Brent v Maury v Capitol Hill Day for 26-27

[Anonymous]

Thanks, everyone! I'm the OP and these comments are all extremely helpful. It seems like L-T or Maury are both good options, with L-T potentially being more welcoming to new families. We'll look in both areas. If anyone has leads on townhouses for rent starting in June/July, let me know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aw, Brent is such a lovely school. Too bad you’re moving while they are in the swing space.
I’d go with Maury to avoid commute.

I would not go with Van Ness if your child is in 1st and not Pre-K.

I’m sure Van Ness is just fine for 1st grade.

A school where half the students are at risk and scores are low is not great for 1st. Kids learn many critical things in that grade so personally I wouldn’t want my kid to go to a school that’s ’just fine.’

It actually is just fine. You are looking at test scores for 3-5 grades at a school where the younger grades have a very different socioeconomics makeup. You think a few numbers on a page tells you something but actually you are ignorant.

So half the kids being at risk is a lie? That making a difference must also be a lie.

I am a coach for a DCPS school, I can see the kids iReady scores (from all schools). Just in case you are more daft than I think, iReady starts in K.

Nope, you don’t want to be there for first, if anyone is ‘ignorant’ it is you for not having all the information. Or perhaps you are an admin trying to advertise your mediocre school.

Wow, this makes you sound insane.

My kid attended a school for 1st where half the kids were at risk and yes, it was fine. Very welcoming school, fantastic teachers, academics were good. I wouldn't want to stay at the school through 5th but it was fine for 1st.

But good to know a coach at a DCPS school is using their access to student data to sit around judging at risk kids and treat them like the plague. What a delight, so glad you work with young kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aw, Brent is such a lovely school. Too bad you’re moving while they are in the swing space.
I’d go with Maury to avoid commute.

I would not go with Van Ness if your child is in 1st and not Pre-K.

I’m sure Van Ness is just fine for 1st grade.

A school where half the students are at risk and scores are low is not great for 1st. Kids learn many critical things in that grade so personally I wouldn’t want my kid to go to a school that’s ’just fine.’

It actually is just fine. You are looking at test scores for 3-5 grades at a school where the younger grades have a very different socioeconomics makeup. You think a few numbers on a page tells you something but actually you are ignorant.

So half the kids being at risk is a lie? That making a difference must also be a lie.

I am a coach for a DCPS school, I can see the kids iReady scores (from all schools). Just in case you are more daft than I think, iReady starts in K.

Nope, you don’t want to be there for first, if anyone is ‘ignorant’ it is you for not having all the information. Or perhaps you are an admin trying to advertise your mediocre school.

Why would a coach have access to the iReady scores of all students at all schools? Why would a coach for a particular school spend their time looking at students' scores from other schools?

If you care about average student performance, of course a school with 46% of kids at risk isn't going to be doing as well academically as somewhere like Brent with only 8% at risk. But it is still possible, albeit harder, for a school with a higher at risk percentage to have a cohort of students performing well academically, and for the school to find ways to support those students' continued academic success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP and wanted to add some more detail on our wish list. Our top priorities are strong academics and a short, manageable commute, since we don't want to be either spending lots of time commuting to work or having our son be on a bus for a big portion of each day. We like the feel of a community school, and would like families to live within the area around the school generally. A nice facility and playground are also really great to have. We likely don’t need extensive after-school programming, as we’ll have a nanny to help with pickup.
We’re very happy with our current public school in NYC and are hoping to find something comparable. Our current school is in a safe neighborhood, has nice facilities, strong academic outcomes (around 88% proficiency in reading and math), and lots of extras like dance and specialized gardening and language classes. The student body is roughly 60% white and 10% are on free/reduced lunch; I’m sharing that only to give context for the environment we’re coming from, not as a target necessarily. We are comfortable and happy with diverse environments.

I’d temper expectations given your very limited stay. Coming in for 1st grade already puts you a bit behind in the friends groups for any of those Hill schools you listed. With a one-year timeline, most families will be perfectly nice at pickup but aren’t going to go out of their way to build strong relationships with you or your kid. I’m not saying it to be negative, it’s just a reality of Capitol Hill and its transience. You don’t want to put in effort with someone you know is on the clock — We’ve been in Hill elementary schools for a long time and have seen a lot of appointees etc. come and go. You invite the kid to full-class parties but you’re not having one-on-one hang outs with people who are here short-term. IMHO, in that respect re: established cliques, Maury will absolutely be the hardest nut to crack for a rising 1st. LT easier but still a very strong cohort coming up from K, though they took a few 1st grade kids from the lottery this year. Brent not worth it for one year because of the bus. (FWIW we are at one of those schools.)

It’s not as highly rated as the others right now, but an interesting option could be Watkins because it starts at 1st (Peabody is its PK-K feeder) so everyone is “new” in 1st. We aren’t there, but we know families there who are very happy and we also know others that weren’t and lotteried out. Just depends.

As others have said, almost anywhere on the Hill ECE is very good, education-wise. So yes, go for convenient location since you’re short term.

Look for local weekend activities like soccer where you might hang with others his age outside of school, and outside of their friend groups, to strengthen connections.

You could also try to not broadcast that you’re a one and done — might be better for your kid’s sake.

Oh Lordy. I guess you are the Hill parent who is social climbing from PK3. OP don’t listen to this - the Hill is friendly and you will not have a scarlet letter just because you are here for one year. There are parents like PP but they are rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maury is not welcoming to new kids. It is good academically, but for one year, your kid have a much better experience at L-T. Don’t overcount test scores that don’t even come from the grades your kid would be attending.

Ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aw, Brent is such a lovely school. Too bad you’re moving while they are in the swing space.
I’d go with Maury to avoid commute.

I would not go with Van Ness if your child is in 1st and not Pre-K.

I’m sure Van Ness is just fine for 1st grade.

A school where half the students are at risk and scores are low is not great for 1st. Kids learn many critical things in that grade so personally I wouldn’t want my kid to go to a school that’s ’just fine.’

It actually is just fine. You are looking at test scores for 3-5 grades at a school where the younger grades have a very different socioeconomics makeup. You think a few numbers on a page tells you something but actually you are ignorant.

So half the kids being at risk is a lie? That making a difference must also be a lie.

I am a coach for a DCPS school, I can see the kids iReady scores (from all schools). Just in case you are more daft than I think, iReady starts in K.

Nope, you don’t want to be there for first, if anyone is ‘ignorant’ it is you for not having all the information. Or perhaps you are an admin trying to advertise your mediocre school.

Wow, this makes you sound insane.

My kid attended a school for 1st where half the kids were at risk and yes, it was fine. Very welcoming school, fantastic teachers, academics were good. I wouldn't want to stay at the school through 5th but it was fine for 1st.

But good to know a coach at a DCPS school is using their access to student data to sit around judging at risk kids and treat them like the plague. What a delight, so glad you work with young kids.

Aw, you are just upset because your child went to a similar school.

And it’s not really so strange to look at other scores to make my point. You tried to insinuate that scores are lower due to the scores shown being from 3-5.
However, if they are low in 3-5, they were low in K-2.

Lastly quit the holier than thou BS, you are not better for sending your kid to a title 1 school - especially when they didn’t even attend the whole time. Ha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aw, Brent is such a lovely school. Too bad you’re moving while they are in the swing space.
I’d go with Maury to avoid commute.

I would not go with Van Ness if your child is in 1st and not Pre-K.

I’m sure Van Ness is just fine for 1st grade.

A school where half the students are at risk and scores are low is not great for 1st. Kids learn many critical things in that grade so personally I wouldn’t want my kid to go to a school that’s ’just fine.’

It actually is just fine. You are looking at test scores for 3-5 grades at a school where the younger grades have a very different socioeconomics makeup. You think a few numbers on a page tells you something but actually you are ignorant.

So half the kids being at risk is a lie? That making a difference must also be a lie.

I am a coach for a DCPS school, I can see the kids iReady scores (from all schools). Just in case you are more daft than I think, iReady starts in K.

Nope, you don’t want to be there for first, if anyone is ‘ignorant’ it is you for not having all the information. Or perhaps you are an admin trying to advertise your mediocre school.

Wow, this makes you sound insane.

My kid attended a school for 1st where half the kids were at risk and yes, it was fine. Very welcoming school, fantastic teachers, academics were good. I wouldn't want to stay at the school through 5th but it was fine for 1st.

But good to know a coach at a DCPS school is using their access to student data to sit around judging at risk kids and treat them like the plague. What a delight, so glad you work with young kids.

Aw, you are just upset because your child went to a similar school.

And it’s not really so strange to look at other scores to make my point. You tried to insinuate that scores are lower due to the scores shown being from 3-5.
However, if they are low in 3-5, they were low in K-2.

Lastly quit the holier than thou BS, you are not better for sending your kid to a title 1 school - especially when they didn’t even attend the whole time. Ha.

DP. Calm tf down. OP is sending her kid to DCPS for 1 year and would be just fine at any Hill school. In fact at the T1 schools she is less likely to encounter bizarre characters like yourself and the one PP claiming that OP will be ostracized by the mommy cliques.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aw, Brent is such a lovely school. Too bad you’re moving while they are in the swing space.
I’d go with Maury to avoid commute.

I would not go with Van Ness if your child is in 1st and not Pre-K.

I’m sure Van Ness is just fine for 1st grade.

A school where half the students are at risk and scores are low is not great for 1st. Kids learn many critical things in that grade so personally I wouldn’t want my kid to go to a school that’s ’just fine.’

It actually is just fine. You are looking at test scores for 3-5 grades at a school where the younger grades have a very different socioeconomics makeup. You think a few numbers on a page tells you something but actually you are ignorant.

So half the kids being at risk is a lie? That making a difference must also be a lie.

I am a coach for a DCPS school, I can see the kids iReady scores (from all schools). Just in case you are more daft than I think, iReady starts in K.

Nope, you don’t want to be there for first, if anyone is ‘ignorant’ it is you for not having all the information. Or perhaps you are an admin trying to advertise your mediocre school.

Why would a coach have access to the iReady scores of all students at all schools? Why would a coach for a particular school spend their time looking at students' scores from other schools?

If you care about average student performance, of course a school with 46% of kids at risk isn't going to be doing as well academically as somewhere like Brent with only 8% at risk. But it is still possible, albeit harder, for a school with a higher at risk percentage to have a cohort of students performing well academically, and for the school to find ways to support those students' continued academic success.

Yep, I sit around looking at other students scores, it’s not because I decided to look to prove my point.


I work at a title 1 school, there are higher performing students but believe me when I say it’s not just the staff -the difference is the parents and the level of outside support they can give.

And as a parent would you rather I just lie? Title 1 schools are not simply dealing with academics there is a whole heap of things teachers have to deal with -that makes it much more difficult to teach.

So fool yourself into thinking you are progressive or whatever it is you believe. If there is over 30% or so of at risk kids it is so much more difficult. Kids at schools 40% + need school and city supports, as well as higher standards that DC/DCPS refuses to give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aw, Brent is such a lovely school. Too bad you’re moving while they are in the swing space.
I’d go with Maury to avoid commute.

I would not go with Van Ness if your child is in 1st and not Pre-K.

I’m sure Van Ness is just fine for 1st grade.

A school where half the students are at risk and scores are low is not great for 1st. Kids learn many critical things in that grade so personally I wouldn’t want my kid to go to a school that’s ’just fine.’

It actually is just fine. You are looking at test scores for 3-5 grades at a school where the younger grades have a very different socioeconomics makeup. You think a few numbers on a page tells you something but actually you are ignorant.

So half the kids being at risk is a lie? That making a difference must also be a lie.

I am a coach for a DCPS school, I can see the kids iReady scores (from all schools). Just in case you are more daft than I think, iReady starts in K.

Nope, you don’t want to be there for first, if anyone is ‘ignorant’ it is you for not having all the information. Or perhaps you are an admin trying to advertise your mediocre school.

Wow, this makes you sound insane.

My kid attended a school for 1st where half the kids were at risk and yes, it was fine. Very welcoming school, fantastic teachers, academics were good. I wouldn't want to stay at the school through 5th but it was fine for 1st.

But good to know a coach at a DCPS school is using their access to student data to sit around judging at risk kids and treat them like the plague. What a delight, so glad you work with young kids.

Aw, you are just upset because your child went to a similar school.

And it’s not really so strange to look at other scores to make my point. You tried to insinuate that scores are lower due to the scores shown being from 3-5.
However, if they are low in 3-5, they were low in K-2.

Lastly quit the holier than thou BS, you are not better for sending your kid to a title 1 school - especially when they didn’t even attend the whole time. Ha.

DP. Calm tf down. OP is sending her kid to DCPS for 1 year and would be just fine at any Hill school. In fact at the T1 schools she is less likely to encounter bizarre characters like yourself and the one PP claiming that OP will be ostracized by the mommy cliques.

I work at a title 1 school, you can stop the gaslighting it’s ridiculous. I simply responded to the poster’s energy.

OP has already decided on LT or Maury, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP and wanted to add some more detail on our wish list. Our top priorities are strong academics and a short, manageable commute, since we don't want to be either spending lots of time commuting to work or having our son be on a bus for a big portion of each day. We like the feel of a community school, and would like families to live within the area around the school generally. A nice facility and playground are also really great to have. We likely don’t need extensive after-school programming, as we’ll have a nanny to help with pickup.
We’re very happy with our current public school in NYC and are hoping to find something comparable. Our current school is in a safe neighborhood, has nice facilities, strong academic outcomes (around 88% proficiency in reading and math), and lots of extras like dance and specialized gardening and language classes. The student body is roughly 60% white and 10% are on free/reduced lunch; I’m sharing that only to give context for the environment we’re coming from, not as a target necessarily. We are comfortable and happy with diverse environments.

I’d temper expectations given your very limited stay. Coming in for 1st grade already puts you a bit behind in the friends groups for any of those Hill schools you listed. With a one-year timeline, most families will be perfectly nice at pickup but aren’t going to go out of their way to build strong relationships with you or your kid. I’m not saying it to be negative, it’s just a reality of Capitol Hill and its transience. You don’t want to put in effort with someone you know is on the clock — We’ve been in Hill elementary schools for a long time and have seen a lot of appointees etc. come and go. You invite the kid to full-class parties but you’re not having one-on-one hang outs with people who are here short-term. IMHO, in that respect re: established cliques, Maury will absolutely be the hardest nut to crack for a rising 1st. LT easier but still a very strong cohort coming up from K, though they took a few 1st grade kids from the lottery this year. Brent not worth it for one year because of the bus. (FWIW we are at one of those schools.)

It’s not as highly rated as the others right now, but an interesting option could be Watkins because it starts at 1st (Peabody is its PK-K feeder) so everyone is “new” in 1st. We aren’t there, but we know families there who are very happy and we also know others that weren’t and lotteried out. Just depends.

As others have said, almost anywhere on the Hill ECE is very good, education-wise. So yes, go for convenient location since you’re short term.

Look for local weekend activities like soccer where you might hang with others his age outside of school, and outside of their friend groups, to strengthen connections.

You could also try to not broadcast that you’re a one and done — might be better for your kid’s sake.

Oh Lordy. I guess you are the Hill parent who is social climbing from PK3. OP don’t listen to this - the Hill is friendly and you will not have a scarlet letter just because you are here for one year. There are parents like PP but they are rare.

TBH I wouldn’t brush all of the above off. My kid switched Hill schools in first. It’s not easy if you know no one at all. It was worth it in the long-term for us, and luckily we did know other families, but it took longer than expected to make new friends despite putting in effort in all the right places. I’d describe my kid as OP did hers, too. People at our school, which is mentioned in this thread, are friendly, but pointing out that there are established groups by 1st is totally fair.

And Maury is a great school but if you don’t acknowledge it can be a little cliquey, that’s really not fair to OP. You’ve got moms that went through PACE groups together so have been in contact daily about kids and life for six+ years by 1st. (And that’s wonderful for them!)

I do think OP’s family will have a totally fine year regardless of where they enroll given the places they’re looking, but while it could have been written a lot more nicely, there’s definitely truth in this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, everyone! I'm the OP and these comments are all extremely helpful. It seems like L-T or Maury are both good options, with L-T potentially being more welcoming to new families. We'll look in both areas. If anyone has leads on townhouses for rent starting in June/July, let me know!

Glad you’re settled! I would agree not to bother with private at all but if you are still considering, FYI that CHDS’s deadline is coming up next week.

[Anonymous]

Almost any hill area dcps is going to be fine for single year 1st grade. I actually think Van Ness was a good recommendation just because that boundary has tons of rental housing options (along with walkability and good public transit). There are some nicer rental options available on the Hill proper mixed in with a lot of older, not recently renovated, and not all that well-maintained options. Maybe you are used to this coming from NYC. But I wouldnt rent a cramped or worn/dirty or otherwise not optimal house just for rights to attend 1st grade at Maury or Ludlow over any of Payne, Watkins, or Van Ness. Look into soccer or summer camp or other activities that draw families neighborhood wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maury is not welcoming to new kids. It is good academically, but for one year, your kid have a much better experience at L-T. Don’t overcount test scores that don’t even come from the grades your kid would be attending.

Ridiculous

Sorry, but I think this is true. It’s not that the kids or families at Maury are mean, they’re not at all. But Maury gets very few new kids after K and this isn’t a situation where the family will know some Maury families already from DC Way or Studio One or whatever. That means that most friendship groups — including parents — are already pretty established and there’s not a culture of welcoming new kids/families every year. Of course her kid could get lucky, but it could also be an uphill climb. Maury is a very good school and if she was staying long-term, sure it could be worth it. But for one first grade year, going to a school that has similar test scores for demographics (slightly worse overall, but almost entirely drive by demographic differences & still good, especially in ELA) but a culture of kids coming in every year is going to be a much easier nut to crack. Ask a Maury family what year the kids at their kids’ birthday party started at the school and I guarantee you the answer is overwhelmingly PK3-K; the same thing simply isn’t true at L-T where more lottery movement means that new kids are integrated into friendship groups every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost any hill area dcps is going to be fine for single year 1st grade. I actually think Van Ness was a good recommendation just because that boundary has tons of rental housing options (along with walkability and good public transit). There are some nicer rental options available on the Hill proper mixed in with a lot of older, not recently renovated, and not all that well-maintained options. Maybe you are used to this coming from NYC. But I wouldnt rent a cramped or worn/dirty or otherwise not optimal house just for rights to attend 1st grade at Maury or Ludlow over any of Payne, Watkins, or Van Ness. Look into soccer or summer camp or other activities that draw families neighborhood wide.

Ludlow is an easy boundary for nice rentals, because — worst case — there are several luxury apartment buildings IB. But there are actually many nice townhouse rental options on the Hill as a whole if price isn’t really an issue — which I’m guessing it isn’t if OP was considering CHDS. I think it is inconceivable she doesn’t find something IB for LT or Maury, though I think Payne is also a very solid choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP and wanted to add some more detail on our wish list. Our top priorities are strong academics and a short, manageable commute, since we don't want to be either spending lots of time commuting to work or having our son be on a bus for a big portion of each day. We like the feel of a community school, and would like families to live within the area around the school generally. A nice facility and playground are also really great to have. We likely don’t need extensive after-school programming, as we’ll have a nanny to help with pickup.
We’re very happy with our current public school in NYC and are hoping to find something comparable. Our current school is in a safe neighborhood, has nice facilities, strong academic outcomes (around 88% proficiency in reading and math), and lots of extras like dance and specialized gardening and language classes. The student body is roughly 60% white and 10% are on free/reduced lunch; I’m sharing that only to give context for the environment we’re coming from, not as a target necessarily. We are comfortable and happy with diverse environments.

I’d temper expectations given your very limited stay. Coming in for 1st grade already puts you a bit behind in the friends groups for any of those Hill schools you listed. With a one-year timeline, most families will be perfectly nice at pickup but aren’t going to go out of their way to build strong relationships with you or your kid. I’m not saying it to be negative, it’s just a reality of Capitol Hill and its transience. You don’t want to put in effort with someone you know is on the clock — We’ve been in Hill elementary schools for a long time and have seen a lot of appointees etc. come and go. You invite the kid to full-class parties but you’re not having one-on-one hang outs with people who are here short-term. IMHO, in that respect re: established cliques, Maury will absolutely be the hardest nut to crack for a rising 1st. LT easier but still a very strong cohort coming up from K, though they took a few 1st grade kids from the lottery this year. Brent not worth it for one year because of the bus. (FWIW we are at one of those schools.)

It’s not as highly rated as the others right now, but an interesting option could be Watkins because it starts at 1st (Peabody is its PK-K feeder) so everyone is “new” in 1st. We aren’t there, but we know families there who are very happy and we also know others that weren’t and lotteried out. Just depends.

As others have said, almost anywhere on the Hill ECE is very good, education-wise. So yes, go for convenient location since you’re short term.

Look for local weekend activities like soccer where you might hang with others his age outside of school, and outside of their friend groups, to strengthen connections.

You could also try to not broadcast that you’re a one and done — might be better for your kid’s sake.

Oh Lordy. I guess you are the Hill parent who is social climbing from PK3. OP don’t listen to this - the Hill is friendly and you will not have a scarlet letter just because you are here for one year. There are parents like PP but they are rare.

TBH I wouldn’t brush all of the above off. My kid switched Hill schools in first. It’s not easy if you know no one at all. It was worth it in the long-term for us, and luckily we did know other families, but it took longer than expected to make new friends despite putting in effort in all the right places. I’d describe my kid as OP did hers, too. People at our school, which is mentioned in this thread, are friendly, but pointing out that there are established groups by 1st is totally fair.

And Maury is a great school but if you don’t acknowledge it can be a little cliquey, that’s really not fair to OP. You’ve got moms that went through PACE groups together so have been in contact daily about kids and life for six+ years by 1st. (And that’s wonderful for them!)

I do think OP’s family will have a totally fine year regardless of where they enroll given the places they’re looking, but while it could have been written a lot more nicely, there’s definitely truth in this post.

I mean, 90% of the parents at the school are there for the kids and don’t care about “relationships with other families.” You and PP are the self-selecting 10% who have an expectation that your kid’s school will be your own social life. The rest of us just go along with the flow, have play dates with the kids our kids get along with, and if we click with another parent along the line and become friends, great!