Tell me about Watkins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're moving to DC and I am thoroughly confused about the lottery system. We will be in boundary for Watkins. It looks like this is not the ideal school, but this is where we've signed a lease. Should I be worried?

Where are you getting the impression that Watkins is "not ideal." Be careful who you listen to. There are challenges at Watkins, but that can be said of (almost) any DC public school. Be wary of listening to a vocal minority ... especially here where posts are anonymous. Watkins has great teachers, especially at the earlier grades (1st through 3rd.) If you're renting and you're unhappy at Watkins it would be easy to move (easier than if you bought.)

By all means try the lottery. If Watkins is truly your in boundary school you're guaranteed a spot, so you risk nothing by seeing what other options you might have. But, give Watkins a chance. You may find, like many parents and students do, that it's a great school full of wonderful educators, caring faculty, engaged parents, and true diversity not found in many schools (anywhere ... not just DCPS.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, search for Capitol Hill Cluster (or just "cluster") on DCUM threads, along with "Watkins" to find a wealth of insightful posts in the last two or three years.

Watkins is improving and attracting a few more in-boundary parents for 1st grade every year. But, unfortunately, it's leadership and staff situation has been tumultuous for years. The harsh reality is that the school loses 10-15% of its in-boundary parents and upper middle-class parents every year between 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, 3rd and 4th and then a good third between 4th and 5th every year. Many Watkins parents try to lottery into Maury, Capitol Hill Montessori, SWS, Brent and a variety of charters in NE, particularly Two Rivers (with campuses on the north and east sides of Cap Hill).

Can't speak to that stat being accurate or current, but is "10-15%" attrition level even an issue? So 2-3 students out of a class of 20 leave each year? That doesn't sound like any more attrition than SWS has.

Our charter school has 2% attrition, so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem is that it's the in-boundary/high SES kids who leave, not the OOB/low SES. So your kid's first grade class is half low SES, but the 4th grade class is 3/4 low SES. It's a problem.

God, this type of comment must be SO frustrating to Watkins parents who aren't jerks about equality in DC. Sorry you have to deal with this, evolved Watkins parents.

Please, give us a break, knee-jerk PC apologist for a school system run by the myopic.

It's not as though DCPS is trying hard to create and maintain diverse school communities with innovative strategies. No, they leave it to PTAs to raise the money to pay for the necessary interventions, teachers aides past K, staff to afford pullout groups. If your principal isn't on board with pushing challenge for advanced learners, like the chick at Watkins, you're out of luck even if you can raise the dough to turn things around. You certainly do have a problem in a DCPS program as a high SES parent when you start out with 25% FARMs in grade 1 and wind up with around 75% in grade 4 without the academic inputs you need to keep your bright kid from cruising, or becoming a behavior problem in his or her boredom.

OP, the PC parent police can beat up on you all they want without fixing your problem. Go private, go OOB or go charter after around 2nd grade at Watkins.

[Anonymous]

To the OP -- as you'll see from this thread and the countless others on DCUM, the Hill seems to attract a lot of bitter charter boosters (maybe it's all that time sitting in morning traffic?) who have always had a stick up their ass about Watkins and perpetually come here to vent.

[Anonymous]

No bitter charter booster here.

IB Cluster parent thrilled to have an OOB spot at Maury, where my kid gets pulled out for above grade-level math and reading.

We were fine with Peabody and may even return to the Cluster for Stuart Hobson if their honors classes continue to draw in IB families. Watkins was the missing Cluster link for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- as you'll see from this thread and the countless others on DCUM, the Hill seems to attract a lot of bitter charter boosters (maybe it's all that time sitting in morning traffic?) who have always had a stick up their ass about Watkins and perpetually come here to vent.

The charter school people are the lucky ones. Everyone else has to move to Maryland or Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Not really.

If you really want to land a spot in a decent DC public elementary school that isn't Watkins you'll succeed if you persevere. I don't know anybody IB for the Cluster who has struck out across the board if they put in for the lottery every year through 1st grade. Nobody, after 15 years on Capitol Hill.

IB for the Cluster, you're good until 2nd grade, maybe 3rd. You may even be good all the way up to 8th if you have a roll with the punches kid, can keep an open mind and supplement extensively at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, search for Capitol Hill Cluster (or just "cluster") on DCUM threads, along with "Watkins" to find a wealth of insightful posts in the last two or three years.

Watkins is improving and attracting a few more in-boundary parents for 1st grade every year. But, unfortunately, it's leadership and staff situation has been tumultuous for years. The harsh reality is that the school loses 10-15% of its in-boundary parents and upper middle-class parents every year between 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, 3rd and 4th and then a good third between 4th and 5th every year. Many Watkins parents try to lottery into Maury, Capitol Hill Montessori, SWS, Brent and a variety of charters in NE, particularly Two Rivers (with campuses on the north and east sides of Cap Hill).

Can't speak to that stat being accurate or current, but is "10-15%" attrition level even an issue? So 2-3 students out of a class of 20 leave each year? That doesn't sound like any more attrition than SWS has.

Our charter school has 2% attrition, so...

Let me guess... Janney?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, search for Capitol Hill Cluster (or just "cluster") on DCUM threads, along with "Watkins" to find a wealth of insightful posts in the last two or three years.

Watkins is improving and attracting a few more in-boundary parents for 1st grade every year. But, unfortunately, it's leadership and staff situation has been tumultuous for years. The harsh reality is that the school loses 10-15% of its in-boundary parents and upper middle-class parents every year between 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, 3rd and 4th and then a good third between 4th and 5th every year. Many Watkins parents try to lottery into Maury, Capitol Hill Montessori, SWS, Brent and a variety of charters in NE, particularly Two Rivers (with campuses on the north and east sides of Cap Hill).

Can't speak to that stat being accurate or current, but is "10-15%" attrition level even an issue? So 2-3 students out of a class of 20 leave each year? That doesn't sound like any more attrition than SWS has.

Our charter school has 2% attrition, so...

Let me guess... Janney?

Janney’s not a charter school. Try again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not really.

If you really want to land a spot in a decent DC public elementary school that isn't Watkins you'll succeed if you persevere. I don't know anybody IB for the Cluster who has struck out across the board if they put in for the lottery every year through 1st grade. Nobody, after 15 years on Capitol Hill.

IB for the Cluster, you're good until 2nd grade, maybe 3rd. You may even be good all the way up to 8th if you have a roll with the punches kid, can keep an open mind and supplement extensively at home.

Who has time for that???

[Anonymous]

We make the time to supplement to keep our kid rolling at Watkins. We make the time because we haven't been able to lottery into a better DCPS, can't really afford a private, and don't like the cocoon atmosphere of independent schools. We really don't want to move to the burbs.

We plan to continue supplementing through SH. We don't like the atmosphere at BASIS, don't expect to beat the odds at Washington Latin, and don't like the commutes to Hardy or DCI (if we could get in, unlikely).

You do what you have to do if you really want something. We really want to stay in our house, which we've put incredible sweat equity into over many years. We also want to stay at our local church and in scouting, with good Hill friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- as you'll see from this thread and the countless others on DCUM, the Hill seems to attract a lot of bitter charter boosters (maybe it's all that time sitting in morning traffic?) who have always had a stick up their ass about Watkins and perpetually come here to vent.

This... A DCPS troll. There's not much hope. The leadership needs to be replaced, especially in central office. Bowser won't do that.

[Anonymous]

Could have read the same thread ten years ago.

[Anonymous]

Hope OP isn’t too freaked out.

[Anonymous]

OP is just renting. S/he could hit the road easily enough.