Your views on our PK3 list please

[Anonymous]

the posts about "wasted" spots are valid, to a point, but only within the larger context of your preferences. It is true that CHML is likely higher on more people's lists, so if you had a number good enough to get into it you would also get into Shining Stars and thus would never be waitlisted at CHML, but if you ranked CHML lower than Shining Stars or Lee because, say, didn't want to drive over to Capital Hill every morning, you shouldn't change the ranking just for master number considerations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the posts about "wasted" spots are valid, to a point, but only within the larger context of your preferences. It is true that CHML is likely higher on more people's lists, so if you had a number good enough to get into it you would also get into Shining Stars and thus would never be waitlisted at CHML, but if you ranked CHML lower than Shining Stars or Lee because, say, didn't want to drive over to Capital Hill every morning, you shouldn't change the ranking just for master number considerations.

Thats interesting. The reason I put Lee and SS is because I liked those better during the open houses, than CHML. Is it objectively that much better than the other two? I feel like I am missing something.

[Anonymous]

No, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear - its not better, just harder to get into because (for whatever reason) they make fewer waitlist offers (20ish PK3s by last October for CHML vs. 95ish for Shining Stars, according to the link in that waitlist thread).

Our kids go to Shining Stars and we like it a lot but, frankly, all of the public Montessori schools in DC seem basically the same quality-wise. Shining Stars and CHML have the most older kids, so they actually have publicized PARCC scores, but I'll wager that in 5 years when Lee and Breakthrough do too, they'll be about the same.

I will say that the risk with CHML is that you'll get in and then they'll tell you your kid isn't actually starting until, like, October 15th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear - its not better, just harder to get into because (for whatever reason) they make fewer waitlist offers (20ish PK3s by last October for CHML vs. 95ish for Shining Stars, according to the link in that waitlist thread).

Our kids go to Shining Stars and we like it a lot but, frankly, all of the public Montessori schools in DC seem basically the same quality-wise. Shining Stars and CHML have the most older kids, so they actually have publicized PARCC scores, but I'll wager that in 5 years when Lee and Breakthrough do too, they'll be about the same.

I will say that the risk with CHML is that you'll get in and then they'll tell you your kid isn't actually starting until, like, October 15th.

Oh! What do you mean about an October 15th start date? Do they not start all the kids at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Nope! At CHML the PK3ers have a rolling start over the course of a month or so. To my mind that's flipping insane and burdensome, but its how they do it and obviously enough people don't mind that they can keep up with it. It probably makes the start-of-school transition simpler for the teachers.


Most other schools do a 2 or 3 day rolling start.