Brent vs. Maury vs. Ludlow-Taylor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All things considered, the question is it more OK to move to Fairfax, MoCo or elsewhere in search of more elementary and MS challenge, or pay for a private school. Not by us.

We're more OK with supplementing to stay in our home of 20 years, near longtime friends and neighbors. We're more OK with living across the street from one of the local libraries and down the road from the Smithsonian museums. We wish that our by-right DCPS schools provided more challenge for our kids, but they don't. Pretty clearly, we can't begin to change that in the years they have left in DCPS.

What are you suggesting we do?

Trying to better understand the issue leading to the lack of challenge in these schools more than anything. Particularly since the schools serve neighborhoods with relatively high SES families. Is it the teachers (e.g. high turnover, not a lot of years teaching, poor classroom management)? Is it the DCPS curriculum (not going deep enough, trying to cover too much, not focusing on foundational academics)? Is it lack of homework to confirm mastery of subject, or too much homework?

In your opinion what are the issues contributing to the lack of challenge?

This one is not difficult. It's that more than 3/4 of the students in DC public schools are low SES and minority. Many school system leaders still equate academic tracking and GT programs with discrimination against low-income minority children, all the way from K to 12th.

Had Michelle Rhee/Fentee lasted a decade ago, things would probably be quite different in DCPS by now. Rhee gave speeches pledging much more support for "advanced learners" system wide. In a nutshell, if your kid works more than a year ahead of grade level in math or reading in a DCPS ES and your classroom teacher isn't interested in challenging them, they won't be pushed. You take up the matter up with admins, but they're free to ignore you, since their higher-ups don't expect them to serve students who work ahead of grade level. For some students, the arrangement means that school is too easy across the board, generally in 4th and 5th grades as well as middle school.

I'm not convinced that things are all that much better in the DC burbs, super duper test-in GT programs in Fairfax and MoCo serving less than 10% of students countywide. I hear similar complaints from DC friends who moved to VA and MD. So parents supplement.

Agree with this but it can become circular. A lot of smart kids are performing only at grade level in math for example, when they are capable of more, but since they haven’t been taught the material they are performing only at grade level on assessments. And then the teacher has “evidence” that grade level material is the right level for them. Once we finally figured this out we started supplementing heavily and the kids’ test scores skyrocketed. The more advanced material was not particularly challenging. They just needed to be taught the material.

Like with everything in DCPS you’re better off figuring out the system and working within it than try to change it.

[Anonymous]

Couldn't agree more. We stuck with one of the schools this thread from PreS3 to 5th grade for 2 kids (end of the road this year). All the supplementing required to ensure that our kids were challenged and could write a grammatic paragraph or two by 5th grade got to us over the years. Writing instruction was by far the weakest link - not nearly enough practice, hardly any grammar taught, and hardly any correcting of work on the part of teachers. The math instruction was adequate, but no push, and regular denials that one of our kids was ready for tougher math. A 5th grade teacher scolded us for teaching him "too much math" for the school to know what to do with him. At least the school was a happy and safe place for the kids, with an excellent librarian.

[Anonymous]

Just make sure your kids read a lot and keep up with math in DCPS elementary schools. Middle schools generally stress writing and grammar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just make sure your kids read a lot and keep up with math in DCPS elementary schools. Middle schools generally stress writing and grammar.

This has not been our experience. (Unless you are at basis, I’m told).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just make sure your kids read a lot and keep up with math in DCPS elementary schools. Middle schools generally stress writing and grammar.

This has not been our experience. (Unless you are at basis, I’m told).

Basis has plenty of grammar, but little writing, at least through middle school.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone- Asking this same question now since a few years have past. thinking of schools, teaching, and community/sports. How have the schools fared since COVID? Are the 2021 answers still valid now in 2024, or do folks have recommendations? Thank you.

[Anonymous]

They feed into different middle schools, so how you feel about each middle school (and your willingness to avoid the feeders by trying for other DCPS/charter options, moving, or going private) is probably a big factor. Brent has an upcoming renovation with an inconvenient swing location. Maury was recommended to merge with Miner, which caused a lot of angst but is probably not going to happen. And L-T has a new principal (there's a whole thread on her) who seems to be getting mixed reviews, but people seem happy with the school itself and especially the aftercare programs. I don't think any of them are a bad choice but they each have their own things going on. I'll also note that since 2021 there have been changes in nearby schools: Payne has seen a lot more in-boundary enrollment and higher overall test scores (plus it does better than most DCPSs with at-risk kids), Tyler was renamed Chisholm and is becoming 100% dual-language (with Payne the school for kids who want English-only; how that goes remains to be seen), and Miner and JO Wilson continue to slowly gentrify (with JOW probably accelerating afterits upcoming renovation). I think more people on Capitol Hill are interested in their in-bound schools versus CHML and 2R than was the case in 2021. SWS remains popular but the people who are choosing it are doing so because they like the model, and not because they see their IB school as bad.

[Anonymous]

If you have kids that would have to start attending Brent in the next few years, I'd look elsewhere. The swing space proposed is a nightmare and modernizations with inconvenient swing locations & parents with the bucks to go private typically end badly.

If you have a newborn so you could get through the modernization and a bumpy couple of years after? Brent will be a beautiful new building waiting just for you!

[Anonymous]

I would look into Watkins. We loved it there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone- Asking this same question now since a few years have past. thinking of schools, teaching, and community/sports. How have the schools fared since COVID? Are the 2021 answers still valid now in 2024, or do folks have recommendations? Thank you.

EH just keeps on going strong! Not to say the others are poor choices but it’s a post-pandemic development that makes the Maury choice stronger. Honestly though, although I am a total EH booster I’d just make the choice based on where you can find the housing and proximity to stuff you want.

[Anonymous]

I thought we were moving back to DC and I was excited at the prospect of sending my 2nd grader to Watkins. Bummed the move didn't work out, but I continue to check out the DC school topics because I keep holding out hope that we'll actually move back to the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone- Asking this same question now since a few years have past. thinking of schools, teaching, and community/sports. How have the schools fared since COVID? Are the 2021 answers still valid now in 2024, or do folks have recommendations? Thank you.

EH just keeps on going strong! Not to say the others are poor choices but it’s a post-pandemic development that makes the Maury choice stronger. Honestly though, although I am a total EH booster I’d just make the choice based on where you can find the housing and proximity to stuff you want.

Yes this. The housing stock is really limited around here. Elementary school boundaries are really small. The choice is essentially made for a lot of people because of price and location needs. We looked at four houses before finally buying/“winning” with our offer, and though all four houses were within blocks of each other, they were in different school zones. We ended up in a place where we are happy but it was basically a twist of fate!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone- Asking this same question now since a few years have past. thinking of schools, teaching, and community/sports. How have the schools fared since COVID? Are the 2021 answers still valid now in 2024, or do folks have recommendations? Thank you.

EH just keeps on going strong! Not to say the others are poor choices but it’s a post-pandemic development that makes the Maury choice stronger. Honestly though, although I am a total EH booster I’d just make the choice based on where you can find the housing and proximity to stuff you want.

Yes this. The housing stock is really limited around here. Elementary school boundaries are really small. The choice is essentially made for a lot of people because of price and location needs. We looked at four houses before finally buying/“winning” with our offer, and though all four houses were within blocks of each other, they were in different school zones. We ended up in a place where we are happy but it was basically a twist of fate!

Yep we are lucky with the quality of elementary schools on the Hill now!