Latin Cooper - Capitol Hill families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope you're right, but doubt it. I'm under the impression that at least half the 4th graders in my kid's class in a DCPS elementary school EOTP who tried for Basis, Latin1 and Latin 2 didn't get spots.

Hardly anybody seems interested in our by right middle school and I'm not hearing much about plans to go private. Spots in acceptable programs seem scarcer than ever this year. I'm just not feeling optimistic about our 5th-12th grade prospects in DC public schools right now.

You will get in because people put it down for a spot without seriously considering it. Then when they match and look into the details, reality hits.

Not many people are going to send their kid to that area in that depressing building.

[Anonymous]

The building itself leaves a lot to be desired. That said, it's a short walk to the very nice recreation center, near the bike trail and to be thoughtfully opened by dedicated educators from the 2nd street campus. We'll be snapping up our WL spot when offered. We consider ourselves lucky to have the potential opportunity to be a part of the new campus from the beginning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin Cooper is right next to Extra Space Storage!

I'm the Dew Drop Inn poster. I think their building is what used to be Extra Space storage. Or maybe there's another.

It's also next to a liquor store on Franklin that's kind of shady. Kinda weird, I know but I want my kiddo to live/learn in an urban setting as kiddo has been.

I want the opposite of walking onto Landon's campus.

Not saying that the burbs are bad. Just different strokes for different folks. We have NoVa burn family that when they visit don't even know how to cross a city street. And when we visit them kiddos are bored as hell.

16 kids per class & teachers that care, windowless building next to a dive bar, metro, bike path. I WANT that.

Fine for 5th, but if they're in that building for 3 or 4 years, my kid will be missing out. We want more than teachers that care - my kids have that at home in the form of parents with multiple grad degrees and au pairs. We want playing fields/sports, music, art, a good library, nice science labs, debate team, school newspaper, robotics etc.

Cooper is not going to have any of the above being in that building. Even if they find a new location in year 2-4, it likely won’t have any of the above either, not when you are starting a campus with such a small class.

Who knows. Latin1 seems to have all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin Cooper is right next to Extra Space Storage!

I'm the Dew Drop Inn poster. I think their building is what used to be Extra Space storage. Or maybe there's another.

It's also next to a liquor store on Franklin that's kind of shady. Kinda weird, I know but I want my kiddo to live/learn in an urban setting as kiddo has been.

I want the opposite of walking onto Landon's campus.

Not saying that the burbs are bad. Just different strokes for different folks. We have NoVa burn family that when they visit don't even know how to cross a city street. And when we visit them kiddos are bored as hell.

16 kids per class & teachers that care, windowless building next to a dive bar, metro, bike path. I WANT that.

Fine for 5th, but if they're in that building for 3 or 4 years, my kid will be missing out. We want more than teachers that care - my kids have that at home in the form of parents with multiple grad degrees and au pairs. We want playing fields/sports, music, art, a good library, nice science labs, debate team, school newspaper, robotics etc.

Cooper is not going to have any of the above being in that building. Even if they find a new location in year 2-4, it likely won’t have any of the above either, not when you are starting a campus with such a small class.

Who knows. Latin1 seems to have all that.

No Latin 1 does not have all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope you're right, but doubt it. I'm under the impression that at least half the 4th graders in my kid's class in a DCPS elementary school EOTP who tried for Basis, Latin1 and Latin 2 didn't get spots.

Hardly anybody seems interested in our by right middle school and I'm not hearing much about plans to go private. Spots in acceptable programs seem scarcer than ever this year. I'm just not feeling optimistic about our 5th-12th grade prospects in DC public schools right now.

There’s no way it’s more competitive this year. Latin II is sucking up 50 5th graders. Lists should move more than they usually do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The building itself leaves a lot to be desired. That said, it's a short walk to the very nice recreation center, near the bike trail and to be thoughtfully opened by dedicated educators from the 2nd street campus. We'll be snapping up our WL spot when offered. We consider ourselves lucky to have the potential opportunity to be a part of the new campus from the beginning.

Keep your fingers crossed with the principal. I have no idea why they would choose someone who is not even physically here to prepare for the opening and who might not be here when the campus opens if the visa issue isn’t resolved.

[Anonymous]

The Latin 2 list will hustle. 6th grade parents will likely take because 2-3 years here will get them to a high school also they are most lottery desperate. 5th grade parents need to think long and hard about if they will be willing to commute differently (east of the river or not) after two years. There's no transfer preference.

The warehouse facilities are bleaker than bleak. Those who argue otherwise haven't dipped in or tried to do a school pickup in the bad school and warehouse and metrobus vortex in the last three years.

Also, knowing there's several schools literally a stones throw away that have populations that are largely at-risk but that Cooper hasn't filled their at risk preference seats (which opting is is awesome and commendable).

The DCPCSB needs to put a pause on new charters ONLY IN WARD FIVE.

Charters are choosing terrible facilities to try to balance charter approval (WE RESOLVE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP) with "we can't find space", but I, can find giant swaths of commercial and underused building space east of the river. Even Wildflower DC found a solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Latin 2 list will hustle. 6th grade parents will likely take because 2-3 years here will get them to a high school also they are most lottery desperate. 5th grade parents need to think long and hard about if they will be willing to commute differently (east of the river or not) after two years. There's no transfer preference.

The warehouse facilities are bleaker than bleak. Those who argue otherwise haven't dipped in or tried to do a school pickup in the bad school and warehouse and metrobus vortex in the last three years.

Also, knowing there's several schools literally a stones throw away that have populations that are largely at-risk but that Cooper hasn't filled their at risk preference seats (which opting is is awesome and commendable).

The DCPCSB needs to put a pause on new charters ONLY IN WARD FIVE.

Charters are choosing terrible facilities to try to balance charter approval (WE RESOLVE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP) with "we can't find space", but I, can find giant swaths of commercial and underused building space east of the river. Even Wildflower DC found a solution.

Honestly if I was a 6th grade parent, I would just move to the burbs for a guarantee high performing middle and high school. Take the spot at cooper and then what for high school? No guarantee for high school.

So you subject your kid to a pretty awful middle school experience for what?

PP above is right. Latin could easily have secured something in ward 7 and 8. Instead they found the most depressing building they could find. The kids will be there for their whole middle school experience. Even if they miraculously found something in ward 7 or 8, what are you going to do? Have your kid take public transportation to ward 7 or 8 and then walk the rest of the distance to the school?? I think not. I suggest you try to get over that connecting bridge during rush hour.

[Anonymous]

You cannot have a classical education in a warehouse!!!!

[Anonymous]

Parents are desperate enough to cleave to their happy lives in Wards 5 and 6 not to mind the warehouse. I don’t see the permanent campus across the River. If Latin wanted a Ward 7 or 8 location, they would already have selected one.

[Anonymous]

This Hill parent is OK with the warehouse because it's a 10 min drive from home. The entire Hill is a 10-20 minute commute from the Latin Cooper location.

As long as the teaching and peer group is good, many Hill parents would rather deal with the warehouse than the 45 min commute to Walter/Reed DCI, or the short commutes to an unappealiny by right Ward 6 middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope you're right, but doubt it. I'm under the impression that at least half the 4th graders in my kid's class in a DCPS elementary school EOTP who tried for Basis, Latin1 and Latin 2 didn't get spots.

Hardly anybody seems interested in our by right middle school and I'm not hearing much about plans to go private. Spots in acceptable programs seem scarcer than ever this year. I'm just not feeling optimistic about our 5th-12th grade prospects in DC public schools right now.

The data suggests with more IB kids choosing SH and 54 brand new 5th grade seats at Latin II that it is statistically easier to match in 5th than it has been in the past few years. None of that is to say your stress levels are any lower. But it isn't empirically harder just because it impacts your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents are desperate enough to cleave to their happy lives in Wards 5 and 6 not to mind the warehouse. I don’t see the permanent campus across the River. If Latin wanted a Ward 7 or 8 location, they would already have selected one.

This is an incredibly dumb statement. They don't need a school sufficient for 5th-12th this year, or next, or the year after that. It would be irresponsible for any school to pay for that much space when they won't need it for years. And there is not scenario where they can secure a lease in 2022 that doesn't start until 2026.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Latin 2 list will hustle. 6th grade parents will likely take because 2-3 years here will get them to a high school also they are most lottery desperate. 5th grade parents need to think long and hard about if they will be willing to commute differently (east of the river or not) after two years. There's no transfer preference.

The warehouse facilities are bleaker than bleak. Those who argue otherwise haven't dipped in or tried to do a school pickup in the bad school and warehouse and metrobus vortex in the last three years.

Also, knowing there's several schools literally a stones throw away that have populations that are largely at-risk but that Cooper hasn't filled their at risk preference seats (which opting is is awesome and commendable).

The DCPCSB needs to put a pause on new charters ONLY IN WARD FIVE.

Charters are choosing terrible facilities to try to balance charter approval (WE RESOLVE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP) with "we can't find space", but I, can find giant swaths of commercial and underused building space east of the river. Even Wildflower DC found a solution.

That is nonsense. Charters don't have space until after they get approval and the PCSB did not require any specific location. In point of fact Latin's application said they favored a spot on the other side of the river (7/8) but there was no requirement. And the temp location is in Ward 5 (as you know). The temp space a charter needs for the first few years is a tough nut to crack because you know you only need it short term so you can't sign a long term lease (lessens the available real estate options) and you don't want to spend any more money than necessary to build out a space where all of that sunk cost is wasted when you move into your new building. There simply aren't schools just waiting to be occupied for 2-3 years. You need to find a space that will provide a short term lease and can be occupied in a matter of only months (permitting, inspections, etc.)

It never fails that every anonymous poster on DCUM "knows" it is "easy" to find a suitable building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building itself leaves a lot to be desired. That said, it's a short walk to the very nice recreation center, near the bike trail and to be thoughtfully opened by dedicated educators from the 2nd street campus. We'll be snapping up our WL spot when offered. We consider ourselves lucky to have the potential opportunity to be a part of the new campus from the beginning.

Keep your fingers crossed with the principal. I have no idea why they would choose someone who is not even physically here to prepare for the opening and who might not be here when the campus opens if the visa issue isn’t resolved.

+100. Not a good look for a school looking to get families on the fence to buy in. The Latin admin team seems to think the gild on the lily from Latin I shines bright enough to bathe Latin II. I hope they are correct, but I worry their hubris will cost them some short term momentum.