What are folks doing for MS EOTP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are taking a hard pass on macfarland. The feeders all send weak cohorts. That takes decades to turn around. DECADES of gentrification. Any parent “taking a
Chance” on middle school when they have options are nuts and irresponsible. Brookland middle is a total bust academically and they have failed to attract IB UMC families. The stupid fight for Shaw middle
School will also fail. Until
DC creates a legit test in model, which they want due to fear of racism, the. UMC families will bail
Until there is a critical mass. Deal is there. Hardy is next. Stuart Hobson third. And I have friends who started advocated for SH in the late 90s. It’s almost there.

What do UMC stand for? I see it everywhere here but don’t know what it means, thanks!

Upper Middle Class.

[Anonymous]

There’s definitely some churn in the ITS middle school. Especially in 5th/6th when families leave for/move somewhere with a path through high school. So far ITS has filled those spots with new kids. Not massive numbers, but also a smaller application pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are taking a hard pass on macfarland. The feeders all send weak cohorts. That takes decades to turn around. DECADES of gentrification. Any parent “taking a
Chance” on middle school when they have options are nuts and irresponsible. Brookland middle is a total bust academically and they have failed to attract IB UMC families. The stupid fight for Shaw middle
School will also fail. Until
DC creates a legit test in model, which they want due to fear of racism, the. UMC families will bail
Until there is a critical mass. Deal is there. Hardy is next. Stuart Hobson third. And I have friends who started advocated for SH in the late 90s. It’s almost there.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Today I learned that we're in the boundary for New North.

[Anonymous]

Also, when we moved in there were tons of kids on my block (predominantly AA families) and NONE of them sent their kids to Bruce Monroe, Powell or MacFarland. They all went private or got a lottery spot at an OOB DCPS (which was presumably easier to do 10+ years ago).
DCPS doesn't just have an uphill courting battle with "newer" UMC families (which shouldn't be read for "white" because that is just not accurate), they've HAD an ongoing problem with getting buy-in from the neighborhood with MacFarland for years.

[Anonymous]

I hope New North works. Are there plans for tracking like at Stuart Hobson? If not the school is going to fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope New North works. Are there plans for tracking like at Stuart Hobson? If not the school is going to fail.

Yes there are plans for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope New North works. Are there plans for tracking like at Stuart Hobson? If not the school is going to fail.

Yes there are plans for this.

What is the plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope New North works. Are there plans for tracking like at Stuart Hobson? If not the school is going to fail.

Yes there are plans for this.

What is the plan?

Go to the Ward 4 meeting tonight at the Shepherd Park library - 7:00 pm. Ferrebee will be there taking questions and this will, no doubt, come up.

[Anonymous]

At MacFarland the only Spanish-only classes are science in Spanish and social studies in Spanish. The rest is all integrated. So your kids and kids in Spanish speaking classes would be in the same school.

MacFarland is going to have more than 200 students per grade. It’s going to be big enough to have lots of options. It’ll help if your kid who wants Algebra and mine are both there in getting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At MacFarland the only Spanish-only classes are science in Spanish and social studies in Spanish. The rest is all integrated. So your kids and kids in Spanish speaking classes would be in the same school.

MacFarland is going to have more than 200 students per grade. It’s going to be big enough to have lots of options. It’ll help if your kid who wants Algebra and mine are both there in getting it.

For comparison, what are the Spanish-only courses at Oyster Adams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, Haynes and Cap City have been around for a long time and are great. They are hard to get in to at the younger years because of sibling preference.

Many families I know liked Cap City for lower grades - wished for something else for middle school. They might not state have a banner on them that they says they are doing the lottery. But when you talk to them one on one they are.

OP, "Don't fall for the El Haynes and Capital City...are great!" line. Look up the demographics of these schools on the DCPCSB web site. Even the lower schools are only around one quarter UMC. These programs are fine for little kids, but the achievement gap really starts to kick in by 2nd or 3rd grade, along with behavioral problems, harsh discipline or both.

The truth is that what many UMC folks are doing for MS EotP is moving to the burbs or Upper NW if they strike out in the Washington Latin lottery, aren't OK with BASIS intensity, aren't in a DCI feeder (language immersion), and can't afford a private. This isn't just true way up in NE, it's true much further down, on Capitol Hill. At least your chances of getting into BASIS by the start of school are still better than even. But if your kid isn't a diligent, math-loving type, think twice.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

We are trying for the Latin lottery for 5th. We are in a DCI feeder, and own a house IB for Hardy that we rent out. So if we really felt that DCI wouldn't be a good fit, we could move into our rental property. I realize that we're lucky to have options.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what you mean by DCI meaning a good fit. Is that polite for "academics wouldn't necessarily be rigorous enough or peer group desirable enough?" With Eaton on board as a feeder, Hardy certainly offers tougher math than DCI, more options for acceleration, fewer low SES classmates, and better order/discipline.

You wouldn't need to move into your rental property. Just stay there when you register, collect all the necessary residency docs (start filing taxes/DC withholding there this year, get drivers license changed to that address, utilities bills in your name). You can stay where you want if you own an IB house and get mail there. Just don't invite interference from parent busybodies by broadcasting where you sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure what you mean by DCI meaning a good fit. Is that polite for "academics wouldn't necessarily be rigorous enough or peer group desirable enough?" With Eaton on board as a feeder, Hardy certainly offers tougher math than DCI, more options for acceleration, fewer low SES classmates, and better order/discipline.

You wouldn't need to move into your rental property. Just stay there when you register, collect all the necessary residency docs (start filing taxes/DC withholding there this year, get drivers license changed to that address, utilities bills in your name). You can stay where you want if you own an IB house and get mail there. Just don't invite interference from parent busybodies by broadcasting where you sleep.

Ha, it's neither. I think my child isn't very good at foreign languages so we are considering other options.