Middle school after Brent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a Brent family with our oldest in 2nd grade. I pay close attention (to the extent that I can) to all things middle school in DC. Here is our current thinking.

We are definitely interested in St Anselm's (and maybe St Peters) for our son (we're Catholic), and we'll certainly apply for some charters (Latin and Two Rivers in particular). But we are also very comfortable with starting out at Jefferson if admissions/finances/desires dictate that it is the best option for us. Then we'd play it by ear to see if Jefferson is working for our child. If it didn't work, we'd explore other options including moving. I have been very impressed by the administration at Jefferson, and the experiences of most of the Brent/Maury families who have/are attending Jefferson (yes, they exist) has been very positive. And if there is a considerable movement of Brent kids to Jefferson by the time our son reaches 6th, we might consider it as our primary option.

If you really don't like any uncertainty with regard to schooling, yes, you might be better off applying to private now. CHDS seems like a lovely school. But it doesn't actually seem better than Brent to me, particularly for $30K a year.

+1

We are in the exact same boat. Not counting on Jefferson but know the next 3 years could bring a lot of change. I don't think it will be Deal but could it be closer to Hardy than SH?

Not even close. 99% of the kids are low income. Hardy as a sizable middler and upper class cohort.

How do you know how many kids are low income?

DCPS school profile pages or learndc.org (click on equity report / click on 'by need')

This is misleading, though I don't think the PP misled intentionally. My understanding is that once a school reaches Title I level (45%? 50%?) then it is simply reported that all the students are low income. That is the case for our elementary school, which has a lot of SES diversity.

The DCPS school profiles do this.

But Learndc.org (OSSE) doesn't use the FARMS/community eligibility as their percentage. They rely on other measures and report the actual number of students who are economically disadvantaged -- there are a few schools that have 92%, for example. So it's a better measure for poverty than what you see via DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a Brent family with our oldest in 2nd grade. I pay close attention (to the extent that I can) to all things middle school in DC. Here is our current thinking.

We are definitely interested in St Anselm's (and maybe St Peters) for our son (we're Catholic), and we'll certainly apply for some charters (Latin and Two Rivers in particular). But we are also very comfortable with starting out at Jefferson if admissions/finances/desires dictate that it is the best option for us. Then we'd play it by ear to see if Jefferson is working for our child. If it didn't work, we'd explore other options including moving. I have been very impressed by the administration at Jefferson, and the experiences of most of the Brent/Maury families who have/are attending Jefferson (yes, they exist) has been very positive. And if there is a considerable movement of Brent kids to Jefferson by the time our son reaches 6th, we might consider it as our primary option.

If you really don't like any uncertainty with regard to schooling, yes, you might be better off applying to private now. CHDS seems like a lovely school. But it doesn't actually seem better than Brent to me, particularly for $30K a year.

+1

We are in the exact same boat. Not counting on Jefferson but know the next 3 years could bring a lot of change. I don't think it will be Deal but could it be closer to Hardy than SH?

Not even close. 99% of the kids are low income. Hardy as a sizable middler and upper class cohort.

How do you know how many kids are low income?

DCPS school profile pages or learndc.org (click on equity report / click on 'by need')

This is misleading, though I don't think the PP misled intentionally. My understanding is that once a school reaches Title I level (45%? 50%?) then it is simply reported that all the students are low income. That is the case for our elementary school, which has a lot of SES diversity.

The DCPS school profiles do this.

But Learndc.org (OSSE) doesn't use the FARMS/community eligibility as their percentage. They rely on other measures and report the actual number of students who are economically disadvantaged -- there are a few schools that have 92%, for example. So it's a better measure for poverty than what you see via DCPS.

there are some wide disparities between the Learndc.org and DCPS profiles for economically disadvantaged. In many cases the published equity report skews higher than the DCPS reported number (for Title I and non-Title I schools). There must be a different basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a Brent family with our oldest in 2nd grade. I pay close attention (to the extent that I can) to all things middle school in DC. Here is our current thinking.

We are definitely interested in St Anselm's (and maybe St Peters) for our son (we're Catholic), and we'll certainly apply for some charters (Latin and Two Rivers in particular). But we are also very comfortable with starting out at Jefferson if admissions/finances/desires dictate that it is the best option for us. Then we'd play it by ear to see if Jefferson is working for our child. If it didn't work, we'd explore other options including moving. I have been very impressed by the administration at Jefferson, and the experiences of most of the Brent/Maury families who have/are attending Jefferson (yes, they exist) has been very positive. And if there is a considerable movement of Brent kids to Jefferson by the time our son reaches 6th, we might consider it as our primary option.

If you really don't like any uncertainty with regard to schooling, yes, you might be better off applying to private now. CHDS seems like a lovely school. But it doesn't actually seem better than Brent to me, particularly for $30K a year.

+1

We are in the exact same boat. Not counting on Jefferson but know the next 3 years could bring a lot of change. I don't think it will be Deal but could it be closer to Hardy than SH?

Not even close. 99% of the kids are low income. Hardy as a sizable middler and upper class cohort.

How do you know how many kids are low income?

DCPS school profile pages or learndc.org (click on equity report / click on 'by need')

This is misleading, though I don't think the PP misled intentionally. My understanding is that once a school reaches Title I level (45%? 50%?) then it is simply reported that all the students are low income. That is the case for our elementary school, which has a lot of SES diversity.

The DCPS school profiles do this.

But Learndc.org (OSSE) doesn't use the FARMS/community eligibility as their percentage. They rely on other measures and report the actual number of students who are economically disadvantaged -- there are a few schools that have 92%, for example. So it's a better measure for poverty than what you see via DCPS.

It looks like it's just charter schools that are counted this way on Learndc.org. If you use the "criteria" tool to filter out schools below 50% and above 99%, that's what you're left with (and Stuart-Hobson, strangely, which is listed at ~60%, though DCPS lists it below 50%). But perhaps I'm using it wrong. Our DCPS elementary school, which is relatively diverse, is listed on Learndc.org as being 100% disadvantaged.

[Anonymous]

Are there parents at Brent who rent in the area by the school but live elsewhere or on another part of the hill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there parents at Brent who rent in the area by the school but live elsewhere or on another part of the hill?

There are Brent families who own multiple houses on the Hill, but never heard of anybody renting.

Hardly worth it. Brent certainly isn't the only strong public ES on the Hill and most others have better MS prospects.

Our Brent neighbors bailed for VA over the summer. They struck out in the Wash Latin lottery twice, decided that DCI was too far and crazy, and felt their oldest kid would be a bad fit for BASIS (IF they could get off the WL).

[Anonymous]

^THIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there parents at Brent who rent in the area by the school but live elsewhere or on another part of the hill?

There are Brent families who own multiple houses on the Hill, but never heard of anybody renting.

Hardly worth it. Brent certainly isn't the only strong public ES on the Hill and most others have better MS prospects.

Our Brent neighbors bailed for VA over the summer. They struck out in the Wash Latin lottery twice, decided that DCI was too far and crazy, and felt their oldest kid would be a bad fit for BASIS (IF they could get off the WL).

Do you know which school district in VA they moved inbounds for?

[Anonymous]

Arlington, North Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Let’s be real. No one is willing to send their child to Jefferson. When the start day is finally here despite all the talk they find another option. People who don’t want to pay for private or drive their kids will move to VA or MD for public. That’s how it has been and it will continue to be at Brent.

[Anonymous]

You do not move to IB for Brent b/c of the solid MS option it provides. You move there and pray that you win the lottery for Latin - and tell yourself that your kid will do fine at BASIS.

In contrast, you move IB for Murch, Lafayette, Janney, Heast, Bancroft, Shepherd because you are risk averse and need a Middle School option for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be real. No one is willing to send their child to Jefferson. When the start day is finally here despite all the talk they find another option. People who don’t want to pay for private or drive their kids will move to VA or MD for public. That’s how it has been and it will continue to be at Brent.

hundreds of families are willing to send their children to Jefferson. They aren't all black and/or poor, either if that's your "concern." Many of them have their kids travel long distances to get there, and many of the kids do pretty well in school. If you don't want to send your kid there after Brent that's fine but your choice isn't the only choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be real. No one is willing to send their child to Jefferson. When the start day is finally here despite all the talk they find another option. People who don’t want to pay for private or drive their kids will move to VA or MD for public. That’s how it has been and it will continue to be at Brent.

There's about 300 students at Jefferson middle school. Tell us more about who you consider to exist/consider people, and who you do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be real. No one is willing to send their child to Jefferson. When the start day is finally here despite all the talk they find another option. People who don’t want to pay for private or drive their kids will move to VA or MD for public. That’s how it has been and it will continue to be at Brent.

There's about 300 students at Jefferson middle school. Tell us more about who you consider to exist/consider people, and who you do not.

In fairness, I think the PP meant no one IB for Brent — I.e., no one with a lot of financial flexibility. That’s an exaggeration, but not by a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be real. No one is willing to send their child to Jefferson. When the start day is finally here despite all the talk they find another option. People who don’t want to pay for private or drive their kids will move to VA or MD for public. That’s how it has been and it will continue to be at Brent.

I bet you're right, but you can't say this to the Jefferson boosters at Brent. They're very active at the school, where they do good things. It's not worth picking fights with them, or raining on their parade.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, they're real idiots, those folks. Look at them investing in their neighborhood public schools. Can you believe it? What a bunch of rubes. So much better to just complain about the situation and whose fault it is.