What are the best public and charter middle schools in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who post this question on this board have bene getting and giving the same advice for a decade at this point. It's a self sustaining cycle and part of the reason why nothing ever changes.

I'm not sure what you want to change, but I hardly think DCUM has the power to affect DC public schools.

Send your kids to your IB schools and they'll have the populations you are looking for

Oh right, I forgot. The magic spell to make lots of IB parents immediately send their kids to a school that has major staffing and staff quality problems.

It's funny to say this when there are constant posts on this board about staffing issues at some of the mostly highly regarded ES and MS buildings in the city. Similar complaints consistently found on MCPS and FCPS boards. But it's only a prohibitive factor at your IB school I guess?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who post this question on this board have bene getting and giving the same advice for a decade at this point. It's a self sustaining cycle and part of the reason why nothing ever changes.

I'm not sure what you want to change, but I hardly think DCUM has the power to affect DC public schools.

Send your kids to your IB schools and they'll have the populations you are looking for

You first.

I do - happy W5 MS backer

Which one? Please, for OP's benefit, name your school and tell why you like it.

Brookland MS. It's obviously a very sad place atm, but in general it's been great for my 7th grader. Beautiful building, caring community and great teachers.

What happened?

13yo Karon Blake, a Brookland MS student, was shot and killed last weekend by someone who alleged Karon was tampering with cars.

This is a huge story with a lot of emotions. I hope it doesn't derail the intent of the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who post this question on this board have bene getting and giving the same advice for a decade at this point. It's a self sustaining cycle and part of the reason why nothing ever changes.

I'm not sure what you want to change, but I hardly think DCUM has the power to affect DC public schools.

Send your kids to your IB schools and they'll have the populations you are looking for

Oh right, I forgot. The magic spell to make lots of IB parents immediately send their kids to a school that has major staffing and staff quality problems.

It's funny to say this when there are constant posts on this board about staffing issues at some of the mostly highly regarded ES and MS buildings in the city. Similar complaints consistently found on MCPS and FCPS boards. But it's only a prohibitive factor at your IB school I guess?

No, it's a prohibitive factor at many of the schools I researched, including some so-called HRCS. It's a major problem throughout the city, yes. And demographic change isn't going to fix it. Saying "If everyone went there, the school would improve" misses the point-- lots of people enrolling isn't enough if you don't have quality admin and faculty. Look at CMI, Mundo, Two Rivers, SSMA-- all higher-income schools with lots of families living nearby yet they're struggling and people are unhappy. Why? Because demographics and engaged parents can't overcome the Achilles heel of bad leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who post this question on this board have bene getting and giving the same advice for a decade at this point. It's a self sustaining cycle and part of the reason why nothing ever changes.

I'm not sure what you want to change, but I hardly think DCUM has the power to affect DC public schools.

Send your kids to your IB schools and they'll have the populations you are looking for

You first.

I do - happy W5 MS backer

Which one? Please, for OP's benefit, name your school and tell why you like it.

Brookland MS. It's obviously a very sad place atm, but in general it's been great for my 7th grader. Beautiful building, caring community and great teachers.

What happened?

13yo Karon Blake, a Brookland MS student, was shot and killed last weekend by someone who alleged Karon was tampering with cars.

This is a huge story with a lot of emotions. I hope it doesn't derail the intent of the thread.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for my ignorance. I knew of the story when it broke as "a 13 year old", before his name and school were revealed. My heart breaks with yours and your school's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of lifestyle do you want to live, OP? Much of the Deal real estate had a pretty suburban feel. Can you rent, lottery and then buy in-boundary for Deal if you don’t win the lottery? How strong a student is your kid? BASIS is pretty intense.

We could do this if we had to. Would you list Latin or Basis as your top choice? Our student is hardworking and bright, but also like sports and music. Do most students at Basis do their extracurriculars outside of school?

I would list Latin first. BASIS is a great school, but search on threads here for what type of kid is a good fit there. We have a BASIS kid so I'm not a hater, but kids who like to be challenged and work hard do best there. There are some extracurriculars at BASIS, but most are outside of school.

I say this as someone who has a kid thriving at BASIS. DO NOT put BASIS on your list (and for darn sure not 1st) unless and until you do some research. Send your kid to a shadow day. Attend the virtual open house. It is a very specific experience that is a great fit for some, an OK fit for others and an unmitigated disaster for others.

P.S. To everyone else, can we please not rehash every other BASIS forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who post this question on this board have bene getting and giving the same advice for a decade at this point. It's a self sustaining cycle and part of the reason why nothing ever changes.

I'm not sure what you want to change, but I hardly think DCUM has the power to affect DC public schools.

Send your kids to your IB schools and they'll have the populations you are looking for

You first.

I do - happy W5 MS backer

Which one? Please, for OP's benefit, name your school and tell why you like it.

Brookland MS. It's obviously a very sad place atm, but in general it's been great for my 7th grader. Beautiful building, caring community and great teachers.

What happened?

13yo Karon Blake, a Brookland MS student, was shot and killed last weekend by someone who alleged Karon was tampering with cars.

This is a huge story with a lot of emotions. I hope it doesn't derail the intent of the thread.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for my ignorance. I knew of the story when it broke as "a 13 year old", before his name and school were revealed. My heart breaks with yours and your school's.

I applaud you both for the civility and compassion in this interaction. Rare around these parts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who post this question on this board have bene getting and giving the same advice for a decade at this point. It's a self sustaining cycle and part of the reason why nothing ever changes.

I'm not sure what you want to change, but I hardly think DCUM has the power to affect DC public schools.

Send your kids to your IB schools and they'll have the populations you are looking for

You first.

I do - happy W5 MS backer

Which one? Please, for OP's benefit, name your school and tell why you like it.

Brookland MS. It's obviously a very sad place atm, but in general it's been great for my 7th grader. Beautiful building, caring community and great teachers.

What happened?

13yo Karon Blake, a Brookland MS student, was shot and killed last weekend by someone who alleged Karon was tampering with cars.

This is a huge story with a lot of emotions. I hope it doesn't derail the intent of the thread.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for my ignorance. I knew of the story when it broke as "a 13 year old", before his name and school were revealed. My heart breaks with yours and your school's.

I applaud you both for the civility and compassion in this interaction. Rare around these parts.

+1 from the brookland Ms pp

[Anonymous]

my view is many (not all) charter schools do face issues with hiring and maintaining quality leadership/staffing (limited oversight etc.). i wouldnt automatically/necessarily jump to that same conclusion with respect to all dcps schools eotp.