The Lists are In...

[Anonymous]

PK4

Inspired Teaching
Mundo Verde
Capital City
DC Bilingual
Haynes
Two Rivers
Bridges
Lee
Sela
SWS
Appletree CH
Center City Brightwood

We live near Fort Totten

[Anonymous]

To those who picked all "charters"... is there a why? No DCPS stood out?

[Anonymous]

Very few DCPS gave PK4 slots to OOB non-sibs.

[Anonymous]

Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really?

The ones worth applying for.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else see some group think going in here? Or are the similarity of these lists due to common circumstances of avid DCUM participants: struggling IB school but live near hot charters? Would be fascinating to see a broader data set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else see some group think going in here? Or are the similarity of these lists due to common circumstances of avid DCUM participants: struggling IB school but live near hot charters? Would be fascinating to see a broader data set.

Not sure what you're getting at, but I imagine similarities are due to demographics of the forum. You can find data on where students actually end up going to school at Code for DC: http://edu.codefordc.org.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting, but I find the prek3 and prek4 lists hard to interpret, and not only because I don't know where people live or work or their lottery preferences (IB, SIB) unless stated.

But because I don't know their commitment to DC and their plans for K.

If you are planning to move WOTP or MD or VA anyway for K, and are just looking for some decent free daycare in the meantime, then you are likely to go for proximity above all else, and you don't care about a school's reputation beyond K.

If you plan to stay put for a long time then the stakes are higher, and you might be willing to drive across town to get consistent quality up to 5th grade, or feeder rights into Deal, and so on.

I think one issue is that the most sought-after options (for PS3, because for PK4 a whole new world opens up WOTP) are not in the common lottery.

Only if you're living inbounds already for Lafayette, Murch, Mann, Janney, Key and Stoddert will things "open up" at these schools for pk4. When you have inbounds sibs that don't score a spot, I wouldn't get my hopes up over there in CH

[Anonymous]

I think the poster was thinking Hyde, Eaton, and Hearst.

[Anonymous]

PK4
Inspired
Hearst
Eaton
MV
Shepherd (IB)
Cap City
Haynes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess my point was that these lists could feel "inconsistent" because they omit some of the schools that parents are interested in. But frankly I don't know why people care if my list is difficult to understand, or why they would blast me for prioritizing location when my child is THREE. I moved to DC intending to stay 2 years and have stayed 12. Are another 12 in store? Maybe, maybe not. But I'm certainly not driving over to Two Rivers or down to Mundo Verde during rush hour traffic just in case my Three-year-old may attend middle school in DC in NINE YEARS.

+1000

[Anonymous]

That is the kind of short term thinking that led to me buying a house linked to a crappy neighborhood school years ago.
So you can bet that now, I am indeed thinking 9 years ahead.

[Anonymous]

You guys are so weird!!! We bought our house before we were even engaged. Things happen step by step. And it's not short term thinking--most of us cannot afford to buy our first home in Chevy Chase. We bought where we could afford. I do not want this string to turn into the argument of those who "care" about their children's education and rent a 1-bedroom on Connecticut Ave vs those who don't because they bought a house they could afford. But really--should you have bought a house in a good school distinct before even thinking of having kids? Seems bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP, but we also found te DC bilingual open house very impressive. It was the most organized open house I attended. You got a good sense not only of academics, but of how they approach non-academics, like nutrition. Met with all the specials teachers in addition to classroom teachers. We ranked it very high, certainly higher than PK3 DCPS dual language programs. No comparison in our view.

I'm the PP and I agree. Very organized, great energy, dedicated and enthusiastic teachers and staff.

I think the reason others didn't rank it high is that they skipped the open house. I can't imagine ranking a nearby dual language DCPS like Bancroft higher if you attended both open houses.

If DC Bilingual has gotten their act together this year to the degree that they outshine Powell and other schools named above, good for them. THat was not the case last year or the year before, and based on our interactions with them at open houses and expos, we did not apply. Still wouldn't if we were in the game again this year. Only the DCI feed even makes them blip on our radar at all...otherwise, no way.

But DC needs as many quality schools as DC can get, so if DC Bilingual is turning a new leaf and upping their customer service game (and obviously the quality of the education they're providing), that is a good thing. I hope that's the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not PP, but we also found te DC bilingual open house very impressive. It was the most organized open house I attended. You got a good sense not only of academics, but of how they approach non-academics, like nutrition. Met with all the specials teachers in addition to classroom teachers. We ranked it very high, certainly higher than PK3 DCPS dual language programs. No comparison in our view.

I'm the PP and I agree. Very organized, great energy, dedicated and enthusiastic teachers and staff.

I think the reason others didn't rank it high is that they skipped the open house. I can't imagine ranking a nearby dual language DCPS like Bancroft higher if you attended both open houses.

If DC Bilingual has gotten their act together this year to the degree that they outshine Powell and other schools named above, good for them. THat was not the case last year or the year before, and based on our interactions with them at open houses and expos, we did not apply. Still wouldn't if we were in the game again this year. Only the DCI feed even makes them blip on our radar at all...otherwise, no way.

But DC needs as many quality schools as DC can get, so if DC Bilingual is turning a new leaf and upping their customer service game (and obviously the quality of the education they're providing), that is a good thing. I hope that's the case.

Can you be more specific?