Looking to talk to Thomson, Two Rivers, and Capitol Hill Montessori parents

[Anonymous]

Hi! I'm a parent in the MVT area, looking at preK programs. Our IB is Walker-Jones, which I don't feel comfortable with. Looking mostly at test data and last year's lottery results, I think Thomson, Two Rivers, and Capitol Hill Montessori seem like good options that we actually have some shot at getting into. I'm trying to learn more about all three schools, particularly over the long haul, since our family plans on staying in this neighborhood long-term.

Any parents at any of these schools interested in chatting about your experience? Why you love it, why you hated it, etc.? I'm curious about academics, teacher and school leader quality, parent community and school climate. (So basically everything). If you're up for talking, please email me at [e-mail].

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

Go to the open houses. You may also want to consider Langley, seaton, garrison, friendship Armstrong, JO Wilson, sws, and Cleveland depending on what direction your commute is.

[Anonymous]

You ought to list more than three schools. You'll only get TR if your lottery number is outstanding.

Why not Inspired Teaching?

Definitely look at Langley, it's in the sweet spot where you are very likely to get in but it's a good ECE program. Tons of neighborhood support.

[Anonymous]

I would encourage an open mind on Walker-Jones. Most DCPS preschool is good even at schools with low test scores, and it's the only school in the area you're sure to get into (except maybe Friendship Armstrong and KIPP). I know you want long-term, but you have to have a plan for a bad lottery number. All the schools that are good long-term require a good number.

[Anonymous]

Former TR family here—I wouldn’t consider the school for the long term. We had a good experience under the up until 3rd grade, but then COVID, new leadership and significant turnover led to major changes in the school, that seemed to really impact the upper elementary grades. The teachers and staff don’t seem to have any skills in handling discipline problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You ought to list more than three schools. You'll only get TR if your lottery number is outstanding.

Why not Inspired Teaching?

Definitely look at Langley, it's in the sweet spot where you are very likely to get in but it's a good ECE program. Tons of neighborhood support.

Are Langley scores better than Walker-Jones? Because OP is not comfortable due to test scores and Langley scores are very bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You ought to list more than three schools. You'll only get TR if your lottery number is outstanding.

Why not Inspired Teaching?

Definitely look at Langley, it's in the sweet spot where you are very likely to get in but it's a good ECE program. Tons of neighborhood support.

Are Langley scores better than Walker-Jones? Because OP is not comfortable due to test scores and Langley scores are very bad.

I'm not sure, I'd have to check and control for self-contained classrooms, but WJ goes through 8th so it wouldn't be an exact comparison anyway.

If it makes you feel better, PP and OP, my 1st grader is having a grand time at Langley and is well above grade level. Test scores aren't everything, especially when your child is so young. I understand OP wants a long-term plan, but that isn't necessarily going to happen, so I suggest Langley as a good option for a bad lottery number. Many Langley families are IB for WJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You ought to list more than three schools. You'll only get TR if your lottery number is outstanding.

Why not Inspired Teaching?

Definitely look at Langley, it's in the sweet spot where you are very likely to get in but it's a good ECE program. Tons of neighborhood support.

Are Langley scores better than Walker-Jones? Because OP is not comfortable due to test scores and Langley scores are very bad.

I'm not sure, I'd have to check and control for self-contained classrooms, but WJ goes through 8th so it wouldn't be an exact comparison anyway.

If it makes you feel better, PP and OP, my 1st grader is having a grand time at Langley and is well above grade level. Test scores aren't everything, especially when your child is so young. I understand OP wants a long-term plan, but that isn't necessarily going to happen, so I suggest Langley as a good option for a bad lottery number. Many Langley families are IB for WJ.

Everyone wants a “long term” plan. But so much can and will change over time. The truth is that there are simply not many great MS options in DC. No use worrying about it now. Your family will figure out the right option (private, move) or get lucky in MS lottery (and have it be a good fit!) when the time comes…

[Anonymous]

Prioritize places nearby. I would not do Cleveland over Walker Jones. Maybe Thompson. Mundo Verde is also an option.

[Anonymous]

OP, Thomson is a fine school and if you like the downtown location, great. Two Rivers is for those who go for the "expeditionary" model, but beware the behavior issues they seem to have a hard time with. Also, the middle school of Two Rivers is way over at the Young campus, maybe not great logistics for you? And be sure to look at test scores relative to demographic. IMO a school like Seaton, which has very strong math scores if you look at the MGP and relative to demographics, is more impressive than Two Rivers with its meh scores from mostly high-income kids. Same for CHML-- I'm aghast at their test scores relative to demographics. Don't think that just because a school offers 8th grade that you will actually be happy with it when the time comes.

I don't know why Inspired Teaching wouldn't be on your list. The middle school is nice if you like a small school, and I like the higher number of student teachers because it makes for a great adult-child ratio.

Understand, OP, that some schools are on an improving/gentrifying trajectory and some are not. Langley, for example, much like Garrison, was on hard times 10 years ago and Garrison very nearly shut down by the city. But with new leadership and the hard work of many families, those schools are slowly, slowly improving. It's not a quick process and nobody should expect it to be. But both schools have an engaged cohort of preschool and lower elementary parents who fundraise and advocate with the city for their school. That won't show in the PARCC scores until those kids are retained through spring of 3rd grade. (But you can ask for iReady or DIBELS data on K-2nd if it's important to you.). Contrast that with schools like Two Rivers, Shining Stars, Lee, and Mundo Verde. Not so many low-income kids, the school has existed for long enough, numberically large group of families to donate and advocate and support their kids academically, and yet the test scores are meh, what could be the reason? Bad scores on mostly high-income kids means something is not right in the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You ought to list more than three schools. You'll only get TR if your lottery number is outstanding.

Why not Inspired Teaching?

Definitely look at Langley, it's in the sweet spot where you are very likely to get in but it's a good ECE program. Tons of neighborhood support.

Are Langley scores better than Walker-Jones? Because OP is not comfortable due to test scores and Langley scores are very bad.

The scores and student retention are bad at Langley, which is the opposite of what the Langley boosters described here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, Thomson is a fine school and if you like the downtown location, great. Two Rivers is for those who go for the "expeditionary" model, but beware the behavior issues they seem to have a hard time with. Also, the middle school of Two Rivers is way over at the Young campus, maybe not great logistics for you? And be sure to look at test scores relative to demographic. IMO a school like Seaton, which has very strong math scores if you look at the MGP and relative to demographics, is more impressive than Two Rivers with its meh scores from mostly high-income kids. Same for CHML-- I'm aghast at their test scores relative to demographics. Don't think that just because a school offers 8th grade that you will actually be happy with it when the time comes.

I don't know why Inspired Teaching wouldn't be on your list. The middle school is nice if you like a small school, and I like the higher number of student teachers because it makes for a great adult-child ratio.

Understand, OP, that some schools are on an improving/gentrifying trajectory and some are not. Langley, for example, much like Garrison, was on hard times 10 years ago and Garrison very nearly shut down by the city. But with new leadership and the hard work of many families, those schools are slowly, slowly improving. It's not a quick process and nobody should expect it to be. But both schools have an engaged cohort of preschool and lower elementary parents who fundraise and advocate with the city for their school. That won't show in the PARCC scores until those kids are retained through spring of 3rd grade. (But you can ask for iReady or DIBELS data on K-2nd if it's important to you.). Contrast that with schools like Two Rivers, Shining Stars, Lee, and Mundo Verde. Not so many low-income kids, the school has existed for long enough, numberically large group of families to donate and advocate and support their kids academically, and yet the test scores are meh, what could be the reason? Bad scores on mostly high-income kids means something is not right in the school.

Don’t minimize the impact that discipline issues can have on upper ES. Even if a student is doing well academically, they are likely to suffer in a chaotic environment. I’m a NP, but as others have stated, this is the primary reason we left TR. The leadership at TR is in complete denial about the incidents related to bullying etc.

I understand there was just a communication sent out to MS parents about discipline issues/low staff morale and high turnover—I hope with new leadership and a focus on these issues the school is able to course correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You ought to list more than three schools. You'll only get TR if your lottery number is outstanding.

Why not Inspired Teaching?

Definitely look at Langley, it's in the sweet spot where you are very likely to get in but it's a good ECE program. Tons of neighborhood support.

Are Langley scores better than Walker-Jones? Because OP is not comfortable due to test scores and Langley scores are very bad.

The scores and student retention are bad at Langley, which is the opposite of what the Langley boosters described here.

Langley's PARCC scores are bad and nobody is denying it. But the K-2nd performance metrics are okay. Not sure how they are at Walker-Jones. And to really compare with Walker-Jones you would need to pull the OSSE spreadsheets and control for self-contained classrooms and the different grade levels serviced. I'm not sure which is better. I don't think they are different in a way that would matter to OP. What Langley does have is good teachers, a very engaged crop of families, a strong ECE program, adequate ECE and K-2nd performance, and lots of physical space. OP is not necessarily going to get into a school with good test scores, but OP can have the other advantages of Langley even so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Thomson is a fine school and if you like the downtown location, great. Two Rivers is for those who go for the "expeditionary" model, but beware the behavior issues they seem to have a hard time with. Also, the middle school of Two Rivers is way over at the Young campus, maybe not great logistics for you? And be sure to look at test scores relative to demographic. IMO a school like Seaton, which has very strong math scores if you look at the MGP and relative to demographics, is more impressive than Two Rivers with its meh scores from mostly high-income kids. Same for CHML-- I'm aghast at their test scores relative to demographics. Don't think that just because a school offers 8th grade that you will actually be happy with it when the time comes.

I don't know why Inspired Teaching wouldn't be on your list. The middle school is nice if you like a small school, and I like the higher number of student teachers because it makes for a great adult-child ratio.

Understand, OP, that some schools are on an improving/gentrifying trajectory and some are not. Langley, for example, much like Garrison, was on hard times 10 years ago and Garrison very nearly shut down by the city. But with new leadership and the hard work of many families, those schools are slowly, slowly improving. It's not a quick process and nobody should expect it to be. But both schools have an engaged cohort of preschool and lower elementary parents who fundraise and advocate with the city for their school. That won't show in the PARCC scores until those kids are retained through spring of 3rd grade. (But you can ask for iReady or DIBELS data on K-2nd if it's important to you.). Contrast that with schools like Two Rivers, Shining Stars, Lee, and Mundo Verde. Not so many low-income kids, the school has existed for long enough, numberically large group of families to donate and advocate and support their kids academically, and yet the test scores are meh, what could be the reason? Bad scores on mostly high-income kids means something is not right in the school.

Don’t minimize the impact that discipline issues can have on upper ES. Even if a student is doing well academically, they are likely to suffer in a chaotic environment. I’m a NP, but as others have stated, this is the primary reason we left TR. The leadership at TR is in complete denial about the incidents related to bullying etc.

I understand there was just a communication sent out to MS parents about discipline issues/low staff morale and high turnover—I hope with new leadership and a focus on these issues the school is able to course correct.

That is interesting, can you post it?

[Anonymous]

Let's work backwards. OP wants a school where she can get in for PK3, with okay test scores and a path that is "long term" which I guess means through 8th or feeding to an adequate middle school, SWW@FS being an adequate middle school in OP's view. High school doesn't seem to matter at this stage. Okay. So, what other middle schools are as good as SWW@FS? ITS, Stuart-Hobson I suppose. maybe Cap City and EL Haynes. DCI if OP is into that. So here's the list (in no order)

Inspired Teaching
YY, Stokes, DCB, LAMB, MV (maybe) depending on OP's interest.
Thomson
JO Wilson as the only Stuart-Hobson feeder that OP has even a small chance of getting into for PK3.
TR and CHML, OP thinks are long-term plans but if you look at the middle school test scores specifically, they're not very good, so OP may re-think.
EL Haynes
Cap City

So OP, unless you're really into all of these schools to fill your list, you'll want to add some schools that don't check all of your boxes just to increase your chances of getting a spot anywhere at all.

I would suggest that you not borrow trouble by thinking about the distant future. DCPS and charters can and do change their feeder patterns and preferences. Schools move location, open, close, get new principals, change programming, etc. There's just so much that can chance between now and then. You think you want a long-term path, but dollars to donuts what you want even more than that is a well-functioning elementary school where behavior is well-managed and most of the kids are on or above grade level. And that ain't Two Rivers or CHML. Sorry.