best in-boundary potential for improvement?

[Anonymous]

I think it's Shepherd, hands down. If you look at the demographics of the school and the demographics of the neighborhood, it's a total mis-match. Shepherd Park is much more affluent and diverse than the school. There are no pockets of poverty or even non-SFHs in Shepherd's boundary, and the homes generally range from $500k-$1M, so the population entering the neighborhood is affluent, and increasingly white. In fact, I'd venture to say the education/wealth level of Shepherd Park on the whole is greater than any other east-of-the-park DC neighborhood. But according to the website, only 31% of Shepherd students are in-boundary. That's crazy. If more neighborhood parents started sending their kids to Shepherd, the test scores would likely rise and their would be a great improvement in its perception.

[Anonymous]

What's wrong with Hearst?

It's not that Hearst has a pox, per se. I am honestly trying to answer the question posed by the OP -- Best in-boundary potential for improvement?

Hearst currently has 12% in-boundary students. 9 out of 10 kids who go there don't live there.

If 99% of the students came from Cleveland Park, you'd create the next Mann (a 99% in-boundary enrollment). The 2nd graders who live in Spring Valley/Mann are not any different than the 2nd graders who live on Macomb St. / Hearst.

[Anonymous]

Sorry; Mann claims it is 86% in-boundary. Not sure I believe that though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can give a number of reasons. Perhaps it's because the neighborhood has a number of families who would never consider public, no matter how great the school. But, sadly, I think some of it is ignorance, perpetual rumor, and good old-fashioned "white flight." What gets me is the constant questions about the numbers of OOB students. I think you'd be surprised by who those OOB students are, what their parents do for a living, where they live, their parent's education, etc. And some of those children you might assume are OOB (because of the color of their skin?) are actually in-boundary.

The sentiment I've heard is "wish we could stay all the way through, don't want my kid to be one of a handful of white kids, or the only white kid in the later grades". No one wants their kid unhappy b/c all of their friends left. I've never looked at the current demographics Hearst family poster, no idea if it was once true, is still true, etc. And many families do have the income to make private a viable option. Unless you want to save the $ and go through the hassle of switching midstream it's just as easy to start private.

[Anonymous]

What % of Shepherd is white/black/hispanic?

Anonymous wrote:I think it's Shepherd, hands down. If you look at the demographics of the school and the demographics of the neighborhood, it's a total mis-match. Shepherd Park is much more affluent and diverse than the school. There are no pockets of poverty or even non-SFHs in Shepherd's boundary, and the homes generally range from $500k-$1M, so the population entering the neighborhood is affluent, and increasingly white. In fact, I'd venture to say the education/wealth level of Shepherd Park on the whole is greater than any other east-of-the-park DC neighborhood. But according to the website, only 31% of Shepherd students are in-boundary. That's crazy. If more neighborhood parents started sending their kids to Shepherd, the test scores would likely rise and their would be a great improvement in its perception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What % of Shepherd is white/black/hispanic?

Anonymous wrote:I think it's Shepherd, hands down. If you look at the demographics of the school and the demographics of the neighborhood, it's a total mis-match. Shepherd Park is much more affluent and diverse than the school. There are no pockets of poverty or even non-SFHs in Shepherd's boundary, and the homes generally range from $500k-$1M, so the population entering the neighborhood is affluent, and increasingly white. In fact, I'd venture to say the education/wealth level of Shepherd Park on the whole is greater than any other east-of-the-park DC neighborhood. But according to the website, only 31% of Shepherd students are in-boundary. That's crazy. If more neighborhood parents started sending their kids to Shepherd, the test scores would likely rise and their would be a great improvement in its perception.

According to DCPS, it's 87% black, 6% latino, 5% white. Shepherd Park is definitely more than 5% white. It also has 33% FARMS. No way is Shepherd Park 33% low income.

[Anonymous]

To answer the question: Shepard, Hearst, Eaton, Stoddert, Murch.

[Anonymous]

"If 99% of the students came from Cleveland Park, you'd create the next Mann (a 99% in-boundary enrollment)."

Ditto for Georgetown and its elementary.

[Anonymous]

Hearst has recently changed from a PreK to 3rd grade school to a PreK to 5th grade school. I think this will have a significant impact on Hearst's ability to attract and retain in-boundary families (when I looked at the school a few years ago, my child would have had no assigned school for 4th and 5th grade). Families will be at the school for a longer period so will be more vested in the community, etc. and the school leadership with probably be more motivated to work on DC-CAS scores since they will have students taking the DC-CAS for more than one year. The new playground is great and from what I have seen the after-care seems good.

[Anonymous]

I think it's Shepherd, hands down.

I agree... Now it is a IB path to Deal for middle school, or if musically inclined the school has best elementary music program in the city then go to Hardy for middle school. Housing stock is really good and Shepherd Park has a very nice community feel. It is a shame more in-boundary families don't send their kinds there, but their income levels lead them toward private/parochial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's Shepherd, hands down. If you look at the demographics of the school and the demographics of the neighborhood, it's a total mis-match. Shepherd Park is much more affluent and diverse than the school. There are no pockets of poverty or even non-SFHs in Shepherd's boundary, and the homes generally range from $500k-$1M, so the population entering the neighborhood is affluent, and increasingly white. In fact, I'd venture to say the education/wealth level of Shepherd Park on the whole is greater than any other east-of-the-park DC neighborhood. But according to the website, only 31% of Shepherd students are in-boundary. That's crazy. If more neighborhood parents started sending their kids to Shepherd, the test scores would likely rise and their would be a great improvement in its perception.

The reasons we left Shepherd. (1) teachers in the 3rd and 4th grade that I did not want my chidren to have (2) poor aftercare program and (3) no white kids in the upper grades. We left a couple years ago, but when I looked at the students who took the Dc-Cas in spring 2010, there were zero white kids. I don't think the Shepherd will be changing any time soon

[Anonymous]

The Hearst boundaries are most likely to shift in the near term, which will result in more students from the new in-boundary areas. See yesterday's Northwest Current. Janney and Mann are at or above capacity with nearly all "in bounds" enrolloment, and even with some expansion at Janney, CM Cheh expects demand to outstrip spaces. So the closest public elementary schools are Hearst and Eaton, whose future area boundaries are likely to encompass some areas formerly assigned to Janney and Mann.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Hearst boundaries are most likely to shift in the near term, which will result in more students from the new in-boundary areas. See yesterday's Northwest Current. Janney and Mann are at or above capacity with nearly all "in bounds" enrolloment, and even with some expansion at Janney, CM Cheh expects demand to outstrip spaces. So the closest public elementary schools are Hearst and Eaton, whose future area boundaries are likely to encompass some areas formerly assigned to Janney and Mann.

Many of the white kids who start at Hearst are actually out of bounds. By a few years in there are no white kids. Not sure it is white flight exactly or a desire for your child to not be the only one. For people who plan to go private you need to move for the entry years. People who can afford to live in bounds for Hearst and Eaton typically can afford private and don't want to deal with DCPS. Mann is not 100% in bounds since many many families in bounds go private all the way. Many more leave at 3rd. Story of DCPS. Deal is helping to hold more families at Janney, Lafayette and Murch, as is the economy.

[Anonymous]

I just have to respond to the fear voiced by some above that white kids will feel terrible when their friends are pulled out by their parents and they will be the only white kids left. You folks need to have a little more faith in your kids. Maybe YOU have a difficult time making friends with african-americans, but don't assume that your white kid will be in the same position. My child attends Brent and his best friends are black. He also has white friends. The only kids he has been hassled by are white kids. When is the prejudice against black kids going to end? Why not today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's Shepherd, hands down. If you look at the demographics of the school and the demographics of the neighborhood, it's a total mis-match. Shepherd Park is much more affluent and diverse than the school. There are no pockets of poverty or even non-SFHs in Shepherd's boundary, and the homes generally range from $500k-$1M, so the population entering the neighborhood is affluent, and increasingly white. In fact, I'd venture to say the education/wealth level of Shepherd Park on the whole is greater than any other east-of-the-park DC neighborhood. But according to the website, only 31% of Shepherd students are in-boundary. That's crazy. If more neighborhood parents started sending their kids to Shepherd, the test scores would likely rise and their would be a great improvement in its perception.

The reasons we left Shepherd. (1) teachers in the 3rd and 4th grade that I did not want my chidren to have (2) poor aftercare program and (3) no white kids in the upper grades. We left a couple years ago, but when I looked at the students who took the Dc-Cas in spring 2010, there were zero white kids. I don't think the Shepherd will be changing any time soon

I understand why parents, especially white parents, haven't been sending their kids to Shepherd - especially given that for many, private is an option and the JKLM schools are not too bad a commute. But it's not just white parents - black parents in Shepherd Park don't send their kids either. I also know there's been a lot of upheaval/transition in the last several years at Shepherd. So maybe now with the IB certification and some hopefully steady leadership, the tide will change.