Critique my list! (or give thoughts)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:NP here. We are a ward 4 family zoned for Truesdell. We are putting DCB, Haynes, Creative Minds, John Lewis at top of list but I don’t know what else/how to rank the rest of our spots. Spanish is a priority, but not excited about LAMB and it being Montessori for later elementary years. I guess we’ll put stokes on there, but not excited about commute. The tests scores look abysmal nearly across the board. Would love some thoughts. If you’re not inbound for dcps, do you not even bother putting them in the list? Some look like they take no oob kids if you don’t have any priority category, is that right? Feeling disheartened by this board and my kid is only 3!

Do Bethune for the Spanish for pre-K, then by kindergarten you’ll either have DCB/LAMB/Stokes, or you can choose between Lewis, Powell, Bruce Monroe, Takoma, etc. All have a very solid high SES population that is active and forms a peer group. I wouldn’t list CMI unless you are okay with those test scores.

None of these schools feed into a good middle school.

I know…so what do you suggest I do then?

You don’t worry about middle school in pre-K. It’s really not as doom and gloom as DCUM makes it out to be. Many, many parents find that their middle school feed doesn’t work for their kids by the time they know what kind of kid and student they’ll be. You can lottery into a DCI feeder or Hardy/Deal feeder in mid to upper elementary pretty easily, particularly if you’re willing to commute across town for a year or two. Or your child may really need a smaller environment, gifted or special ed programming, or any number of other things. Any of those elementary schools will be good for elementary, while your enjoy the short commute, neighborhood school, and figure out what your kid(s) really need. And worst comes to worst, you can always start Chinese in sixth at DCI.

First of all there is no way you should lottery into any DCI feeder in upper elementary if your kid doesn’t know the language. They are not going to learn a lot of subjects taught in the language. They are going to fall behind, get frustrated, resent you for doing toys. Why would you do that to your kid? BTW there are really few of these spots anyway and not what DCUM likes you to believe.

2nd of all, by then the DCI Chinese track will be ultra competitive because many more kids from YY will likely have track to DCI as school gets better and better so not as many spots. If there are few spots if any, it will be ultra competitive as so many families are competing for it.

Lately, if the Deal/Hardy feeders are crowded, or are getting more crowded they will be taking in less OOB kids or none at all.

You cannot count on what PP above says at all. Look at middle school feeds when considering your list.

You may not know what your kid needs in middle school but you want to have as many options as you can. Take into the middle school feed when considering your list OP

So much speculation in this reply. I be this PP is at a DCI feeder and has no experience with the DCPS lottery for elementary. Foxhall and H-A will have spots, and you can do immersion at a DCPS elementary and easily switch to a DCI feeder. Mundo Verde will have pretty much guaranteed seats in upper elementary for the foreseeable future. DCB also goes far into upper elementary waitlists pretty consistently.

I personally would not pick somewhere like MV and have a very unstable elementary experience for the purpose of leaving a future option open. Or a lack of advanced differentiation at DCB (if your child needs that, not all are 2+ years above grade level, obviously). Etc etc. But clearly others disagree, so YMMV.

I’m the PP above and you must have a reading comprehension issue. OP is looking in 6-8 years for middle school and yes what I said above is going to be the trend for DCI. It’s virtually impossible to get in for Spanish now, French track will fill since Stokes expanded, and the only track left is Chinese. DCI is getting more and more buy in and more families from that track will think about trying out DCI. Every year more competition for middle school as more families don’t want to move. Why don’t I mark this thread and we can see how DCI turns out for non-feeder families in 6-8 years.

You also have no idea about the upper elementary seats in the feeders either. If it was so easy to get seats then there would not be many DCPS families in bilingual Spanish schools who now are facing reality of MacFarland or move. Why don’t you tell me exactly how many DCPS Spanish families you know that either got into DCI this year or a feeder. I’m waiting…..

Mundo Verde Cook cleared every waitlist kindergarten and up. Stokes Spanish cleared their fifth grade waitlist. Stokes French cleared third through fifth. DCB went over halfway through their fifth grade waitlist. There are seats if families want DCI at this point. People in DCPS aren’t taking those seats because they do not want those seats or DCI. Nobody is “facing the reality of MacFarland,” those coming from bilingual DCPS are choosing it or the number of other options that PPs have already mentioned. Non-bilingual DCPS families are making the same choices as families on the Hill and families at Lee or any of the other “acceptable” charters that don’t have “acceptable” middle school feeders - lotterying, moving, inbound, or private.

This is publicly available data. I’m not sure why the immediate PP is creating a false narrative, but the numbers don’t lie. I’m also done responding because it’s impossible to win an argument when you’re arguing against false facts.

Not PP but I think most people are unwilling to enter a dual language school in 5th grade unless their child is already proficient in the language.

This is about people coming in from Dual Language DCPS. If they want a seat in a Spanish DCI feeder for upper elementary it's easy to get one. If they don't, it's because of logistics or because they are choosing not to take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. We are a ward 4 family zoned for Truesdell. We are putting DCB, Haynes, Creative Minds, John Lewis at top of list but I don’t know what else/how to rank the rest of our spots. Spanish is a priority, but not excited about LAMB and it being Montessori for later elementary years. I guess we’ll put stokes on there, but not excited about commute. The tests scores look abysmal nearly across the board. Would love some thoughts. If you’re not inbound for dcps, do you not even bother putting them in the list? Some look like they take no oob kids if you don’t have any priority category, is that right? Feeling disheartened by this board and my kid is only 3!

Do Bethune for the Spanish for pre-K, then by kindergarten you’ll either have DCB/LAMB/Stokes, or you can choose between Lewis, Powell, Bruce Monroe, Takoma, etc. All have a very solid high SES population that is active and forms a peer group. I wouldn’t list CMI unless you are okay with those test scores.

None of these schools feed into a good middle school.

I know…so what do you suggest I do then?

You don’t worry about middle school in pre-K. It’s really not as doom and gloom as DCUM makes it out to be. Many, many parents find that their middle school feed doesn’t work for their kids by the time they know what kind of kid and student they’ll be. You can lottery into a DCI feeder or Hardy/Deal feeder in mid to upper elementary pretty easily, particularly if you’re willing to commute across town for a year or two. Or your child may really need a smaller environment, gifted or special ed programming, or any number of other things. Any of those elementary schools will be good for elementary, while your enjoy the short commute, neighborhood school, and figure out what your kid(s) really need. And worst comes to worst, you can always start Chinese in sixth at DCI.

First of all there is no way you should lottery into any DCI feeder in upper elementary if your kid doesn’t know the language. They are not going to learn a lot of subjects taught in the language. They are going to fall behind, get frustrated, resent you for doing toys. Why would you do that to your kid? BTW there are really few of these spots anyway and not what DCUM likes you to believe.

2nd of all, by then the DCI Chinese track will be ultra competitive because many more kids from YY will likely have track to DCI as school gets better and better so not as many spots. If there are few spots if any, it will be ultra competitive as so many families are competing for it.

Lately, if the Deal/Hardy feeders are crowded, or are getting more crowded they will be taking in less OOB kids or none at all.

You cannot count on what PP above says at all. Look at middle school feeds when considering your list.

You may not know what your kid needs in middle school but you want to have as many options as you can. Take into the middle school feed when considering your list OP

So much speculation in this reply. I be this PP is at a DCI feeder and has no experience with the DCPS lottery for elementary. Foxhall and H-A will have spots, and you can do immersion at a DCPS elementary and easily switch to a DCI feeder. Mundo Verde will have pretty much guaranteed seats in upper elementary for the foreseeable future. DCB also goes far into upper elementary waitlists pretty consistently.

I personally would not pick somewhere like MV and have a very unstable elementary experience for the purpose of leaving a future option open. Or a lack of advanced differentiation at DCB (if your child needs that, not all are 2+ years above grade level, obviously). Etc etc. But clearly others disagree, so YMMV.

I’m the PP above and you must have a reading comprehension issue. OP is looking in 6-8 years for middle school and yes what I said above is going to be the trend for DCI. It’s virtually impossible to get in for Spanish now, French track will fill since Stokes expanded, and the only track left is Chinese. DCI is getting more and more buy in and more families from that track will think about trying out DCI. Every year more competition for middle school as more families don’t want to move. Why don’t I mark this thread and we can see how DCI turns out for non-feeder families in 6-8 years.

You also have no idea about the upper elementary seats in the feeders either. If it was so easy to get seats then there would not be many DCPS families in bilingual Spanish schools who now are facing reality of MacFarland or move. Why don’t you tell me exactly how many DCPS Spanish families you know that either got into DCI this year or a feeder. I’m waiting…..

Mundo Verde Cook cleared every waitlist kindergarten and up. Stokes Spanish cleared their fifth grade waitlist. Stokes French cleared third through fifth. DCB went over halfway through their fifth grade waitlist. There are seats if families want DCI at this point. People in DCPS aren’t taking those seats because they do not want those seats or DCI. Nobody is “facing the reality of MacFarland,” those coming from bilingual DCPS are choosing it or the number of other options that PPs have already mentioned. Non-bilingual DCPS families are making the same choices as families on the Hill and families at Lee or any of the other “acceptable” charters that don’t have “acceptable” middle school feeders - lotterying, moving, inbound, or private.

This is publicly available data. I’m not sure why the immediate PP is creating a false narrative, but the numbers don’t lie. I’m also done responding because it’s impossible to win an argument when you’re arguing against false facts.

Not PP but I think most people are unwilling to enter a dual language school in 5th grade unless their child is already proficient in the language.

This is about people coming in from Dual Language DCPS. If they want a seat in a Spanish DCI feeder for upper elementary it's easy to get one. If they don't, it's because of logistics or because they are choosing not to take it.

It’s also a good reason for someone like OP to not just give up on dual language entirely if they don’t get into a HRCS. If they, say, take a seat at Inspired Teaching, then yes it would be unadvisable to lottery into a DCI feeder in upper elementary. But if they take a seat at Cleveland, Bruce Monroe, Powell, etc., then they can leave that option open. I know a few bilingual DCPS kids that lotteried for Latin and Basis in fifth, with IT and DCI feeders as back ups. It seems to work out as long as you’re flexible with middle school, which not all families are. It’s easy to think that middle school is the same as elementary when you have young kids - get the best of your options and be grateful. But middle school parents often see that those grades are make or break in ways that elementary really isn’t, and are willing to make much different choices to set their teens up for long term success.