Future parents--heartburn over schooling--would love insight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, what charter is it? There are plenty of rowdy kids at even well regarded charters. It only takes one to make school an unpleasant place.

Inspired Teaching

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, what charter is it? There are plenty of rowdy kids at even well regarded charters. It only takes one to make school an unpleasant place.

Inspired Teaching

Can you elaborate? What do you mean by rowdy?

[Anonymous]

Rowdy behavior ranges from the use of bad language to bullying to hitting. It's not as bad in lower grades but escalates as students get older. What grade will your DC enter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rowdy behavior ranges from the use of bad language to bullying to hitting. It's not as bad in lower grades but escalates as students get older. What grade will your DC enter?

The rowdiness at my kid's charter, Yu Ying, comes mainly in the form of kids (mostly low-SES) having a hard time understanding Chinese teachers and going crazy in class as a result. Half the time, the teachers can't control the kids, or maybe just don't try, and let some yell, run around, throw stuff.

Now that YY has a non-immersion track in the higher grades for such kids, things are better for mine but it's a messed up equation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rowdy behavior ranges from the use of bad language to bullying to hitting. It's not as bad in lower grades but escalates as students get older. What grade will your DC enter?

The rowdiness at my kid's charter, Yu Ying, comes mainly in the form of kids (mostly low-SES) having a hard time understanding Chinese teachers and going crazy in class as a result. Half the time, the teachers can't control the kids, or maybe just don't try, and let some yell, run around, throw stuff.

Now that YY has a non-immersion track in the higher grades for such kids, things are better for mine but it's a messed up equation.

That is interesting--my child is at a Spanish immersion school and the majority of low-SES kids are Spanish-speakers and understand the teacher--they are not rowdy as a group. I am not aware of any bad language but the boys can play rough as a group, but this is across all incomes and races/ethnicities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rowdy behavior ranges from the use of bad language to bullying to hitting. It's not as bad in lower grades but escalates as students get older. What grade will your DC enter?

K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rowdy behavior ranges from the use of bad language to bullying to hitting. It's not as bad in lower grades but escalates as students get older. What grade will your DC enter?

14:11 here, PS 3

[Anonymous]

You will only know if there are issues once you are in the school and there for a few weeks. Charters bring together all types of kids which can be a plus and a minus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boy....common sense really is a rarity.

Here's a solution...Check out Hillcrest neighborhood or many of the other underrated neighborhoods in this town. Spend about $300-400 on a single family home with lots of yard, play the school lottery, and if that doesn't work out, you still have $400K to send your future child to the best of private schools in this area.

http://www.hillcrestdc.com/

Cool! Now I just need to find someone to lend me that $400k for my kid's tuition over 30 years at 4%!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly you don't live on Capitol Hill

Sure, Capitol Hill has been mostly insulated from the recent downturn, but there is a tipping point for every neighborhood. The gains can't go on ad infinitum. Someone who buys now may not expect to realize the gains that others in the past have.

If regional population, and corresponding commute times, keep increasing, schools will improve, and the housing prices will continue to rise.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for (what were for the most part) very helpful comments. As an update- we have a contract for the house in South Cap Hill/Navy Yard!

[Anonymous]

thanks for the update! Great area! I hope you will be able to spend some time volunteering at Amidon-- perhaps if you volunteer you will connect with similar minded folks there or inspire others to join you. Even if you decide that it isn't a good fit for your future child, it is possible that you can help out others. Regardless , I can't think of a better way to get to know your neighbors than by pitching in at the neighborhood school!
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:thanks for the update! Great area! I hope you will be able to spend some time volunteering at Amidon-- perhaps if you volunteer you will connect with similar minded folks there or inspire others to join you. Even if you decide that it isn't a good fit for your future child, it is possible that you can help out others. Regardless , I can't think of a better way to get to know your neighbors than by pitching in at the neighborhood school!
Good luck!

I hate these exhortations to volunteer at subpar neighborhood schools that you have no intention of ending your chid to and will take a lot longer than a few years to improve. Public education is paid for by my tax dollars. I am happy to volunteer LOTS at my own child's DCPS, but it takes really special people to volunteer at schools where you are not necessarily welcome or appreicated and have no skin in the game, relatively speaking. Do not feel guilty if you are not the Mother Teresa of Amidon, OP!

[Anonymous]

Ending = sending

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:thanks for the update! Great area! I hope you will be able to spend some time volunteering at Amidon-- perhaps if you volunteer you will connect with similar minded folks there or inspire others to join you. Even if you decide that it isn't a good fit for your future child, it is possible that you can help out others. Regardless , I can't think of a better way to get to know your neighbors than by pitching in at the neighborhood school!
Good luck!

I hate these exhortations to volunteer at subpar neighborhood schools that you have no intention of ending your chid to and will take a lot longer than a few years to improve. Public education is paid for by my tax dollars. I am happy to volunteer LOTS at my own child's DCPS, but it takes really special people to volunteer at schools where you are not necessarily welcome or appreicated and have no skin in the game, relatively speaking. Do not feel guilty if you are not the Mother Teresa of Amidon, OP!

Sure, one should not feel guilty if you are not interested in helping out at your neighborhood school (Beautification Day is coming up-- first Saturday before school opens, I think, and that would be a great time to meet neighbors, check out the school, and make improvements all at once). Setting aside the philanthroptic benefits, it is just economically savvy if you live in a neighborhood to do what you can to ensure that the neighborhood school is as good as it can be. When you live in a neighborhood, you certainly have skin in the game-- even more so once you own property in the the neighborhood. The resale value of her property is closely linked to the relative success of her neighborhood school.