choose public – Prince George's County Advocates for Better Schools

This is the sixth part of a series documenting the steps one family is taking to prepare for their son’s entrance into kindergarten next year. Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, and Part 5 here.

by Gail Z.

20160406_080252 (1) We’re nearing the end of 2016 already, and are moving into the second part of the school year. It’s flown by so fast, but we are enjoying — and surviving — kindergarten!

Our son has adjusted well. He loves his teacher (she really is great), he has some favorite classes (computer and P.E.), and he is doing really well. We are just as pleased today as we were when we visited the school back in the spring. Here are some of the reasons why:

It’s run like a well-oiled machine. From weekly parent communication folders used to send home everything from important calendar dates to information about community happenings, the school’s superstar staff has not missed a beat. And speaking of staff…

Every encounter with staff has been positive. I have called and visited the front office, emailed my son’s teacher, walked into the building unsure where to go and have always received a pleasant response/answer.

They host wonderful events. My husband ranted and raved about Danishes for Dads, a program held one morning in October to honor the men in the student’s lives. Our boy surprised my hubby by reading a few sweet sentences he’d written about him.

An Active PTA. So far, there have been two dances, a book fair, a holiday gift shop, a fundraiser, and Chick-Fil-A and Chuck E. Cheese night. I love that there are parents like me who are so actively involved.

We are so happy and blessed to be having such a wonderful experience thus far. We look forward to watching our boy grow and mature in his time at his new school and will be looking forward to his brother joining him there in just a couple of years.

by Llew B.

file_000 Make no mistake, parents are having tough conversations about school choices this time of year. It was no different for my family last fall when discussing options for my daughter, who at the time was in 8th grade and beginning her 6th and final year at a parochial school in Bowie. Fast forward to 2016, and we’re a couple of months into her transition to Bowie High School (BHS). I’m writing to share my own thoughts on my daughter’s transition and suggestions for middle school parents and Prince George’s County Public School (PGCPS) officials.

Why We Chose Public

Financial considerations were a primary factor in our decision to transition from private to public high school. Yearly tuition for private high school tends to be substantially higher than it is for the middle grades. A family could easily spend $60K for high school over four years, compared to $30K or more in middle school, over the same time period. Furthermore, our second child would enter high school in my daughter’s junior year, and we assumed there would again be a period of overlap in college.

We engaged in a number of information gathering activities to help us make a more informed decision. To better understand public school options, we investigated specialty programs for highly motivated students (ex. Summit at Bowie High), toured the facility for 9th grade students at BHS, and met with several BHS students and their parents. Our key findings were not surprising. We did not discover a treasure trove of gleaming facilities, but we didmeet staff and parents with similar goals. The students we spoke with described experiences that were fair to positive, and we heard no anecdotes that were cause for alarm.

Last but certainly not least, there was an element of hope for potential improvement in our public schools, over time. Through Prince George’s County Advocates for Better Public Schools (PGCABS) and other venues, I began meeting people interested in public school advocacy, and I interacted with various levels of PGCPS administrators who seemed to welcome outreach from people in the community.

The Transition

We’re only two months into the high school journey, but my daughter is doing fine. Below I provide comments ranging from the social environment to academics.

Social environment

High on the list of factors that impact the adjustment to high school is the ease at which a student makes new friends. While the majority of 9th grade students appear to come from the public middle schools that feed into BHS, it appears that a sizeable number of students are new to the area and my daughter has made a number of friends from this pool. Also, school spirit seems to be fairly high from what I gathered while volunteering during homecoming week.

Transportation

I’m pleased to report that we have had no significant issues with transportation. I’m aware that transportation issues are a major concern for students county-wide.

Safety

The environment seems to be safe and orderly. My daughter has stated that in most of her classes, students actively participate and there is minimal disruption to the daily routine.

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