Capitol Hill Middle School and High School situation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the UMC kids stayed through MS AND successfully demanded advanced programming which was implemented by an administration and reaching staff motivated to provide that programming, and supported by DCPS in doing so, then yes, we would have more areas with quality paths through MS and HS. But there are a lot at variables there and I don’t blame families for not taking the risk. Part of the problem is that some UMC families do choose to send their kids to the local MS but accept the status quo and the families who stay but try to work for change get labeled as obnoxious or high strung or racist or whatever. You see this all over this board and I have experienced this even in ES. We were at a school with @good test scores@ which I took to mean lots of kids scoring 5s. What it means in hill-speak is that there is a small achievement gap. Big difference.

You make good points, PP. I don't see an academic "risk" in staying on the Hill for MS as much as the psychic risk of taking on the frustration and dissatisfaction of running with a DCPS middle school culture that's not in sync with that of dynamic, highly diverse neighborhood.

As things stand on the Hill, your kid has the option of going from your highly diverse (students, teachers, staff, admins), high-performing ES to a MS that's overwhelmingly AA (students, teachers, staff, admins) where most students work below grade level. DCPS could make the prospect of sending your kid a DCPS middle school EotP far more appealing by tweaking programming/curriculum to cater to advanced learners, and recruiting more diverse faculties. DCPS doesn't bother so parents can' be blamed for voting with their feet.

Jefferson has a white principal and black assistant principals. https://www.jeffersontrojans.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_92289/File/JA%20Staff%20Directory%209.2.20.pdf looks like the staff is about even between black and white with a few Latina and Asian teachers too...certainly wouldn't call it "overwhelmingly AA" (also if you/your kid is overwhelmed by being around people of color that might deserve some introspection...). White kids are not going to lack racial mirrors among faculty at JA. And the directory lists the contact info for all the staff so you could certainly inquire about how your advanced learner will be catered to.

You're exaggerating, booster. We've been to open houses and other events at JA. It's a seriously AA school without definite honors classes. My kid isn't overwhelmed by much but we're not tempted. JA just isn't nearly diverse enough.

The staff list is literally in the link above and it has everyone's pictures. There's no exaggeration--it is a diverse faculty. You don't have to choose Jefferson but it is just not factually accurate to say the teachers, staff, and admin are "overwhelmingly AA" when it's pretty close to 50/50 black and white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the UMC kids stayed through MS AND successfully demanded advanced programming which was implemented by an administration and reaching staff motivated to provide that programming, and supported by DCPS in doing so, then yes, we would have more areas with quality paths through MS and HS. But there are a lot at variables there and I don’t blame families for not taking the risk. Part of the problem is that some UMC families do choose to send their kids to the local MS but accept the status quo and the families who stay but try to work for change get labeled as obnoxious or high strung or racist or whatever. You see this all over this board and I have experienced this even in ES. We were at a school with @good test scores@ which I took to mean lots of kids scoring 5s. What it means in hill-speak is that there is a small achievement gap. Big difference.

You make good points, PP. I don't see an academic "risk" in staying on the Hill for MS as much as the psychic risk of taking on the frustration and dissatisfaction of running with a DCPS middle school culture that's not in sync with that of dynamic, highly diverse neighborhood.

As things stand on the Hill, your kid has the option of going from your highly diverse (students, teachers, staff, admins), high-performing ES to a MS that's overwhelmingly AA (students, teachers, staff, admins) where most students work below grade level. DCPS could make the prospect of sending your kid a DCPS middle school EotP far more appealing by tweaking programming/curriculum to cater to advanced learners, and recruiting more diverse faculties. DCPS doesn't bother so parents can' be blamed for voting with their feet.

Jefferson has a white principal and black assistant principals. https://www.jeffersontrojans.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_92289/File/JA%20Staff%20Directory%209.2.20.pdf looks like the staff is about even between black and white with a few Latina and Asian teachers too...certainly wouldn't call it "overwhelmingly AA" (also if you/your kid is overwhelmed by being around people of color that might deserve some introspection...). White kids are not going to lack racial mirrors among faculty at JA. And the directory lists the contact info for all the staff so you could certainly inquire about how your advanced learner will be catered to.

You're exaggerating, booster. We've been to open houses and other events at JA. It's a seriously AA school without definite honors classes. My kid isn't overwhelmed by much but we're not tempted. JA just isn't nearly diverse enough.

The staff list is literally in the link above and it has everyone's pictures. There's no exaggeration--it is a diverse faculty. You don't have to choose Jefferson but it is just not factually accurate to say the teachers, staff, and admin are "overwhelmingly AA" when it's pretty close to 50/50 black and white.

Come on, no secret that the white teachers and admins at JA are young crusading types. Turnover among them is high. Many are picking up a year or two of experience before they're in a position to head to a higher-performing school.

The AA teachers are the ones who stay, who have seniority, who run the show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but they stay longer at Brent, Maury, SWS and Ludlow. Watkins has serious leadership problems that never seem to get resolved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

I’m PP, my kids went to Watkins through fourth, I’m reporting first person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

I’m PP, my kids went to Watkins through fourth, I’m reporting first person.

When was this? In the last year or two? We've heard that Watkins has started retaining most in-boundary families. True or false?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

I’m PP, my kids went to Watkins through fourth, I’m reporting first person.

When was this? In the last year or two? We've heard that Watkins has started retaining most in-boundary families. True or false?

Watkins has actually dropped from its previous highs (back before Brent, Maury & now L-T had community buy-in and before SWS & CHML split off, Watkins was actually by far the most UMC/IB of the Hill elementary schools), but is now doing a bit better again (although I suspect will take a hit this year, because basically all DCPSes are taking a hit this year). For whatever reason, Brent, Maury & now L-T have had fairly stable trajectories re: IB buy-in once it got going, whereas Watkins has never really been able to take the next step. I think the split school doesn't help because it causes too much of a natural off-ramp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

I’m PP, my kids went to Watkins through fourth, I’m reporting first person.

When was this? In the last year or two? We've heard that Watkins has started retaining most in-boundary families. True or false?

My kids are going into fourth. We don’t know anyone IB who is still there.

[Anonymous]

What a shame, I hadn't realized that so many families still leave Watkins in the lower grades, several years after the snazzy renovation. By contrast, the 4th and 5th grades at Maury and Brent are now mostly in-boundary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

I’m PP, my kids went to Watkins through fourth, I’m reporting first person.

When was this? In the last year or two? We've heard that Watkins has started retaining most in-boundary families. True or false?

Watkins has actually dropped from its previous highs (back before Brent, Maury & now L-T had community buy-in and before SWS & CHML split off, Watkins was actually by far the most UMC/IB of the Hill elementary schools), but is now doing a bit better again (although I suspect will take a hit this year, because basically all DCPSes are taking a hit this year). For whatever reason, Brent, Maury & now L-T have had fairly stable trajectories re: IB buy-in once it got going, whereas Watkins has never really been able to take the next step. I think the split school doesn't help because it causes too much of a natural off-ramp.

Doesn't the strange boundaries geography of Watkins hurt too? If you have to walk 15 blocks you're going to be more open to different solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're way out of date. Hardly any CH kids attend Ward 3 schools OOB in 2021. Supply for JKLM etc. spots that put a family on a path to Deal and Wilson is now a tiny fraction of demand. 20 years ago, plenty of Hill kids took that route.

The reality is that BASIS has become the neighborhood MS for Brent, and to a lesser extend for Maury, Watkins, Ludlow and SWS, along CH Montessori, Latin, DCI and several small MS charters (Two Rivers, Inspired Teaching etc.)

More Brent 4th grade graduates have attended BASIS for 5th grade in the last five or six years than 4th grade at Brent.

I bet there are more Watkins kids. It’s twice as big, and lots of kids go. I wish they released this data, it would be so interesting.

By the time Watkins kids are in 4th grade most IB hill families have left.

I’m PP, my kids went to Watkins through fourth, I’m reporting first person.

When was this? In the last year or two? We've heard that Watkins has started retaining most in-boundary families. True or false?

My kids are going into fourth. We don’t know anyone IB who is still there.

Can confirm - we just got a waitlist offer for Watkins for 4th despite entering post-lottery.

[Anonymous]

As someone noted earlier, a large part of the under-enrollment is Covid related. Anecdotally, a substantial number of families in my circle left and may or not return, come Autumn.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I'm not buying that a large part of this year's under-enrollment is in fact Covid-related.

Yea, a few Watkins' families decamped to grandparents' or other places public schools were open more than in the District, perhaps never to return. But the great majority stuck around and toughed out DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I'm not buying that a large part of this year's under-enrollment is in fact Covid-related.

Yea, a few Watkins' families decamped to grandparents' or other places public schools were open more than in the District, perhaps never to return. But the great majority stuck around and toughed out DL.

You can believe what you want, but in my direct experience a lot of the current under-enrollment is due to Covid. The parents became exasperated with DCPS incompetence and got out of dodge.