What about Eaton & Hearst?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the mom who also posted asking about Stoddert....

Since I'm limited to 3 apps, how are Eaton & Hearst in comparison to Murch, Mann, Oyster, Hyde, Janney, & Key?

I'm trying to avoid going to ALL of the open houses, if possible.

Please check the DCPS website for the out of boundary process. There used to be data on there about how many seats these schools will have open for OOB. I can tell you for sure, that Janney does NOT have seats ever for OOB kids in the early years (maybe some in 4/5 grade). Also check on Oyster -- it used to NOT be part of OOB because Oyster has a special need to balance Eng/Spanish speakers for the success of the immersion program. Mann also never has OOB seats (and we were first in the preK lottery one year there and still didn't get in....) Don't know about the rest of the schools you mention, but I would be very surprised if Key had open OOB seats, you must check on DCPS website.

Even though Eaton is by far not as good a school as the 3 I've mentioned above, it ALWAYS has quite a few out of boundary seats & would be worth applying. Going to Hearst allows you to choose between articulating to Janney or Eaton in the older grades. Janney is a better school academically (IMO) ..... so doing OOB there might also be worth it, although I know little about the school itself.

[Anonymous]

Because of the way the new principal has turned Eaton around, a lot more neighborhood kids are enrolling at the school. As a result, there will be fewer OOB slots for next year so it may be harder to get in. Eaton is probably now in the top tier of elementary schools (along with Mann, Lafayette, Key, and possibly Janney). Friends of ours transferred their child from private (Sheridan) to Eaton this year and LOVE Eaton and regret all the money they spent on private school before making the move. They love the diversity, involved parents, and smaller class sizes (at least compared to Lafayette and Janney). As indicated above, the test scores among equivalent racial groups are about the same at Eaton as they are at Lafayette, Mann, and Janney.

[Anonymous]

Lafayette is apparently the public school that the Obamas are considering. (Follow the updated link below)

http://www.dcedublog.com/

[Anonymous]

Lafayette now ends at the 5th grade so only the younger daughter could go there. Deal would be for the older daughter.

[Anonymous]

I read in the DC Edublog's comments that they chose GDS.

[Anonymous]

Which doesn't seem credible given that the girls are visiting Sidwell today.

And, yes, Janney has a new principal. Their previous principal took the helm at Webb-Wheatley over the summer and a number of teachers followed him there. Janney is also currently at risk of having it's soccer field covered with apartments as part of a really bone-headed development scheme.

[Anonymous]

I think the development scheme is enlightened, myself, and would do a lot to extend the small stretch of upper Wisconsin Avenue that's not a low-density wasteland. Sorry to highjack, but I feel strongly, here.

[Anonymous]

That development scheme will cost Janney significant and much-needed outdoor PE and playground space, as well as delay both the school's modernization and the reconstruction of the library.

It's a really bad project, though media reports about it have routinely been inaccurate (suggesting, for example, that there's no other way to get the library built when, in fact DCPL has the cash in hand and will be compelled to hand it over to the developer, along with Janney's soccer field).

The more you know about the project, the less you'll support it. The Janney SIT is actively opposed at this point.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, what's enlightened about dumping 174 apartments on the elementary school's soccer field when (a) the school's facililities need to double in size, (b) the school already has less land per student than 2/3 of DCPS's elementary schools, and (c) there's a pre-approved residential project a block away that's gone unbuilt for years now for lack of demand?