Why stay in DC when none (yes, including upper NW schools) seem to compare to Arlington?????????????

[Anonymous]

She's 2. She goes to daycare in Dupont by my office. Our plan is to play the charter lotteries until she gets in somewhere. If she doesn't get into any of the places we like (the usual immersion things), I'm perfectly okay with her going to Tubman for kindergarten until she gets in somewhere better. If it turns out to not to be a good fit for her personally for whatever reason, we will reevaluate, but one of the reasons we picked where we picked was that the local option was acceptable for the younger years. My personal feeling is that middle school is terrible for everyone, no matter where you live (I went to two different highly ranked middle schools in the Midwest and they were both miserable experiences and I was so relieved when they were over), and that when we get to that point, we will figure things out.

Curious as to how you reached that conclusion. Not my impression at all.

[Anonymous]

Because when I was in 6th grade and my parents said, if everyone else wants to jump off a bridge do you want to do that to? I hated it, but eventually I learned to be confident in my own opinions and choices and not look to others for validation. Also, judge not lest you be judged repeated enough times and I learned other people can make different choices than I do and that's ok too.

Bottom line, my parents raised a person who was confident in her convictions and didn't need anonymous message boards to validate my opinion.

Also, excessive punctuation makes you look weak and vapid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because when I was in 6th grade and my parents said, if everyone else wants to jump off a bridge do you want to do that to? I hated it, but eventually I learned to be confident in my own opinions and choices and not look to others for validation. Also, judge not lest you be judged repeated enough times and I learned other people can make different choices than I do and that's ok too.

Bottom line, my parents raised a person who was confident in her convictions and didn't need anonymous message boards to validate my opinion.

Also, excessive punctuation makes you look weak and vapid.

I like you PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

She's 2. She goes to daycare in Dupont by my office. Our plan is to play the charter lotteries until she gets in somewhere. If she doesn't get into any of the places we like (the usual immersion things), I'm perfectly okay with her going to Tubman for kindergarten until she gets in somewhere better. If it turns out to not to be a good fit for her personally for whatever reason, we will reevaluate, but one of the reasons we picked where we picked was that the local option was acceptable for the younger years. My personal feeling is that middle school is terrible for everyone, no matter where you live (I went to two different highly ranked middle schools in the Midwest and they were both miserable experiences and I was so relieved when they were over), and that when we get to that point, we will figure things out.

Curious as to how you reached that conclusion. Not my impression at all.

I talked to people who send their kids there. I read things people posted on the internet. I went to the school. It is not my first choice, but if for some reason we do not get into our preferred schools (language immersion a big deal for me as that's the schools I went to as a young child) after 3 years of trying, I would be fine with it for a year while we try again. Plus, realistically, who knows what the neighborhood and the school will look like in 3 years. I doubt I'm the only person considering it as an option if other, more preferable options fall through.

[Anonymous]

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

Robert Frost (1874–1963)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Robert Frost (1874–1963)

So I'm not the only one that uses this poem to guide my decision making! And here I thought I was unique! I Have stayed ib dc for 15 years, 8 with kids, and both my kids attend our Capitol hill dcps sChool. Love it and don't regret the decision, but as for "grassy and wanting wear", im not sure it fits the bill. Maybe attending an under enrolled middle school would? Or a brand spanking new charter?

[Anonymous]

transvaginal ultrasound ... cost VA my vote and my tax dollars.

[Anonymous]

OK, OP, you've convinced me. There are some parents in DC who would rather stay in the city and enroll their kids in inferior schools, roll the dice with lotteries, or take a chance on a new charter, rather than move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:transvaginal ultrasound ... cost VA my vote and my tax dollars.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the Frost on such a warm and beautiful day PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, OP, you've convinced me. There are some parents in DC who would rather stay in the city and enroll their kids in inferior schools, roll the dice with lotteries, or take a chance on a new charter, rather than move.

Who determines what inferior is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, OP, you've convinced me. There are some parents in DC who would rather stay in the city and enroll their kids in inferior schools, roll the dice with lotteries, or take a chance on a new charter, rather than move.

Who determines what inferior is?

The OP, of course.

[Anonymous]

VA won't recognize my marriage. And if you're looking for the best schools in VA, why wouldn't you live in Fairfax county?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because life in the suburbs makes me want to spoon my eyes out.

again selfish parents not thinking of their kids

Indeed, because have a parent who wants to spoon their eyes out is great for the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, OP, you've convinced me. There are some parents in DC who would rather stay in the city and enroll their kids in inferior schools, roll the dice with lotteries, or take a chance on a new charter, rather than move.

Who determines what inferior is?

Just look at all the posts of parents saying the school their kid is in is "not their first choice" or they're dealing with it "for now" or they keep applying to lottery after lottery every year hoping they get into something better than their kid's already in. Does any of that make sense? If education is a priority, then move to a school district where your children can get a quality education.

As for determining what is superior and inferior, there are empirical ways to make that determination. They're called test scores.