Watching your friends relocate to the burbs for "schools"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at Key and the number of parents moving as it we progress is shocking.

Where are they going?

there are a LOT of diplomatic staff's kids going to key- they are moving b/c they're diplomats, not b/c key is a bad school.

DC is a transient place- the administrations change, a lot of the people are developmentState Dept/USDA ppl which means they are eager to do stints abroad/around the country same with the public policy ppl. the attorneys/lobbyiests and regular UMC fed workers are just starting to stay in the city with kids but the city with kids is difficult and expensive. Chevy Chase was always full of families, but they sent their kids to private school. It was a different world back then- there weren't really any middle class 'townies' living in DC. by townies i mean ppl who don't work for the federal government and live in DC as if it was just a city and not the nations capitol.

DC isn't designed to be used that way from the get go actually- it was planned to be a capitol for the nation and not a true city- it was built on a swampy wasteland of no value and planned to service transient law makers and their staff and servants and the businesses that would cater to them and tourists. It wasn't planned to be a residential/business center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at Key and the number of parents moving as it we progress is shocking.

Where are they going?

there are a LOT of diplomatic staff's kids going to key- they are moving b/c they're diplomats, not b/c key is a bad school.

DC is a transient place- the administrations change, a lot of the people are developmentState Dept/USDA ppl which means they are eager to do stints abroad/around the country same with the public policy ppl. the attorneys/lobbyiests and regular UMC fed workers are just starting to stay in the city with kids but the city with kids is difficult and expensive. Chevy Chase was always full of families, but they sent their kids to private school. It was a different world back then- there weren't really any middle class 'townies' living in DC. by townies i mean ppl who don't work for the federal government and live in DC as if it was just a city and not the nations capitol.

DC isn't designed to be used that way from the get go actually- it was planned to be a capitol for the nation and not a true city- it was built on a swampy wasteland of no value and planned to service transient law makers and their staff and servants and the businesses that would cater to them and tourists. It wasn't planned to be a residential/business center.

Weve had kids at key for 8 years and can count on one hand the number of diplomat kids in each grade.

After 2nd grade kids leave for ncs/st a's/Holton/landon
After 3rd grade more move to those schools and privates which add seats in 4th
After 4th there is a big departure to charters
After 5th most head to private. Kids who dont get in move to moco. I only know 2 who went to hardy, and 1 left after a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at Key and the number of parents moving as it we progress is shocking.

Where are they going?

there are a LOT of diplomatic staff's kids going to key- they are moving b/c they're diplomats, not b/c key is a bad school.

DC is a transient place- the administrations change, a lot of the people are developmentState Dept/USDA ppl which means they are eager to do stints abroad/around the country same with the public policy ppl. the attorneys/lobbyiests and regular UMC fed workers are just starting to stay in the city with kids but the city with kids is difficult and expensive. Chevy Chase was always full of families, but they sent their kids to private school. It was a different world back then- there weren't really any middle class 'townies' living in DC. by townies i mean ppl who don't work for the federal government and live in DC as if it was just a city and not the nations capitol.

DC isn't designed to be used that way from the get go actually- it was planned to be a capitol for the nation and not a true city- it was built on a swampy wasteland of no value and planned to service transient law makers and their staff and servants and the businesses that would cater to them and tourists. It wasn't planned to be a residential/business center.

Weve had kids at key for 8 years and can count on one hand the number of diplomat kids in each grade.

After 2nd grade kids leave for ncs/st a's/Holton/landon
After 3rd grade more move to those schools and privates which add seats in 4th
After 4th there is a big departure to charters
After 5th most head to private. Kids who dont get in move to moco. I only know 2 who went to hardy, and 1 left after a year.

My assumption would be the Hardy was the - nothing worked out option. As there are fewer seats available at BASIS and Latin, there will be a few more heading to Hardy and once you get a critical mass of neighborhood kids - it makes it a more desirable choice. I think it will be at the tipping point next year as Eaton is moved there as well.

[Anonymous]

Oh ok, all the ppl I know who's kids are at key are diplomats- we sent our little ones to MSOW & most go to key after. I do know one family that pulled their kid from Basis after a year & put into Hardy. They figure they are going to get transferred back to their home country soon but they disliked the pressure cooker atmosphere at basis & are pretty happy at hardy.

[Anonymous]

There are a ton of German embassy attached families at Key -- 3 in my child's class alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to Moco inside 270 and 28. Best in 500 miles . Whitman , Bcc , WJ , RM , Churchill , Wootton, QO, Poolesville.
Also includes Holton Arms, Landon ,Bullis , holy cross , stone ridge and Georgetown Prep .. Along with Chevy Chase , Columbia ,Kenwood ,Bethesda , Woodmont , Avenel, and Burning Tree country clubs .

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's racism. Pure and simple. The rationalization are just that.

In my case, the decision to move was absolutely motivated by racism. My AA child was treated in a racist manner by teachers and admin at both the highly sought out DC public and charter schools he attended. MCPS hasn't been perfect but it has been much better.

[Anonymous]

I love how hardy has been talked up for years...this cohort is all going to stay, it's really happening this time, blah blah. See you in Bethesda next year!

[Anonymous]

I actually know two families who have moved to AU Park in the last year so their kids could access Deal rather than Hardy, their former in bounds school. Not everyone crosses the state line.

[Anonymous]

I am also leaving. I love our DC schools -- diverse, good enough academics for me, close. So why? Well, I do think there is a middle school issue, but I'm actually looking more long term than that. I eventually have to leave anyway for good in-state public universities. I don't want to move when my kids are already in HS -- it's too hard for them then. There is a MS gap in DC, so after 5th grade is the time to do it.

I did notice that the gap in academics between my friends in DC and my friends in MoCo & NoVA was insignificant in K, and became noticeable by the beginning of 4th grade. I'm still sticking in DC for one more year, because I want DC's life to be stable so it's better for DC to finish out ES in DC.

P.S. Figure out yourselves which DC is dear child and which DC is district of columbia.

[Anonymous]

We always thought we'd remain in DC, but the question of college is a real issue. Even with the aid given to DC students, it will be so much cheaper to attend a VA or MD public school if you are attending as in state.

Is anyone else thinking about this issue? For example, the cost to attend U of MD is approx 10K for in state and 32K out to state. That is a huge difference! I really wasn't thinking about this until someone else brought it up in another thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at Key and the number of parents moving as it we progress is shocking.

Where are they going?

there are a LOT of diplomatic staff's kids going to key- they are moving b/c they're diplomats, not b/c key is a bad school.

DC is a transient place- the administrations change, a lot of the people are developmentState Dept/USDA ppl which means they are eager to do stints abroad/around the country same with the public policy ppl. the attorneys/lobbyiests and regular UMC fed workers are just starting to stay in the city with kids but the city with kids is difficult and expensive. Chevy Chase was always full of families, but they sent their kids to private school. It was a different world back then- there weren't really any middle class 'townies' living in DC. by townies i mean ppl who don't work for the federal government and live in DC as if it was just a city and not the nations capitol.

DC isn't designed to be used that way from the get go actually- it was planned to be a capitol for the nation and not a true city- it was built on a swampy wasteland of no value and planned to service transient law makers and their staff and servants and the businesses that would cater to them and tourists. It wasn't planned to be a residential/business center.

Weve had kids at key for 8 years and can count on one hand the number of diplomat kids in each grade.

After 2nd grade kids leave for ncs/st a's/Holton/landon
After 3rd grade more move to those schools and privates which add seats in 4th
After 4th there is a big departure to charters
After 5th most head to private. Kids who dont get in move to moco. I only know 2 who went to hardy, and 1 left after a year.

My assumption would be the Hardy was the - nothing worked out option. As there are fewer seats available at BASIS and Latin, there will be a few more heading to Hardy and once you get a critical mass of neighborhood kids - it makes it a more desirable choice. I think it will be at the tipping point next year as Eaton is moved there as well.

The dynamic at Key is changing some - where the number of IB kids has grown in the younger grades and the retention rates per grade is growing. There is a significant tipping point in the dynamic for this year's third grade class. (and there has been a big increase in diplomatic affiliated kids in the past couple years).

And around 10 kids went to Hardy from Key for year's six grade and around 10 went last year. The overall number of IB kids at Hardy is now 40-50 (up from 15 a few years ago!) with nearly a full class at Stoddert kids (18 or so) attending, more than 10 from Mann, and something like 15 from Hyde... making it a much more viable option for Key parents and the slots at Latin are getting harder with more competition from all over the city.

Many more families from Key seem to go the private track than moving the MoCo or VA - lots of families figure on that when they move to the area, but it's definitely changing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always thought we'd remain in DC, but the question of college is a real issue. Even with the aid given to DC students, it will be so much cheaper to attend a VA or MD public school if you are attending as in state.

Is anyone else thinking about this issue? For example, the cost to attend U of MD is approx 10K for in state and 32K out to state. That is a huge difference! I really wasn't thinking about this until someone else brought it up in another thread.

This is raised constantly. The moving math doesn't work if you own in DC. Search the old threads for the explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We always thought we'd remain in DC, but the question of college is a real issue. Even with the aid given to DC students, it will be so much cheaper to attend a VA or MD public school if you are attending as in state.

Is anyone else thinking about this issue? For example, the cost to attend U of MD is approx 10K for in state and 32K out to state. That is a huge difference! I really wasn't thinking about this until someone else brought it up in another thread.

This is raised constantly. The moving math doesn't work if you own in DC. Search the old threads for the explanation.

Also I don't want to limit my kid to a particular college. There are plenty of colleges that offer in-state tuition for certain majors, I want my kid to be flexible. My equity I've built and will continue to grow vs burbs is worth more to me than $12k per year for 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is at Key and the number of parents moving as it we progress is shocking.

Where are they going?

there are a LOT of diplomatic staff's kids going to key- they are moving b/c they're diplomats, not b/c key is a bad school.

DC is a transient place- the administrations change, a lot of the people are developmentState Dept/USDA ppl which means they are eager to do stints abroad/around the country same with the public policy ppl. the attorneys/lobbyiests and regular UMC fed workers are just starting to stay in the city with kids but the city with kids is difficult and expensive. Chevy Chase was always full of families, but they sent their kids to private school. It was a different world back then- there weren't really any middle class 'townies' living in DC. by townies i mean ppl who don't work for the federal government and live in DC as if it was just a city and not the nations capitol.

DC isn't designed to be used that way from the get go actually- it was planned to be a capitol for the nation and not a true city- it was built on a swampy wasteland of no value and planned to service transient law makers and their staff and servants and the businesses that would cater to them and tourists. It wasn't planned to be a residential/business center.

Weve had kids at key for 8 years and can count on one hand the number of diplomat kids in each grade.

After 2nd grade kids leave for ncs/st a's/Holton/landon
After 3rd grade more move to those schools and privates which add seats in 4th
After 4th there is a big departure to charters
After 5th most head to private. Kids who dont get in move to moco. I only know 2 who went to hardy, and 1 left after a year.

Shhhh!! Don't let the Janney moms hear you. Everyone know they're supposed to be the best and most exclusivest and everythingelsevest!