Does anyone on Capitol Hill send their kid to an elementary in upper NW?

[Anonymous]

i dont know but there is a ward 6 zoom panel with all of the middle school principals on tuesday evening this week.

[Anonymous]

Our son is in 5th grade at Payne, and at least this year, the 5th grade was still the largest in the school. Most of my son's peers are planning on going to EH, some of them already have older siblings there. We have heard good things, been impressed by the principal and class/extra curriculars. Our plan is for our daughter to go there in a few years too. Can't speak for everybody obviously , but many families are intending on at least trying it out.




I wonder if Eliot-Hine will be in a similar situation in the next few years with more in-boundary families staying at Payne in the upper grades.


Payne parent here, have heard from a number of families that they intend to send their upper grade kids to EH. Definitely will be interesting to see how the next few years go in that regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our son is in 5th grade at Payne, and at least this year, the 5th grade was still the largest in the school. Most of my son's peers are planning on going to EH, some of them already have older siblings there. We have heard good things, been impressed by the principal and class/extra curriculars. Our plan is for our daughter to go there in a few years too. Can't speak for everybody obviously , but many families are intending on at least trying it out.




I wonder if Eliot-Hine will be in a similar situation in the next few years with more in-boundary families staying at Payne in the upper grades.

Payne parent here, have heard from a number of families that they intend to send their upper grade kids to EH. Definitely will be interesting to see how the next few years go in that regard.

This is pretty great! Maury is the same vibe.

[Anonymous]

I am the previous poster with a 5th grader at Payne, and I thought of one more point to make for these PK3 parents on this thread who are stressed about middle and high school feeder patterns. These forums are useful to a certain extent, but I also recommend to folks to go out and find families at the schools who have kids in the older grades. It will give you a much more detailed and nuanced view of the schools. Reading through these types of threads it is easy to see things in a black and white, one versus the other type of conversation. As a parent I know happy families at Payne, Ludlow, Tyler, Maury, Miner, SWS, Watkins, Eliot, Stuart Hobson, and Jefferson. I also know families who have enrolled in charters or private schools who are happy there. My son has always done well academically, and has continued to be challenged by his math and ELA teachers at his school. If going to NW or private fits what your family wants/needs, that is great, but don't write anything off at this point with such young kids. You may end up very happy with the teachers and programming at the nearby schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the previous poster with a 5th grader at Payne, and I thought of one more point to make for these PK3 parents on this thread who are stressed about middle and high school feeder patterns. These forums are useful to a certain extent, but I also recommend to folks to go out and find families at the schools who have kids in the older grades. It will give you a much more detailed and nuanced view of the schools. Reading through these types of threads it is easy to see things in a black and white, one versus the other type of conversation. As a parent I know happy families at Payne, Ludlow, Tyler, Maury, Miner, SWS, Watkins, Eliot, Stuart Hobson, and Jefferson. I also know families who have enrolled in charters or private schools who are happy there. My son has always done well academically, and has continued to be challenged by his math and ELA teachers at his school. If going to NW or private fits what your family wants/needs, that is great, but don't write anything off at this point with such young kids. You may end up very happy with the teachers and programming at the nearby schools.

I absolutely agree with you, but the fact is, people (sometimes in a coordinated manner) suppress negative information about schools. So it’s important to draw on a wide range of information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the previous poster with a 5th grader at Payne, and I thought of one more point to make for these PK3 parents on this thread who are stressed about middle and high school feeder patterns. These forums are useful to a certain extent, but I also recommend to folks to go out and find families at the schools who have kids in the older grades. It will give you a much more detailed and nuanced view of the schools. Reading through these types of threads it is easy to see things in a black and white, one versus the other type of conversation. As a parent I know happy families at Payne, Ludlow, Tyler, Maury, Miner, SWS, Watkins, Eliot, Stuart Hobson, and Jefferson. I also know families who have enrolled in charters or private schools who are happy there. My son has always done well academically, and has continued to be challenged by his math and ELA teachers at his school. If going to NW or private fits what your family wants/needs, that is great, but don't write anything off at this point with such young kids. You may end up very happy with the teachers and programming at the nearby schools.

I absolutely agree with you, but the fact is, people (sometimes in a coordinated manner) suppress negative information about schools. So it’s important to draw on a wide range of information.

Agree, but I wonder, what are the parents sending their kids to EH planning for high school? We did elementary on the Hill and had a great experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the previous poster with a 5th grader at Payne, and I thought of one more point to make for these PK3 parents on this thread who are stressed about middle and high school feeder patterns. These forums are useful to a certain extent, but I also recommend to folks to go out and find families at the schools who have kids in the older grades. It will give you a much more detailed and nuanced view of the schools. Reading through these types of threads it is easy to see things in a black and white, one versus the other type of conversation. As a parent I know happy families at Payne, Ludlow, Tyler, Maury, Miner, SWS, Watkins, Eliot, Stuart Hobson, and Jefferson. I also know families who have enrolled in charters or private schools who are happy there. My son has always done well academically, and has continued to be challenged by his math and ELA teachers at his school. If going to NW or private fits what your family wants/needs, that is great, but don't write anything off at this point with such young kids. You may end up very happy with the teachers and programming at the nearby schools.

I absolutely agree with you, but the fact is, people (sometimes in a coordinated manner) suppress negative information about schools. So it’s important to draw on a wide range of information.

Agree, but I wonder, what are the parents sending their kids to EH planning for high school? We did elementary on the Hill and had a great experience.

Many families are planning on private HS (something they fail to mention when discussing it unless you ask …)

[Anonymous]

To answer the high school question, we are approaching it the same way we thought about middle school when our kids were younger. I have lived in this neighborhood for 20 years, and am an educator myself so paid attention to schools even before I had kids. I noticed that the schools can change a lot in a short amount of time, either due to a renovation, a new principal, increased or decreased enrollment, etc. So I had more of a'wait and see' approach. Even when we started in Payne in PK3, I wasn't sure if we would stay, but every year we assessed that our kids were happy, our kids were learning, we really liked the teachers, their friends, our friends, and the short commute, so we stayed. For high school we have fewer years to figure out the next step, but our plan is similar. We have a few friends whose kids are at Eastern, and if that worked out, either the IB program or the Health and Medical Sciences program, that would be great. But if not, we know families with kids at Banneker, McKinley Tech, and SWW, so we may look into those. Another thing we have been thinking about recently, is - like some prior posts have mentioned, a lot of middle schools have similar programing, just different sizes. High schools however start offering different types of programs/focuses, etc. So in a city with choice, we are planning to see where our kids' interests lie in a few years and involving them in the process too. I think making all of those decisions when they are so young could result in a middle or high school that isn't a good fit for your kid by the time you get there anyway.
Sort of a long winded answer, but hopefully it is helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer the high school question, we are approaching it the same way we thought about middle school when our kids were younger. I have lived in this neighborhood for 20 years, and am an educator myself so paid attention to schools even before I had kids. I noticed that the schools can change a lot in a short amount of time, either due to a renovation, a new principal, increased or decreased enrollment, etc. So I had more of a'wait and see' approach. Even when we started in Payne in PK3, I wasn't sure if we would stay, but every year we assessed that our kids were happy, our kids were learning, we really liked the teachers, their friends, our friends, and the short commute, so we stayed. For high school we have fewer years to figure out the next step, but our plan is similar. We have a few friends whose kids are at Eastern, and if that worked out, either the IB program or the Health and Medical Sciences program, that would be great. But if not, we know families with kids at Banneker, McKinley Tech, and SWW, so we may look into those. Another thing we have been thinking about recently, is - like some prior posts have mentioned, a lot of middle schools have similar programing, just different sizes. High schools however start offering different types of programs/focuses, etc. So in a city with choice, we are planning to see where our kids' interests lie in a few years and involving them in the process too. I think making all of those decisions when they are so young could result in a middle or high school that isn't a good fit for your kid by the time you get there anyway.
Sort of a long winded answer, but hopefully it is helpful!

What you describe is pretty much the only alternative if you decide to stay on the Hill. But of course, by moving to the suburbs, you can be assured that the school pyramid will be fine. So yeah, this is a decision you can make when your kid is young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the high school question, we are approaching it the same way we thought about middle school when our kids were younger. I have lived in this neighborhood for 20 years, and am an educator myself so paid attention to schools even before I had kids. I noticed that the schools can change a lot in a short amount of time, either due to a renovation, a new principal, increased or decreased enrollment, etc. So I had more of a'wait and see' approach. Even when we started in Payne in PK3, I wasn't sure if we would stay, but every year we assessed that our kids were happy, our kids were learning, we really liked the teachers, their friends, our friends, and the short commute, so we stayed. For high school we have fewer years to figure out the next step, but our plan is similar. We have a few friends whose kids are at Eastern, and if that worked out, either the IB program or the Health and Medical Sciences program, that would be great. But if not, we know families with kids at Banneker, McKinley Tech, and SWW, so we may look into those. Another thing we have been thinking about recently, is - like some prior posts have mentioned, a lot of middle schools have similar programing, just different sizes. High schools however start offering different types of programs/focuses, etc. So in a city with choice, we are planning to see where our kids' interests lie in a few years and involving them in the process too. I think making all of those decisions when they are so young could result in a middle or high school that isn't a good fit for your kid by the time you get there anyway.
Sort of a long winded answer, but hopefully it is helpful!

What you describe is pretty much the only alternative if you decide to stay on the Hill. But of course, by moving to the suburbs, you can be assured that the school pyramid will be fine. So yeah, this is a decision you can make when your kid is young.

These discussions are so pointless because there are too many stupid people on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the high school question, we are approaching it the same way we thought about middle school when our kids were younger. I have lived in this neighborhood for 20 years, and am an educator myself so paid attention to schools even before I had kids. I noticed that the schools can change a lot in a short amount of time, either due to a renovation, a new principal, increased or decreased enrollment, etc. So I had more of a'wait and see' approach. Even when we started in Payne in PK3, I wasn't sure if we would stay, but every year we assessed that our kids were happy, our kids were learning, we really liked the teachers, their friends, our friends, and the short commute, so we stayed. For high school we have fewer years to figure out the next step, but our plan is similar. We have a few friends whose kids are at Eastern, and if that worked out, either the IB program or the Health and Medical Sciences program, that would be great. But if not, we know families with kids at Banneker, McKinley Tech, and SWW, so we may look into those. Another thing we have been thinking about recently, is - like some prior posts have mentioned, a lot of middle schools have similar programing, just different sizes. High schools however start offering different types of programs/focuses, etc. So in a city with choice, we are planning to see where our kids' interests lie in a few years and involving them in the process too. I think making all of those decisions when they are so young could result in a middle or high school that isn't a good fit for your kid by the time you get there anyway.
Sort of a long winded answer, but hopefully it is helpful!

What you describe is pretty much the only alternative if you decide to stay on the Hill. But of course, by moving to the suburbs, you can be assured that the school pyramid will be fine. So yeah, this is a decision you can make when your kid is young.

These discussions are so pointless because there are too many stupid people on DCUM.

Um, ok? The whole point of moving to the 'burbs is a school pyramid where you can be (as much as possible) on autopilot about the safety of the school and quality of instruction. Everyone is perfectly free to make their "choice" to stay on the Hill, but as this PP showed, that choice involves pretty constant vigilance and uncertainty about what comes next. You may declare that your family "thrives" on this, but you can't deny the fundamental difference.

[Anonymous]

dcps application high schools or private (or even move then i guess). you have to be okay w not having everything 100% perfectly worked out in 4th grade

[Anonymous]

people unintentionally tend to suppress negative information no matter what their choice was. its human nature to more positively frame the choice you made vs the one you didnt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the high school question, we are approaching it the same way we thought about middle school when our kids were younger. I have lived in this neighborhood for 20 years, and am an educator myself so paid attention to schools even before I had kids. I noticed that the schools can change a lot in a short amount of time, either due to a renovation, a new principal, increased or decreased enrollment, etc. So I had more of a'wait and see' approach. Even when we started in Payne in PK3, I wasn't sure if we would stay, but every year we assessed that our kids were happy, our kids were learning, we really liked the teachers, their friends, our friends, and the short commute, so we stayed. For high school we have fewer years to figure out the next step, but our plan is similar. We have a few friends whose kids are at Eastern, and if that worked out, either the IB program or the Health and Medical Sciences program, that would be great. But if not, we know families with kids at Banneker, McKinley Tech, and SWW, so we may look into those. Another thing we have been thinking about recently, is - like some prior posts have mentioned, a lot of middle schools have similar programing, just different sizes. High schools however start offering different types of programs/focuses, etc. So in a city with choice, we are planning to see where our kids' interests lie in a few years and involving them in the process too. I think making all of those decisions when they are so young could result in a middle or high school that isn't a good fit for your kid by the time you get there anyway.
Sort of a long winded answer, but hopefully it is helpful!

What you describe is pretty much the only alternative if you decide to stay on the Hill. But of course, by moving to the suburbs, you can be assured that the school pyramid will be fine. So yeah, this is a decision you can make when your kid is young.

These discussions are so pointless because there are too many stupid people on DCUM.

Um, ok? The whole point of moving to the 'burbs is a school pyramid where you can be (as much as possible) on autopilot about the safety of the school and quality of instruction. Everyone is perfectly free to make their "choice" to stay on the Hill, but as this PP showed, that choice involves pretty constant vigilance and uncertainty about what comes next. You may declare that your family "thrives" on this, but you can't deny the fundamental difference.

We have friends that moved to a tony MD suburb because the ES was excellent. Then that school system instituted an equity program and their kids take a but farther away from home to a much less affluent school. There are few guarantees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:people unintentionally tend to suppress negative information no matter what their choice was. its human nature to more positively frame the choice you made vs the one you didnt.

That's one way to look at it. Another is to say that it is easy to sit in the corner and poke holes in everything instead of engaging. Another way to say it is that DC (and DCUM) is filled with adults who grew up entitled, but not nearly as entitled as they thought. They confuse upper middle class upbringings in nice suburban towns with little poverty and think that they were actually trust fund kids. Those people spend all of their time worrying about what they don't have and jealous of what other people have, instead of appreciating what they do have. They think that someone stressing over things they don't have makes them "deep" or "thoughtful". They don't understand that perfection is a mirage.