My Take Away from The Rockville Summit

I attended the Rockville Summit hosted by the City of Rockville on Oct. 18. The goal of the event was to give Rockville stakeholders a voice in the city’s future. The event began with a presentation by Stephen Fuller who presented an economic study of Rockville titled "Current Economic Conditions and Future Directions." After his presentation, a panel of local and regional professionals reflected on Dr. Fuller’s piece and gave their own two cents on the issues presented.

One of the issues discussed was the pervasive overcrowding of Montgomery County Public Schools, particularly those in Rockville, and how it is detracting families from moving to the area. To this issue, I posed the following question to the panel moderator, Robert McCartney, a columnist for The Washington Post, who then asked the panel to answer: With the current overcrowding in the public schools, do you feel Rockville would benefit by promoting its many independent schools to help offset the overcrowding? The promotion would also attract young business professionals with families who may be looking for an independent school education for their children.

The panel members who answered the question focused not on promoting independent schools, but on how MCPS is working to expand by adding additional schools.

Growing up, I was the product of the public school system in the Philadelphia suburb of Springfield, Delaware County—a town very much like Rockville today. I had a great education thanks to great teachers and a solid program, but I know I would have been better prepared for college and beyond if I had an education tailored more to my style of learning in a smaller class setting—something independent schools are better equipped to handle.

I’m not saying independent schools are the answer for overcrowding, nor am I saying they are a better place for all students. What I am saying is that promoting independent schools should help alleviate some of the overcrowding, giving the great teachers in this area a better chance to educate our children.