Burroughs v. Bruce Monroe

[Anonymous]

Kiddo (PK4 in fall) is on waitlist for Burroughs with a decent shot of getting in. We are at Bruce Monroe and are not 100% loving it for some reasons, but kid likes his teachers and friends. Any current or ex Burroughs/BMPV parents want to weigh in on this choice? We care about the spanish immersion, but not too too much.

[Anonymous]

I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

Thanks, this is helpful and what I suspect will happen for us too. Burroughs is closer so that's a big factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

+1. We've been at BMPV for 5 years with multiple kids, and while no school is perfect, we've found BMPV to be good at the things that matter to us. If there's something specific that you think Burroughs would be significantly better on, and the comparative downsides of Burroughs are worth it (I don't know what those are, but all schools have strengths and weaknesses), then better to switch now while your child is still in pre-K. I guess it comes down to what you're not loving about BMPV. It may be something about the school itself, it may be something about your particular experience this year that may work itself out next year, or it may be something that is just a thing about DCPS/elementary school.

Two things to consider. I'm assuming your IB if you got a pre-K spot at BMPV? The older your child gets, the bigger the benefit to being in a neighborhood school will be. Walkability, less rushed mornings, more friends in the immediate neighborhood, etc. Spanish immersion aside, I'd err on the side of staying in my neighborhood school vs. going to a different neighborhood school unless I had a compelling reason to move. Secondly, I'd only switch if you could see staying in Burroughs long term. If you see yourself continuing to play the lottery for another upgrade, then consider the impact to your child of multiple school moves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

+1. We've been at BMPV for 5 years with multiple kids, and while no school is perfect, we've found BMPV to be good at the things that matter to us. If there's something specific that you think Burroughs would be significantly better on, and the comparative downsides of Burroughs are worth it (I don't know what those are, but all schools have strengths and weaknesses), then better to switch now while your child is still in pre-K. I guess it comes down to what you're not loving about BMPV. It may be something about the school itself, it may be something about your particular experience this year that may work itself out next year, or it may be something that is just a thing about DCPS/elementary school.

Two things to consider. I'm assuming your IB if you got a pre-K spot at BMPV? The older your child gets, the bigger the benefit to being in a neighborhood school will be. Walkability, less rushed mornings, more friends in the immediate neighborhood, etc. Spanish immersion aside, I'd err on the side of staying in my neighborhood school vs. going to a different neighborhood school unless I had a compelling reason to move. Secondly, I'd only switch if you could see staying in Burroughs long term. If you see yourself continuing to play the lottery for another upgrade, then consider the impact to your child of multiple school moves.

We got into BMPV through the lottery. Burroughs is closer to us. We found the ipad usage in pre-K (saw that on our tour) at our inbound to be a no-go for us, which is why we ended up at BMPV. It seemed like a great school, but we are not thrilled about some aspects. I don't want to disparage the school, I am sure it is an absolutely wonderful fit for many families. Our main issue is the aftercare option at the school building--our kid just hated it. We ended up pulling our kid from aftercare at a significant cost. We are also not thrilled with the communication from BMPV. We've tried to raise this with the school, the teacher, and just are always playing a game of wondering what is happening in school/the class. The teacher is great, very responsive over text, but certain issues I have raised never get addressed. For example, he shouldn't be napping, but I have no support from the teacher on making that happen. The difference in his bedtime between weekends (no naps) and weekdays (almost 1.5 hour nap) is the difference in my sanity. Also, I keep hearing about the great community at BMPV but we feel disconnected from the school community--probably because we are not in the neighborhood?

So, long boring story short, I think our kid would continue to be happy at BMPV, but us parents might just do better in a closer school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

+1. We've been at BMPV for 5 years with multiple kids, and while no school is perfect, we've found BMPV to be good at the things that matter to us. If there's something specific that you think Burroughs would be significantly better on, and the comparative downsides of Burroughs are worth it (I don't know what those are, but all schools have strengths and weaknesses), then better to switch now while your child is still in pre-K. I guess it comes down to what you're not loving about BMPV. It may be something about the school itself, it may be something about your particular experience this year that may work itself out next year, or it may be something that is just a thing about DCPS/elementary school.

Two things to consider. I'm assuming your IB if you got a pre-K spot at BMPV? The older your child gets, the bigger the benefit to being in a neighborhood school will be. Walkability, less rushed mornings, more friends in the immediate neighborhood, etc. Spanish immersion aside, I'd err on the side of staying in my neighborhood school vs. going to a different neighborhood school unless I had a compelling reason to move. Secondly, I'd only switch if you could see staying in Burroughs long term. If you see yourself continuing to play the lottery for another upgrade, then consider the impact to your child of multiple school moves.

We got into BMPV through the lottery. Burroughs is closer to us. We found the ipad usage in pre-K (saw that on our tour) at our inbound to be a no-go for us, which is why we ended up at BMPV. It seemed like a great school, but we are not thrilled about some aspects. I don't want to disparage the school, I am sure it is an absolutely wonderful fit for many families. Our main issue is the aftercare option at the school building--our kid just hated it. We ended up pulling our kid from aftercare at a significant cost. We are also not thrilled with the communication from BMPV. We've tried to raise this with the school, the teacher, and just are always playing a game of wondering what is happening in school/the class. The teacher is great, very responsive over text, but certain issues I have raised never get addressed. For example, he shouldn't be napping, but I have no support from the teacher on making that happen. The difference in his bedtime between weekends (no naps) and weekdays (almost 1.5 hour nap) is the difference in my sanity. Also, I keep hearing about the great community at BMPV but we feel disconnected from the school community--probably because we are not in the neighborhood?

So, long boring story short, I think our kid would continue to be happy at BMPV, but us parents might just do better in a closer school.

Well, I'm sure you'll find PK4 to be better nap-wise regardless of which school. Lots of kids in PK4 don't nap.

This does seem to be a case of needing to check your expectations. In the public school system you're not going to get the level of information you get at a private daycare, nor are they going to keep your kid awake to the detriment of the other kids' much-needed nap. If you can't go in with realistic expectations, you're going to be unhappy at any school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

+1. We've been at BMPV for 5 years with multiple kids, and while no school is perfect, we've found BMPV to be good at the things that matter to us. If there's something specific that you think Burroughs would be significantly better on, and the comparative downsides of Burroughs are worth it (I don't know what those are, but all schools have strengths and weaknesses), then better to switch now while your child is still in pre-K. I guess it comes down to what you're not loving about BMPV. It may be something about the school itself, it may be something about your particular experience this year that may work itself out next year, or it may be something that is just a thing about DCPS/elementary school.

Two things to consider. I'm assuming your IB if you got a pre-K spot at BMPV? The older your child gets, the bigger the benefit to being in a neighborhood school will be. Walkability, less rushed mornings, more friends in the immediate neighborhood, etc. Spanish immersion aside, I'd err on the side of staying in my neighborhood school vs. going to a different neighborhood school unless I had a compelling reason to move. Secondly, I'd only switch if you could see staying in Burroughs long term. If you see yourself continuing to play the lottery for another upgrade, then consider the impact to your child of multiple school moves.

We got into BMPV through the lottery. Burroughs is closer to us. We found the ipad usage in pre-K (saw that on our tour) at our inbound to be a no-go for us, which is why we ended up at BMPV. It seemed like a great school, but we are not thrilled about some aspects. I don't want to disparage the school, I am sure it is an absolutely wonderful fit for many families. Our main issue is the aftercare option at the school building--our kid just hated it. We ended up pulling our kid from aftercare at a significant cost. We are also not thrilled with the communication from BMPV. We've tried to raise this with the school, the teacher, and just are always playing a game of wondering what is happening in school/the class. The teacher is great, very responsive over text, but certain issues I have raised never get addressed. For example, he shouldn't be napping, but I have no support from the teacher on making that happen. The difference in his bedtime between weekends (no naps) and weekdays (almost 1.5 hour nap) is the difference in my sanity. Also, I keep hearing about the great community at BMPV but we feel disconnected from the school community--probably because we are not in the neighborhood?

So, long boring story short, I think our kid would continue to be happy at BMPV, but us parents might just do better in a closer school.

Parents know better than their 4 y/o. Do what work best for the parents, your child will get use to it. However, I agree with pp, keep in mind if you plan to switch schools again in elementary school, you don’t what to move your kid every two years.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that comment makes me feel defensive! I am mindful of not making an unfair comparison to a private daycare and very intentional about not unfairly disparaging BMPV. On the nap example, they have mixed pk3/pk4 classes, so I don't think the grade change will help us. But you could be right, maybe its just that we are not adjusting well to the public school system. Even so, would rather give a different public school a shot and see how that works for us with the shorter commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

+1. We've been at BMPV for 5 years with multiple kids, and while no school is perfect, we've found BMPV to be good at the things that matter to us. If there's something specific that you think Burroughs would be significantly better on, and the comparative downsides of Burroughs are worth it (I don't know what those are, but all schools have strengths and weaknesses), then better to switch now while your child is still in pre-K. I guess it comes down to what you're not loving about BMPV. It may be something about the school itself, it may be something about your particular experience this year that may work itself out next year, or it may be something that is just a thing about DCPS/elementary school.

Two things to consider. I'm assuming your IB if you got a pre-K spot at BMPV? The older your child gets, the bigger the benefit to being in a neighborhood school will be. Walkability, less rushed mornings, more friends in the immediate neighborhood, etc. Spanish immersion aside, I'd err on the side of staying in my neighborhood school vs. going to a different neighborhood school unless I had a compelling reason to move. Secondly, I'd only switch if you could see staying in Burroughs long term. If you see yourself continuing to play the lottery for another upgrade, then consider the impact to your child of multiple school moves.

Thanks! Very helpful perspective.

We got into BMPV through the lottery. Burroughs is closer to us. We found the ipad usage in pre-K (saw that on our tour) at our inbound to be a no-go for us, which is why we ended up at BMPV. It seemed like a great school, but we are not thrilled about some aspects. I don't want to disparage the school, I am sure it is an absolutely wonderful fit for many families. Our main issue is the aftercare option at the school building--our kid just hated it. We ended up pulling our kid from aftercare at a significant cost. We are also not thrilled with the communication from BMPV. We've tried to raise this with the school, the teacher, and just are always playing a game of wondering what is happening in school/the class. The teacher is great, very responsive over text, but certain issues I have raised never get addressed. For example, he shouldn't be napping, but I have no support from the teacher on making that happen. The difference in his bedtime between weekends (no naps) and weekdays (almost 1.5 hour nap) is the difference in my sanity. Also, I keep hearing about the great community at BMPV but we feel disconnected from the school community--probably because we are not in the neighborhood?

So, long boring story short, I think our kid would continue to be happy at BMPV, but us parents might just do better in a closer school.

Parents know better than their 4 y/o. Do what work best for the parents, your child will get use to it. However, I agree with pp, keep in mind if you plan to switch schools again in elementary school, you don’t what to move your kid every two years.

[Anonymous]

That's really helpful perspective on multiple switches, thank you. I think we would be fine staying through elementary--but learning that you can't know until you're in the school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that comment makes me feel defensive! I am mindful of not making an unfair comparison to a private daycare and very intentional about not unfairly disparaging BMPV. On the nap example, they have mixed pk3/pk4 classes, so I don't think the grade change will help us. But you could be right, maybe its just that we are not adjusting well to the public school system. Even so, would rather give a different public school a shot and see how that works for us with the shorter commute.

Well, knowing it's a multi-age class actually makes the nap issue more concerning to me. Are they having all the PK4 kids nap too? Because some of them are 5 years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that comment makes me feel defensive! I am mindful of not making an unfair comparison to a private daycare and very intentional about not unfairly disparaging BMPV. On the nap example, they have mixed pk3/pk4 classes, so I don't think the grade change will help us. But you could be right, maybe its just that we are not adjusting well to the public school system. Even so, would rather give a different public school a shot and see how that works for us with the shorter commute.

Well, knowing it's a multi-age class actually makes the nap issue more concerning to me. Are they having all the PK4 kids nap too? Because some of them are 5 years old.

No, some kids are able to play quietly. Mine just doesn't do it--he falls asleep, probably b/c he's exhausted having gone to bed at 10/10:30 the night before. It's a vicious cycle and gets worse as the week progresses. I've asked them to wake him, give him books, etc. But nap coincides with teacher's lunch break so she is always uninformed about duration of nap. I'm not in touch with the assistant or whoever is with them at nap. We're late every single day because of how tired he is (and we are) in the morning. It's just not going well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that comment makes me feel defensive! I am mindful of not making an unfair comparison to a private daycare and very intentional about not unfairly disparaging BMPV. On the nap example, they have mixed pk3/pk4 classes, so I don't think the grade change will help us. But you could be right, maybe it’s just that we are not adjusting well to the public school system. Even so, would rather give a different public school a shot and see how that works for us with the shorter commute.

Don’t feel bad, you know what is best for your family. I agree that BMPV does not have a great community feeling and they can improve their communication to parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that comment makes me feel defensive! I am mindful of not making an unfair comparison to a private daycare and very intentional about not unfairly disparaging BMPV. On the nap example, they have mixed pk3/pk4 classes, so I don't think the grade change will help us. But you could be right, maybe its just that we are not adjusting well to the public school system. Even so, would rather give a different public school a shot and see how that works for us with the shorter commute.

Well, knowing it's a multi-age class actually makes the nap issue more concerning to me. Are they having all the PK4 kids nap too? Because some of them are 5 years old.

No, some kids are able to play quietly. Mine just doesn't do it--he falls asleep, probably b/c he's exhausted having gone to bed at 10/10:30 the night before. It's a vicious cycle and gets worse as the week progresses. I've asked them to wake him, give him books, etc. But nap coincides with teacher's lunch break so she is always uninformed about duration of nap. I'm not in touch with the assistant or whoever is with them at nap. We're late every single day because of how tired he is (and we are) in the morning. It's just not going well.

Well, I'm not sure Burroughs will be any better. DCPS communication is weak across the board. And I would think this sleep issue is a you problem rather than a school problem and they're reluctant to keep awake a kid who is very tired.

[Anonymous]

BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.