Garrison vs Langley?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- rumor has it Garrison's principal is leaving. I don't know if this factors into your decision.

Is this true because this rumor about the Garrison principal leaving comes up EVERY single year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, we live in Bloomingdale and toured both schools. We know people in each PK3 classroom at Langley who endorsed their teacher, and do not know people at Garrison, so that was one reason. Ultimately we decided that while Garrison may be slighly different in various ways, it was not significantly better in any way that justified the commute. It would have been great to be at Langley with several friends and share pickup and half day duties. Also it's much easier to be an involved parent if the school is close by. Ultimately we matched elsewhere, so my research was for naught. Hope it helps you.

Thank you - very helpful. May I ask if you matched at another DCPS or HRC? If DCPS is there a specific reason you chose it over your neighborhood school?

Thank you.

We matched at Mundo, so... Really, other than Seaton, no neighborhood school that we could get into OOB, was worth the logistical problems it would have created.

I would have happily enrolled in Langley or Seaton (Seaton being so close to the G8 and Shaw metro), and I am 100% certain that Langley, Seaton, Garrison, and Cleveland have the potential to be much better than they are today, and to be true neighborhood schools that most people are happy to attend. It is an uphill battle and DCPS itself is both friend and foe, but it is obvious to me after living here for a while that progress is happening. If Bloomingdale/Eckington came together and demanded better for its school like other neighborhoods do every year, it would work.

Bloomingdale gentrified so quickly, there's no neighborhood force for the schools (No, the Bloomingdale Kids listserv doesn't count. Just ask the Moms on the Hill). It's the new Dupont Circle: singles, couples (gay or straight, but without children), and legacy families without children competing for schools. Who buys a 1500 sq. ft. newly renovated condo in Bloomingdale for $700K expecting to raise a family in that space and invest in the schools? Pre-school? Okay, but long-term? Not a chance.

Is 20 plus years "so quick"?

It's true that it was too quick. Neighborhoods like Brookland are gentrifying, but they're gentrifying with families into houses and neighborhoods. The same can be said of parts of the Hill moving north and east. The part of Shaw/Bloomingdale/LeDroit that has gentrified has done so in way that's very urban - there are no schools and parks, but lots of restaurants and bars and access to metro. It's not a part of the city that lends itself to families settling in and building schools.

Right. You know just what you are talking about obviously, and my nearly 20 years in Bloomingdale means nothing. Bloomingdale has been "gentrifying" since the 1990s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's true that it was too quick. Neighborhoods like Brookland are gentrifying, but they're gentrifying with families into houses and neighborhoods. The same can be said of parts of the Hill moving north and east. The part of Shaw/Bloomingdale/LeDroit that has gentrified has done so in way that's very urban - there are no schools and parks, but lots of restaurants and bars and access to metro. It's not a part of the city that lends itself to families settling in and building schools.

Huh? There are lots of houses that suit families' needs in these neighborhoods, lots of parks, and plenty of schools. I have no idea what you're talking about.



I live in Bloomingdale/Shaw and we don't have anything in the way of parks other than the Florida Ave. triangle. Plenty of restaurants and bars though, but it really doesn't compete with neighborhoods that have access to lots of green space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- rumor has it Garrison's principal is leaving. I don't know if this factors into your decision.

Is this true because this rumor about the Garrison principal leaving comes up EVERY single year.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/30/641002.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- rumor has it Garrison's principal is leaving. I don't know if this factors into your decision.

Is this true because this rumor about the Garrison principal leaving comes up EVERY single year.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/30/641002.page

NP. It's true. He sent an email to Garrison families today announcing his departure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, we live in Bloomingdale and toured both schools. We know people in each PK3 classroom at Langley who endorsed their teacher, and do not know people at Garrison, so that was one reason. Ultimately we decided that while Garrison may be slighly different in various ways, it was not significantly better in any way that justified the commute. It would have been great to be at Langley with several friends and share pickup and half day duties. Also it's much easier to be an involved parent if the school is close by. Ultimately we matched elsewhere, so my research was for naught. Hope it helps you.

Thank you - very helpful. May I ask if you matched at another DCPS or HRC? If DCPS is there a specific reason you chose it over your neighborhood school?

Thank you.

We matched at Mundo, so... Really, other than Seaton, no neighborhood school that we could get into OOB, was worth the logistical problems it would have created.

I would have happily enrolled in Langley or Seaton (Seaton being so close to the G8 and Shaw metro), and I am 100% certain that Langley, Seaton, Garrison, and Cleveland have the potential to be much better than they are today, and to be true neighborhood schools that most people are happy to attend. It is an uphill battle and DCPS itself is both friend and foe, but it is obvious to me after living here for a while that progress is happening. If Bloomingdale/Eckington came together and demanded better for its school like other neighborhoods do every year, it would work.

Bloomingdale gentrified so quickly, there's no neighborhood force for the schools (No, the Bloomingdale Kids listserv doesn't count. Just ask the Moms on the Hill). It's the new Dupont Circle: singles, couples (gay or straight, but without children), and legacy families without children competing for schools. Who buys a 1500 sq. ft. newly renovated condo in Bloomingdale for $700K expecting to raise a family in that space and invest in the schools? Pre-school? Okay, but long-term? Not a chance.

Is 20 plus years "so quick"?

It's true that it was too quick. Neighborhoods like Brookland are gentrifying, but they're gentrifying with families into houses and neighborhoods. The same can be said of parts of the Hill moving north and east. The part of Shaw/Bloomingdale/LeDroit that has gentrified has done so in way that's very urban - there are no schools and parks, but lots of restaurants and bars and access to metro. It's not a part of the city that lends itself to families settling in and building schools.

Right. You know just what you are talking about obviously, and my nearly 20 years in Bloomingdale means nothing. Bloomingdale has been "gentrifying" since the 1990s.

Bullsh*t. This was written in 2001 and describes Shaw and Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park and every other decayed neighborhood on Florida Ave. So yes, your nearly 20 years mean nothing.

Those neighborhoods were a cesspit. Don't lie and say they've been gentrifying for 20 years. They've been gentrifying since when the Big Bear Market became the Big Bear Coffeehouse and the Farmer's Market opened on that corner. That happened in the late 'aughts. It hasn't even been 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Garrison over Langley, but Seaton over Garrison. Cleveland over any of them.

[Anonymous]

In light of Garrison's principal leaving and Langley having a good principal, and the convenience factor, I would say choose Langley. They are really not very different, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In light of Garrison's principal leaving and Langley having a good principal, and the convenience factor, I would say choose Langley. They are really not very different, OP.

Actually, Garrison's principal leaving can only be a good thing. He was terrible. I only see positive things for Garrison now that he's out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In light of Garrison's principal leaving and Langley having a good principal, and the convenience factor, I would say choose Langley. They are really not very different, OP.

Actually, Garrison's principal leaving can only be a good thing. He was terrible. I only see positive things for Garrison now that he's out.

Except that you could end up with someone just as bad. See Miner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In light of Garrison's principal leaving and Langley having a good principal, and the convenience factor, I would say choose Langley. They are really not very different, OP.

Actually, Garrison's principal leaving can only be a good thing. He was terrible. I only see positive things for Garrison now that he's out.

Except that you could end up with someone just as bad. See Miner.

+1. It is alarming how bad some principals are. Or someone who is good but makes different policy choices than you would prefer.

Langley's principal is good. She is new to Langley this year but has plenty of experience as an AP in DCPS. So far I think she has done well with it and implemented some great ideas, as well as brought some outside partnerships that she has experience with at Watkins.

[Anonymous]

Regardless of who the principal is, I see positive things happening for Garrison now that the building renovation is finally underway. I think the building itself was the biggest turnoff to many people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of who the principal is, I see positive things happening for Garrison now that the building renovation is finally underway. I think the building itself was the biggest turnoff to many people.

+1 If DCPS is smart, it'll see Garrision's potential to be a domino school. Having a renovation and a new principal are a way to kickstart the process. It could also take pressure off charters if parents IB are happy with their school (at least through 4th).

The school will always have a large FARMs population due to its boundaries, but you could in a few years have majority high SES enrollment (few houses or condos are under $800k these days around 14th)... and that would raise all boats. (Not in an elitist way, but simply because of the benefit of having more children of college-educated as students - see the research about the 30/40% farms threshold)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of who the principal is, I see positive things happening for Garrison now that the building renovation is finally underway. I think the building itself was the biggest turnoff to many people.

+1 If DCPS is smart, it'll see Garrision's potential to be a domino school. Having a renovation and a new principal are a way to kickstart the process. It could also take pressure off charters if parents IB are happy with their school (at least through 4th).

The school will always have a large FARMs population due to its boundaries, but you could in a few years have majority high SES enrollment (few houses or condos are under $800k these days around 14th)... and that would raise all boats. (Not in an elitist way, but simply because of the benefit of having more children of college-educated as students - see the research about the 30/40% farms threshold)

What's the middle school and what are the other feeders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of who the principal is, I see positive things happening for Garrison now that the building renovation is finally underway. I think the building itself was the biggest turnoff to many people.

+1 If DCPS is smart, it'll see Garrision's potential to be a domino school. Having a renovation and a new principal are a way to kickstart the process. It could also take pressure off charters if parents IB are happy with their school (at least through 4th).

The school will always have a large FARMs population due to its boundaries, but you could in a few years have majority high SES enrollment (few houses or condos are under $800k these days around 14th)... and that would raise all boats. (Not in an elitist way, but simply because of the benefit of having more children of college-educated as students - see the research about the 30/40% farms threshold)

I thought the threshold was more like 20%.