Anyone else disillusioned with the whole process?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What could DCPS do to keep you? What would they need to change?

Not OP, but I think DCPS is just not that attractive for black middle class families. I wish it weren't so. Some may luck into ITS or some other popular charter that has close to a critical mass of black middle class families. Others may lotto into Shepherd or Eaton or a couple other schools. If they're able to--and we're no longer talking middle-class, but upper middle class--they'll buy IB for these schools (my overall impression re: many UMC AA families is that many skip DCPS altogether, and go private or parochial).

One major factor, IMO, is that this city has a lot of fairly new-to-DC, highly educated, and fairly affluent white families who are often willing to try out gentrifying schools, and then there are a lot of AA families from multi-generational poverty that make up the bulk of the public school population. In schools with few middle class AA students, AA parents have legitimate concerns about peer influences and low expectations from teachers who may lump all black kids together and consider them a lost cause, or just have lower expectations for our kids. White families in these gentrifying schools will be largely insulated from these concerns, as it doesn't really affect their children to the same extent. It's just not worth it for many middle class AA families, and they may leave for Silver Spring/Bowie/Rockville/etc. after a while, if they didn't start out there in the first place.

I think there will continue to be a growing divide in the city, with middle class families of all stripes being squeezed out, unless there is a significant investment in affordable housing and in multi-family housing in a lot of the upper NW neighborhoods with attractive school options.

Huh, very interesting, thanks. I can see how middle class white parents wouldn't have the same kind of worries.

OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.

Re: growing divide in the city, sadly I think it's almost too late. Ten or more years ago the city should have upzoned large swaths of wealthy areas AND invested more in affordable housing. The city does not have enough housing, and limited housing supply has caused demand to go through the roof, along with prices. DC is headed towards become a rich-only city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What could DCPS do to keep you? What would they need to change?

Not OP, but I think DCPS is just not that attractive for black middle class families. I wish it weren't so. Some may luck into ITS or some other popular charter that has close to a critical mass of black middle class families. Others may lotto into Shepherd or Eaton or a couple other schools. If they're able to--and we're no longer talking middle-class, but upper middle class--they'll buy IB for these schools (my overall impression re: many UMC AA families is that many skip DCPS altogether, and go private or parochial).

One major factor, IMO, is that this city has a lot of fairly new-to-DC, highly educated, and fairly affluent white families who are often willing to try out gentrifying schools, and then there are a lot of AA families from multi-generational poverty that make up the bulk of the public school population. In schools with few middle class AA students, AA parents have legitimate concerns about peer influences and low expectations from teachers who may lump all black kids together and consider them a lost cause, or just have lower expectations for our kids. White families in these gentrifying schools will be largely insulated from these concerns, as it doesn't really affect their children to the same extent. It's just not worth it for many middle class AA families, and they may leave for Silver Spring/Bowie/Rockville/etc. after a while, if they didn't start out there in the first place.

I think there will continue to be a growing divide in the city, with middle class families of all stripes being squeezed out, unless there is a significant investment in affordable housing and in multi-family housing in a lot of the upper NW neighborhoods with attractive school options.

Huh, very interesting, thanks. I can see how middle class white parents wouldn't have the same kind of worries.

Sorry posted the last post wrong.

OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.


OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.

Re: growing divide in the city, sadly I think it's almost too late. Ten or more years ago the city should have upzoned large swaths of wealthy areas AND invested more in affordable housing. The city does not have enough housing, and limited housing supply has caused demand to go through the roof, along with prices. DC is headed towards become a rich-only city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, leave the district. I am black as well and I am just not playing with these odds. Go to Silver Spring, which will work for both of your commutes. Send your child to an ES like Flora Singer and then Blair HS, or by then, you may have enough equity to move to Bethesda or something.

I truly feel like it isn't worth it for me to chance these schools with my child. Let the white people figure it out and fix it for their kids. I just cannot experiment with my brown baby.

NP here, also AA. Moving IB for Blair is our back-up plan for HS. Currently, DC attends a private (non-Big 3) that would be fiscally unsustainable for HS. We live EOTR and are zoned for probably the lowest performing school cluster in DCPS. I attended an Open House for Basis this year and was appalled at the lack of diversity present. My hope is that the demographics of the MS were not adequately reflected that evening. Reading this thread, it felt oddly comforting to know that other AAs in the city are having the same internal conversations. I would hate to switch schools to save money only to encounter lowered expectations in a different setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, leave the district. I am black as well and I am just not playing with these odds. Go to Silver Spring, which will work for both of your commutes. Send your child to an ES like Flora Singer and then Blair HS, or by then, you may have enough equity to move to Bethesda or something.

I truly feel like it isn't worth it for me to chance these schools with my child. Let the white people figure it out and fix it for their kids. I just cannot experiment with my brown baby.

NP here, also AA. Moving IB for Blair is our back-up plan for HS. Currently, DC attends a private (non-Big 3) that would be fiscally unsustainable for HS. We live EOTR and are zoned for probably the lowest performing school cluster in DCPS. I attended an Open House for Basis this year and was appalled at the lack of diversity present. My hope is that the demographics of the MS were not adequately reflected that evening. Reading this thread, it felt oddly comforting to know that other AAs in the city are having the same internal conversations. I would hate to switch schools to save money only to encounter lowered expectations in a different setting.

I know. Somehow I feel somewhat better knowing other folks are feeling the same way. Have you considered moving somewhere cheaper and still doing private for HS? I hear that HS is when private really makes a difference for us.

[Anonymous]

PP, private school is an option solely because our housing costs are low. That said, I would really prefer for DC to have an experience similar to what I had at SWW. Strong academics, lots of independence, awesome peer group, support environment, etc. We’re 6 years in at the current school, but I understand why some families opt for HS to go private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, leave the district. I am black as well and I am just not playing with these odds. Go to Silver Spring, which will work for both of your commutes. Send your child to an ES like Flora Singer and then Blair HS, or by then, you may have enough equity to move to Bethesda or something.

I truly feel like it isn't worth it for me to chance these schools with my child. Let the white people figure it out and fix it for their kids. I just cannot experiment with my brown baby.

NP here, also AA. Moving IB for Blair is our back-up plan for HS. Currently, DC attends a private (non-Big 3) that would be fiscally unsustainable for HS. We live EOTR and are zoned for probably the lowest performing school cluster in DCPS. I attended an Open House for Basis this year and was appalled at the lack of diversity present. My hope is that the demographics of the MS were not adequately reflected that evening. Reading this thread, it felt oddly comforting to know that other AAs in the city are having the same internal conversations. I would hate to switch schools to save money only to encounter lowered expectations in a different setting.

Just be leery of moving for schools. There are problems every where. I know a few families that moved for schools and are disappointed. They did a ton research prior but still are not satisfied. We've opted to go private for MS and maybe come back for HS. DCPS will have a hard time improving until it can attract and keep middle and upper-middle class AA families. No matter how much a city gentrifies it can't account for families constantly leaving when kids get school age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, leave the district. I am black as well and I am just not playing with these odds. Go to Silver Spring, which will work for both of your commutes. Send your child to an ES like Flora Singer and then Blair HS, or by then, you may have enough equity to move to Bethesda or something.

I truly feel like it isn't worth it for me to chance these schools with my child. Let the white people figure it out and fix it for their kids. I just cannot experiment with my brown baby.

NP here, also AA. Moving IB for Blair is our back-up plan for HS. Currently, DC attends a private (non-Big 3) that would be fiscally unsustainable for HS. We live EOTR and are zoned for probably the lowest performing school cluster in DCPS. I attended an Open House for Basis this year and was appalled at the lack of diversity present. My hope is that the demographics of the MS were not adequately reflected that evening. Reading this thread, it felt oddly comforting to know that other AAs in the city are having the same internal conversations. I would hate to switch schools to save money only to encounter lowered expectations in a different setting.

Just be leery of moving for schools. There are problems every where. I know a few families that moved for schools and are disappointed. They did a ton research prior but still are not satisfied. We've opted to go private for MS and maybe come back for HS. DCPS will have a hard time improving until it can attract and keep middle and upper-middle class AA families. No matter how much a city gentrifies it can't account for families constantly leaving when kids get school age.

Our situation is unusual. DC will likely complete 7th and 8th grade overseas and we'll return the summer before 9th. We'll move to Silver Spring if the lottery doesn't work out that Spring, but we would have had to move anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, leave the district. I am black as well and I am just not playing with these odds. Go to Silver Spring, which will work for both of your commutes. Send your child to an ES like Flora Singer and then Blair HS, or by then, you may have enough equity to move to Bethesda or something.

I truly feel like it isn't worth it for me to chance these schools with my child. Let the white people figure it out and fix it for their kids. I just cannot experiment with my brown baby.

NP here, also AA. Moving IB for Blair is our back-up plan for HS. Currently, DC attends a private (non-Big 3) that would be fiscally unsustainable for HS. We live EOTR and are zoned for probably the lowest performing school cluster in DCPS. I attended an Open House for Basis this year and was appalled at the lack of diversity present. My hope is that the demographics of the MS were not adequately reflected that evening. Reading this thread, it felt oddly comforting to know that other AAs in the city are having the same internal conversations. I would hate to switch schools to save money only to encounter lowered expectations in a different setting.

NP and also AA. We also attended an open house at Basis a few days ago and noticed the same lack of diversity; however, based on the school statistics I don’t believe that truly reflects the student body. My child is enrolled at a non-big 3 private which I love but unfortunately there is no middle school. DC school assists with middle school placement but I am not willing to risk losing our spot at Basis and having to enroll at our EOTR IB if we are unable to get in to our targeted private. The lack of quality middle schools is concerning...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t really have much luck for PK3. Got into Sela and WL for my IB school Whittier. Any other AA families with experience in these schools? (We weren’t looking for language immersion but live behind Sela which is why it was even on our list).

Email us at [e-mail] and I can connect you to some AA families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What could DCPS do to keep you? What would they need to change?

Not OP, but I think DCPS is just not that attractive for black middle class families. I wish it weren't so. Some may luck into ITS or some other popular charter that has close to a critical mass of black middle class families. Others may lotto into Shepherd or Eaton or a couple other schools. If they're able to--and we're no longer talking middle-class, but upper middle class--they'll buy IB for these schools (my overall impression re: many UMC AA families is that many skip DCPS altogether, and go private or parochial).

One major factor, IMO, is that this city has a lot of fairly new-to-DC, highly educated, and fairly affluent white families who are often willing to try out gentrifying schools, and then there are a lot of AA families from multi-generational poverty that make up the bulk of the public school population. In schools with few middle class AA students, AA parents have legitimate concerns about peer influences and low expectations from teachers who may lump all black kids together and consider them a lost cause, or just have lower expectations for our kids. White families in these gentrifying schools will be largely insulated from these concerns, as it doesn't really affect their children to the same extent. It's just not worth it for many middle class AA families, and they may leave for Silver Spring/Bowie/Rockville/etc. after a while, if they didn't start out there in the first place.

I think there will continue to be a growing divide in the city, with middle class families of all stripes being squeezed out, unless there is a significant investment in affordable housing and in multi-family housing in a lot of the upper NW neighborhoods with attractive school options.

Huh, very interesting, thanks. I can see how middle class white parents wouldn't have the same kind of worries.

OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.

Re: growing divide in the city, sadly I think it's almost too late. Ten or more years ago the city should have upzoned large swaths of wealthy areas AND invested more in affordable housing. The city does not have enough housing, and limited housing supply has caused demand to go through the roof, along with prices. DC is headed towards become a rich-only city.

Resurrecting this thread...so is ITS a good option for middle class black families?

[Anonymous]

Any update, OP? Any progress on waitlists?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What could DCPS do to keep you? What would they need to change?

Not OP, but I think DCPS is just not that attractive for black middle class families. I wish it weren't so. Some may luck into ITS or some other popular charter that has close to a critical mass of black middle class families. Others may lotto into Shepherd or Eaton or a couple other schools. If they're able to--and we're no longer talking middle-class, but upper middle class--they'll buy IB for these schools (my overall impression re: many UMC AA families is that many skip DCPS altogether, and go private or parochial).

One major factor, IMO, is that this city has a lot of fairly new-to-DC, highly educated, and fairly affluent white families who are often willing to try out gentrifying schools, and then there are a lot of AA families from multi-generational poverty that make up the bulk of the public school population. In schools with few middle class AA students, AA parents have legitimate concerns about peer influences and low expectations from teachers who may lump all black kids together and consider them a lost cause, or just have lower expectations for our kids. White families in these gentrifying schools will be largely insulated from these concerns, as it doesn't really affect their children to the same extent. It's just not worth it for many middle class AA families, and they may leave for Silver Spring/Bowie/Rockville/etc. after a while, if they didn't start out there in the first place.

I think there will continue to be a growing divide in the city, with middle class families of all stripes being squeezed out, unless there is a significant investment in affordable housing and in multi-family housing in a lot of the upper NW neighborhoods with attractive school options.

Huh, very interesting, thanks. I can see how middle class white parents wouldn't have the same kind of worries.

OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.

Re: growing divide in the city, sadly I think it's almost too late. Ten or more years ago the city should have upzoned large swaths of wealthy areas AND invested more in affordable housing. The city does not have enough housing, and limited housing supply has caused demand to go through the roof, along with prices. DC is headed towards become a rich-only city.

Resurrecting this thread...so is ITS a good option for middle class black families?

We are an upper middle class black family and absolutely LOVE ITS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What could DCPS do to keep you? What would they need to change?

Not OP, but I think DCPS is just not that attractive for black middle class families. I wish it weren't so. Some may luck into ITS or some other popular charter that has close to a critical mass of black middle class families. Others may lotto into Shepherd or Eaton or a couple other schools. If they're able to--and we're no longer talking middle-class, but upper middle class--they'll buy IB for these schools (my overall impression re: many UMC AA families is that many skip DCPS altogether, and go private or parochial).

One major factor, IMO, is that this city has a lot of fairly new-to-DC, highly educated, and fairly affluent white families who are often willing to try out gentrifying schools, and then there are a lot of AA families from multi-generational poverty that make up the bulk of the public school population. In schools with few middle class AA students, AA parents have legitimate concerns about peer influences and low expectations from teachers who may lump all black kids together and consider them a lost cause, or just have lower expectations for our kids. White families in these gentrifying schools will be largely insulated from these concerns, as it doesn't really affect their children to the same extent. It's just not worth it for many middle class AA families, and they may leave for Silver Spring/Bowie/Rockville/etc. after a while, if they didn't start out there in the first place.

I think there will continue to be a growing divide in the city, with middle class families of all stripes being squeezed out, unless there is a significant investment in affordable housing and in multi-family housing in a lot of the upper NW neighborhoods with attractive school options.

Huh, very interesting, thanks. I can see how middle class white parents wouldn't have the same kind of worries.

OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.

Re: growing divide in the city, sadly I think it's almost too late. Ten or more years ago the city should have upzoned large swaths of wealthy areas AND invested more in affordable housing. The city does not have enough housing, and limited housing supply has caused demand to go through the roof, along with prices. DC is headed towards become a rich-only city.

Resurrecting this thread...so is ITS a good option for middle class black families?

We are an upper middle class black family and absolutely LOVE ITS!

Thank you! What's differentiation look like there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any update, OP? Any progress on waitlists?

OP here, we actually did better this year than others. Here's how my waitlists stand right now.

1
Mann Elementary School [Not gonna happen]

Waitlisted - #70

2
Hyde-Addison Elementary School [Maybe]

Waitlisted - #41

3
Eaton Elementary School [Not happening]

Waitlisted - #76

4
Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School [Doubtful]

Waitlisted - #48

5
Stoddert Elementary School [Not happening]

Waitlisted - #50

6
Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS [Strong possible]

Waitlisted - #39

7
Washington Yu Ying PCS [Doubtful]

Waitlisted - #60

8
Shepherd Elementary School [Hail Mary]

Waitlisted - #26

10
E.L. Haynes PCS – Elementary School [Likely]

Waitlisted - #27

11
Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street [Doubtful]

Waitlisted - #51

12
Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - 8th Street NE

Match (enrolled)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What could DCPS do to keep you? What would they need to change?

Not OP, but I think DCPS is just not that attractive for black middle class families. I wish it weren't so. Some may luck into ITS or some other popular charter that has close to a critical mass of black middle class families. Others may lotto into Shepherd or Eaton or a couple other schools. If they're able to--and we're no longer talking middle-class, but upper middle class--they'll buy IB for these schools (my overall impression re: many UMC AA families is that many skip DCPS altogether, and go private or parochial).

One major factor, IMO, is that this city has a lot of fairly new-to-DC, highly educated, and fairly affluent white families who are often willing to try out gentrifying schools, and then there are a lot of AA families from multi-generational poverty that make up the bulk of the public school population. In schools with few middle class AA students, AA parents have legitimate concerns about peer influences and low expectations from teachers who may lump all black kids together and consider them a lost cause, or just have lower expectations for our kids. White families in these gentrifying schools will be largely insulated from these concerns, as it doesn't really affect their children to the same extent. It's just not worth it for many middle class AA families, and they may leave for Silver Spring/Bowie/Rockville/etc. after a while, if they didn't start out there in the first place.

I think there will continue to be a growing divide in the city, with middle class families of all stripes being squeezed out, unless there is a significant investment in affordable housing and in multi-family housing in a lot of the upper NW neighborhoods with attractive school options.

Huh, very interesting, thanks. I can see how middle class white parents wouldn't have the same kind of worries.

OP here, completely agree--this was exactly my point. We have a HHI of approximately 300k. Definitely not super high for the area but solidly middle class for DC. We live in Petworth and our IB is Truesdell. MY DC is smart and I fear a mix of low expectations and peer influences. Even at IT, the achievement gap between black and white students is considerable after 4th grade. We've considered private, but would prefer public. We just don't want our kids to be an experiment. Our best bets on the WL are probably Hyde Addison (upon looking at the WL historical data), IT and EL Haynes.

Re: growing divide in the city, sadly I think it's almost too late. Ten or more years ago the city should have upzoned large swaths of wealthy areas AND invested more in affordable housing. The city does not have enough housing, and limited housing supply has caused demand to go through the roof, along with prices. DC is headed towards become a rich-only city.

Resurrecting this thread...so is ITS a good option for middle class black families?

We are an upper middle class black family and absolutely LOVE ITS!

Thank you! What's differentiation look like there?

NP here, I have been a little underwhelmed by differentiation in math. Reading is well differentiated but I don't feel like my kid has been encouraged to the fullest in math. Science similarly feels like a low priority. Maybe that's just our teacher...