Powell or DC Bilingual?

[Anonymous]

The problem with Powell's MS feed is that no middle-class or UM-class family wants to go there.

Last year two parents rented their homes in Petworth and moved into apartments IB for Oyster. Another two families got in for Bancroft during the lottery this school year and another family went to Basis.

These were 3rd and 4th grade students. Of course everyone isn't this lucky, but eventually some are going to have to give MacFarland a try.

[Anonymous]

DCB was a kind of darling of dcum previously, and extremely hard to get into (like possibly the hardest of all Charters).

Interesting that DCB is down, Powell is up. I have no advice except that in general I do think DCB is a more stable long term choice. Powell still may deteriorate in upper grades. Have a close look at how parents feel about the two in say 3rd, 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

I’m in the same boat and matched at MV but want to stay at our perfectly good IB Spanish immersion school. I am just wondering if it’s really worth it to give up a convenient and nice neighborhood school for an annoying commute ( though it’s actually not horrible) just for a chance at a good middle school feeder in 5 years. Help me decide that it’s not (and then a space will open up at MV 😂) Bilingual family and Spanish is really important to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in the same boat and matched at MV but want to stay at our perfectly good IB Spanish immersion school. I am just wondering if it’s really worth it to give up a convenient and nice neighborhood school for an annoying commute ( though it’s actually not horrible) just for a chance at a good middle school feeder in 5 years. Help me decide that it’s not (and then a space will open up at MV 😂) Bilingual family and Spanish is really important to us.

We are also a bilingual family and were in this situation 6 years ago. We chose MV. You can always go back to your IB if the charter doesn’t work. The other way around is harder. We are still happy at MV. I have a friend that left Powell for MV for issues with the administrative, but this was a couple of years ago, so not sure if Powell’s administration has changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, neighbor! We did PK3 at Powell and loved it. We switched to an immersion charter (not DCB) for PK4 solely because of the feeder pattern into DCI, and I have always regretted it a bit. If you do not need a path to middle school, Powell is a great option. Even if you do need a path to middle school, I still think Powell might be the better choice. Without a guaranteed slot at DCI due to feeder expansions, you are trading off a sure good thing (excellent neighborhood school) for 5+ years of guaranteed inconvenience for a modestly better chance at DCI.

NP. If you don't mind me asking, are you at MV? We're looking at a choice between MV and Powell likely and though MV is popular and hyped, I'm not getting the impression that it's actually any better than Powell.

NP, but I will say I think "hype" is the right word for MV. I know lots of people who try to get into MV, and almost all of them then try to get out.

Do you have statistics to support your claim? Your hate for MV is so obvious in every thread that is hard to take your posts seriously.

I have a lot of neighbors and friends at DCB, MV, and LAMB and they are all happy with the schools.

To OP, I live in the same neighborhood but our IB is BM. A lot of people in this neighborhood choose charters due to the DCI feeder (me included). But if that is not a problem for you then choose whatever is easier for your family. I know people that are very happy at Powell and is their first option.

I'm the PP you are responding to, but I think you misunderstand (or misidentify?) me. I haven't been posting in other threads. I don't hate Mundo. (How could I hate or root against a school full of kids!?) Just disappointed that it hasn't work for a good number of my friends and acquaintances. For people who are happy there, that is great! I just know so many folks who have "outgrown" the school before the upper grades, or whose kids' needs have not been met they had to go elsewhere. it doesn't seem like the golden ticket. Like I said, maybe a bit over-hyped, compared to other language charters across the city and other schools in the area.

I agree with the previous poster above. Know a number of families very happy at MV.

To poster above, take the MV spot especially if it’s at Calle Ocho. You won’t get another chance. You can always go to Powell if that if your IB if you don’t like MV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in the same boat and matched at MV but want to stay at our perfectly good IB Spanish immersion school. I am just wondering if it’s really worth it to give up a convenient and nice neighborhood school for an annoying commute ( though it’s actually not horrible) just for a chance at a good middle school feeder in 5 years. Help me decide that it’s not (and then a space will open up at MV 😂) Bilingual family and Spanish is really important to us.

We are also a bilingual family and were in this situation 6 years ago. We chose MV. You can always go back to your IB if the charter doesn’t work. The other way around is harder. We are still happy at MV. I have a friend that left Powell for MV for issues with the administrative, but this was a couple of years ago, so not sure if Powell’s administration has changed.

Powell administration is still the same and pretty difficult. Most families leave by 3rd and 4th grade for better feeder right schools.

[Anonymous]

What would “good” Administration do for you that a “difficult” Administration won’t? Sometimes the lack of concreteness here is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCB was a kind of darling of dcum previously, and extremely hard to get into (like possibly the hardest of all Charters).

Interesting that DCB is down, Powell is up. I have no advice except that in general I do think DCB is a more stable long term choice. Powell still may deteriorate in upper grades. Have a close look at how parents feel about the two in say 3rd, 4th grade.

It has been a very hard year at DCB. No school has had an easy time but when both distance learning and re-opening are a mess and there is no sense that the administration appreciates things need to be improved, parents get frustrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCB was a kind of darling of dcum previously, and extremely hard to get into (like possibly the hardest of all Charters).

Interesting that DCB is down, Powell is up. I have no advice except that in general I do think DCB is a more stable long term choice. Powell still may deteriorate in upper grades. Have a close look at how parents feel about the two in say 3rd, 4th grade.

It has been a very hard year at DCB. No school has had an easy time but when both distance learning and re-opening are a mess and there is no sense that the administration appreciates things need to be improved, parents get frustrated.

I totally get it. It's been a rough year at our school too, although they finally reopened. I think it is fair to say charters overall haven't shown their best side this year.

[Anonymous]

Definitely your neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, neighbor! We did PK3 at Powell and loved it. We switched to an immersion charter (not DCB) for PK4 solely because of the feeder pattern into DCI, and I have always regretted it a bit. If you do not need a path to middle school, Powell is a great option. Even if you do need a path to middle school, I still think Powell might be the better choice. Without a guaranteed slot at DCI due to feeder expansions, you are trading off a sure good thing (excellent neighborhood school) for 5+ years of guaranteed inconvenience for a modestly better chance at DCI.

NP. If you don't mind me asking, are you at MV? We're looking at a choice between MV and Powell likely and though MV is popular and hyped, I'm not getting the impression that it's actually any better than Powell.

PP here. Yes, we left Powell for MV. I do not think my kids got fundamentally better educational experiences at MV, and there were lots of annoyances for us as parents. If I had to do it again, I would stay at Powell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, neighbor! We did PK3 at Powell and loved it. We switched to an immersion charter (not DCB) for PK4 solely because of the feeder pattern into DCI, and I have always regretted it a bit. If you do not need a path to middle school, Powell is a great option. Even if you do need a path to middle school, I still think Powell might be the better choice. Without a guaranteed slot at DCI due to feeder expansions, you are trading off a sure good thing (excellent neighborhood school) for 5+ years of guaranteed inconvenience for a modestly better chance at DCI.

NP. If you don't mind me asking, are you at MV? We're looking at a choice between MV and Powell likely and though MV is popular and hyped, I'm not getting the impression that it's actually any better than Powell.

PP here. Yes, we left Powell for MV. I do not think my kids got fundamentally better educational experiences at MV, and there were lots of annoyances for us as parents. If I had to do it again, I would stay at Powell.

Thanks for sharing, that’s helpful to know. The middle school situation is what’s really throwing us off, but I’m not totally sold on DCI and it’s not even a guarantee anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, neighbor! We did PK3 at Powell and loved it. We switched to an immersion charter (not DCB) for PK4 solely because of the feeder pattern into DCI, and I have always regretted it a bit. If you do not need a path to middle school, Powell is a great option. Even if you do need a path to middle school, I still think Powell might be the better choice. Without a guaranteed slot at DCI due to feeder expansions, you are trading off a sure good thing (excellent neighborhood school) for 5+ years of guaranteed inconvenience for a modestly better chance at DCI.

NP. If you don't mind me asking, are you at MV? We're looking at a choice between MV and Powell likely and though MV is popular and hyped, I'm not getting the impression that it's actually any better than Powell.

PP here. Yes, we left Powell for MV. I do not think my kids got fundamentally better educational experiences at MV, and there were lots of annoyances for us as parents. If I had to do it again, I would stay at Powell.

Thanks for sharing, that’s helpful to know. The middle school situation is what’s really throwing us off, but I’m not totally sold on DCI and it’s not even a guarantee anymore.

PP again. DCI is why we switched to MV. At the time, MacFarland was not even re-opened and was a big unknown. I don't know how good an option MacFarland is at this point, as I have not followed it. But, even if you prefer DCI, from MV without a sibling preference you have about a 30-40% chance at a spot there. To my mind, that 30-40% chance is not worth it. So much can change with your life and DC schools in the 7 years between PK3 and middle school that it's really hard to know how to value that 30-40% chance. Don't get me wrong, MV is a good school. But, so is Powell. And, the upsides of being at your neighborhood school are huge.

If you want to post an email address, I would be happy to talk to you offline about our process and experience. We agonized over our choice, so I know how hard it is.

[Anonymous]

The 30-40% choice assumes MV kids don’t go to other schools instead, but all try for DCI.

Of course, the percent chance only goes up if DCI doesn’t get better or gets worse, while if DCI is in more demand yes your chance is lower. Currently at our feeder probably only 50-60% of kids even opt for DCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP, but I will say I think "hype" is the right word for MV. I know lots of people who try to get into MV, and almost all of them then try to get out.

Do you have statistics to support your claim? Your hate for MV is so obvious in every thread that is hard to take your posts seriously.

I have a lot of neighbors and friends at DCB, MV, and LAMB and they are all happy with the schools.

To OP, I live in the same neighborhood but our IB is BM. A lot of people in this neighborhood choose charters due to the DCI feeder (me included). But if that is not a problem for you then choose whatever is easier for your family. I know people that are very happy at Powell and is their first option.

I'm the PP you are responding to, but I think you misunderstand (or misidentify?) me. I haven't been posting in other threads. I don't hate Mundo. (How could I hate or root against a school full of kids!?) Just disappointed that it hasn't work for a good number of my friends and acquaintances. For people who are happy there, that is great! I just know so many folks who have "outgrown" the school before the upper grades, or whose kids' needs have not been met they had to go elsewhere. it doesn't seem like the golden ticket. Like I said, maybe a bit over-hyped, compared to other language charters across the city and other schools in the area.

I'd like to hear more about what needs specifically weren't being met, if you have more info. I've seen that phrase around here quite a bit regarding several schools but other than in the case of special needs kids, it's never clear what is meant. And what do you mean by "outgrown"? Apologies for what might be basic questions; I'm new to this system. Thanks.