Interesting article about school quality when demographics factored out

[Anonymous]

Ketcham is doing really well but it seems like the more realistic options highlighted are:

Seaton, Thomson, Ludlow, Barnard, Center City Shaw, EL Haynes, and maybe Friendship Chamberlain which is near the Potomac Ave metro.

It's sort of crazy how few white families who live in Petworth are sending their kids to Barnard when you think about it... great school right there walking distance... Same with Ludlow... why do white parents leave after early childhood?

[Anonymous]

We chose Two Rivers over LT and it was because LT could not guarantee a spot for our younger child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ketcham is doing really well but it seems like the more realistic options highlighted are:

Seaton, Thomson, Ludlow, Barnard, Center City Shaw, EL Haynes, and maybe Friendship Chamberlain which is near the Potomac Ave metro.

It's sort of crazy how few white families who live in Petworth are sending their kids to Barnard when you think about it... great school right there walking distance... Same with Ludlow... why do white parents leave after early childhood?

Until recently it was because of the middle school feeder. But also, growing families want more space and it is hard to afford on the Hill. Not sure about Barnard.

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:>>>>In a city with more than 200 public school choices, it’s easy to overlook some good ones if you rely only on word of mouth and what’s nearby.

Parents are supposed to consider traveling farther for a school with lower test scores because the schools achieve those lower test scores with a more difficult student body? Nice try.

No, but parents are driving far for schools with not-so-stellar test scores because the student population is low-FARMS or have more white kids. The article should conclude by saying, "in a city with more than 200 public school choices, it's easy to overlook some good ones, especially the ones in your own neighborhood."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

Don't agree. There are white families that apply to Thomson, but it's impossible to get into. It's a small school with lots of sibs. I was number 30ish on the WL and it never moved! In fact, I think it moved the opposite direction. BTW - they only have Chinese, no Spanish.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

[/quote]

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?[/quote]

Those schools also have DCI. And are in places parents might want to move to if they decide they like the school.

[Anonymous]

Glad this was posted - interesting read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

From what I have heard from "liberated families" is they don't want to put up with the behavioral problems (foul language, unpleasant home life that gets discussed, etc). There is also a fear that their child will get picked on or become a target of anger. I am reporting this but do not agree with these statements, just so we are clear. They don't want anything to interfere with their child's learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

From what I have heard from "liberated families" is they don't want to put up with the behavioral problems (foul language, unpleasant home life that gets discussed, etc). There is also a fear that their child will get picked on or become a target of anger. I am reporting this but do not agree with these statements, just so we are clear. They don't want anything to interfere with their child's learning.

In the case of Thompson it is likely close to a parent's workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

From what I have heard from "liberated families" is they don't want to put up with the behavioral problems (foul language, unpleasant home life that gets discussed, etc). There is also a fear that their child will get picked on or become a target of anger. I am reporting this but do not agree with these statements, just so we are clear. They don't want anything to interfere with their child's learning.

I'm another white family that lives within walking distance of Thomson (I have a 2nd grader) and couldn't get in. I tried. So the real story on Thomson is that it's a school doing a great job with at-risk kids, NOT that it is a school that white families won't consider. It is also a school with a very large immigrant population - both latinx and Chinese. As of 15-16, it was 50% Hispanic, 20% black, 20% Asian, and 10% other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

No the only IB PYP school in city.

Shepherd Elementary and Turner are also IB.

Thomson isn't easy to get into OOB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

From what I have heard from "liberated families" is they don't want to put up with the behavioral problems (foul language, unpleasant home life that gets discussed, etc). There is also a fear that their child will get picked on or become a target of anger. I am reporting this but do not agree with these statements, just so we are clear. They don't want anything to interfere with their child's learning.

So there are no behavioral problems in schools with lots of white kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@Anonymous at 11:09am

I hear you on test prep but I just googled Thomson and it is apparently an IB primary years school. (The only one in DC...?) Can't just be drill/kill all day I imagine?

Exactly, and they have Chinese and Spanish. So many of the downtown parents are driving their kids to white charters all over the city - with a great school right there. So...what does that say about these liberated downtown parents?

From what I have heard from "liberated families" is they don't want to put up with the behavioral problems (foul language, unpleasant home life that gets discussed, etc). There is also a fear that their child will get picked on or become a target of anger. I am reporting this but do not agree with these statements, just so we are clear. They don't want anything to interfere with their child's learning.

I'm another white family that lives within walking distance of Thomson (I have a 2nd grader) and couldn't get in. I tried. So the real story on Thomson is that it's a school doing a great job with at-risk kids, NOT that it is a school that white families won't consider. It is also a school with a very large immigrant population - both latinx and Chinese. As of 15-16, it was 50% Hispanic, 20% black, 20% Asian, and 10% other.

If you're walking distance, you're not IB? What is your IB?