Do you have a child at E.L. Haynes Charter School?

[Anonymous]

I'm considering applying there, & wanted some feedback from parents who are actually there...

[Anonymous]

It gets a lot of love, here and elsewhere. I'd recommend googling it to find some of the press coverage, and especially going to one of their open houses. The popular charters will get more applicants than they have placements so plan on visiting and entering the lottery for more than one. Most charter parents will tell you enter the lotteries for:

Capitol City
E.L. Haynes
Two Rivers
Yu Ying

[Anonymous]

Not sure why Yu Ying is on your list as it is a new school this year and was UNDER enrolled by at least 20 kids...

[Anonymous]

Their target of 150 students was pretty ambitious for a first year school that didn't even have a building! Fortunately they exceeded the number of students they actually predicted they'd get.

Face it, they've got an exciting concept and an innovative program, parents who seriously care about giving their children an extraordinary education are giving it a long look and showing a lot of interest. Apparently the news media finds it compelling as well:

http://washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=36480

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/476350.aspx

http://www.washingtondiplomat.com/October%202008/c2_10_08.html

[Anonymous]

EL Haynes is a very special place. The entire staff is committed to the families and kids in a way I have not seen before.
Go see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Yu Ying - has been open for less then 8 weeks, lets not jettison it to the top of the heap yet.

[Anonymous]

If the PP's "thoughtful" suggestion of how to evaluate Yu Ying is as dependable as her knowledge of English vocabulary? I'd go ahead and give Yu Ying a call, ASAP!

P.S. @ 07:01 above - If your thesaurus doesn't include the word "jettison" you can always google it.

[Anonymous]

I've heard great things about the school, but I heard the neighborhood is a bit dicey....Is that true?

[Anonymous]

Not at all. It's a pretty peaceful little enclave, surrounded by a Marist (Catholic) retirement home, a Jesuit school, some other Catholic service buildings and Providence Hospital.

It's a beautiful building and a very serene environment. I only wish they could stay there, but it's really their incubator space. They'll outgrow it in 3 years and are looking for what will be the permanent location.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Not at all. It's a pretty peaceful little enclave, surrounded by a Marist (Catholic) retirement home, a Jesuit school, some other Catholic service buildings and Providence Hospital.

I'm pretty sure that the question was in reqard to E.L. Haynes, the school referenced in this thread's topic. You can check out the neighborhood yourself with Google Street view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=E.L.+Haynes,+Washington,+DC&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.582079,66.09375&ie=UTF8&ll=38.935111,-77.023484&spn=0.007519,0.008068&z=17&iwloc=A

Just go to that page and click the link for "Street View". The school was under construction when the photo was taken, so its just a frame.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't describe it as dicey - it's about 2 blocks from the Petworth Metro station. Lots of pedestrian traffic, mostly people on their way to work but also to some local establishments. There's some impressive construction in the area as well. I'd call it "up and coming."

[Anonymous]

Does anyone recall that Yu Ying was rejected on their first round application for a charter? If problems have not brewed yet, they will soon... especially if they have a cadre of supporters like 14:22

[Anonymous]

EL Haynes has a reputation that makes up for any location that it may be in. Check it out - along with Capital City it is on the very top of the charter school list. Two Rivers would be a solid (and up an comer) as well.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it's the Dupont International School that didn't get approved for a charter, because the original application was too elite. Yu Ying did get approved (not that it's even remotely clear what difference that history would make to a 2009 parent). Anyone would know this who had taken the time to educate herself before spouting off on a subject about which she clearly knows very little. After all, it's right there in the feature story of this week's City Paper. It's not as if the school or anyone connected to it is trying to hide anything.

http://washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=36480

Someone so desperate to run down another school only comes across as very insecure. I wonder what's up with 21:28 (aka 07:01) and why that is.

A common vision all of the families at Yu Ying share is a that of an extraordinary education for their children. Some of these families specifically wanted an immersion program and Yu Ying fit the bill. Others were considering private schools. Some tried several charter lotteries and Yu Ying is where they were accepted and/or what they chose from their acceptances. Still others (mostly on The Hill) actually like their neighborhood schools and in fact have older children attending them, but chose Yu Ying for a younger child.

What are you so worried about 21:28/21:29? Haynes already gets more applicants than it has placements. Parents who are considering Haynes should be aware of other options and cover their bases. Some of these families will get lucky with more than one placement and get to make a choice. This is a good thing, in case you've forgotten. Parents getting to choose among compelling educational options is a worthy goal. And happily, whether you like it or not, they'll make their decisions based on factors more urgent to them than the avid supporters (and detractors) on DCUM. They'll overlook 14:22's snarkiness, 21:28/21:29's insecurity, and maybe even 07:01's poor command of English.

[Anonymous]

11:27 Nut-job or an the board of Yu Ying.


Also Dupont International IS the same school as Yu Ying - same board at least.

Why are you so obsessive about promoting this school that has barely been open an entire semester? Also "entire vision", there has been barely enough time for a culture to be established at the school, how many PTA meetings have there been?

It does have some good point to it for sure, and potential, but hardly the same caliber as Capital City.