Looking to talk to Thomson, Two Rivers, and Capitol Hill Montessori parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

That's a good question--not sure. Perhaps a current parent could weigh in. The TRY principal just quit recently. I was always amazed at leadership's attempts to spin the situation at the school, but many parents we knew didn't question ANYTHING going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

This is OP. I visited TR 4th St. and I did not get the sense they thought they had perception challenges, tho I don't know what the "hymnal" was like before. I liked some of the instructional leaders and teachers I met, liked their project based approach, and the facilities. My big issues were larger class sizes in preK than regular DCPS schools (no union at TR to insist on lower caps) and especially, the distance from home. I had heard great things before going to the Open House but I didn't consider them as seriously as I thought I was going to because I ended up liking a couple of other schools better that are easy to get into, lotterywise.

I take DCUM with a grain of salt because you don't know who the comments are coming from but I did notice the negatives impressions of TR in this thread and found it interesting that there are so many people unhappy with them. I wonder why, tho more out of curiosity than as a parent trying to make a decision since I doubt we'll match there, given our other preferences. If somehow we do, I definitely want to know more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

This is OP. I visited TR 4th St. and I did not get the sense they thought they had perception challenges, tho I don't know what the "hymnal" was like before. I liked some of the instructional leaders and teachers I met, liked their project based approach, and the facilities. My big issues were larger class sizes in preK than regular DCPS schools (no union at TR to insist on lower caps) and especially, the distance from home. I had heard great things before going to the Open House but I didn't consider them as seriously as I thought I was going to because I ended up liking a couple of other schools better that are easy to get into, lotterywise.

I take DCUM with a grain of salt because you don't know who the comments are coming from but I did notice the negatives impressions of TR in this thread and found it interesting that there are so many people unhappy with them. I wonder why, tho more out of curiosity than as a parent trying to make a decision since I doubt we'll match there, given our other preferences. If somehow we do, I definitely want to know more.

Agree you need to take DCUM with a massive salt lick. As a parent that pulled their kid out of TR, I would suggest you go back and look at DCUM over a perhaps 6-8 year time horizon. There was a time when TR was never the subject of any discussion on DCUM. Other than it being a HRCS, it was crickets. I believe that most of that was because most families were generally happy and the population is a lot of working families who didn't have time, or a desire, for drama. Look at it now. There's a lot of posts on what a sh*t show it is and those are coming from TR and TRY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

That's a good question--not sure. Perhaps a current parent could weigh in. The TRY principal just quit recently. I was always amazed at leadership's attempts to spin the situation at the school, but many parents we knew didn't question ANYTHING going on.

What! When?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

That's a good question--not sure. Perhaps a current parent could weigh in. The TRY principal just quit recently. I was always amazed at leadership's attempts to spin the situation at the school, but many parents we knew didn't question ANYTHING going on.

What! When?

NP here. Our understanding was that Chelsea quit at some point over the past two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

That's a good question--not sure. Perhaps a current parent could weigh in. The TRY principal just quit recently. I was always amazed at leadership's attempts to spin the situation at the school, but many parents we knew didn't question ANYTHING going on.

What! When?

NP here. Our understanding was that Chelsea quit at some point over the past two weeks.

Dayum. She does not appear on a search on their site. My heart is broken for what has happened to TR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Thomson is a fine school and if you like the downtown location, great. Two Rivers is for those who go for the "expeditionary" model, but beware the behavior issues they seem to have a hard time with. Also, the middle school of Two Rivers is way over at the Young campus, maybe not great logistics for you? And be sure to look at test scores relative to demographic. IMO a school like Seaton, which has very strong math scores if you look at the MGP and relative to demographics, is more impressive than Two Rivers with its meh scores from mostly high-income kids. Same for CHML-- I'm aghast at their test scores relative to demographics. Don't think that just because a school offers 8th grade that you will actually be happy with it when the time comes.

I don't know why Inspired Teaching wouldn't be on your list. The middle school is nice if you like a small school, and I like the higher number of student teachers because it makes for a great adult-child ratio.

Understand, OP, that some schools are on an improving/gentrifying trajectory and some are not. Langley, for example, much like Garrison, was on hard times 10 years ago and Garrison very nearly shut down by the city. But with new leadership and the hard work of many families, those schools are slowly, slowly improving. It's not a quick process and nobody should expect it to be. But both schools have an engaged cohort of preschool and lower elementary parents who fundraise and advocate with the city for their school. That won't show in the PARCC scores until those kids are retained through spring of 3rd grade. (But you can ask for iReady or DIBELS data on K-2nd if it's important to you.). Contrast that with schools like Two Rivers, Shining Stars, Lee, and Mundo Verde. Not so many low-income kids, the school has existed for long enough, numberically large group of families to donate and advocate and support their kids academically, and yet the test scores are meh, what could be the reason? Bad scores on mostly high-income kids means something is not right in the school.

Don’t minimize the impact that discipline issues can have on upper ES. Even if a student is doing well academically, they are likely to suffer in a chaotic environment. I’m a NP, but as others have stated, this is the primary reason we left TR. The leadership at TR is in complete denial about the incidents related to bullying etc.

I understand there was just a communication sent out to MS parents about discipline issues/low staff morale and high turnover—I hope with new leadership and a focus on these issues the school is able to course correct.

That is interesting, can you post it?

We’re no longer at TR; I heard from a friend whose child is a MS student.

The middle school has more substitute teachers than permanent teachers. It's a mess and a half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, Thomson is a fine school and if you like the downtown location, great. Two Rivers is for those who go for the "expeditionary" model, but beware the behavior issues they seem to have a hard time with. Also, the middle school of Two Rivers is way over at the Young campus, maybe not great logistics for you? And be sure to look at test scores relative to demographic. IMO a school like Seaton, which has very strong math scores if you look at the MGP and relative to demographics, is more impressive than Two Rivers with its meh scores from mostly high-income kids. Same for CHML-- I'm aghast at their test scores relative to demographics. Don't think that just because a school offers 8th grade that you will actually be happy with it when the time comes.

I don't know why Inspired Teaching wouldn't be on your list. The middle school is nice if you like a small school, and I like the higher number of student teachers because it makes for a great adult-child ratio.

Understand, OP, that some schools are on an improving/gentrifying trajectory and some are not. Langley, for example, much like Garrison, was on hard times 10 years ago and Garrison very nearly shut down by the city. But with new leadership and the hard work of many families, those schools are slowly, slowly improving. It's not a quick process and nobody should expect it to be. But both schools have an engaged cohort of preschool and lower elementary parents who fundraise and advocate with the city for their school. That won't show in the PARCC scores until those kids are retained through spring of 3rd grade. (But you can ask for iReady or DIBELS data on K-2nd if it's important to you.). Contrast that with schools like Two Rivers, Shining Stars, Lee, and Mundo Verde. Not so many low-income kids, the school has existed for long enough, numberically large group of families to donate and advocate and support their kids academically, and yet the test scores are meh, what could be the reason? Bad scores on mostly high-income kids means something is not right in the school.

Don’t minimize the impact that discipline issues can have on upper ES. Even if a student is doing well academically, they are likely to suffer in a chaotic environment. I’m a NP, but as others have stated, this is the primary reason we left TR. The leadership at TR is in complete denial about the incidents related to bullying etc.

I understand there was just a communication sent out to MS parents about discipline issues/low staff morale and high turnover—I hope with new leadership and a focus on these issues the school is able to course correct.

That is interesting, can you post it?

We’re no longer at TR; I heard from a friend whose child is a MS student.

The middle school has more substitute teachers than permanent teachers. It's a mess and a half.

TRY ES is the same. But they can’t get substitutes so staff is covering multiple classrooms. We’re DONE; counting the days until the end of school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. After attending open houses at all three schools and talking to a Thomson parent I met through DCUM (thank you!!) I ended up putting CHM and Thomson very high. Last year, the vast majority of kids who listed Thomson got in, so our odds there are good, less so with CHM. I got a great feeling from both schools and think we would be happy with either. Won't know for sure til we get there of course, and as folks here pointed out, schools can change over the course of several years. I also listed Two Rivers, but much lower down, mostly because it's a long walk from home.

This thread was helpful in that I took a second look at Seaton (which I didn't think we had any shot at) and listed it fairly high up. Our odds seem to be better at both Thomson and CHM, but I will keep Seaton on my radar in case we aren't happy with where we wind up for preK since it looks easier to lottery into from kindergarten on. (Thanks for that tip DCUM!) I also included Langley on our list, tho it does seem tough to get into OOB for preK.

And I don't mind boosters! I love what you all are trying to do for DC schools that have the potential to serve all kids better with the help of an active parent community. It's good to know when a school has families pulling for it.

Can I inquire as to whether you got the impression from TR that they are aware of any the issues and perception/reputational challenges they face? We left in the two years ago and it was heartbreaking to do so. I lost faith when it became clear that the school could not course correct because they didn't think there was any correction needed. My hope is that with the ED gone the school is acknowledging challenges and addressing them. Just wondering if they even acknowledge any of this or if they continue to sing from the same hymnal as before.

That's a good question--not sure. Perhaps a current parent could weigh in. The TRY principal just quit recently. I was always amazed at leadership's attempts to spin the situation at the school, but many parents we knew didn't question ANYTHING going on.

What! When?

Had to have been awhile ago. The job posting on their website for Principal is 30 days old.

[Anonymous]

Former CHM teacher here. (Did not leave on bad terms, but could not remain due to its decline.) I would not send my child to this school as it currently is.

Reasons:
1. Administration is not responsive, caters to favored families.
2. Middle school is ignored. Prinicpal does not engage with students or teachers unless you're part of the favored crew.
3. Many substitutes and non-Montessori trained teachers.
4. High staff turnover. A few classes have been teacherless for several years - can't find teachers to fill positions OR many quit after first year or mid-year.

I will stop here. Many of the teachers are devoted and want to teach here, but the atmosphere is toxic.

I don't see this school improving any time soon. Feel free to ask questions.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Umm, wow former CHM teacher. Would it be okay to contact you offline? I understand not wanting to post your contact info, but you can email me at [e-mail].

When did you leave the school? I have CHM very high up, along with Thomson and Seaton, but I know there's still time to change that and I would love to hear more. I know a few families that are really happy there, with kids in upper elementary school. I figured that even if we don't like it for the long haul it would be a good environment through kindergarten, then we could switch to Seaton, Thomson or another high quality local elementary school that might be tough to get into for preK/early elementary. Do your concerns about the school in general hold for preK/kindergarten? I thought that was the best opportunity to try out a Montessori environment.