Up and coming DCPS schools

[Anonymous]

Check out West, 1338 Farragut St NW

while the pre-k spots are becoming more desirable and there is typically a waitlist, there is a lot of movement and those who really want to go there generally end up there.

I am a current West parent and would be happy to talk to you further about it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. I really think the only way to have a chance at a decent DCPS is to list 12 up-and-coming schools and hope for the best. Not sure if I can identify 12 that show enough promise to make it on my list. It's a gamble in that there is no guarantee that the school I get matched to will ever get over that hump, but its no more of a gamble than trying to lottery for a highly sought after school.

I would think of it like College where you have some "Reach" schools that you apply to and love and some "Safeties" that aren't as good but would be fine. We did this and, as you indicated above, got a late lottery draw and only got into our unpopular in-boundary DCPS. We clearly only got in here because of our IB status, as there were about 30 OOB people waitlisted in the initial lottery. (And this for one of the worst performing schools in DC!) However, I know a handful of people who got into their top choice, so it is definitely not impossible to get into some great schools. OP, what is you IB school? I did not think I would even check mine out but did at the urging of a few people, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I would definitely check yours out if it offers PK3.

[Anonymous]

Tyler (regular, you have no chance for SI if you are not in bounds or at least have sibling OOB/proximity preference) is fine for early education. I would not send my kid there for 'regular' school but pre-school/pre-k is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would visit Amidon, Payne, and Minor if I had a two year old now. I would also give my in-boundary a serious look even if I'd heard negative things about it.

Agreed! Payne is getting a major renovation this summer and many inbound families are starting to consider it for ps3 and preK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tyler (regular, you have no chance for SI if you are not in bounds or at least have sibling OOB/proximity preference) is fine for early education. I would not send my kid there for 'regular' school but pre-school/pre-k is fine.

I think it's fine for K-2 also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tyler (regular, you have no chance for SI if you are not in bounds or at least have sibling OOB/proximity preference) is fine for early education. I would not send my kid there for 'regular' school but pre-school/pre-k is fine.

I think it's fine for K-2 also.

That may very well be. I confess I am not that familiar with the upper grades due to the age of my child so was only going by conversations with other parents (we are in-bounds for a school I am happy with for K+ so I never did research it further). I am familiar with ps/pk because my DD went there and she liked it a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh, Barnard? The OP wanted up and coming schools that she had a possibility of getting a slot in the lottery. The train left a few years ago on that school.

Since the OP wants projections, I would look at neighborhoods that are rapidly gentrifying, like Riggs Park, Michigan Park, and Woodbridge. As others have mentioned, Burroughs is up and coming and I would suspect that LaSalle would be next or possibly Brookland. Brookland is very close to the new middle school, so that is big plus.

Change at schools lags behind gentrification by many years, if not decades. You don't want to look at places that are gentrifying just now, but at places that are several years past the beginning of the gentrification process.

That area is several years past the beginning of gentrification. It was the "It" school in the neighborhood before Powell and Bruce-Monroe and those two schools have surpassed it in popularity. Not in decades, but in about 3 years.

Anyway, I think the unified lottery makes it so that preferences - sibling, boundary or proximity - are your best shot at getting into any DCPS. There will be the few hundred families who get into charters, and then almost everyone else will get matched with their neighborhood school.

I was addressing the second part of that post, not the first.

[Anonymous]

OP, where do you live? What is your IB school?

[Anonymous]

Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm getting ready for next years lottery. I know this is really early! In considering some safety schools, which ones do you believe have a real chance of turning the corner? It's like buying real estate before the market gets hot. I think my strategy will be listing mostly schools that are considered safeties but with real potential to rise. I'm going to give up entirely on the sought after schools.

What schools meet this criteria and why.

OP, did you mention where you live, or for what grade?

Consider Bancroft - it's getting better every year, dual language program, and you can get spots via OOB, although it is getting tougher for PK3 and PK4.

[Anonymous]

Powell perhaps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Powell perhaps?

I possible to get in OOB for PK3. (40 IB kids were wait-listed)

[Anonymous]

Is Powell Title 1? If so and the DME proposal goes through all IB kids would get a spot.

[Anonymous]

I've visited Garrison several times and I've never witnessed any "behavioral problems."

Also, younare seriously fooling yourself if you think there are not kids with "behavioral problems" in every school everywhere!

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Burroughs.