Eaton versus Hearst (moving to DC from abroad)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello! I have to move from the UK to DC for work in August and will have a daughter entering 1st grade. I have some specific questions about Eaton and Hearst, as we are attempting to move into one of those schools’ in-boundary areas . I know that there’s no substitute for going to visit the schools, but we need to make a decision on housing relatively soon (we've found a great rental in the Hearst area for August, but would need to sign the lease now!), and we won’t be able to visit the schools prior to the start of the semester.

1. Both schools seem great, but since we’re coming from the UK and will be returning abroad after five years, I’m wondering if we should be concerned about the differential between the schools in the percentage of students who are at the proficient and advanced level. Do both schools (and more specifically Hearst) provide enough support for children who need more challenging work?
2. If you actually have experience with both of the schools, I’d be interested in any differences in their academic focus and ethos.
3. I’ve read on forums that Eaton’s physical plant needs upgrading, while Hearst is finishing reconstruction—any thoughts on which school provides a better physical environment (it’s hard to tell from the few photos online)?
4. Simply put, if you had the choice move IB Eaton or IB Hearst, which one would you choose?

At the risk of sounding rude, please avoid turning this into a discussion about OOB versus IB--I'd rather learn more about what each school offers.

Finally, I know that the best answer may be the differences are inconsequential, but I'm still curious to know more about the differences.

Many thanks!

How did you know about the ongoing OOB versus IB debate? You seem very familiar with DCPS and DCUM for someone living in the UK.

I think I must be more suspicious/less credulous than many of my fellow DCUMers. Often when I see posts by families moving from other countries or from out of state, I am surprised by the extent to which such posters demonstrate familiarity with acronyms and debates that I only see on DCUM. I particularly notice this phenomenon around lottery time.

Anyway, welcome to DC. I am sure you will have a good experience at either of these schools. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

While some are trying to put a brave face on it (and DCPS shills profess a rosy future), other Eaton parents think that moving Eaton to Hardy middle school will really fu&* Eaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello! I have to move from the UK to DC for work in August and will have a daughter entering 1st grade. I have some specific questions about Eaton and Hearst, as we are attempting to move into one of those schools’ in-boundary areas . I know that there’s no substitute for going to visit the schools, but we need to make a decision on housing relatively soon (we've found a great rental in the Hearst area for August, but would need to sign the lease now!), and we won’t be able to visit the schools prior to the start of the semester.

1. Both schools seem great, but since we’re coming from the UK and will be returning abroad after five years, I’m wondering if we should be concerned about the differential between the schools in the percentage of students who are at the proficient and advanced level. Do both schools (and more specifically Hearst) provide enough support for children who need more challenging work?
2. If you actually have experience with both of the schools, I’d be interested in any differences in their academic focus and ethos.
3. I’ve read on forums that Eaton’s physical plant needs upgrading, while Hearst is finishing reconstruction—any thoughts on which school provides a better physical environment (it’s hard to tell from the few photos online)?
4. Simply put, if you had the choice move IB Eaton or IB Hearst, which one would you choose?

At the risk of sounding rude, please avoid turning this into a discussion about OOB versus IB--I'd rather learn more about what each school offers.

Finally, I know that the best answer may be the differences are inconsequential, but I'm still curious to know more about the differences.

Many thanks!

How did you know about the ongoing OOB versus IB debate? You seem very familiar with DCPS and DCUM for someone living in the UK.

I think I must be more suspicious/less credulous than many of my fellow DCUMers. Often when I see posts by families moving from other countries or from out of state, I am surprised by the extent to which such posters demonstrate familiarity with acronyms and debates that I only see on DCUM. I particularly notice this phenomenon around lottery time.

Anyway, welcome to DC. I am sure you will have a good experience at either of these schools. Good luck!

A simple search with "Hearst" or "Eaton" in search box will easily provide many OOB/IB debates. Give the OP a little credit to do some homework before asking.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:How did you know about the ongoing OOB versus IB debate? You seem very familiar with DCPS and DCUM for someone living in the UK.

Have you ever read any single thread about Hearst or Eaton? A Martian could spend 5 minutes in this forum and know about the OOB versus IB debate.

[Anonymous]

To allay any suspicions -- I am the wife of the OP-- as you all will agree, when it comes to your children you take things very seriously. We've done a lot of research, on multiple sites, hence the familiarity with the acronyms. I actually started surfing this site about seven months ago, when we were notified of our next posting. Another colleague recommended it. This thread has been so helpful, and alleviated some of the stress, so I’d like to send a sincere thanks to everyone. Our work requires that we make major life decisions in advance of moving to a new country, without “eyes on the ground”. These comments have helped enormously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To allay any suspicions -- I am the wife of the OP-- as you all will agree, when it comes to your children you take things very seriously. We've done a lot of research, on multiple sites, hence the familiarity with the acronyms. I actually started surfing this site about seven months ago, when we were notified of our next posting. Another colleague recommended it. This thread has been so helpful, and alleviated some of the stress, so I’d like to send a sincere thanks to everyone. Our work requires that we make major life decisions in advance of moving to a new country, without “eyes on the ground”. These comments have helped enormously.

Welcome to DC! I trust that you will love it here. You really can't go wrong with either school. Many parents are starting to like aspects of Hardy more and more (including us and we're IB for Deal). Also, you will only be here through 6th so I don't think it will be a big deal either way. They are both great little schools with diverse and engaging families. Many of these kids are testing amongst the top in the country so don't let rumors of DC public schools scare you. Sadly, there is a great divide in DC in terms of race and SES.