Charter vs public (elementary)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

The kid is good at math and likes to read. No “supplementing.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess the thing is that when my kids were getting ready for Pk-3 and I was visiting all these new charter schools with their fancy curriculums, I was under the impression that all these charter schools are better than DCPS. But even with an average DCPS school, you get regular science fairs, school shows, maybe some sports teams in older grades, a basic science class etc etc. I don’t think charter school can provide this reliably from year to year. Their admins are shears changing and nothing is consistent year to year.

The hype game is very strong at charters, while DCPS open houses are more fact based. When I was doing the lottery years ago, I had no idea of the differences even in ECE -- like that DCPS caps the PK3 class at 16, with a teacher with a master's degree plus an aide, whereas most charters cap at 22 with less qualified teachers. DCPS has a library, charters very few did. Etc. DCPS uses "science of reading" to teach kids how to read, most charters disnt. took years of being able within a DCPS with friends in charters to realize the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

I’m well aware of how behind my kid is in some areas. But there are a lot of positives about the school too - social, sports, etc. At the end of the day, takes some faith in your kid and a belief that they don’t have to be going after the golden ring at 11. The school is a warm, safe and positive place, they have friends, developing their own interests, and are not stressed. No they are not getting the same academic experience as at a rich public district. However my child can freestyle rap (lol) and knows how to be comfortable in an environment where he is not the majority. He also is aware of how fortunate he is financially. Is it the best? No. Is it horrible? Absolutely not.

I sure hope you are supplementing a lot because he is not going to be prepared for high school unless you plan on sending him to the status quo. He sure won’t be prepared for college either.

You do you but no, none of the BS stuff above is going to compensate for a rigorous and comprehensive academic program with a good cohort of peer groups for our kid.

All colleges today have centers where they offer remedial programs for kids who need to catch up. PP is obviously not hoping for Harvard so PP’s kid will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

Most families who supplement have their kids learning geometry years before the school actually teaches it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

My guess is that people supplement the same at a “bad” MS as at a good one. The tiger parents supplement either way. And kids like mine who need additional support would need it at either school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

You can do geometry through CTY for credit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess the thing is that when my kids were getting ready for Pk-3 and I was visiting all these new charter schools with their fancy curriculums, I was under the impression that all these charter schools are better than DCPS. But even with an average DCPS school, you get regular science fairs, school shows, maybe some sports teams in older grades, a basic science class etc etc. I don’t think charter school can provide this reliably from year to year. Their admins are shears changing and nothing is consistent year to year.

The hype game is very strong at charters, while DCPS open houses are more fact based. When I was doing the lottery years ago, I had no idea of the differences even in ECE -- like that DCPS caps the PK3 class at 16, with a teacher with a master's degree plus an aide, whereas most charters cap at 22 with less qualified teachers. DCPS has a library, charters very few did. Etc. DCPS uses "science of reading" to teach kids how to read, most charters disnt. took years of being able within a DCPS with friends in charters to realize the difference.

Agree with this 100%. For parents currently doing pk3/4 lottery for charters should really keep this in mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charter vs public (since in DC all charters are also public) and even DC public charter vs DCPS aren't helpful comparisons because the experiences are so uneven. All DCPS schools aren't equal and neither are all public charter schools.

Do you have a question or are you sharing experience you think would be helpful to others? I wonder how you know about the academic experience at all of the Ward 4 and 5 charter schools to be able to compare to what your friends say about Shepherd and Barnard. Plenty of DCPS schools offer unreliable experiences, it just sounds like you happen to live in a neighborhood where you would have been happy with the local DCPS ES and are now wondering why you went with another option.

DCPS schools can differ on the margins (like project based stuff) but the curriculum is largely uniform across all the elementary schools.

You haven't a clue what this term means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re east of the park and thing the better DCPS schools have better resources, that maybe true. But your avg EOTP DCPS school has more resources than any charter. It’s false to think the charters are better. Our has been around for 20 years and while it’s ok, they are still struggling with just figuring out a basic standard curriculum and admin.

The average EOTP schools are still struggling so much with whatever resources they have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess the thing is that when my kids were getting ready for Pk-3 and I was visiting all these new charter schools with their fancy curriculums, I was under the impression that all these charter schools are better than DCPS. But even with an average DCPS school, you get regular science fairs, school shows, maybe some sports teams in older grades, a basic science class etc etc. I don’t think charter school can provide this reliably from year to year. Their admins are shears changing and nothing is consistent year to year.

The hype game is very strong at charters, while DCPS open houses are more fact based. When I was doing the lottery years ago, I had no idea of the differences even in ECE -- like that DCPS caps the PK3 class at 16, with a teacher with a master's degree plus an aide, whereas most charters cap at 22 with less qualified teachers. DCPS has a library, charters very few did. Etc. DCPS uses "science of reading" to teach kids how to read, most charters disnt. took years of being able within a DCPS with friends in charters to realize the difference.

Agree with this 100%. For parents currently doing pk3/4 lottery for charters should really keep this in mind.

They should also keep in mind to take everything that they read here with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

I’m well aware of how behind my kid is in some areas. But there are a lot of positives about the school too - social, sports, etc. At the end of the day, takes some faith in your kid and a belief that they don’t have to be going after the golden ring at 11. The school is a warm, safe and positive place, they have friends, developing their own interests, and are not stressed. No they are not getting the same academic experience as at a rich public district. However my child can freestyle rap (lol) and knows how to be comfortable in an environment where he is not the majority. He also is aware of how fortunate he is financially. Is it the best? No. Is it horrible? Absolutely not.

Just want this PP to know they have peers in this. EOTP DCPS middle for us too and DC has a strong sense of self and community, feels safe, and sees opportunities ahead.

Re supplementing, we’ve never done tutors or private programs. DPR camps in the summer, typical middle class family activities, sports and music add-ons at school.

To the PK parents…it’s going to be ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

My guess is that people supplement the same at a “bad” MS as at a good one. The tiger parents supplement either way. And kids like mine who need additional support would need it at either school.

There is less supplementing happening at a "bad" MS, because most families at those schools are fine with the way things are. Supplementing happens more at "good" schools, which is the reason they are good in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

My guess is that people supplement the same at a “bad” MS as at a good one. The tiger parents supplement either way. And kids like mine who need additional support would need it at either school.

There is less supplementing happening at a "bad" MS, because most families at those schools are fine with the way things are. Supplementing happens more at "good" schools, which is the reason they are good in the first place.

So you’re saying they wouldn’t be “good” if their student population wasn’t well resourced. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure whether the charter middle schools are better options. People are turned off by the test scores at McFarland but the few families I know that have attended are having a really good experience and many more resources than the charters listed above. Charters may be good for those that have kids that need something more than a traditional curriculum. But if you want your kids to learn the traditional curriculum DCPS is definitely better.

The conversations I've had with parents who are having good experiences at DCPS middle schools with bad test scores -- it becomes quickly apparent that they're not paying a lot of attention beyond the vibes. Like, they think their kid is getting advanced math and don't realize the "advanced" track includes a lot of kids below grade level.

My kid is in a DCPS middle like this and, yes, it seems like kids who aren't that good at math are also in my kid's classes. But my kid aces all the standardized tests and is learning the material, so . . . my eyes are open. Don't really care that my kid could be at Deal with white kids who play video games night and day who are supposedly this kid's natural cohort or peer group or wtf you want to call it. Those kids' proximity is not some fing magic sauce.

Name the school and tell us how much you are actually have to supplement…….

How much can you really supplement in middle school? You can't teach them geometry on your own in order to get credit for that class. You can't teach a language at home in a way that will compare to a daily class.

My guess is that people supplement the same at a “bad” MS as at a good one. The tiger parents supplement either way. And kids like mine who need additional support would need it at either school.

There is less supplementing happening at a "bad" MS, because most families at those schools are fine with the way things are. Supplementing happens more at "good" schools, which is the reason they are good in the first place.

mmm, ok. I can see that differently.