moving to D.C. from the U.K. - looking for school advice...

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks to everyone for their great suggestions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here

Anonymous wrote:Where in the uk? London?

We're actually in Brighton, so sort of a "west coast" of the UK feel - lots of creative, alternative, thinking/ living people.

Have lived in Brighton. Alternative universe, yes. Creative, in a meaningful sense, not that much. I am struggling to think of relevant analogy in DC. Perhaps Takoma Park? You might consider looking for neighborhoods you may enjoy, on top of schools for kids with special needs.

[Anonymous]

OP- I work for an organization headquartered in Brighton so spend a lot of time there. I live in Takoma Park and would echo the previous poster that the general vibe here would be a great fit for your family. We have a lot of multi racial families, a lot of creative, artistic types and a lot of people that do international development work (as well as lots of other types of people too). You should be able to rent a home for under $3000/month. Most of TP is walkable/bikeable to the Metro and schools. The schools don't generally have the cache of Bethesda schools but are very good nonetheless. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- I work for an organization headquartered in Brighton so spend a lot of time there. I live in Takoma Park and would echo the previous poster that the general vibe here would be a great fit for your family. We have a lot of multi racial families, a lot of creative, artistic types and a lot of people that do international development work (as well as lots of other types of people too). You should be able to rent a home for under $3000/month. Most of TP is walkable/bikeable to the Metro and schools. The schools don't generally have the cache of Bethesda schools but are very good nonetheless. Good luck!

Takoma Park, Maryland - right?

[Anonymous]

Yes, Takoma Park, MD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, DC itself, and close-in Montgomery County all have great public schools in walkable neighborhoods. Arlington Public Schools do offer Montessori at Drew Model Elementary.

Yes, I really like the Drew Model elementary school but saw that it only got a "3" rating on the "great school" rankings. Does anybody know why that might be? How these rankings work? And how much I should be considering them?

The school draws from a low income community. But there are many transfers into the school from all over Arlington because of the Montessori program. It is a socio-economically and ethnically diverse school.

Also check out Campbell Elementary, which has a county-wide program (expeditionary learning), that is a good alternative to Montessori. K.W. Barrett with it's Project Discovery program, takes a similarly creative approach to teaching STEM concepts, and the school has a communication arts program. Both elementary schools are diverse and very popular.

[Anonymous]

OP - we're also a British family in DC (but kids are in private). I just wanted to echo what a PP said about not posting so much of your personal information. It's a pretty small place here (in DC), and this website can get pretty mean. Once you get here, you won't want to regret making comments about certain areas/schools (since your partner's colleagues may be there) ... !

I think the Takoma Park suggestion is a good one.

Good luck with the move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - we're also a British family in DC (but kids are in private). I just wanted to echo what a PP said about not posting so much of your personal information. It's a pretty small place here (in DC), and this website can get pretty mean. Once you get here, you won't want to regret making comments about certain areas/schools (since your partner's colleagues may be there) ... !

I think the Takoma Park suggestion is a good one.

Good luck with the move.

Thanks for this to both above poster and previous post. I'm not sure what I said that could be seen as self-discriminating (keep going back and checking); did not mean to cast judgement on anyone. Anyway, will be more cautious in the future.

[Anonymous]

Many schools in Arlington would be a good fit, and lots of great neighborhoods, some urban-ish, and short commute to DC. ATS was diverse, but it's a lottery school. Key and Claremont have Spanish immersion, and other schools mentioned above. Check craigslist for rental homes; I'm sure you can find something under $3k in a good neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

For schools, look in to Washington International School. They have a tuition voucher-type program with the World Bank, which would make it a much more affordable option if you're looking to go private.

[Anonymous]

Falls Church City may be nice. Lots of Foreign Service kids, plus World bank too. The schools are accustomed to kids coming in/out for rotations. The schools are terrific - a small district so no kids are lost in the shuffle; plenty of individual attention. Heavy focus on music, etc.

It's walkable - not quaint by a long shot but a great farmer's market, library, tons of parks, restaurants, community events like festivals and concerts in the park. Rents can be high though and can be in high demand, so if you are interested, it may make sense to contact a real estate agent.

Good luck whatever you decide!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For schools, look in to Washington International School. They have a tuition voucher-type program with the World Bank, which would make it a much more affordable option if you're looking to go private.

There is no voucher with the WB. May be imf?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For schools, look in to Washington International School. They have a tuition voucher-type program with the World Bank, which would make it a much more affordable option if you're looking to go private.

There is no voucher with the WB. May be imf?

Maybe they are thinking of the shuttle bus between WB and WIS? Some of the higher level appointments at the WB offer tuition assistance (sounds like this isn't being offered to the OP) and many of them choose WIS. There are enough WB families there that a shuttle bus can pick up and drop off your kids there in the morning and pm. But given the thousands of Bank employees, high interest in WIS, even if you can afford it, its very hard to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks to everyone for their great suggestions!

Try Vienna, VA in the kilmer middle school pyramid - tons of international (including spanish european) families and WB-types - very diverse including for AA kids etc.. - that would be the pyramid I would choose in VA in your position and with your background. The AAP program will allow your second kid to get his math whiz needs met while the regular program will allow your daughter to have the supportive environment she needs. The rentals around Vienna can be had for the $3500 or less range - depending on the size of house and location etc... - a you'll have 2 metro lines to choose from. Depending on your own career goals later next year, vienna and the northern virginia job market might be better for you than suburban montgommer county.

[Anonymous]

There are very few AA kids in Kilmer Middle. It's very international though.