright awful, mediocre, and pretty good. DC has a school choice lottery, and while there are boundary schools, much of it is determined by the school choice lottery these days.
You'll probably be best served by looking into the DC Charter School programs. There is substantially larger variation in the approach to teaching allowed in charter schools and you'll more likely find what you are looking for there.
Not sure how far you want to go out. My wife and I live in the Calvert County area. It's a little known are of Maryland that has some really nice schools as well. There are 4 or so bus routes that go from Calvert County to into DC. I take the 830 (bus) at around 6:00 in the morning, I get to Independence and 1st at around 7ish.
The elementary school that my daughter goes to is Blue Ribbon. Schools in this area are ranked 4th in Maryland (by county). Of course Montgomery County is 3 or 2. But I didn't pay through the nose for my house!!!
I will be relocating to the DC area soon and I am looking for schools for my elementary and middle school kids. We are coming from Miami where all the emphasis is on testing, gifted programs, stressing and squeezing children so they perform on dumb tests rather than actually teaching. I desperately want to get away from the counter productive "teach to the test" mentality and am seeking a nurturing environment where my kids can read all they want without having their book pre-approved by teachers for AR testings, and where children are allowed recess everyday. I want to buy a house but my choice will be determined by the school that will fit my kids and their needs. Again I am hoping for a caring environment where teachers actually teach a curriculum...Any suggestions? Is there a school your kids have gone to and you've loved it for those reasons?
Thanks!
Given what you've said, I think you probably want to avoid the closer-in suburbs (Montgomery, Arlington and Fairfax, which are likely too competitive for your tastes). Your best bets might be either to look for a DC charter school or to look in an outer suburban jurisdiction like Loudoun County, where students have to take standardized tests, but the environment is perhaps more relaxed than in the closer-in suburbs.
But, as much as you might like your decision to be schools-driven, you have to factor in your budget and commutes.
Given what you've said, I think you probably want to avoid the closer-in suburbs (Montgomery, Arlington and Fairfax, which are likely too competitive for your tastes). Your best bets might be either to look for a DC charter school or to look in an outer suburban jurisdiction like Loudoun County, where students have to take standardized tests, but the environment is perhaps more relaxed than in the closer-in suburbs.
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Curious as to what data you have to determine Loudoun County schools aren't as competitive as Arlington or Fairfax? Loudoun County schools are no more relaxed than any other in NoVA.
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