Capitol Hill families - If you moved to NW or burbs for school, do you have any regrets?

[Anonymous]

DCUM posters can be kind of crazy. But there is a contagious angst about middle school options on CH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My conclusion from reading this thread - CH people are a little nuts.

My two cents, I think people on this forum in general are a bit nuts -- in defense of the person a few posts up, yes s/he is saying they do not regret staying on Cap Hill. And true that does not answer OP's question. But other people are reading this, and I would argue that it is helpful to hear/recognize that there are people in Cap Hill (along with many other places) whose kids are happy, go to parks, go to friends houses, enjoy school, and whose families are happy they live where they live. I don't doubt the folks who posted from NW are happy with their decisions too - as are the posters who live in other areas of the city. One thing that may not have been mentioned directly is that many families who move from denser areas to upper NW do so when their kids are younger, and as kids get older they get more independent regardless of where you live, so it is hard to compare apples to oranges after the fact.

We are long time CH residents, with friends in upper NW. Our kids (now in HS) do this, but kids in upper NW do this also! In fact, as our kids got more independent and made their own friends (not just neighborhood dependent), it turns out that most of their friends live in upper NW.
It will be fine--whether you stay in CH or move to NW. It will be fine.

Are your kids at Walls? Fair number of NW kids at Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM posters can be kind of crazy. But there is a contagious angst about middle school options on CH.

It is well justified. We haven't heard from anyone claiming happiness with staying on the Hill AND sending kids through EH, SH, or Jefferson and then on to Eastern. There just aren't very many of those folks, which is why the OOB populations in those schools is so high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM posters can be kind of crazy. But there is a contagious angst about middle school options on CH.

It is well justified. We haven't heard from anyone claiming happiness with staying on the Hill AND sending kids through EH, SH, or Jefferson and then on to Eastern. There just aren't very many of those folks, which is why the OOB populations in those schools is so high.

This forum does not really represent the entire school age population accurately. Not sure how many people passively read these forums, but those who actively post are a very specific narrow part of the population. Not discounting their perspectives, but there are a lot of people who are not posting or engaging here. Our child will be starting at EH in August, as will most of their classmates. We know many families that are at EH or SH, and many that have gone elsewhere.
It was suggested on a previous thread about middle schools that if people are actually interested in hearing from these parents, perhaps a separate thread should be opened. Not to convince anyone to enroll anywhere but simply to answer and ask questions with these families that are actually at these DCPS middle schools, not the ones that have left. Then parents can learn from them and make their own decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM posters can be kind of crazy. But there is a contagious angst about middle school options on CH.

It is well justified. We haven't heard from anyone claiming happiness with staying on the Hill AND sending kids through EH, SH, or Jefferson and then on to Eastern. There just aren't very many of those folks, which is why the OOB populations in those schools is so high.

This forum does not really represent the entire school age population accurately. Not sure how many people passively read these forums, but those who actively post are a very specific narrow part of the population. Not discounting their perspectives, but there are a lot of people who are not posting or engaging here. Our child will be starting at EH in August, as will most of their classmates. We know many families that are at EH or SH, and many that have gone elsewhere.
It was suggested on a previous thread about middle schools that if people are actually interested in hearing from these parents, perhaps a separate thread should be opened. Not to convince anyone to enroll anywhere but simply to answer and ask questions with these families that are actually at these DCPS middle schools, not the ones that have left. Then parents can learn from them and make their own decisions.

Good for you for giving EH a try I guess. I hope it works out for your kid.
What are you presently thinking about HS? I know you have time to think about it though. No decent HS is a huge bummer for CH. Even if you slog through MS, you are faced with a dilemma for HS.

[Anonymous]

I can only speak for my family, but we are plan to see where their strengths/interests lie and then apply to high school that has a program that would fit, be it IB at Eastern, McKinley, Banneker, etc. We know families with kids at all of those (as well as others) and plan to have our kiddo (and us) talk and learn more about each as the time approaches. As stressful as it can be, being in a city with this many different options and specific different programs is a pretty great opportunity .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM posters can be kind of crazy. But there is a contagious angst about middle school options on CH.

It is well justified. We haven't heard from anyone claiming happiness with staying on the Hill AND sending kids through EH, SH, or Jefferson and then on to Eastern. There just aren't very many of those folks, which is why the OOB populations in those schools is so high.

This forum does not really represent the entire school age population accurately. Not sure how many people passively read these forums, but those who actively post are a very specific narrow part of the population. Not discounting their perspectives, but there are a lot of people who are not posting or engaging here. Our child will be starting at EH in August, as will most of their classmates. We know many families that are at EH or SH, and many that have gone elsewhere.
It was suggested on a previous thread about middle schools that if people are actually interested in hearing from these parents, perhaps a separate thread should be opened. Not to convince anyone to enroll anywhere but simply to answer and ask questions with these families that are actually at these DCPS middle schools, not the ones that have left. Then parents can learn from them and make their own decisions.

I'm genuinely curious, which feeder school is advancing most of its cohort to EH?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think people are rich “loons” on this thread. I live on the hill and have two young kids. It’s sucks there isn’t a competitive middle school or high school. It’s not crazy to admit that. Eastern is not a good school and no amount of tax money poured into it, without first fixing the issues at the homes of many of the farms kids who go there will make any difference. Dc is basically haves and have nots. You can’t expect teachers or a renovated campus to fix unaccountable parents.

It’s also not racist to say that Barrack’s row has some heroin addicted sketchballs around 7-11 or that crime is a real issue. But anyway everyone seems to throw that word around and dilute it’s meaning a lot these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised our kids in Arlington too, after moving to the DMV from elsewhere, not really being city people, and knowing nothing about DC. We’ve now lived in the area for decades, and moved to the city as young empty nesters several years ago.

There’s no doubt that our kids had a nice upbringing in a safe area with good schools. And they have fond memories of their childhood. And they like the DMV well enough that they have all settled here.

But none of them (four) is even considering living or raising their families in a place like Arlington (and, yes, they could afford it). It’s just that after being out of it for a while it’s now painfully obvious just how white, sterile and insular it was, and none of them want that either for themselves or their kids.

Did your kids go to Yorktown? My kids are at Gunston. It is definitely not rich, white and entitled.

Our kids attended North Arlington schools. No one with any real money moves from DC to South Arlington for the schools. Not because they’re not good - they are - but because they’re not perceived as good.

You’re the minority if you did.

I am the PP. My kids are in the bilingual program so my kids take a bus to Gunston instead of walking to our N. Arlington middle school. Gunston has great teachers and we are all glad we left the hill.

That’s great - good for you. But you didn’t move to South Arlington I see.

Lol - not the PP, but I DO live in South Arlington now. It is more diverse than anywhere in D.C. and the schools are great. And we did move here from DC because it is way more affordable. Guess we don't "have real money" like you. Congrats on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM posters can be kind of crazy. But there is a contagious angst about middle school options on CH.

It is well justified. We haven't heard from anyone claiming happiness with staying on the Hill AND sending kids through EH, SH, or Jefferson and then on to Eastern. There just aren't very many of those folks, which is why the OOB populations in those schools is so high.

This forum does not really represent the entire school age population accurately. Not sure how many people passively read these forums, but those who actively post are a very specific narrow part of the population. Not discounting their perspectives, but there are a lot of people who are not posting or engaging here. Our child will be starting at EH in August, as will most of their classmates. We know many families that are at EH or SH, and many that have gone elsewhere.
It was suggested on a previous thread about middle schools that if people are actually interested in hearing from these parents, perhaps a separate thread should be opened. Not to convince anyone to enroll anywhere but simply to answer and ask questions with these families that are actually at these DCPS middle schools, not the ones that have left. Then parents can learn from them and make their own decisions.

Eastern is only 33% in-boundary kids, so part of the issue here is that many of Eastern's families don't actually live in CH. The school offered 200 seats via the lottery for 9th grade alone. It's 75% at-risk population. It's also not diverse at all -- 94% black.

So on the one hand, you are correct that the people not his website are a narrow part of the school going population. But it is also true that families with kids attending Eastern are also from a narrow part of the school-going population.

And while I'm glad you are happy with EH (I too know families happy at EH and SH) the subject of this thread is about moving out of CH for schools, and I'll notice that you don't say anything about Eastern in your post. No one I know would consider sending their kids to Eastern. So even if you attend your IB MS on CH, that means that you are still looking at sending your kid to school somewhere other than CH for HS. Which for many people will involve moving, whether because they don't get a spot at the application school they want, or don't like the commute or can't afford private, or what.

So your comment doesn't really change that. You still might move for HS. Being willing to give EH a try doesn't actually make that any less likely, IMO. It just kicks the can down the road.

[Anonymous]

Maury. Sent something like 27 kids there last year. Maybe even more this year and/or next. (Not a Maury/EH family).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My conclusion from reading this thread - CH people are a little nuts.

We are CH people and are moving to NW in a few weeks. Kids are starting at private school. You know who are really nuts? The NW private school prek parents.

Won’t a substantial amount of your kids’ private school class be kids who started at preschool? They are now your people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maury. Sent something like 27 kids there last year. Maybe even more this year and/or next. (Not a Maury/EH family).

A majority of Payne's 5th grade will be at EH next year as well. Not sure if it will stay this way, but as of now Payne has not had the 4th/5th grade drop off that other schools has had. As for high school, I know some families at Eastern, and I plan to learn more about the IB program while our child is at EH and plan to include that in our child/family's decision in a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maury. Sent something like 27 kids there last year. Maybe even more this year and/or next. (Not a Maury/EH family).

A majority of Payne's 5th grade will be at EH next year as well. Not sure if it will stay this way, but as of now Payne has not had the 4th/5th grade drop off that other schools has had. As for high school, I know some families at Eastern, and I plan to learn more about the IB program while our child is at EH and plan to include that in our child/family's decision in a few years.

How much of Payne’s 5th grade class is already OOB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maury. Sent something like 27 kids there last year. Maybe even more this year and/or next. (Not a Maury/EH family).

A majority of Payne's 5th grade will be at EH next year as well. Not sure if it will stay this way, but as of now Payne has not had the 4th/5th grade drop off that other schools has had. As for high school, I know some families at Eastern, and I plan to learn more about the IB program while our child is at EH and plan to include that in our child/family's decision in a few years.

How much of Payne’s 5th grade class is already OOB?

~75%, I think.