DC White flight - what will it mean for education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its even more beneficial for white and Asian kids to attend inner city schools.

I can't figure out if you're someone I relate to or a total troll. This being DCUM, I have my guesses.

What's confusing? They benefit from diversity more and also stand out better in a diverse background compared to suburban bubble of similar applicants. Urban kids learn to think on their toes, that's what attractive to colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally, a lot of my DD’s 1st grade classmates on the Hill are moving to the burbs this summer. Not sure if it’s more than usual or not (certainly more than past summers though). At least 4 of 19 in her class alone.

This always happens. People stay in DC to get the free preschool and then they go where they really want to raise kids.

Exactly. These people were never going to stay anyway. They came to DC as young professionals, "played city" for a while (which was super progressive and cool), then are returning to the suburbs where they were raised themselves.

I seriously will never understand what’s wrong with this. It’s fun and easy to live in a city when you’re young and don’t have kids. And it’s easy and nice to live in the suburbs when you do have kids. What’s so evil and wrong about this that you say it with such disdain?

DP but the problem is when these born-and-bred suburbanites breed and move back to the suburbs (like they were always bound to do) and then talk about how they had to leave DC because of how scary and dangerous and terrible DCPS is over drinks with their suburban neighbors and then come spew it on these boards like "well I did live in The City but I HAD TO LEAVE because THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" Just say you like well-stocked Targets and HOAs and driving to dog parks. You want cool kid cred for having been here at one point and some kind of superior parent cred for moving when you couldn't afford it anymore. You were never going to stay, and DC is not in any way deficient for failing to keep you here.

Every word rings true here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

Higher rank?! High rank at a lackluster school is hardly good preparation for college or life! And not a good use of 4 years of time, nor a particularly life-fulfilling experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally, a lot of my DD’s 1st grade classmates on the Hill are moving to the burbs this summer. Not sure if it’s more than usual or not (certainly more than past summers though). At least 4 of 19 in her class alone.

This always happens. People stay in DC to get the free preschool and then they go where they really want to raise kids.

Exactly. These people were never going to stay anyway. They came to DC as young professionals, "played city" for a while (which was super progressive and cool), then are returning to the suburbs where they were raised themselves.

I seriously will never understand what’s wrong with this. It’s fun and easy to live in a city when you’re young and don’t have kids. And it’s easy and nice to live in the suburbs when you do have kids. What’s so evil and wrong about this that you say it with such disdain?

DP but the problem is when these born-and-bred suburbanites breed and move back to the suburbs (like they were always bound to do) and then talk about how they had to leave DC because of how scary and dangerous and terrible DCPS is over drinks with their suburban neighbors and then come spew it on these boards like "well I did live in The City but I HAD TO LEAVE because THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" Just say you like well-stocked Targets and HOAs and driving to dog parks. You want cool kid cred for having been here at one point and some kind of superior parent cred for moving when you couldn't afford it anymore. You were never going to stay, and DC is not in any way deficient for failing to keep you here.

Every word rings true here.

That’s your defense for lame schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

Higher rank?! High rank at a lackluster school is hardly good preparation for college or life! And not a good use of 4 years of time, nor a particularly life-fulfilling experience.

When you talk about school outcomes it sounds like you mean college. I’m sure your child will be even better prepared by spending four years in a diverse “work place” that is more reminiscent of reality that the burbs many parents try to use as shields from blackness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

+1 a good student would rank higher and will have better essays and interviews due to his diverse urban experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

+1

[Anonymous]

Your odds of getting high rank, impressive recommendation letters, endorsement from guidance counselors/principals, having leadership positions are better where you are in top tier of students, not where you are just one of hundreds. You can also alleviate your peers with your good example and make a good impact. Nothing better for a young person's confidence than peer to peer tutoring, leadership positions and admiration of teachers. All of that shows in essays and interviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your odds of getting high rank, impressive recommendation letters, endorsement from guidance counselors/principals, having leadership positions are better where you are in top tier of students, not where you are just one of hundreds. You can also alleviate your peers with your good example and make a good impact. Nothing better for a young person's confidence than peer to peer tutoring, leadership positions and admiration of teachers. All of that shows in essays and interviews.

And then you get to college and all your classes are impossible because of your subpar education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your odds of getting high rank, impressive recommendation letters, endorsement from guidance counselors/principals, having leadership positions are better where you are in top tier of students, not where you are just one of hundreds. You can also alleviate your peers with your good example and make a good impact. Nothing better for a young person's confidence than peer to peer tutoring, leadership positions and admiration of teachers. All of that shows in essays and interviews.

Your odds of getting into a top college are not better if you go to a shitty DC school than if you go to a good DC private school or top Northern Virginia or Maryland school. All of those students will be evaluated as “DC metropolitan area” and the kids from high schools known to be tougher will be accepted first, unless there are URM issues at play. In addition, your odds of having a slew of AP exams and excellent SAT scores are higher if you’re at a better school.

[Anonymous]

Look, there are 2 completely separate things at play here: (1) the quality of education that a school provides and (2) how the school that a student attends affects college admission.

I think it is fair to say that the most selective schools want to see kids who are taking the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and are getting straight As in those classes. If you are at a school that offers a lot of APs and advanced classes (eg, a "W" school), in some ways that is going to be harder for you from an admissions perspective than it would be if you went to Eastern which does not offer as much. On the other hand, very selective classes understand this and are probably willing to go deeper into the class at a W school. Also colleges might be willing to take a chance on an Eastern student who they know might not be as well prepared, for diversity or equity purposes. That Eastern student will have to work harder when he/she arrives at college, however. Whether that student is able to overcome how behind they are as a result of having graduated from Eastern is a valid question. I think there are examples of kids having both experiences. College admissions are not an exact science and, like with many things in life, grit and determination can overcome some lack of academic preparation at times, while academic preparation and intelligence can also compensate for laziness.

If you are a more average student aiming for a less selective college, these factors might balance out. At a W school you will have lots of academic opportunities and might learn more than you would at Eastern, but your class rank would likely not be as high. At Eastern you might be able to take the most rigorous classes they offer and get straight As without breaking much of a sweat. It is hard to say what type of student the colleges might prefer, and it probably depends a lot on the college and its priorities for admission.

The "real world" aspects of the education are also relevant. I'd argue that private school provides an education into the "real world" of the wealthy that you aren't going to get at a place like Eastern. Eastern offers an education into the "real world" of impoverished urban areas that you aren't going to get from a private school. Diverse public schools such as W and Wilson probably are somewhere in the middle, with Ws closer to the private end of the spectrum than Wilson. All experiences have value. Those of us with means who value diverse experiences try to find ways for their kids to experience at all, through a combination of school, sports, other ECs, volunteerism, etc. Every family is going to strike a different balance there. Luckily, living in the DMV, all of these experiences are possible in ways that they would not be in other areas of the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

Just curious, are you planning to send your child to Eastern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a reason moving to suburban schools doesn't lead to desired college admissions results.

Do you want to compare the Ws or FCPS school outcomes to the outcomes from Eastern High? For families that can afford to be in bounds for Wilson (and who insist that Chevy Chase DC is not the suburbs while Chevy Chase MD is clearly the suburbs) DCPS works fine. For families that would be inbounds to any other high school, it's easier to move than hope for lottery luck

This argument makes no sense to me. If your child does well at their suburban school, they’d also probably do well, and most likely ranked even higher at Eastern.

Just curious, are you planning to send your child to Eastern?

I’m in the Coolidge feeder, but will be sending my kid there.