DCI or Deal

[Anonymous]

I find it quite funny the many people who are supporting honors for all on here say the primary reason it won’t be bad is because demographics are changing at Wilson. So basically honors for all is bad but hey don’t worry because there’s more middle class kids going to Wilson so it won’t be so bad.

Quite the flaw reason to give to support honors for all people. Just because a child is middle class does not equate that the child is advanced. There are wide variations in academic abilities even within the same SES - yes even 3-4 grade levels apart. You don’t see the top public high schools in the country with high SES kids de-tracking and mixing all academic abilities. You don’t see high schools in McLean or Bethesda de-tracking.

It’s a bad idea all around. Wilson is not even close to a high performing high school when compared to some of our neighbors in VA and MD but it’s the only decent non-test in high school that DCPS has. It’s going in the wrong direction, and those that don’t want to see it or acknowledge it can do so at the risk of your child’s education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wilson provided a well rounded atmosphere for my AA daughter. She was provided a solid academic offerings and is at a great university.

It may not work for some, but it's what you make of it.

Right, but your daughter must have attended Wilson before Honors for All.

Principal Martin has made great strides in screwing up the experience for advanced students in humanities and science classes in the last two school years. Only math and foreign languages remain a safe bet.

Wilson is no longer just what a family "makes of it." Any high school is the sum of its parts, including appropriate rigor and good teaching the brightest, best prepared and most motivated students have access to. Political concerns should not trump academic prerogatives like this.

Banneker and Walls? Come on, where are the white and Asian kids at Banneker (we're Asian)? Where is the effort to recruit them? If your student doesn't crack Walls, what good option do you have in Upper NW if you can't afford privates for your strong and enthusiastic humanities student? They can sit in class alongside a bunch of kids who can't work at a middle school level in "Honors" classes. Sheet idiocy.

If you child is all that, they will get into Walls. And find that it can be just as uneven as Wilson. Because you take a test to get in there isn’t tracking. But the test is only one part of admission and there is a wide range in preparedness. Toss in a few meh teachers — and you have a public school where it is on students to push themselves to a large degree.

As for Wilson, it had NEVER been what you are seeking. And DCPS probably doesn’t want it to be what you are describing. You can tail about Marting all you want, but the beloved former principal didn’t share your vision either.



Apply to private. You may get financial aid. If you have a boy St Anselm’s may be a good fit (many non-Catholic kids btw) and tuition is less than half of that of GDS of SFS.

Totally disagree. It is difficult to get into Walls. Stats are about 10% or so of those that take the test get in. You are right that students are motivated which is a good thing - motivated advanced students who want to learn, significantly less behavioral issues. Teachers there like any school can be hit or miss. The opportunities for students there to take a significant amount of college level GW classes provides a great opportunity to really challenge the most advanced students.

Not everyone can afford private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wilson provided a well rounded atmosphere for my AA daughter. She was provided a solid academic offerings and is at a great university.

It may not work for some, but it's what you make of it.

Right, but your daughter must have attended Wilson before Honors for All.

Principal Martin has made great strides in screwing up the experience for advanced students in humanities and science classes in the last two school years. Only math and foreign languages remain a safe bet.

Wilson is no longer just what a family "makes of it." Any high school is the sum of its parts, including appropriate rigor and good teaching the brightest, best prepared and most motivated students have access to. Political concerns should not trump academic prerogatives like this.

Banneker and Walls? Come on, where are the white and Asian kids at Banneker (we're Asian)? Where is the effort to recruit them? If your student doesn't crack Walls, what good option do you have in Upper NW if you can't afford privates for your strong and enthusiastic humanities student? They can sit in class alongside a bunch of kids who can't work at a middle school level in "Honors" classes. Sheet idiocy.

Agree and did you hear? DCPS is expanding Banneker by moving it to a new site. Their reason - to have more spots and opportunities for at risk kids. Who cares about Wilson which is bursting at the seams and will only get worst with no long term plan in sight. Ever hear of any plans to expand Walls? The only test in high school that has a long waitlist. Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it quite funny the many people who are supporting honors for all on here say the primary reason it won’t be bad is because demographics are changing at Wilson. So basically honors for all is bad but hey don’t worry because there’s more middle class kids going to Wilson so it won’t be so bad.

Quite the flaw reason to give to support honors for all people. Just because a child is middle class does not equate that the child is advanced. There are wide variations in academic abilities even within the same SES - yes even 3-4 grade levels apart. You don’t see the top public high schools in the country with high SES kids de-tracking and mixing all academic abilities. You don’t see high schools in McLean or Bethesda de-tracking.

It’s a bad idea all around. Wilson is not even close to a high performing high school when compared to some of our neighbors in VA and MD but it’s the only decent non-test in high school that DCPS has. It’s going in the wrong direction, and those that don’t want to see it or acknowledge it can do so at the risk of your child’s education.

+1

[Anonymous]

Banneker is a good school. Maybe it will become more diverse when it moves to a new location so will become another option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it quite funny the many people who are supporting honors for all on here say the primary reason it won’t be bad is because demographics are changing at Wilson. So basically honors for all is bad but hey don’t worry because there’s more middle class kids going to Wilson so it won’t be so bad.

Quite the flaw reason to give to support honors for all people. Just because a child is middle class does not equate that the child is advanced. There are wide variations in academic abilities even within the same SES - yes even 3-4 grade levels apart. You don’t see the top public high schools in the country with high SES kids de-tracking and mixing all academic abilities. You don’t see high schools in McLean or Bethesda de-tracking.

It’s a bad idea all around. Wilson is not even close to a high performing high school when compared to some of our neighbors in VA and MD but it’s the only decent non-test in high school that DCPS has. It’s going in the wrong direction, and those that don’t want to see it or acknowledge it can do so at the risk of your child’s education.

THIS. We're at Deal and now rethinking Wilson. We're already fed up with honors for all at Deal. The humanities classes aren't pushing our very bright and somewhat slothful kid. We can't afford privates and may just move to the suburbs for HS while renting out or DC house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wilson provided a well rounded atmosphere for my AA daughter. She was provided a solid academic offerings and is at a great university.

It may not work for some, but it's what you make of it.

Right, but your daughter must have attended Wilson before Honors for All.

Principal Martin has made great strides in screwing up the experience for advanced students in humanities and science classes in the last two school years. Only math and foreign languages remain a safe bet.

Wilson is no longer just what a family "makes of it." Any high school is the sum of its parts, including appropriate rigor and good teaching the brightest, best prepared and most motivated students have access to. Political concerns should not trump academic prerogatives like this.

Banneker and Walls? Come on, where are the white and Asian kids at Banneker (we're Asian)? Where is the effort to recruit them? If your student doesn't crack Walls, what good option do you have in Upper NW if you can't afford privates for your strong and enthusiastic humanities student? They can sit in class alongside a bunch of kids who can't work at a middle school level in "Honors" classes. Sheet idiocy.

If you child is all that, they will get into Walls. And find that it can be just as uneven as Wilson. Because you take a test to get in there isn’t tracking. But the test is only one part of admission and there is a wide range in preparedness. Toss in a few meh teachers — and you have a public school where it is on students to push themselves to a large degree.

As for Wilson, it had NEVER been what you are seeking. And DCPS probably doesn’t want it to be what you are describing. You can tail about Marting all you want, but the beloved former principal didn’t share your vision either.



Apply to private. You may get financial aid. If you have a boy St Anselm’s may be a good fit (many non-Catholic kids btw) and tuition is less than half of that of GDS of SFS.

Totally disagree. It is difficult to get into Walls. Stats are about 10% or so of those that take the test get in. You are right that students are motivated which is a good thing - motivated advanced students who want to learn, significantly less behavioral issues. Teachers there like any school can be hit or miss. The opportunities for students there to take a significant amount of college level GW classes provides a great opportunity to really challenge the most advanced students.

Not everyone can afford private.

You have the entrance data wrong. ~1000 apply. Each year only 500 sit for the test because they don’t meet the qualifications, making Walls seem more selective than it is.

140 are admitted. Another 60-80 are added to the WL and the last few years, about 60 have gotten in.

SWW has a ~30-40% acceptance rate.

Also ANY DC high school student can take college classes through dual enrollment. Not unique to Walls.

[Anonymous]

If you want to move to the suburbs for a better high school experience you need to do it by 7th and apply to one of the magnets. The comprehensive high schools pretty much have the same issues as Wilson.

Don’t assume a suburban high school will challenge your somewhat slothful student. They will not be allowed to take the challenging classes (tracking works against you now) and their weighted GPA will reflect it.

There are better non-college career options in the suburbs though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to move to the suburbs for a better high school experience you need to do it by 7th and apply to one of the magnets. The comprehensive high schools pretty much have the same issues as Wilson.

Don’t assume a suburban high school will challenge your somewhat slothful student. They will not be allowed to take the challenging classes (tracking works against you now) and their weighted GPA will reflect it.

There are better non-college career options in the suburbs though.

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

So why haven’t all the parents rallied to fight against the honors for all stupidity? I find it hard to believe that with so many UMC and engaged families at Wilson that they have no pull whatsoever. Start a petition of no confidence? Demand more
Meetings. Even better rally the teachers who know better than anyone how much the classes are watered down! Posting here isn’t doing one thing to improve the academic at Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to move to the suburbs for a better high school experience you need to do it by 7th and apply to one of the magnets. The comprehensive high schools pretty much have the same issues as Wilson.

Don’t assume a suburban high school will challenge your somewhat slothful student. They will not be allowed to take the challenging classes (tracking works against you now) and their weighted GPA will reflect it.

There are better non-college career options in the suburbs though.

Not buying it for either MoCo or VA programs.

We have DC friends who bailed for MoCo, Fairfax or Arlington after 8th grade. The MD-bound got hold of MoCo addresses six months prior, so the kids could apply to the magnets at Richard Montgomery (IB Diploma program) and Blair (STEM magnet and communications arts). The kids were admitted.

Others enrolled in VA for 9th grade without having tested into programs, yet were able to access a range of serious AP classes and/or IB Diploma programs after parents advocated for their students. We hear that most suburban honors programs will work with you coming out of DC if your kid submits competitive standardized test scores (SAT subject tests, PSAT etc.).

[Anonymous]

+1.

[Anonymous]

You only have 2 years at best when parents are interested in helping their kid’s high school. By junior year everyone is on to figuring out college, test prep, campus visits.

Then think of all the normal teen stuff parents trying to help their kids navigate - substances, teen driving, sex - tilting at DCPS windmills just isn’t that high on the list of priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You only have 2 years at best when parents are interested in helping their kid’s high school. By junior year everyone is on to figuring out college, test prep, campus visits.

Then think of all the normal teen stuff parents trying to help their kids navigate - substances, teen driving, sex - tilting at DCPS windmills just isn’t that high on the list of priorities.

This exactly. Plus people tend to "own their choices". I see a lot of this among DCPS parents in my upper NW neighborhood. They will go to death saying that our neighborhood school and Deal and Wilson are "great".
Why? Because subconsciously who wants to admit that they put their kid in a subpar situation? Once you make a choice, you tend to own the choice and see the best in it.

I have 2 kids at Deal and I really can't tell you what they learned this year and they both got straight As with minimal work. One is taking a summer class at one of the well-known privates and told me,
"mom, this is so different than Deal. I learned more this week than in the year at Deal. The class is quiet and my teacher actually knows how to write without a million mistakes herself".
I think Deal tries really hard with the cards they've been dealt. The principal works tirelessly. Many of the teachers are incredibly devoted and inspired. However, others are awful. The classrooms are more often than not chaotic due to misbehaving kids.
The academic standards are low and are mostly based on "if you do the work you get an A'. There is ZERO challenge for high performing kids outside of the advanced math track and the language humanities classes. The rest of the classes can be "aced"
by any kid who does the homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to move to the suburbs for a better high school experience you need to do it by 7th and apply to one of the magnets. The comprehensive high schools pretty much have the same issues as Wilson.

Don’t assume a suburban high school will challenge your somewhat slothful student. They will not be allowed to take the challenging classes (tracking works against you now) and their weighted GPA will reflect it.

There are better non-college career options in the suburbs though.

Not buying it for either MoCo or VA programs.

We have DC friends who bailed for MoCo, Fairfax or Arlington after 8th grade. The MD-bound got hold of MoCo addresses six months prior, so the kids could apply to the magnets at Richard Montgomery (IB Diploma program) and Blair (STEM magnet and communications arts). The kids were admitted.

Others enrolled in VA for 9th grade without having tested into programs, yet were able to access a range of serious AP classes and/or IB Diploma programs after parents advocated for their students. We hear that most suburban honors programs will work with you coming out of DC if your kid submits competitive standardized test scores (SAT subject tests, PSAT etc.).

So what you are saying is that Deal's IB for all program prepared DC kids for the MoCo magnets that so few MoCo kids get into and they also were so well prepared by DC schools that VA worked with them to move them ahead into AP and IB classes (that they could have taken in DC).