What are folks doing for MS EOTP?

[Anonymous]

Naive vs conservative, optimistic vs fearful. Planning for success instead of expecting failure. I think it’s a matter of perspective and willingness to engage. I don’t have a me- first mindset and hope to build a better future for my kids’ generation. I’m thrilled if others want to join us in these choices but given the landscape here I can’t begrudge anyone who wants to make other choices. I still think in the end that the hopeful and hardworking will get the DCPS everyone deserves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, but your generalized view of the situation at DCPS middle schools doesn't meet well with the facts on the ground at MacFarland. It has a capacity of about 600 and has more than 200 (I actually think more than 225!) 6th graders. And don't forget that full DCPS lead to choices and options for students - in classes, staffing, extracurriculars, sports, etc.

So the building will be full, probably over capacity, before you know it. I think a lot of people have DCPS frozen in their minds at like 1995 or 2005 or when MacFarland closed in 2013.

The schools around there are full, with waitlists, with diverse groups of parents interested in the schools. Parents like West. Parents like Powell. Bruce Monroe More and more people are interested in schools like Truesdell, Barnard, Height, which are highly utilized as well. The neighborhood is dense and full of kids, with the citywide charters at Haynes, Latin, DC Bilingual, et al., full and successful too. Schools west of Rock Creek Park are a pain to get to and too often full. Private schools are expensive and difficult to access. Middle school "options" in the charter sector are unlikely lottery successes. The suburbs are what we already said no to.

Basically, people in this area of DC are bound to use MacFarland and Roosevelt and by doing so we will make it succeed, I believe sooner rather than later, and without paying any mind to our harrumphing neighbors over 50.

And there are really some serious bright spots people should see. I like both the principal of MacFarland and the principal of Roosevelt, and key people on their staff, like the global studies staff, are there to help make the language and global learning parts of the curriculum real. I see an easy bridge from my kids' dual language school straight into a middle school that adds differentiated options in math, etc., to the mix.

Seriously, this future is coming, the only question is how fast our neighbors decide to join it.

You sound so naive. The feeders lose most of their UMC chorts by 5th. A “full” school does not make it successful. Ballounis full and it’s a total failure. I’m a parent at one of the dual la gauge feeders and so far I don’t know any UMC families committing to macfarland. Yes the neighborhood is full of kids but most don’t attend these feeders. Plus the feeders go out of their way to keep English dominant families out of preschool.

And where do all those UMC families go after 5th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Naive vs conservative, optimistic vs fearful. Planning for success instead of expecting failure. I think it’s a matter of perspective and willingness to engage. I don’t have a me- first mindset and hope to build a better future for my kids’ generation. I’m thrilled if others want to join us in these choices but given the landscape here I can’t begrudge anyone who wants to make other choices. I still think in the end that the hopeful and hardworking will get the DCPS everyone deserves.

I'd wager that MacFarland and several other DCPS middle schools, will be a desirable option for UMC families...in a decade. Far too late for my own children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, but your generalized view of the situation at DCPS middle schools doesn't meet well with the facts on the ground at MacFarland. It has a capacity of about 600 and has more than 200 (I actually think more than 225!) 6th graders. And don't forget that full DCPS lead to choices and options for students - in classes, staffing, extracurriculars, sports, etc.

So the building will be full, probably over capacity, before you know it. I think a lot of people have DCPS frozen in their minds at like 1995 or 2005 or when MacFarland closed in 2013.

The schools around there are full, with waitlists, with diverse groups of parents interested in the schools. Parents like West. Parents like Powell. Bruce Monroe More and more people are interested in schools like Truesdell, Barnard, Height, which are highly utilized as well. The neighborhood is dense and full of kids, with the citywide charters at Haynes, Latin, DC Bilingual, et al., full and successful too. Schools west of Rock Creek Park are a pain to get to and too often full. Private schools are expensive and difficult to access. Middle school "options" in the charter sector are unlikely lottery successes. The suburbs are what we already said no to.

Basically, people in this area of DC are bound to use MacFarland and Roosevelt and by doing so we will make it succeed, I believe sooner rather than later, and without paying any mind to our harrumphing neighbors over 50.

And there are really some serious bright spots people should see. I like both the principal of MacFarland and the principal of Roosevelt, and key people on their staff, like the global studies staff, are there to help make the language and global learning parts of the curriculum real. I see an easy bridge from my kids' dual language school straight into a middle school that adds differentiated options in math, etc., to the mix.

Seriously, this future is coming, the only question is how fast our neighbors decide to join it.

You sound so naive. The feeders lose most of their UMC chorts by 5th. A “full” school does not make it successful. Ballounis full and it’s a total failure. I’m a parent at one of the dual la gauge feeders and so far I don’t know any UMC families committing to macfarland. Yes the neighborhood is full of kids but most don’t attend these feeders. Plus the feeders go out of their way to keep English dominant families out of preschool.

And where do all those UMC families go after 5th grade?

Charters, private, WOTP, MD/VA. There are lots of options.

[Anonymous]

The prior posts basically show how those choices are becoming more illusory. But yes, you can always move to Silver Spring. No, wait. They won’t let any new residential move into that school area. Or you go private - but they’re harder to get in and more expensive than ever. And charters - less and less new ones open each year and popular ones have lotteries with few winners. So yes, there are choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The prior posts basically show how those choices are becoming more illusory. But yes, you can always move to Silver Spring. No, wait. They won’t let any new residential move into that school area. Or you go private - but they’re harder to get in and more expensive than ever. And charters - less and less new ones open each year and popular ones have lotteries with few winners. So yes, there are choices.

Yes, privates are expensive and charters are more of a crap shoot. But how does Silver Spring, or any other suburb, prevent new residents from moving into schools? If you live in the area, you get to go to the local school. That's the same for IB in DC, but more IB options in the suburbs are decent options.

[Anonymous]

Tour eastern in Silver Spring, I am not so sure it is any better than anything in DC

[Anonymous]

I was referring to this: https://ggwash.org/view/69029/montgomery-county-says-no-new-homes-in-silver-spring-because-the-schools-ar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tour eastern in Silver Spring, I am not so sure it is any better than anything in DC

Eastern MS in Silver Spring has housed an amazing test-in humanities GT program for many years. The program only admits around 10% of applicants county-wide. DCPS doesn't offer such programs.

[Anonymous]

Maybe this has already been discussed, but 2 Rivers and Inspired Teaching are both good options for middle school ETOP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this has already been discussed, but 2 Rivers and Inspired Teaching are both good options for middle school ETOP.

Not really. No real rigor in either program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tour eastern in Silver Spring, I am not so sure it is any better than anything in DC

Eastern MS in Silver Spring has housed an amazing test-in humanities GT program for many years. The program only admits around 10% of applicants county-wide. DCPS doesn't offer such programs.

Most readers of this board would probably discover that their kids don't qualify for the Montgomery County GT programs; they serve a few percent at most. There is also plenty of evidence that gifted children do well later in life, but precious little evidence that GT programs got them there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this has already been discussed, but 2 Rivers and Inspired Teaching are both good options for middle school ETOP.

Not really. No real rigor in either program.

Not everyone prioritizes 'rigor' for MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this has already been discussed, but 2 Rivers and Inspired Teaching are both good options for middle school ETOP.

Not really. No real rigor in either program.

Not everyone prioritizes 'rigor' for MS.

Why not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this has already been discussed, but 2 Rivers and Inspired Teaching are both good options for middle school ETOP.

Not really. No real rigor in either program.

Not everyone prioritizes 'rigor' for MS.

Why not?

Because middle school is where kids start to branch out in their interests, trying new skills and deeper into subject matter, they are shifting learning techniques - more executive functioning and organization/planning. Plus. there are big shifts is social-emotional development. Middle school is a balance between the individual and the material, even more than high school.