Is Latin really all that and a bag of chips?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is a crazy idea, what if all the Capitol Hill families committed to their IB middle school and worked to improve the middle school situation? Jefferson, SH or EH could be the next Deal or Latin. I am actually very impressed witH SH and the efforts toward attracting CH students/families.

As long as this board has existed, this comment has been the easiest way to identify someone as being completely ignorant about CH schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People have been saying that for years. It won’t happen. The city won’t let it. So we’re left to lottery and scatter among schools so we can all stay in the neighborhood. Which to
say is an amazing neighborhood to raise your family if you can get lucky enough to figure out the schools.

Back to business though- everyone happy with Latins? Anything people should know? I guess this should have gone out before we placed our preferences.

Everyone is happy with the Latins; there’s nothing more to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a crazy idea, what if all the Capitol Hill families committed to their IB middle school and worked to improve the middle school situation? Jefferson, SH or EH could be the next Deal or Latin. I am actually very impressed witH SH and the efforts toward attracting CH students/families.

This has been floated and talked about many, many times, but it doesn't seem to happen. It's not my neighborhood, nor are those my zoned schools, so i can't speak to why.

I think it actually is happening at SH, albeit slower than most would like. If I had to hazard a guess as to why it hasn't happened in the same was it has for Deal and Hardy, I think it's housing stock. Homes on the Hill are mostly small. People outgrow them as their kids hit MS and HS. There are very limited options for upsizing in the same area. There's also some built in transiency to the Hill as people move in and out for work (it's a popular destination for people in DC for just a few years, moving to DC from overseas, etc.). All of this makes it hard to build a consistent group of parents that moves from the elementaries to the MS and HS.

I say this as someone who is contributing to the problem -- we are happy here now at our elementary, but already have plans to move in MS. We aren't moving because of MS (though the school situation on the Hill is a factor that contributes to the desire to move). We're mostly moving because we feel we are outgrowing our home and the area. It seems like that happens less in NW, I don't really know why. I've lived on CH for nearly 20 years now.

How are you outgrowing the area?

[Anonymous]

We are at Latin Cooper and are generally very happy. Also, we are not a CH family. There are a lot of CH families that apply due to the lack of school options in CH, but there are also a lot of non CH families.

[Anonymous]

The best thing about Latin is that all the parents are relaxed. They are engaged, but not crazy and not derelict. It’s the perfect combination.

[Anonymous]

I still don’t get a good sense of the Latins and we are on page 4. What are the pros and cons of the school? How are the academics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get a good sense of the Latins and we are on page 4. What are the pros and cons of the school? How are the academics?

You can see the academics on the website, find their PARCC scores online, and tour the school yourself. As this thread indicates, there are no cons, only pros, especially if you want the relief of not having to worry about HS.

[Anonymous]

How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

I would list commute as a con - maybe kids make the best of it on a bus, but it is time spent not doing something else. Also, I have heard the second campus does not have its own extra curriculars/sports, making it harder to compete for spots, and kids have to travel between campuses to play/participate. Those aren't necessarily academic reasons but for families that are looking at the whole picture it is helpful.

And I am not saying there are not tons of pros, the families we know at Latin are very happy, I think it is a good option. This time of year, I also wish that all of the charters and public schools were on the same schedule. Having different spring breaks and days off is hard for families.

[Anonymous]

I know several Capitol Hill families with high-performing kids at Latin who are all generally quite happy with the school and the education their kids are getting. As noted above, I think the commute is the biggest con - and it is a big one (from Capitol Hill). Especially becasue the school (2nd street) is not located in a very nice area - I think that walk to/from the closest metro station is a bit dicey/unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a crazy idea, what if all the Capitol Hill families committed to their IB middle school and worked to improve the middle school situation? Jefferson, SH or EH could be the next Deal or Latin. I am actually very impressed witH SH and the efforts toward attracting CH students/families.

This has been floated and talked about many, many times, but it doesn't seem to happen. It's not my neighborhood, nor are those my zoned schools, so i can't speak to why.

I think it actually is happening at SH, albeit slower than most would like. If I had to hazard a guess as to why it hasn't happened in the same was it has for Deal and Hardy, I think it's housing stock. Homes on the Hill are mostly small. People outgrow them as their kids hit MS and HS. There are very limited options for upsizing in the same area. There's also some built in transiency to the Hill as people move in and out for work (it's a popular destination for people in DC for just a few years, moving to DC from overseas, etc.). All of this makes it hard to build a consistent group of parents that moves from the elementaries to the MS and HS.

I say this as someone who is contributing to the problem -- we are happy here now at our elementary, but already have plans to move in MS. We aren't moving because of MS (though the school situation on the Hill is a factor that contributes to the desire to move). We're mostly moving because we feel we are outgrowing our home and the area. It seems like that happens less in NW, I don't really know why. I've lived on CH for nearly 20 years now.

No, that's not it. What happens is that by the time you get to middle school on the Hill, you're burned out on all you had to do to ensure your DCPS ES worked for your family. By 5th grade, we were paying almost as much for ELA tutoring, foreign language instruction (non-existent at our DCPS) and Mathnasium as we would have for St. Peters (for kids who work above grade level). We were fed up with fundraising and long PTA meetings. We were weary of our school's not so great leadership. We couldn't face a middle school where we had to do more heavy lifting and we'd faced the reality that even the most "consistent" group of parents couldn't change the bone-headed DCPS policy preventing academic tracking in middle school science and social studies. We went charter (although we'd struck out in the 4th grade lottery).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

Latin is good on actual USA metrics.

The suburban experience is very different from the city one— and for some, there are actual cons to moving to the suburbs. You need to know your own self and family to know whether staying in the city or moving to the suburbs is the better choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

Latin is good on actual USA metrics.

The suburban experience is very different from the city one— and for some, there are actual cons to moving to the suburbs. You need to know your own self and family to know whether staying in the city or moving to the suburbs is the better choice.

Ok … I have no dog in this fight, but this is just not accurate. Latin’s test scores are BAD.

To give you an idea, if you look at the US News list of best high schools (one of the only “USA metrics” we have), Latin is ranked #11,048 in National Rankings. BASIS is ranked #250. Whitman in Bethesda is #147. Yorktown in Arlington is #345.

People are allowed to like Latin. But don’t lie about the academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

Latin is good on actual USA metrics.

The suburban experience is very different from the city one— and for some, there are actual cons to moving to the suburbs. You need to know your own self and family to know whether staying in the city or moving to the suburbs is the better choice.

Ok … I have no dog in this fight, but this is just not accurate. Latin’s test scores are BAD.

To give you an idea, if you look at the US News list of best high schools (one of the only “USA metrics” we have), Latin is ranked #11,048 in National Rankings. BASIS is ranked #250. Whitman in Bethesda is #147. Yorktown in Arlington is #345.

People are allowed to like Latin. But don’t lie about the academics.

There has to be some metrics missing from this which drops Latin?

I also have no dog but that seems really low. Almost too low.

[Anonymous]

I think Latin’s more average academics is why it appeals to such a vast number of families. So many more people can see themselves at Latin because it’s essentially a great compromise between “too rigorous” academics like BASIS and “non-existent” academics at their in-bound DCPS middle school. Latin’s academics are good, and lots of high achieving kids go there, which makes it a unicorn in DC. But based on conversations with families there, it’s not the best fit for students advanced in math and science. Also, the laid back attitude of the families there could be exactly what some people are looking for, but it could be the wrong fit for families looking to be surrounded by the type A families that are more likely to be found at a school like BASIS. Just because Latin is so popular doesn’t mean that it’s the best choice for everyone.