My friend taught at Hammond High School and later switched to Broadneck High School in Anne Arundel County, which is one of the “best” schools there.

When I asked her how she liked teaching at Broadneck, she told me she liked it but that she was shocked by how behind the curriculum in Anne Arundel County was compared to HCPSS schools. She said she was used to students in the grade levels she was teaching having already been through more advanced content than she was teaching them.

HCPSS schools set their students up to be geniuses. Some of the schools serve more disadvantaged students, and you may see lower test scores at those schools compared to test scores at River Hill, Marriotts Ridge, Atholton, and Centennial, but all the schools are equipped with some of the best teachers, the best resources, and numerous opportunities to exceed. The curriculum has very high expectations for students. There are equity and access issues in HCPSS, like any other school district in the country, and they do need to make strides in those areas, but you really can’t beat out HoCo’s quality of life.

Columbia is proof that people with different income levels can live in a thriving area together, rich with opportunities, amenities, and still have safety and top schools. It accomplished something people in other MD counties think is impossible.