Win-win solutions for Brent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I wish folks with Brent as their target would recognize the problems with the school (overcrowding, no green field, no established middle school feed, and it is unclear whether the school actually provides advanced curriculum-- you are treated like a wacko if you ask about it) and instead see the benefits of other schools-- Tyler has Spanish immersion. Cluster has advanced curriculum, fabulous PTA and a viable middle school. Van NEss would be a clean slate with a major renovation budget, a big field, kiddie swimming pool, and a neighborhood with a great mix of families.

Signed,

Brent parent

As the parent of an IB toddler, I welcome advice from old Brent hands that helps me go in with my eyes open, if we make it.

At the last PTA meeting I heard Principal Young describe how 3rd and 4th graders will be able to loop up a grade (or even 2?) for math for the first time in the fall, and that 5th graders will be able to take 6th grade math, with their own teacher. Doesn't the the chance to loop up constitute an advanced math curriculum for math, at least by DCPS standards? A good many wackos asked for it?

I've heard that Watkins went with advanced pullout groups this year, not sure for which grades - a more robust advanced curriculum? If Stuart-Hobson is indeed viable, why is the student body only 20% IB? Latin and BASIS must be close to 20% Eliot-Hine feed kids by now.

I'd be surprised if VanNess ends up with a green field or an appealing MS feed either, but, hey, we'll take the kiddie pool if we get zoned for it. Lafayette was just allocated 51M to renovate, while VanNess is getting 9 (with 2M needed just to pay for new windows). Wonder what that will buy the Capitol Quarter parents.

A friend who works for city told me VanNess is now getting $20 million.

[Anonymous]

Brent did some advanced math opportunities within the class this year and will be doing more next year. Also did pull out. Have been very happy with the education our kids have received there so far. It's not perfect but no school is, even private. We feel very fortunate to have Brent as our school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've heard that Watkins went with advanced pullout groups this year, not sure for which grades - a more robust advanced curriculum? If Stuart-Hobson is indeed viable, why is the student body only 20% IB? Latin and BASIS must be close to 20% Eliot-Hine feed kids by now.



Watkins is only 25% in boundary, so S-H at 20% in boundary means the same OOB students are leaving Watkins and enrolling in S-H. Even Deal is still ~30% OOB. It takes a long time in DCPS for a school to move from a significant OOB % to an insignificant OOB %.

We are a high SES family from another ward whose students attend Watkins/S-H and we are pleased.

[Anonymous]

Does your friend who works for the city (or anyone with insight) know what grades Van Ness is expected to open with in 2015, and can it support those grades without creeping into Tyler, Brent or Amidon's boundaries?

And what seems to be the most likely place where they'll shake up Brent's boundaries, if at all? I also like the idea that they should just have Brent route its PreK3 and PreK4 to Van Ness but no boundary change. That'll give Van Ness some momentum but not piss off Brent parents since preschool is a perk anyhow so take it or leave it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your friend who works for the city (or anyone with insight) know what grades Van Ness is expected to open with in 2015, and can it support those grades without creeping into Tyler, Brent or Amidon's boundaries?

And what seems to be the most likely place where they'll shake up Brent's boundaries, if at all? I also like the idea that they should just have Brent route its PreK3 and PreK4 to Van Ness but no boundary change. That'll give Van Ness some momentum but not piss off Brent parents since preschool is a perk anyhow so take it or leave it.

The Capitol Quarter parents are being told that VanNess will open in SY 2015-2016 with PreS3, PreK4, K and maybe 1st. They'll add a grade a year from there.

DCPS may not touch Brent's boundaries - I'd wager they won't (guessing 60-40 odds they will not). If they do chop off some of the Brent District, I'm guessing at G Street, or the lower branch of E, on the east side (but nobody knows). IT's common knowledge that the Capitol RiverFront developers are pushing for a small new district for VanNess, encompassing only new housing.

The irony of Brent rising parents worrying about being pushed to VanNess is that the latter could actually emerge as the better school academically (although getting there from G Street would be a pain).

[Anonymous]

good points!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I wish folks with Brent as their target would recognize the problems with the school (overcrowding, no green field, no established middle school feed, and it is unclear whether the school actually provides advanced curriculum-- you are treated like a wacko if you ask about it) and instead see the benefits of other schools-- Tyler has Spanish immersion. Cluster has advanced curriculum, fabulous PTA and a viable middle school. Van NEss would be a clean slate with a major renovation budget, a big field, kiddie swimming pool, and a neighborhood with a great mix of families.

Signed,

Brent parent

As the parent of an IB toddler, I welcome advice from old Brent hands that helps me go in with my eyes open, if we make it.

At the last PTA meeting I heard Principal Young describe how 3rd and 4th graders will be able to loop up a grade (or even 2?) for math for the first time in the fall, and that 5th graders will be able to take 6th grade math, with their own teacher. Doesn't the the chance to loop up constitute an advanced math curriculum for math, at least by DCPS standards? A good many wackos asked for it?

I've heard that Watkins went with advanced pullout groups this year, not sure for which grades - a more robust advanced curriculum? If Stuart-Hobson is indeed viable, why is the student body only 20% IB? Latin and BASIS must be close to 20% Eliot-Hine feed kids by now.

I'd be surprised if VanNess ends up with a green field or an appealing MS feed either, but, hey, we'll take the kiddie pool if we get zoned for it. Lafayette was just allocated 51M to renovate, while VanNess is getting 9 (with 2M needed just to pay for new windows). Wonder what that will buy the Capitol Quarter parents.

A friend who works for city told me VanNess is now getting $20 million.

Sorry, this does not comport with any budget projections, much less reality. You could tear down and rebuild for that kind of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your friend who works for the city (or anyone with insight) know what grades Van Ness is expected to open with in 2015, and can it support those grades without creeping into Tyler, Brent or Amidon's boundaries?

And what seems to be the most likely place where they'll shake up Brent's boundaries, if at all? I also like the idea that they should just have Brent route its PreK3 and PreK4 to Van Ness but no boundary change. That'll give Van Ness some momentum but not piss off Brent parents since preschool is a perk anyhow so take it or leave it.

The Capitol Quarter parents are being told that VanNess will open in SY 2015-2016 with PreS3, PreK4, K and maybe 1st. They'll add a grade a year from there.

DCPS may not touch Brent's boundaries - I'd wager they won't (guessing 60-40 odds they will not). If they do chop off some of the Brent District, I'm guessing at G Street, or the lower branch of E, on the east side (but nobody knows). IT's common knowledge that the Capitol RiverFront developers are pushing for a small new district for VanNess, encompassing only new housing.

The irony of Brent rising parents worrying about being pushed to VanNess is that the latter could actually emerge as the better school academically (although getting there from G Street would be a pain).

It is premature to start putting too many eggs in the Van Ness basket. The short and long-term academic success of the school will depend on a multitude of factors, including teacher qualifications and experience. the principal, specials and afterschool programming, the funds the PTA is able to raise and contribute, the number of IEP(SN) students, the number of OOB students, etc. Schools like Ludlow-Taylor would seem to be poised to succeed and serve their neighborhood and yet fail to do so year after year. DCPS really has to think outside the box here as the optics are not great in terms of spending millions of dollars to open a school with only a few classrooms initially operational.

[Anonymous]

+1. We're far south in the Brent District (and on the IB preschool WL for that matter) and don't like the uncertainty swirling around VanNess.

Maybe the deep-pocket CRF developers will toss resources at the new school, maybe not.
Maybe the school will be renovated nicely, maybe not.
Maybe the principal, other admins and teachers will be on the ball, maybe not.
Maybe the PTA will be kick-ass, maybe not.
Maybe the school population will be mostly high-SES, maybe not.

What I know is that I paid a premium to buy IB for Brent--ouch--and want my IB school for K-5.

If DCPS tries to push us to VanNess, I hope that similarly jerked around parents will rally to challenge. I wouldn't mind PreK at VanNess if I could return IB for K.

Anybody else?

[Anonymous]

maybe the csx tunnel project will make getting to vanness hazardous for young children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1. We're far south in the Brent District (and on the IB preschool WL for that matter) and don't like the uncertainty swirling around VanNess.

Maybe the deep-pocket CRF developers will toss resources at the new school, maybe not.
Maybe the school will be renovated nicely, maybe not.
Maybe the principal, other admins and teachers will be on the ball, maybe not.
Maybe the PTA will be kick-ass, maybe not.
Maybe the school population will be mostly high-SES, maybe not.

What I know is that I paid a premium to buy IB for Brent--ouch--and want my IB school for K-5.

If DCPS tries to push us to VanNess, I hope that similarly jerked around parents will rally to challenge. I wouldn't mind PreK at VanNess if I could return IB for K.

Anybody else?

Can you explain why you feel "jerked around"? Did DCPS or someone else in the DC Govt. promise you that it would never reevaluate boundaries, particularly when talk about reopening VanNess has been circulating for several years? I can understand being concerned about the unknowns associated with the process and lack of transparency, but you lose credibility by resorting to hyperbole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:maybe the csx tunnel project will make getting to vanness hazardous for young children

Oh, let's hope so! Maybe it will be hazardous to older children and adults as a bonus! Seriously, take it down a notch folks.

[Anonymous]

Can someone quantify the mystical Brent "premium"? I don't see much of a drop off for house listings IB for Maury, Watkins or Tyler. And, IIRC, a CQ house recently listed for nearly $900,000, and that's IB for Amidon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone quantify the mystical Brent "premium"? I don't see much of a drop off for house listings IB for Maury, Watkins or Tyler. And, IIRC, a CQ house recently listed for nearly $900,000, and that's IB for Amidon.

Not to mention that Maury, Watkins and Tyler are safer bets to gain PS3 seats IB than Brent (granted Watkins EC is at Peabody)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone quantify the mystical Brent "premium"? I don't see much of a drop off for house listings IB for Maury, Watkins or Tyler. And, IIRC, a CQ house recently listed for nearly $900,000, and that's IB for Amidon.

Not to mention that Maury, Watkins and Tyler are safer bets to gain PS3 seats IB than Brent (granted Watkins EC is at Peabody)

I can't quantify the premium, but it must be there. I say this because we're IB in a small 2-bedroom house, looking for a 3-bedroom also in the Brent District. We've bid on larger houses several times in the last 18 months. Each time, another young family has outbid us for more than we can afford (and we can afford at least 800K). Same thing for two houses we bid on in the Maury District.

We're kicking ourselves for not upgrading before Brent and Maury were hot.