If you didn't grow up in dc...

[Anonymous]

And went to public school, how can you compare your childhood school to a school here in dc? Just curious because I grew up in the Midwest in a public school that seems to have a lot going for it now, but I really don't know how it would compare to schools in dc because my kid's too young still. Maybe it would be comparable to Janney. I just can't wrap my head around the situation here in dc. Don't know whether we should just leave when it's time for ds to start school...

[Anonymous]

I think to some extent you can't compare the school you attended to a school your child might attend. Your experience 20-40 years ago is probably not very similar to today's kids at the same school.

Talk to parents of current students. Visit the school. Talk to the administration. Talk to some teachers. Learn about the issues facing schools in general and your district in particular.

Then remember that school is one part of the equation. Other parts are your child (different kids have different needs and learning styles) and your family.

[Anonymous]

OP, I went to elementary and middle school in a small Midwestern town and high school in a medium sized Midwestern college town. There were no children of color in my elementary school. In middle school, there were 3 black kids. My high school was demographically very different, but the town was extremely segregated.

I never went to a "Janney" and because we live east of the park, my child will not go to a "Janney" either. Instead, I am sending her to a neighborhood school that is not desirable right now but has some exciting change on the horizon. She is 4, so I am planning to be an active part of the positive change that will turn this school into a school we will be comfortable remaining for the long term. Middle and high school are still an open question. I am hoping that meaningful change happens to the middle and high schools in DC before I have to make any huge decisions about it.

I would strongly encourage you to get to know the schools right now. Look at your neighborhood school and see what you can find out about what is planned for it in the next couple of years (I assume your child is a baby).

Additionally, if you posted what school it is, many people on this board could likely give you some insight about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And went to public school, how can you compare your childhood school to a school here in dc? Just curious because I grew up in the Midwest in a public school that seems to have a lot going for it now, but I really don't know how it would compare to schools in dc because my kid's too young still. Maybe it would be comparable to Janney. I just can't wrap my head around the situation here in dc. Don't know whether we should just leave when it's time for ds to start school...

What do you mean by this OP?

[Anonymous]

I grew up in this area and still can compare my child's school to my school. she's learning Chinese and Spanish at 4 years old. I didn't get to take a language until 9th grade. She goes on field trips monthly and nature walks weekly. We did a yearly field trip and nature wasn't something we had anything to do with. She has music, art, yoga, dance as part of her regular schedule as well as outside time. I had "gym" twice a week.

Compare? My child's school blows mine out of the water.

[Anonymous]

My child goes to Janney and it definitely provides a better, more well-rounded and child-center education than my upper-middle class suburban elementary school of 30 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child goes to Janney and it definitely provides a better, more well-rounded and child-center education than my upper-middle class suburban elementary school of 30 years ago.

My child goes to Janney as well and it's far better than my suburban private school experience was 30 years ago.

[Anonymous]

EOTP poster, do you get the feeling that your neighbors will be staying in the neighborhood long term?

[Anonymous]

grew up in small midwest college town through 4th grade public school fantastic. I was teased relentlessly
moved to medium sized southern town. integrated school though beginnin in 6th we were tracked, and advanced classes were almost all white classes. social segregation ruled. schools fair to middling though I did fine or sra tests ect. I was teased relentlessly until about 8th grade

I did fine (college professor noe) because of my SES. So I don't care so much about academics. I do very much care about social environment (I don't want my kids teased) and love of learning, which I maintained DESPITE the fair to middling southern schools I graduated from. Also, having friends who identified as good students was key to keeping me on track in a school that didn't have high expectations for students (we were all to go to local state college, or 13th grade).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EOTP poster, do you get the feeling that your neighbors will be staying in the neighborhood long term?

Depends on the neighbors. Many of them have already been in the neighborhood long term, so yes. If the middle and high school situation in mid-city doesn't improve, I have the impression that many of the higher SES/white families will leave. I would really rather not do that myself, and I suspect that my standards for what is "acceptable" might be slightly lower/different than the higher SES/white families I'm thinking of, but truthfully, if nothing changes in the next 6 years, I will probably try to find another middle school option.

Why do you ask?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EOTP poster, do you get the feeling that your neighbors will be staying in the neighborhood long term?

Depends on the neighbors. Many of them have already been in the neighborhood long term, so yes. If the middle and high school situation in mid-city doesn't improve, I have the impression that many of the higher SES/white families will leave. I would really rather not do that myself, and I suspect that my standards for what is "acceptable" might be slightly lower/different than the higher SES/white families I'm thinking of, but truthfully, if nothing changes in the next 6 years, I will probably try to find another middle school option.

Why do you ask?

We're looking to move from our condo in an area where families tend to move once their kids reach pre-schoolish age or they have a 2nd child (we fit both criteria). I feel like I've stopped making an effort because people come and go so much in my neighborhood. I really want to move to a community where we can plant roots and other families are planning to stay as their children become tweens and teens, but we can't afford the WOTP neighborhoods. Also, DH grew up in another large city, so it doesn't phase him that neighborhood children go to many different schools, but it still kind of bothers me (once again, doesn't seem to be an issue WOTP, but we can't afford it there). Maybe I'm just not cut out for raising a family in the city, time will tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EOTP poster, do you get the feeling that your neighbors will be staying in the neighborhood long term?

Depends on the neighbors. Many of them have already been in the neighborhood long term, so yes. If the middle and high school situation in mid-city doesn't improve, I have the impression that many of the higher SES/white families will leave. I would really rather not do that myself, and I suspect that my standards for what is "acceptable" might be slightly lower/different than the higher SES/white families I'm thinking of, but truthfully, if nothing changes in the next 6 years, I will probably try to find another middle school option.

Why do you ask?

We're looking to move from our condo in an area where families tend to move once their kids reach pre-schoolish age or they have a 2nd child (we fit both criteria). I feel like I've stopped making an effort because people come and go so much in my neighborhood. I really want to move to a community where we can plant roots and other families are planning to stay as their children become tweens and teens, but we can't afford the WOTP neighborhoods. Also, DH grew up in another large city, so it doesn't phase him that neighborhood children go to many different schools, but it still kind of bothers me (once again, doesn't seem to be an issue WOTP, but we can't afford it there). Maybe I'm just not cut out for raising a family in the city, time will tell.

I guess it depends on the area you're talking about. We live in Columbia Heights and DD is going to Cooke in Adams Morgan next year. There are a lot of families who stay in the neighborhoods right around the school and me long term, but by and large they are not DCUM readers. I have observed that young families are staying longer than they used to, but that hasn't translated to meaningful diversity (racial OR socioeconomic) in all the EOTP neighborhoods that are diverse yet - because there are charters, because kids go private, because they get in OOB (we are OOB for Cooke but prefer it over Tubman because of the international bacc curriculum).

I am excited to see what happens.

[Anonymous]

OP back: I guess I meant in terms of school resources, not student population. And I'm not comparing to "my school 20 years ago," I'm comparing to what my hometown's public school is like now. I hope that clarifies. Right now we're zoned for brightwood, and you're right, I don't know much about the school, but from what I see online (in terms of resources), there is a huuuuge difference vs. where I grew up.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in NYC. Attended Catholic schools and a public magnet for high school. I traveled across town and eventually boroughs to spend time with my friends and I never thought much about it. Going to school with kids that lived all over the city didn't phase me, and it doesn't phase my kids who now attend a WOTP school that is popular for OOBs kids.

If your frame of reference is "neighborhood school," then that will be your default preference (particularly if you have fond memories of your school experience). You may even find it difficult to understand that your child can have a great school experience whether their classmates live next door or 4 miles away.

For what it's worth, we lived in the burbs for a few years and my oldest attended the neighborhood school. She was happy then, and she's just as happy now. I could not be more pleased with the group of girls-- from every corner of this city-- that she has formed friendships with through her elementary school and who she will be moving on to middle school with in the fall.

I would however suggest that you seek out a school with a community which has a majority of families that prioritize and value things in their lives similar to yourself. "Like" people find each other whether its by moving into a certain neighborhood or in the District's case-- choosing a particular school. In DC most school communities have a personality-- uber white and wealthy, granola crunchy, second language lovers, diverse and welcoming, etc. If you find a school that fits your family's personality and values, then your kids will automatically find friends who they have lots in common with--across the racial and economic spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And went to public school, how can you compare your childhood school to a school here in dc? Just curious because I grew up in the Midwest in a public school that seems to have a lot going for it now, but I really don't know how it would compare to schools in dc because my kid's too young still. Maybe it would be comparable to Janney. I just can't wrap my head around the situation here in dc. Don't know whether we should just leave when it's time for ds to start school...

What do you mean by this OP?

I mean that it's hard for me to really understand the spectrum of schools that are public here in dc. Some falling off a cliff, some apparently excellent, then the charters...