Takoma Park Middle School

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

Posted: February 1, 2026

My child has had some caring teachers at this school that have gone the extra mile for them, and to those people I am grateful. However, the education is not an 8/10. We moved here for the schools. We were happy with the elementary schools. Maybe 1 underwhelming teacher out of 8. Solid administration. True 0 tolerance for bullying, and caring staff. But, something has to come forward about the culture of the middle school, because I know kids now in their mid-20s who suffered here, and now it's my child. I've spoken with a lot of different parents, and anyone, regardless of style, who had to take on the school regarding a violation of the law or policy became an enemy. This is not a place where one feels that the administration and counseling offices, in particular, are there for the love of children. Bullying is not addressed seriously whether relational, discriminatory, or threats of violence. And teachers and students are both guilty. In 6th grade, my child reported their friends were depressed, by 7th/8th grade their friends became the bullies or went silent, because that is what it is to survive here when you know adults will not have your back, at home or school. So many kids feel this way and speak of it to each other, but the adults at home remain ignorant as children think mine is odd for speaking to their parent, and the school is worse - even when they know, they don't act, and they mandate silence, so other parents do not know what threats exist. Schools are rated partially on how much they use suspension, but when their "creative solutions" are not creating a safe atmosphere, stepping up their game may be needed to show kids that 0 tolerance is 0 tolerance when it comes to bullies. Here, children know that bullying IS tolerated, and it's the way to stay safe. There should not be this many middle schoolers considering whether it is worth it to keep living, and there should not be this many middle schoolers turning to brutality towards each other as a result of that hopelessness. The brutality is desperation. Lack of early intervention leads to more serious problems. Children are driven into medical and mental crises from stress. I am personally exhausted by fighting for what are literally bare minimum laws and policies. MCPS relies on the fact that it is expensive and difficult to win litigation against schools, and many would not see private school tuition as a win in this area. Simply wanting schools that follow the law is too much to ask.

Posted: October 28, 2025

Posted: October 28, 2025

Posted: October 28, 2025

Posted: October 28, 2025

Posted: October 28, 2025

Posted: October 28, 2025

Posted: October 28, 2025

I was searching for a good school for my son who is mixed. I looked at Howard County but the good schools are not diverse. So I found this school which my kid is very happy and learning a lot with the great staff. I also like how each floor is separated by grade level.

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

Posted: November 14, 2022

This school is quite the character if you will, this is my second year at TPMS (7th grade) and it is nothing but bad. the teachers are just awful im warning you now dont go here!

Posted: April 13, 2021

school teachers are calling home when you leave class 1 minute before the time. some teachers don't even start class until 40 minutes later. SOme teachers are nice but not all.

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: April 13, 2021

Posted: January 29, 2020

Our experience was abysmal--with some notable exceptions--namely the counselors and advisors for our student who did their best to look out for them, but unfortunately those efforts were not respected from the top. It is my impression that the principal is very invested in the welfare of all of her students--and that's a good thing--however, this investment sometimes comes with a cost to students who are social outliers, or have different needs. In our experience bullying was not addressed at all, even when official complaints were filed, and more than a little victim-blaming was directed at our student from the principal herself.

Still, I try and be objective. This is a good school for some, but not all students. However, I think in the name of being politically correct, a lot of unacceptable behaviors are ignored and allowed to fester.

Posted: January 29, 2020

Posted: January 29, 2020

Posted: January 29, 2020

Posted: January 29, 2020

Posted: January 29, 2020

Posted: January 29, 2020

Posted: January 14, 2020

A school whose staff who refused to punish sexual violence with adequate consequences and whose teachers were unapproachable when asking for help.

Posted: January 14, 2020

Posted: January 14, 2020

Posted: January 14, 2020

Posted: January 14, 2020

Posted: January 14, 2020

Posted: January 14, 2020

Posted: January 11, 2019

Posted: January 11, 2019

Posted: January 11, 2019

Posted: January 11, 2019

Posted: January 11, 2019

Posted: January 11, 2019

Excellent teachers, I’m very thankful for the opportunity my child has to learn from them.

Posted: August 19, 2015

Depends on the teacher, but most teachers will sacrifice their own lunch and afternoon just to help a student understand a concept.

Posted: August 19, 2015

Not really that much, but I'm not complaining either. It's good for preparing one for high school

Posted: August 19, 2015

You're basically beaten over the head with the "core values of CSI" - courtesy, safety, and integrity.

Posted: August 19, 2015

I attended this school because I was impressed by the academic programs this school has to offer in the Magnet Program. Unfortunately, this is the only reason I have given this school 3 stars. The school sells itself as a diverse community, yet there is a little hostility between teachers of the magnet classes and the non-magnet students and it is sometimes a little worrisome.
Violence is somewhat rare, but in my three years at TP, there was one incident of a (false) bomb threat and a couple incidents of drug possession. Sports are supposedly decent, but I was not part of any team, so I don't have any first-hand knowledge.
Academics, however, are excellent. Math and Science (with the exception of the 8th grade Mag Sci teacher) stand out particularly as being excellent. Foreign Languages are also rather strong, especially in the case of Spanish 2 & 3. Computer Science/Applications also tend to be strong, but apparently there will be a new teacher in the department, so it may change. World Studies and English are slightly better than most schools in the county, but are not anything too special.
The music programs are rather peculiar at this school. The conductor, who is the same for all bands and orchestras, shows an indisputable favoritism towards the bands, yet the orchestras end up placing far higher while also playing far more challenging music.
After-school clubs, while abundant, are, for the most part, very disorganized but still a good way to transition into high school clubs.

Tl;dr - Is this school safe? Sort of. Academics? Great. Extracurricular? OK. Nothing too great.

Posted: November 12, 2014

I have a child who attends the magnet program at this school, and I do like this school, although I am frankly disappointed with a few aspects. The new principle (this is her second year) is amazing and really puts aside some time to try to contribute to the students - I've heard that the "theme" this year is superheroes, which my daughter thinks is pretty cool. Most of the teachers, as well, are definitely well-qualified and know what they are doing. However, there do seem to be some teachers who have less positive attitudes towards students, especially some non-magnet teachers towards the magnet. There's also the fact that last year, a student was apparently pushed into a locker and had to wait almost to the point of suffocation until rescued by building services. I was very scared for the safety of my child when I heard about this, and I think that somehow it's not something that would happen in some other schools. The curriculum of the school, however, is pretty challenging for the most part, depending on which teacher a student has, and most of the teachers that my child has had do present it in a relevant way that keeps my child looking forward to all of her classes.

Posted: April 29, 2014

I am currently a seventh grader at this school and i love it. From the minute i stepped in i felt welcomed and secure.There are so many nice teachers in and outside the magnet. The school has amazing bands, very many other electives such as Spanish, French, the home education class, computer applications, and multimedia. There are very many extra curricular activities too that you can enjoy. It is surprisingly diverse and filled with so many students that you are bound to find friends. It is the perfect stepping stone in between elementary and high school, because it welcomes you, teaches you, and challenges you, all while preparing you for high school or "the real world." I would generally recommend it to everyone, but some people might struggle with so many people and such a diverse environment. A Really Good School!!!

Posted: January 4, 2014

I am a student at TPM and I generally like it. I love most of my magnet classes even though I dislike some of those teachers. With that in mind, the non-magnet academic classes have ten somewhat of a problem. World Studies is fine and has good teachers, but an extremely easy curriculum for most of the magnet. Then there is English. At TPMS, all magnet students take a class called Advanced English 6, 7, or 8. This class is extremely easy and not up to any standards of a magnet student. The school offers this as the most advanced english course e The teachers for this class are generally not that great in my experience but, some are less than par. My electives are great here as well. I am in advanced band and our teacher is wonderful. Also, my spanish experiences here are great as well with some very experienced and challenging teachers. TPMS is the place to be for you if you really want to pursue math, science, and technology, but if you want more liberal arts, try somewhere else.

Posted: October 30, 2013

To be honest (and as speaking as a student) the experience the school offers is great if you're in the magnet. If you're not, it's a normal school. Again, as the person below me said our English teachers are fine despite the school having a Math/Science/Computer Science focus. Really, I don't see a way TPMS could improve, it's already great the way it is (however closed-minded that sounds.) Clubs here are great, there are almost too many in my opinion XD the band is good, and I have no idea where the topic of bullying was raised. I.... haven't seen a single example of bullying in the three years I've been here? However the school demands a lot of work, but if you apply here that's what you're asking for :/

Posted: February 16, 2013

I am currently an eighth grader at this school and I couldn't be happier with my experience. While my friends have complained about some of the teachers I have never really disliked a teacher in the three years I've been here. Granted some are less than extraordinary but if you pay attention in class you will learn everything you need to know. The classes make the subject actually interesting and the student culture is such that everyone enjoys learning. On the topic of student culture, some people worry about fights and bullying. I've that you can easily avoid this by simply not making an effort to join in with misbehaving students. Bullying has never been an issue for me- as long as your friends are positive influences your social experience here will be great. Takoma really helps you become well-rounded, with a huge range of electives and after-school clubs. The diversity of talent and personalities is amazing. Contrary to popular belief our English classes are generally phenomenal. My current English teacher had previously taught AP English in high school, and he helps us prepare for high school English. After learning here for three years I know I'm ready for high school!

Posted: December 6, 2012

The extra-curricular activities are truly exemplary. While the humanities courses are not particularly strong due to the STEM magnet program, they are not weak either and most of the teachers are superb. The Science Teams and Math Teams are amazing as well. I couldn't have asked for more out of my experience here.

Posted: March 25, 2011

There are some great teachers at this school, and overall we are happy. While the great teachers outnumber the poor ones, there are definitely some poor teachers as well, though that's probably true in any school. Parents are also expected to check Edline regularly, but apparently teachers are not expected to update Edline on a regular basis. Often 3 weeks will go by without updates, and many teachers don't bother to post assignments on Edline, which means if you have a disorganized kid who doesn't get everything down in her agenda then you can't support them as much as you should be able to. The communication is also much poorer than I would have expected. My child was failing a class and I heard nothing from the teacher. In sixth grade, the teacher should notify the parents. Not all teachers are good about responding to emails, and policies are not well communicated. The administration is not as receptive to feedback as they should be, perhaps because overall they do a good job educating their students. However, there is room for improvement, especially in the areas mentioned above, and in the language arts classes. Students are not taught to write effectively.

Posted: November 14, 2010

My child is fortunate to be in the magnet program at Takoma Park Middle. His experience has been fantastic, from the very first day. The quality of the teaching and organization of the magnet program is absolutely incredible. Prior to his transfer to Takoma Park, my child was attending an academically centered private school. We have found the teaching at Takoma Park to be equal or better than what we experienced in the private school environment. The extra curricular activities are also very good, well managed and expansive for the students. This school is a 5 in my book!