Eaton, Key and Stoddert

[Anonymous]

Stoddert is fantastic. Great families. Great academics. We were previously at a highly regarded DCPS school and Stoddert far exceeds that one.

[Anonymous]

Eaton is amazing. Warm and welcoming school community, passionate teachers, seasoned administrators, and world class arts programming. You can’t go wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a more open and accepting atmosphere Eaton may be slightly better. Stoddert and Key are solid academically and more or less equivalent. Key has a powerful PTO that influences decision making at the school, whereas Stoddert's PTO is mainly just fundraising. Stodderts aftercare is cheaper i think. Both Stoddert and Key aftercare can be hard to get into. Stodderts aftercare is mainly outdoors even when it is close to freezing because they only have access to the cafeteria rather than the gym, which hosts a DPR program. I assume key has access to its gym. I love an outdoors program and it is well done, but a few parents wants their kids inside during winter. Between those two consider which is better for your commute as well. The vast majority of Stoddert graduates attend Hardy. I believe the number is a little less at Key with more parents switching to privates but am not sure.

At Key - out of a class of 75 kids from kindergarten - only 10 of those kids were at Hardy in last year's 6th grade. Vast majority are gone by 4th, and by then the non-private (more of the kids of color and lower-income) kids remain and are then in trailers for 4th and 5th. And the Principal at Key is completely out of touch.

I have read this sort of comment over and over in several past threads. Somehow I think it speaks of the individual experience of a disgruntled parent.

With the pandemic and protracted DC school closures I am not sure the situation described is the norm.

Signed: A prospective IB Key Parent hoping all will be fine at the school through 5th grade

We look forward to welcoming you to Key! Many of us walk/bike/scooter there -- pp who mentioned "chaos" was maybe referring to the dropoff queue? which in our family's experience is not chaotic, just a line of cars you wait in.

Principal mishandled a racist incident a few years back and memories are long. Enrollment schoolwide is down after the pandemic; lots of families went private rather than endure a virtual 2020-2021 school year. But of course school is back in person now. Yes, there are trailers in 4th/5th grade. (See the conversation about Foxhall Elementary for various perspectives on how onerous they are.) Aftercare is still too hard to get into. PTA is an absolute force.

You do see an appreciable drop in enrollment from 3rd grade to 4th (entrance year at many privates) and a slightly smaller one from 4th to 5th (when families who aren't interested in Hardy lottery into Basis/Latin) but the graduating cohort in 5th grade is still substantially the group that started together in preK. And we're generally a satisfied bunch.

See you on the blacktop,
Family with one Key alum (headed to Hardy) and another still at Key

[Anonymous]

New poster here.

Key is a delightful school with a very neighborhood feel.

I have one kid who had a good experience, doing well now at Hardy.

BUT if you have any problems whatsoever, they principal and VP have a very established pattern of not dealing with things and also 'counseling out' families (yes, in a public school!) suggesting you should explore your other options. It's not just one disgruntled person posting. Having been through the school with two kids - one fine, one REALLY not, I can rattle off the names of a few dozens of other 'disgruntled' families. DCPS doesn't want to deal with it either.

[Anonymous]

Key seem fine but it is the most 'out of the way' school for most people in the city.

We're a stoddert family. Compared to friends at Key, it seems like they do more math there. Not sure why, maybe all the international kids?

[Anonymous]

I love how some always shout out how everyone leaves Key by 4th grade.

Next year, Key will have THREE fifth grade classes for the first time in the school's history. Attrition has declined rapidly within the past 7 years. About 80% of the 5th grade cohort now transitions to Hardy for middle school.

I imagine when the new schools open up this number will be even higher.

[Anonymous]

Is there a way to tell how many students leave Key in the upper grades by looking at the lottery data?

[Anonymous]

Most kids from Key in recent years have gone to Hardy. The poster claiming otherwise (who is clearly a disgruntled parent from years ago) is incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If so many families leave Key in the upper grades, wouldn’t we see lottery seats assigned to those grades? How does it work?

I don't know how many kids leave key anymore but at other schools with attrition they just do fewer classes for the upper grades and leave them small. Like Ross had 12 5th graders last year. They obviously could have taken kids through the lottery either initially or once they saw who showed up, but they didn't need the money and probably didn't want to risk the test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If so many families leave Key in the upper grades, wouldn’t we see lottery seats assigned to those grades? How does it work?

I don't know how many kids leave key anymore but at other schools with attrition they just do fewer classes for the upper grades and leave them small. Like Ross had 12 5th graders last year. They obviously could have taken kids through the lottery either initially or once they saw who showed up, but they didn't need the money and probably didn't want to risk the test scores.

At Hardy now - 10 kids who went through Key will be in the 7th grade. Out of 75 who were there in 3rd. And 15 or so in the 8th.

[Anonymous]

What’s with the obsession on whether kids from Key go to Hardy? Wouldn’t that say more about Hardy than Key?

Parents sending their kids to Key when they could afford private would seem to suggest they think pretty highly of Key, but maybe not Hardy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If so many families leave Key in the upper grades, wouldn’t we see lottery seats assigned to those grades? How does it work?

Because that’s a false statement. Their 5th grade was so large this year they had to add another class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a more open and accepting atmosphere Eaton may be slightly better. Stoddert and Key are solid academically and more or less equivalent. Key has a powerful PTO that influences decision making at the school, whereas Stoddert's PTO is mainly just fundraising. Stodderts aftercare is cheaper i think. Both Stoddert and Key aftercare can be hard to get into. Stodderts aftercare is mainly outdoors even when it is close to freezing because they only have access to the cafeteria rather than the gym, which hosts a DPR program. I assume key has access to its gym. I love an outdoors program and it is well done, but a few parents wants their kids inside during winter. Between those two consider which is better for your commute as well. The vast majority of Stoddert graduates attend Hardy. I believe the number is a little less at Key with more parents switching to privates but am not sure.

At Key - out of a class of 75 kids from kindergarten - only 10 of those kids were at Hardy in last year's 6th grade. Vast majority are gone by 4th, and by then the non-private (more of the kids of color and lower-income) kids remain and are then in trailers for 4th and 5th. And the Principal at Key is completely out of touch.

Except only the specials are in the trailers now. You can tell you haven’t been to Key in at least a year.
Yikes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s with the obsession on whether kids from Key go to Hardy? Wouldn’t that say more about Hardy than Key?

Parents sending their kids to Key when they could afford private would seem to suggest they think pretty highly of Key, but maybe not Hardy.

Exactly! I never understood this logic of it looking bad on Key. Very affluent families send their kids to Key in the earlier grades because they figure why spend the money when you don’t have to. Their pre-k and kindergarten classrooms are known for being outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s with the obsession on whether kids from Key go to Hardy? Wouldn’t that say more about Hardy than Key?

Parents sending their kids to Key when they could afford private would seem to suggest they think pretty highly of Key, but maybe not Hardy.

Exactly! I never understood this logic of it looking bad on Key. Very affluent families send their kids to Key in the earlier grades because they figure why spend the money when you don’t have to. Their pre-k and kindergarten classrooms are known for being outstanding.

It's the same in all Upper NW schools. DCPS is pretty strong in earl grades and then the flame goes out. Says nothing about Key other than that there are a lot of parents who can afford private.
Early childhood is done well in US if you want your kid reading and writing in K. If you want them playing all day til they are 7, the US schooling is not for your child.