Best Cap Hill elementary to middle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I'd listened to you ten years ago lady, we'd be long gone from the Hill. We scraped together every dollar we had to by in-boundary for Brent.

My advice for OP is the opposite. Stand outside your schools of interest and drop-off and get a feel for the scene, to help you decide what you can live with. Even drop in on PTA meetings if you have the time. easily done and lots to learn. Search for real estate by school boundaries.

Some of us who've been on the Hill for a long time have seen dear friends bail for the burbs because they bought on the wrong side of a street. They thought they'd bought IB for in-boundary for Maury when they'd actually bought for Payne or Miner. The result was years of braving bad school commutes up to Inspired Teaching, Stokes or wherever. Not worth it. Live with the creaky stairs.

We are not at stokes but I’d take that over any Capitol Hill school.

Not buying it. Stokes isn't better than Brent or Maury. Even it were, who wants to commute half an hour to a school through evil traffic on North Capitol if there's a good school within a few blocks of home.

DP but I believe both Inspired and Stokes preform same or better than Brent when you compare apples to apples. Agree with commute but wanted to contend your first point.

DCPS can break down all they want with the stats to at risk, special needs, etc...so certain schools do a better job at serving these students. Honestly I could care less about that. If my child is advance, what I care about is peer group and I’m looking at the total percentage of kids scoring 4 on PARCC. 3 on PARCC isn’t even at grade level, it’s approaching grade level. Brent way outperforms based on this criteria.

2018 PARCC Scores: Percent scoring L4 or L5

School ELA Math
Watkins 49% 49%
Brent 62% 69%
Maury 69% 70%
Ludlow-Taylor 72% 51%

[Anonymous]

It's like Groundhog Day on every Capitol Hill school thread about which is better and what the metrics are.

I would say that the ^^ above exchange on the raw PARCC scores provides an interesting picture and quite a bit of dissonance. Brent parents are convinced that there school is head and shoulders above the rest aside from possibly Maury. They cite the raw PARCC here (not accounting for % at risk/SES that are more important for scoring than the school). On the other hand, the same parents claim they don't care about PARCC at all, but specials and "environment." They seem to think that LT/Watkins/Tyler, etc. are teach-to-the-test if they score well.

Anyway, as has been mentioned in other threads, OSSE has attempted to equalize the assessment and include parent inputs in the DC school report cards. OP can look into that for actual data. None of us on the Hill (myself included) are unbiased, and our school wars have bad feelings and hardened views.

https://dcschoolreportcard.org/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is true. I sometimes wonder if Spanish immersion was a good choice for Tyler ES a decade back. Payne's prospects look brighter to me, with a snazzy renovation a few years ago, strong new leadership, greater community buy-in in the lower grades all the time, and hundreds of new residential units going up in the Payne District.

If I were the chancellor, I would cluster Brent and Tyler. Make the smaller school all bilingual and the larger monolingual and let everyone in-boundary rank their preferences. More bilingual seats and greater economic diversity.

Clustering is the solution to improving Miner, Payne, and Tyler that freaks everyone the f out. But I am in favor of it. EH should be closed and combined with SH or Jefferson. QED.

I would love to see Maury and Miner clustered (you could make Miner the PK3-1 and Maury the 2-5) and Brent and Tyler clustered (one bilingual one not).

If EH closes and everyone gets a right to SH (closer than Jefferson) the school would be overcrowded. One option would be to put all the 6th and 7th graders at one and the 8th graders at another (or do 5th and 6th at one, 7&8 at the other, and leave more room for PK-4 at the elementaries). It would also help if Payne became a Jefferson feeder and SWS stopped having a feeder--it's a citywide school so everyone could just go to their IB MS.

[Anonymous]

So much meldodrama, PP. Most of us longtime Hill denizens are just glad when local families find an elementary school they like well enough to stay, rather than moving to the burbs for schools. Any school that keeps dear neighbors and friends around will do.

If you want to try public school on the Hill, Brent is very likely fine to 5th, Maury is very likely fine to 5th, Ludlow is probably fine in the lower grades and really coming along in the upper grades. SWS has been fine for 25 years but PreS3 applicants gain access in the single digits (so not an option for 90% of the families who try for it). Peabody's great and Watkins seems to work in the lower grades for around half the Peabody families, maybe a third of them in the upper grades. JO Wilson, Payne and Miner have started keeping a good many IB families for K and maybe 1st grade. PARCC scores aren't much discussed around here, other than in a small subset of the population prioritizing closing the achievement gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is true. I sometimes wonder if Spanish immersion was a good choice for Tyler ES a decade back. Payne's prospects look brighter to me, with a snazzy renovation a few years ago, strong new leadership, greater community buy-in in the lower grades all the time, and hundreds of new residential units going up in the Payne District.

If I were the chancellor, I would cluster Brent and Tyler. Make the smaller school all bilingual and the larger monolingual and let everyone in-boundary rank their preferences. More bilingual seats and greater economic diversity.

Clustering is the solution to improving Miner, Payne, and Tyler that freaks everyone the f out. But I am in favor of it. EH should be closed and combined with SH or Jefferson. QED.

I would love to see Maury and Miner clustered (you could make Miner the PK3-1 and Maury the 2-5) and Brent and Tyler clustered (one bilingual one not).

If EH closes and everyone gets a right to SH (closer than Jefferson) the school would be overcrowded. One option would be to put all the 6th and 7th graders at one and the 8th graders at another (or do 5th and 6th at one, 7&8 at the other, and leave more room for PK-4 at the elementaries). It would also help if Payne became a Jefferson feeder and SWS stopped having a feeder--it's a citywide school so everyone could just go to their IB MS.

Right, grand. And what does this boatload of pie in the sky thinking do for us? No political will to make any of this happens. None.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is true. I sometimes wonder if Spanish immersion was a good choice for Tyler ES a decade back. Payne's prospects look brighter to me, with a snazzy renovation a few years ago, strong new leadership, greater community buy-in in the lower grades all the time, and hundreds of new residential units going up in the Payne District.

If I were the chancellor, I would cluster Brent and Tyler. Make the smaller school all bilingual and the larger monolingual and let everyone in-boundary rank their preferences. More bilingual seats and greater economic diversity.

Clustering is the solution to improving Miner, Payne, and Tyler that freaks everyone the f out. But I am in favor of it. EH should be closed and combined with SH or Jefferson. QED.

I would love to see Maury and Miner clustered (you could make Miner the PK3-1 and Maury the 2-5) and Brent and Tyler clustered (one bilingual one not).

If EH closes and everyone gets a right to SH (closer than Jefferson) the school would be overcrowded. One option would be to put all the 6th and 7th graders at one and the 8th graders at another (or do 5th and 6th at one, 7&8 at the other, and leave more room for PK-4 at the elementaries). It would also help if Payne became a Jefferson feeder and SWS stopped having a feeder--it's a citywide school so everyone could just go to their IB MS.

SWS feeder irrelevant as very few families no one goes to EH. Maybe DCPS should let SWS go through 8th grade like CHML

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is true. I sometimes wonder if Spanish immersion was a good choice for Tyler ES a decade back. Payne's prospects look brighter to me, with a snazzy renovation a few years ago, strong new leadership, greater community buy-in in the lower grades all the time, and hundreds of new residential units going up in the Payne District.

If I were the chancellor, I would cluster Brent and Tyler. Make the smaller school all bilingual and the larger monolingual and let everyone in-boundary rank their preferences. More bilingual seats and greater economic diversity.

Clustering is the solution to improving Miner, Payne, and Tyler that freaks everyone the f out. But I am in favor of it. EH should be closed and combined with SH or Jefferson. QED.

I would love to see Maury and Miner clustered (you could make Miner the PK3-1 and Maury the 2-5) and Brent and Tyler clustered (one bilingual one not).

If EH closes and everyone gets a right to SH (closer than Jefferson) the school would be overcrowded. One option would be to put all the 6th and 7th graders at one and the 8th graders at another (or do 5th and 6th at one, 7&8 at the other, and leave more room for PK-4 at the elementaries). It would also help if Payne became a Jefferson feeder and SWS stopped having a feeder--it's a citywide school so everyone could just go to their IB MS.

Cool cool, you’ll ruin four schools instead of having two popular ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

There are better options. I think the primary draw is the demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

There are better options. I think the primary draw is the demographics.

What options do you think are better than SWS and why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

There are better options. I think the primary draw is the demographics.

Nope, the primary draw is it’s a good school that has no neighborhood boundary limitation. I find it amusing how people justify a good school by racial lines. Get real, I could care less the demographics of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

There are better options. I think the primary draw is the demographics.

What options do you think are better than SWS and why?

Any immersion charter, and the better Montessori’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

There are better options. I think the primary draw is the demographics.

Good for you. I know what it is like to be the only brown kid. Not going to do that to my kids.

Or at least not for SWS. Not worth it.


Nope, the primary draw is it’s a good school that has no neighborhood boundary limitation. I find it amusing how people justify a good school by racial lines. Get real, I could care less the demographics of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's called sibling preference.

And the fact that families of color don’t want to be “the only”. That is why we turned down our pk3 spot.

We are a minority’ and would take it any day if choices were a good school vs. being a minority.

There are better options. I think the primary draw is the demographics.

Nope, the primary draw is it’s a good school that has no neighborhood boundary limitation. I find it amusing how people justify a good school by racial lines. Get real, I could care less the demographics of the school.

Good for you. I know what it is like to be the only brown kid. Not going to do that to my kids.

Or at least not for SWS. Not worth it.

It’s good not great. Nothing special.