Public or Charter School Middle School Options
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Anonymous
and how does it work for kids who have not up to that point been studying a foreign language?????? |
Anonymous
| Stuart Hobson is a solid option and getting better every year. I have had two kids go through and expect to send my youngest as well. I'm not sure when the addition will be complete, but the facility looks terrific. Voted there this morning! |
Anonymous
5th grade charter options are Basis & Latin & Cap City, and OOB DCPS elementary schools - presumably those that feed to Deal, Hardy, Stuart-Hobson would be ones to consider. For example, 5th grade at Watkins is pretty easy to get into. Sets student up for Stuart Hobson. |
Anonymous
Most posters who've posted on DCI were at a feeder before so they weren't totally new to a foreign language, but at the DCI info session I went to they were very clear that there is a path for those who enter in 6th and 9th grade where you don't already have to know another language beyond English. My understanding is, since feeder school students are expected to continue studying their 2nd language (and take content courses in that language), they are also expected to take on a 3rd language at 6th grade, so they could be in beginner classes with new students. And there will always have to be content courses at every grade taught in English, because I seriously doubt they can have 10th Grade Science or Math taught in Spanish AND French AND Mandarin. Some classes will have to be in English so all students can take it, so the new students will be fine in those classes too. It's an ambitious experiement (because the merging of 5 bilingual elementary charters to form a language-focused middle and high school is unprecedented), but it's exciting. I know I probably sound like a booster or founder, but really I am someone who has a huge interest in it and hope it succeeds. |
Anonymous
| Wow - good to hear the positive info about Stuart-Hobson. Thanks! |
Anonymous
| Is it time for a Hardy vs Stuart-Hobson thread, or should we wait for new numbers to be posted? |
Anonymous
You are not required to take a second language if you are coming from a feeder school. It is an elective among many other subjects. They do offer beginning language classes however to those who are new to foreign languages, as every child must be in at least one foreign language due to the IB component. |
Anonymous
Doesn't needs its own thread. They are very comparable in all regards, strong on similar fronts, struggling with similar things. Unless you have strong feelings about music or languages (more extensive at Hardy) or extended school-day and individualized scheduling options (more robust at Stuart-Hobson) or you feel strongly about the SEM model of G&T (more developed at Hardy) or test-in honors tracks (more at Stuart), location will be key. Why shuttle your kids across town, either way? I feel that middle school should be close-by. You'll still want to keep an eye on kids, actively participate, and have others nearby to keep an eye out. It's just as important as all the academics and specials. And frankly, yes, do take a look at Jefferson and Eliot-Hine MS, especially if those are conveniently located for you (L'Enfant Plaza and Stadium-Armory, buses go to either as well). Their IB programs are coming along stealthily. I'm not only convinced that but also have friends who see it at work: IB is a solid route to prepare college-bound students for the kind of analytic and academic rigor and collaborative work that'll be needed to succeed throughout high school and college. It's part of the curriculum and not an add-on. Teachers, as a body and not just motivated individuals, are invested in it. Deal is IB and its success was obviously propelled by it, besides of course its location and demographics. Especially if you have a well-rounded elementary student who's been steady academically and you stay involved and on top of things, these are excellent options. Of course, they all have bigger or smaller pockets of struggling students, as you can spot easily by checking their achievement data. But they also have added resources and structures to match that and teachers for whom differentiation - down and up - is a daily reality. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks to all the PPs. You've given me options I haven't thought about. |
Anonymous
| SH isn't a realistic option unless you attend Watkins, JO Wilson or Ludlow-Taylor. Eventhen, it's meh at best if your child is looking to be challenged and surrounded by high performing peers. And, as far as anyone thinking that Eliot-Hine is coming along, and somehow comparable to Deal I'm flabbergasted. Yeah, demographics and locatin seem to have quite alot to do with test scores at Deal. It's ludicrous to think that a handful of IB kids feeding from Maury is going to flip EH anytime soon. Compare the other EH feeders like Payne and Miner to Janney and Lafayette, which of course are two massive feeders which sustain Deal. |
Anonymous
| My kids are not there but we have several friends whose kids attend Two Rivers MS and are happy with it. |
Anonymous
How easy/hard is it to get into 2 Rivers in 6th grade? Anyone know how many open slots they had last year going into lottery? |
Anonymous
Can I just say to you PP that this is a really thoughtful and useful post. Cogent and balanced. A refreshing change in this forum where things are often presented as wholly zero-sum. |
Anonymous
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Just as the Congress has institutionalized and legalized bribery by calling it speaking fees or
campaign donations ( Of course, no returns are to be asked for the four billion spent during the last election). Following the footsteps of their masters, Basis is also openly asking for donations. If, for some odd reason, a failing student in math or English, suddenly metamorphose himself/herself into a straight A pupil this school year, it's just a coincidence or recently discover hard work. After all, doesn't Hillary also claim that they've made their millions by hard work? |
Anonymous
Red or white? |