If you could be in bounds anywhere...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Charters are becoming less of a crapshoot. Poorly performing charters actually get shut down a lot more quickly than poorly performing DCPS schools do - and schools like Basis raise the bar. Meanwhile, if someone's worred about property values around the better DCPS schools going down, that doesn't make sense either. Having charter schools pop up that are good doesn't somehow suddenly make the good DCPS schools worse. And meanwhile, not having to worry as much about being IB opens up a lot of new opportunity, which is good for the city in terms of money and investment to improve neighborhoods - that makes charters a good thing for every part of the city.

It's hard to find anyone who really loses in DC from the improvement of charter schools. Some charters will have to be closed but others are opening to join Latin and other good charters which take kids from all over DC. DCPS needs to complete its capital re-development and start focusing on teacher quality to match the good charters. Everybody wins that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, improving charters help us hold onto our incoming tax base and compete eith Arlington and MoCo.

Just don't move in proximity to one or make sure the rent accounts for traffic nuisance.

[Anonymous]

I'd do MCPS. Friendship Heights (Somerset), Downtown Bethesda (Bethesda Elementary) Rosemary Hills, Takoma Park, or Sligo are all great choices with very different housing options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, improving charters help us hold onto our incoming tax base and compete eith Arlington and MoCo.

Just don't move in proximity to one or make sure the rent accounts for traffic nuisance.

Many Charters are integrating well into the life of their communities as they add fields, gyms, programs, and other amenities. Pick up/drop off two times a day can be managed.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks so much for all of the suggestions. Am just planning thru 5th grade at this point because we will most likely move after then. We've lived in DC before, in different places along most of the red line stops between Woodley and Friendship Heights, and would probably want to live somewhere in there again. We have friends just over the border in Westbrook and I forget what other catchment area (the one between River and Mass on the other side of Little Falls) so we will look there too. I am reluctant to leave the District but if the schools are that much better, we will look there too since it's such a short distance, I think it's something I just have to get over. -Although I just feel like those schools would be much less diverse than DC ones, even those in Ward 3. Am not sure if that is a fair estimation. Re charter schools, I think in a big city like DC there's a value to not living too far from the school and having friends in the neighborhood, so we probably wouldn't be that interested - and I also feel would feel nervous about a place that's only been in existence for a couple of years and is still in the building stages.
We can probably stretch and pay for private too - just trying to figure out all of the options now, and seems like it would be best to pick the best neighborhood for a public school and then be free to do either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks so much for all of the suggestions. Am just planning thru 5th grade at this point because we will most likely move after then. We've lived in DC before, in different places along most of the red line stops between Woodley and Friendship Heights, and would probably want to live somewhere in there again. We have friends just over the border in Westbrook and I forget what other catchment area (the one between River and Mass on the other side of Little Falls) so we will look there too. I am reluctant to leave the District but if the schools are that much better, we will look there too since it's such a short distance, I think it's something I just have to get over. -Although I just feel like those schools would be much less diverse than DC ones, even those in Ward 3. Am not sure if that is a fair estimation. Re charter schools, I think in a big city like DC there's a value to not living too far from the school and having friends in the neighborhood, so we probably wouldn't be that interested - and I also feel would feel nervous about a place that's only been in existence for a couple of years and is still in the building stages.
We can probably stretch and pay for private too - just trying to figure out all of the options now, and seems like it would be best to pick the best neighborhood for a public school and then be free to do either.

Good luck. Major takeaway for me is that DC has charter, traditional public, and decent private options. Charters are really starting to make an impact on DC.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend Janney or Murch based on where you have lived previously and your desire to stay in the area and have some diversity. Not a lot of economic diversity, but definitely many cultures are represented and the schools are very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks so much for all of the suggestions. Am just planning thru 5th grade at this point because we will most likely move after then. We've lived in DC before, in different places along most of the red line stops between Woodley and Friendship Heights, and would probably want to live somewhere in there again. We have friends just over the border in Westbrook and I forget what other catchment area (the one between River and Mass on the other side of Little Falls) so we will look there too. I am reluctant to leave the District but if the schools are that much better, we will look there too since it's such a short distance, I think it's something I just have to get over. -Although I just feel like those schools would be much less diverse than DC ones, even those in Ward 3. Am not sure if that is a fair estimation. Re charter schools, I think in a big city like DC there's a value to not living too far from the school and having friends in the neighborhood, so we probably wouldn't be that interested - and I also feel would feel nervous about a place that's only been in existence for a couple of years and is still in the building stages.
We can probably stretch and pay for private too - just trying to figure out all of the options now, and seems like it would be best to pick the best neighborhood for a public school and then be free to do either.

Some of the schools over the line will be less diverse. Somerset, Bethesda, Westbrook, all of which have come up on this thread are great schools but very white. On the other hand, Takoma, Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, Sligo . . . are all great and have significantly more diversity than Janney, or Key, or Mann or some of the other Ward 3 schools that get love here.

[Anonymous]

I would choose Horace Mann (Spring Valley/AU Park.) Plenty of rental housing in the area, very good school, not so diverse, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We'll be moving back to the area next year, with a child who will be entering kindergarten. We'll be renting, so could in theory live pretty much anywhere, and will make the decision based primarily on school. If you could be in bounds for any DCPS/close-in MoCo school, which one would you choose?

Easy--Oyster Bilingual in Woodley Park. I'm only interested in Spanish immersion schools, and you can only enroll in the MoCo immersion schools by winning a seat via a county-wide lottery (which means there is no guarantee of admission even if you live in-bounds). Plus WP is a fantastic neighborhood!

[Anonymous]

MoCo just over the DC line. End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OH this is easy. Rent a 3 bed, 2 bath 2200 square foot apartment at The Willard, just over the DC line in Friendship Hts. The bus for Somerset picks you up at your front door. Montgomery County's top 3 elementary school, urban amenities, metro at your doorstep.

Many international families doing this, fwiw.

(and, yes, I know this is in the DC schools forum but if you go back and read her OP, she specifies DCPS or MoCo. And if I was moving from out of town and could land ANYPLACE for the schools, well, it wouldn't be Watkins or even Murch. Which is my IB, btw)

This is what I would do. Somerset is probably the best elementary school in DC/MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend Janney or Murch based on where you have lived previously and your desire to stay in the area and have some diversity. Not a lot of economic diversity, but definitely many cultures are represented and the schools are very good.

Murch has a decent amount of economic diversity because of the apartment buildings on Conn Ave.

Also, if ES is your only concern, Murch, Janney, and Lafayette are equivalent to the MoCo schools mentioned--and at Murch, at least, class sizes are very reasonable; my understanding is that overcrowding is an issue in MoCo. And if you decide to stay for MS, Deal is great and is fed by all three of these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend Janney or Murch based on where you have lived previously and your desire to stay in the area and have some diversity. Not a lot of economic diversity, but definitely many cultures are represented and the schools are very good.

Murch has a decent amount of economic diversity because of the apartment buildings on Conn Ave.

Also, if ES is your only concern, Murch, Janney, and Lafayette are equivalent to the MoCo schools mentioned--and at Murch, at least, class sizes are very reasonable; my understanding is that overcrowding is an issue in MoCo. And if you decide to stay for MS, Deal is great and is fed by all three of these schools.

1,100 new people coming to DC every month. I hope we have more and better options soon for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We'll be moving back to the area next year, with a child who will be entering kindergarten. We'll be renting, so could in theory live pretty much anywhere, and will make the decision based primarily on school. If you could be in bounds for any DCPS/close-in MoCo school, which one would you choose?

Easy--Oyster Bilingual in Woodley Park. I'm only interested in Spanish immersion schools, and you can only enroll in the MoCo immersion schools by winning a seat via a county-wide lottery (which means there is no guarantee of admission even if you live in-bounds). Plus WP is a fantastic neighborhood!

I'm the PP who said Bancroft. I completely forgot about Oyster! That would be my choice as well.