School Without Walls (SWW) - Recent Experience?
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Anonymous
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10th grade parent here. Yes, 9th grade wasn't good. Sure, some of it due to DC having to adjust to higher expectations about getting organized and being proactive ("demand your education" really means "go figure it out") but a lot also had to do with teachers who are used to coasting with a student body who is intrinsically motivated and learning no matter what. Some downright bad teachers (incompetent, ill-prepared, poorly organized, just waiting to retire), the type we hadn't seen since our earliest days in DCPS. (As bad as it is, it's maybe an exercise for students to get used to university life. Though life is changing there, too.)
That said, 10th grade has been a lot better, really a lot better. Excellent teachers, rigorous, demanding, following through, and much better at keeping grades current. That matters because grades are really the only window for parents to follow along. Even amidst pretty significant trouble, teachers will not reach out to parents. That somehow flies in the face of SWW's emphasis on seeing both students AND parents committed to the school, which transpires in interviews. The expectation is that students will see their grades falter and then take action, such as attending tutoring. It's left to the parents to see those grades falter and put some pressure on the student. Easy in our case, because our DC loves it there, amid a tight-knit network of friends. So the sheer threat that DC might be pulled and placed in our neighborhood HS did some wonders. A huge plus is that there really is not "trouble" at SWW in the sense that you may know it from ES and MS experiences. Doesn't mean there aren't problems, small ones (kids goofing off on the GWU campus during lunch) and big ones (use of social media, students complaining about a lack of sensitivity to diversity and the need for active work on inclusion, anti-racism etc. some report drug use but I can't see signs of that) but they definitely aren't of the fist-fighting kind. A lot of neediness, which can be a burden on some students, who aren't that type, including our DC. Another plus are the clubs and sports, which include all grade levels (so do advisories and some classes). If you don't find what you're looking for, just get it going. There is a lot of support for that and SWW is well-connected and quite well-heeled to make it happen. The location of the school in the middle of GWU campus is an asset, too. In conjunction with off-campus lunch, it holds the students to higher, undergrad & prof standards. They wouldn't want to be caught looking like high schoolers there... |
Anonymous
I'm sure this is true of clubs, for for sports it's more complicated. I think the soccer and volleyball teams are good, but some teams almost always lose. If your kid is a serious athlete, it may not be the school for them. DS was admitted, but chose Wilson for better sports opportunities. |
Anonymous
| I thought it would go without saying, SWW isn't for athletics and certainly not for getting athletic scholarships (if that even exists still). But it's great that there are actually many sports opportunities and - unlike a place like Wilson - kids who are interested in playing can play, and actually get pretty good at it quickly. Sure, they may lose in basketball - what's new - and soccer, but not as much. But they get to play, which is far better than not making a team, as will happen at Wilson. And SWW wins quite a bit in skiing, ultimate, squash, sailing etc. Those are "lifetime sports" and hugely valuable as such. |
Anonymous
Well, it doesn't go without saying for kids who are both strong students and serious athletes, and that's not such a small population. I knew several kids in that position when DC was in 8th grade. The schools have very different strengths, so the choice can be extremely stressful for an 8th grader. I also think that the whole "not making the team at Wilson" thing is kind of overblown. Yes, tryouts are competitive and even some traditionally "no cut" sports like track have cuts, but there are TONS of teams and clubs, and lots of kids play multiple sports. I'd encourage kids who are choosing between Wilson and Walls to talk to coaches at both schools, work out with the team if possible, and get a sense from them which would be a better fit athletically. |
Anonymous
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I am hoping for this school for my son's high school, but have the same reservations about value added. The school principal likes to tout the high test scores but it is embarrassing that is all he can talk about, when he has cherry picked the smartest kids in town.
They keep smart kids smart, but I want to know more... |
Anonymous
| I like that motto: “Keeping the (already) smart kids smart!” |
Anonymous
I don’t think there is anymore. It’s one of the better public high schools for people who live in Washington, D.C. It’s an adequate public education and nothing more. However, an adequate public education in DC is hard to manage, so that’s why people who must use the public system are happy to have Walls as an option. |
Anonymous
| Parent of a SWW student. It's a very nice group of kids - mostly smart, hard-working, and socially active. The teaching quality is quite variable (loyalty to the principal seems to matter a lot more than actual teaching ability), and the principal is AWOL. This is a good place for a self-starter, but even then, realize that your student may not be given much support unless they are extremely proactive in searching it out. The college placement is quite good, but you don't get a lot of help from the college counselor. The ability for some students to enroll as a full-time GWU student for their junior and senior years is a plus, as is the ability to take a summer class at GWU if you want more limited exposure. All in all, we get the sense the academics are more rigorous than Wilson, and we had a relatively good experience, but it certainly wasn't without its bumps and most of the good things seemed to be despite the administration/DCPS, not because of them. |
Anonymous
| Do they still lose about 20-30 members of each 9th grade class to attrition? |
Anonymous
Our child's cohort, moving from 9th to 10th last fall didn't seem to lose anyone. I specifically asked our DC. Sure students move away, or struggling students may consider returning to their IB schools but there really wasn't much change. All caveats considered, SWW has worked out great for our DC, academically, socially, emotionally. It's what I care about. Our DC mentions specifically how many teachers are "relatable" to teenagers. They may not all be perfect but they care, treat students with respect, and genuinely value their opinions. That's something students notice, especially in today's day and age, when high school students of all colors demand voice. And it's an important piece to becoming a well-rounded adult who manages independence effectively and responsibly, and who - thank god! - will request to be in charge soon enough. |
Anonymous
I looked it up. Your child's class went from 149 students in 9th (2016-17) to 140 for 10th (2017-18), according to the enrollment audits. SWW also made 3 10th seats available in the initial lottery last year - so probably 12 people left, and 3 joined. |
Anonymous
| Parent of a recent SWW graduate. Like all HSs, fair amount of drugs and parties. 9th grade teaching team is quite weak and group projects galore. Lots of busy work but no in depth on subject matter. Spanish program terrible but i think that teacher left. Very disorganized on administrative issues. 10th grade also lots of busy work. Our outside consultant for college suggested joining GW program to grow the mind. He did. It was fabulous for 11th and 12th -- actually learned something. Lots of high stress over grade bumps the last few years. Kids were not as nice as some people are reporting. Sports are ok as they usually finish second to Wilson. Clubs are also disorganized. Choir has upped its game. |
Anonymous
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I'm disappointed to hear about people's experiences with Walls. I was hoping it was better than Wilson but it sounds the same.
My oldest had a weak 9th grade year at Wilson with disappointing teachers. 10th grade is much better although English teacher is again terrible. Admin are mostly pretty bad. Counseling is terrible. Kid is happy at Wilson this year and has made new friends and enjoys the vibrant environment. There are some very good teachers but many absolute duds who should be fired but somehow stay year after year. I have a younger child and have convinced her to apply to Walls as I thought it might be a better experience. My oldest got into Walls but chose Wilson as he wanted better sports and a more varied student body to interact with. |
Anonymous
| Parent of recent SWW graduate and agree with 20:54. I also have a kid at Wilson. Academically, I don't see much difference. Teachers are luck of the draw, and my DC has had very good teachers at Wilson. YMMV. We had some pretty awful ones at SWW. I think the culture is different, so it really depends on what your DC prefers. Overall, we've been more pleased with Wilson. |
Anonymous
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The spring 2018 DCUM discussion from SWW parents was very helpful. Any new feedback from current parents?
Some topics that would be helpful to hear about: -are kids happy and feel supported? -dynamic and inspiring classroom experiences? -quality teachers? -how does it compare to Wilson? Thank you |