Capitol Hill Middle School and High School situation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Right, so where did they go to get out of Dodge? Moved to the suburbs when schools in VA and MD were mostly closed, too? Went charter, when DC charters were open even less than DCPS EotP? Moved to another party of the country, or another country? Every DCPS family doesn't have grandparents with a giant house where local schools were open, and willing to let the kids enroll.

Sounds easy to bail on DCPS for blatant incompetence in the middle of a global pandemic, but we couldn't figure out how to make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Right, so where did they go to get out of Dodge? Moved to the suburbs when schools in VA and MD were mostly closed, too? Went charter, when DC charters were open even less than DCPS EotP? Moved to another party of the country, or another country? Every DCPS family doesn't have grandparents with a giant house where local schools were open, and willing to let the kids enroll.

Sounds easy to bail on DCPS for blatant incompetence in the middle of a global pandemic, but we couldn't figure out how to make it work.

Admittedly these are people who have the resources to pull their kids from DC schools: many went to various southern states that kept their schools open basically the entire time. A greater number pulled their kids out of D.C. school and pooled resources to homeschool their kids. But certainly you can't begrudge their choice to bail: nationally, the kids' futures have been damaged by local public schools' inaction, resulting in an average of 54 school days of lost instruction across the country:

https://ph.ucla.edu/news/press-release/2020/nov/schooling-disrupted-pandemic-united-states-likely-have-life-long-impact

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Right, so where did they go to get out of Dodge? Moved to the suburbs when schools in VA and MD were mostly closed, too? Went charter, when DC charters were open even less than DCPS EotP? Moved to another party of the country, or another country? Every DCPS family doesn't have grandparents with a giant house where local schools were open, and willing to let the kids enroll.

Sounds easy to bail on DCPS for blatant incompetence in the middle of a global pandemic, but we couldn't figure out how to make it work.

Admittedly these are people who have the resources to pull their kids from DC schools: many went to various southern states that kept their schools open basically the entire time. A greater number pulled their kids out of D.C. school and pooled resources to homeschool their kids. But certainly you can't begrudge their choice to bail: nationally, the kids' futures have been damaged by local public schools' inaction, resulting in an average of 54 school days of lost instruction across the country:

https://ph.ucla.edu/news/press-release/2020/nov/schooling-disrupted-pandemic-united-states-likely-have-life-long-impact

There just aren't a lot of DCPS families EotP with the resources to hire private teachers or move to southern states while holding down District-based jobs. We formed a pod with other families, with parents hiring a full-time pod supervisor to keep the kids on track with DL lessons from DCPS. I've been in the neighborhood since the 90s and only know one family that bailed on DCPS DL to homeschool upper grades DCPS ES-age kids. The rest of us fantasized about hiring a teacher and moving at least temporarily, but found that both options were much easier said than done. We earn more than 200K between us and don't have a crushing mortgage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Right, so where did they go to get out of Dodge? Moved to the suburbs when schools in VA and MD were mostly closed, too? Went charter, when DC charters were open even less than DCPS EotP? Moved to another party of the country, or another country? Every DCPS family doesn't have grandparents with a giant house where local schools were open, and willing to let the kids enroll.

Sounds easy to bail on DCPS for blatant incompetence in the middle of a global pandemic, but we couldn't figure out how to make it work.

Admittedly these are people who have the resources to pull their kids from DC schools: many went to various southern states that kept their schools open basically the entire time. A greater number pulled their kids out of D.C. school and pooled resources to homeschool their kids. But certainly you can't begrudge their choice to bail: nationally, the kids' futures have been damaged by local public schools' inaction, resulting in an average of 54 school days of lost instruction across the country:

https://ph.ucla.edu/news/press-release/2020/nov/schooling-disrupted-pandemic-united-states-likely-have-life-long-impact

There just aren't a lot of DCPS families EotP with the resources to hire private teachers or move to southern states while holding down District-based jobs. We formed a pod with other families, with parents hiring a full-time pod supervisor to keep the kids on track with DL lessons from DCPS. I've been in the neighborhood since the 90s and only know one family that bailed on DCPS DL to homeschool upper grades DCPS ES-age kids. The rest of us fantasized about hiring a teacher and moving at least temporarily, but found that both options were much easier said than done. We earn more than 200K between us and don't have a crushing mortgage.

I understand that's the reality here in D.C., and it's terrible. It is outrageous that DCPS could have done better, and caused such suffering by extending the pain. Granted, it was necessary to close schools for a while, but the extent of the term and the damage was great.

[Anonymous]

What happened to the strong math-science program at Jefferson started by former principal Vera White? It was essentially a school within school that began algebra at grade 7. At that time Deal and Jefferson attracted top students from around D.C. That was before the lottery. There was a public-private partnership where a tech or science company (forgot the name) helped with the program. Some kids from that programs went to Wilson or School without Walls.

[Anonymous]

Will DCPS summer programs help improve the schools in the fall? Is there going to be an emphasis on math and reading? Writing/grammar? Do online math and reading programs help prepare kids for testing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the strong math-science program at Jefferson started by former principal Vera White? It was essentially a school within school that began algebra at grade 7. At that time Deal and Jefferson attracted top students from around D.C. That was before the lottery. There was a public-private partnership where a tech or science company (forgot the name) helped with the program. Some kids from that programs went to Wilson or School without Walls.

It was at a time where Wilson's boundaries were bigger (kids from SW were zoned for Wilson) and there was a lot more principal discretion. Vera White required an essay to get in--it wasn't a lottery and motivated families got their kids in. Better for some kids, worse for others. Apropos of previous conversations on this thread, less diverse than JA is now. And some of the teachers may have been great but a few years ago I met a Spanish teacher who'd worked at JA in the Vera White era and her Spanish was not good at all.

[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.

Not true. My kid just finished up 4th grade at Watkins this year, and many classmates were the same classmates from Peabody times. I wish people who don't attend Watkins would quit posting incorrect facts.