Best DCPS/Charters that DCUM ignores - aka please don't mention Key, Murch, Maury, Deal, BASIS, JR, Oyster, etc.

[Anonymous]

There are definitely charters that primarily serve non-white populations and never get mentioned on DCUM, but have decent test scores. The "diamond in the rough" DCPS schools get noticed because people in boundary always have at least an eye on their local school.

Off the top of my head, Center City - Shaw and DC Prep - Edgewood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a big believer in Wells and MacFarland. And I think JOW, when the renovation is finished, will be significantly more popular. The shine is off TR, Mundo, and Lee, and that makes people look more carefully at their other options. Aside from that whole weird thing with the principal firing a few years ago, JOW is solid.

Agree about JOW. That was an HR nightmare that could happen anywhere.

Disagree that the DCUM types are gonna stick with JO. Go take a look at the kindergarten classrooms and see if you see any picture books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a big believer in Wells and MacFarland. And I think JOW, when the renovation is finished, will be significantly more popular. The shine is off TR, Mundo, and Lee, and that makes people look more carefully at their other options. Aside from that whole weird thing with the principal firing a few years ago, JOW is solid.

Agree about JOW. That was an HR nightmare that could happen anywhere.

Disagree that the DCUM types are gonna stick with JO. Go take a look at the kindergarten classrooms and see if you see any picture books.

I'm confused, what's in the classrooms if not picture books? Chapter books or no books? Why not offer to donate books to the kindergarten teachers if they're short on books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a big believer in Wells and MacFarland. And I think JOW, when the renovation is finished, will be significantly more popular. The shine is off TR, Mundo, and Lee, and that makes people look more carefully at their other options. Aside from that whole weird thing with the principal firing a few years ago, JOW is solid.

Agree about JOW. That was an HR nightmare that could happen anywhere.

It is my understanding that the IS on whose watch the cluster occurred no longer supervises JOW. Ironically this means her petty BS is much more likely to happen somewhere else.

P.S. They settled with the principal and paid DC taxpayer dollars and no one in the administration was ever disciplined.

[Anonymous]

The Friendship charters are pretty good.

[Anonymous]

DEFINITELY +100

Anonymous wrote:Burroughs and Langdon are two sleepers in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Curious what folks say about SWW@FS in this context. Considering for next year once they’re into their renovated space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi all,

What are the best schools in the city that you never or rarely see plugged here? Want to clarify that I don't have anything against the schools mentioned in the thread title. I just feel like I get enough info about them here (and Eaton, Brent, Two Rivers, Latin, Ludlow Taylor, Hardy, Eaton, Lafayette, the list goes on) and want to see if there are any hidden (at least to DCUM) gems. I'm looking for both solidly good schools (kids generally start high and stay high) and those that are getting better-than-expected results with a more challenging population, have great classroom environments, etc.

What are these schools and why are they so hard to find?

I would mention them but they are covered by "etc." Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should take a look at EmpowerK12 and their Bold Performing Schools. Maybe not the definitions that everyone would use, but these schools demonstrate a lot of growth.

https://www.dcboldschools.org/

Yes. And there are schools that would have qualified but didn't have quite as high a percentage of at-risk kids. I remember being so frustrated when our IB would have placed very well on a similar list, but it had only 49% at-risk kids instead of 50% so was ineligible!

But Payne is on that list and is nowhere *near* 50% at-risk. (Don't get me wrong, I think Payne is a great school and deserves to be on a list like this... but it has a fairly low at-risk percentage for a T1 (32%), so there can't be a 50% cut-off.

[Anonymous]

I would say Whittier for sure. Really strong principal, engaged teachers, strong community buy-in. People who teach in DCPS schools describe it as a gem most people don’t know about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should take a look at EmpowerK12 and their Bold Performing Schools. Maybe not the definitions that everyone would use, but these schools demonstrate a lot of growth.

https://www.dcboldschools.org/

Yes. And there are schools that would have qualified but didn't have quite as high a percentage of at-risk kids. I remember being so frustrated when our IB would have placed very well on a similar list, but it had only 49% at-risk kids instead of 50% so was ineligible!

But Payne is on that list and is nowhere *near* 50% at-risk. (Don't get me wrong, I think Payne is a great school and deserves to be on a list like this... but it has a fairly low at-risk percentage for a T1 (32%), so there can't be a 50% cut-off.

It wasn't the Bold Performance list, it was some other list published by DCPS or some other org. It was pre-pandemic so I don't actually remember.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Friendship charters are pretty good.

Agree

[Anonymous]

For the PP who asked about SWW@Francis Stephens, I'd definitely put it on this list, as well as one of its feeder elementary schools, Thomson. That school gets a bad rap because it doesn't have an outdoor play space, but the teachers, principal, and management more than make-up for it. Also totally second (or third?) Seaton! What a great school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are definitely charters that primarily serve non-white populations and never get mentioned on DCUM, but have decent test scores. The "diamond in the rough" DCPS schools get noticed because people in boundary always have at least an eye on their local school.

Off the top of my head, Center City - Shaw and DC Prep - Edgewood.

Agree and would add EL Haynes and Capital City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amidon-Bowen

Dark horse: The next new elementary school created by DCPS will be hoppin' from the moment it opens. Don't know when, don't know where, but my money is on the KC Lewis site in LeDroit Park.

I toured Amidon-Bowen for PK3 and it seemed like an absolutely wonderful school. Just great leadership, wonderful teachers. No actual experience attending (got a more convenient PK3, location wise), and taking a tour with a grain of salt, but I would absolutely trust my kid there 100%.