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DC Public and Public Charter Schools
Eaton vs. Hyde
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Anonymous
| Hello those who know about DCPS. If you were choosing to move in-boundary for either Eaton or Hyde what would you do and, specifically, please compare the two schools. As welll, does anyone have experience moving from one these to private at 3rd, 4th or 5th? TIA |
Anonymous
Our son really enjoyed Hyde when he was young (K and 1st). Strong playground culture--parents who simultaneously schmooze and look out for one another's children. Really look out as in, know their names, mend their knees, go trick or treating together,,,, Good diversity (lots of out of boundary AND in-boundary families). Mr. C, the after-care provider, is a former fireman with a heart of gold. The kind of person who knows how big a deal the loss of a tooth is and wraps it carefully in a labeled cup. The kids can't get enough of him. That being said Hyde was an academically mixed bag and after-care was more play than study oriented. The old principal is gone, so not sure how it is under new management? It was, six years ago now, the kind of school where a student with a strong foundation would do great; any learning disabilities, ADHD etc. might get lost in the crowd. Again, this was THEN. Overall, GREAT memories of Hyde. LOVED the community. Many good friends made that have lasted school changes and life changes. A good learning community; very positive early childhood start. Cool families. Smart, not snooty. |
Anonymous
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I recently toured both schools. The Eaton tour was more "complete" because the Addison renovation wasn't done so I got to see only half of Hyde's "campus" (although I assume the newly renovated building for grades 2-5 is lovely), and the kids at Hyde were almost all either on a field trip to the Kennedy Center (pk-1) or testing (3-5) so I didn't really see the Hyde teachers in action.
I wasn't that impressed with the Eaton principal (she didn't seem particularly organized or attuned to what she should be addressing at an open house), but the Eaton parents seemed quite enthusiastic about her; the one teacher I spoke with thought she was too focused on test scores but conceded that she may have to be. The pk and k teachers seemed really strong across the board; the older grades seemed less consistent. The building has a nice library and is well designed to give the little ones some separation from the older students, which makes the school feel smaller than it is (in a good way). The principal said that about 40% of the students were OOB, and there clearly was (racial, at least) diversity among the students. The principal was very fuzzy on where her students went when they left Eaton. The Hyde principal was one of the more impressive I've seen (out of ~15 in the past year). She clearly had a complete understanding of everything that was happening in her school and she was very focused on individualized instruction (across the full spectrum of students) and social education. The pk-1 building (Hyde) had big, bright classrooms and a somewhat grim library in the basement. Even after the ramp up following the Addison renovation, Hyde will be a materially smaller school than Eaton. The principal said that about 50% of the students were OOB and noted that the in-boundary students were more internationally diverse than typical for a NW DC public elementary school. About 1/3 of Hyde students leave (either after 5th grade or earlier) for private schools, typically the ones obsessed over on these boards. Of the children who stay in DC after their Hyde days, the fraction going private is closer to 1/2. What I saw of Hyde I liked better, on balance, than what I saw of Eaton, but what I saw of Hyde is really pretty minor compared to what I didn't see -- the teachers. I definitely would want to observe the Hyde teachers in action before moving in-boundary there. At Eaton, on the other hand, I would be thrilled to have DC in any of the pk or k classes; older grades would be case-by-case. There obviously are differences between the two neighborhoods, apart from the schools, but I assume you are weighing those differences separately from your schools inquiry. Good luck finding the right fit for you! |
Anonymous
|
bump --
Former Hyde parent here. I know that there is a Hyde/Eaton parent who frequents these boards. Maybe if we keep bumping this, she will see it and comment. You also might do a search. She may have commented on this elsewhere. btw, loved Hyde and loved Mr. C. |
Anonymous
| 15 schools PP, I am impressed. How did you manage seeing so many schools? Could you give us some more insight, perhaps ranking them? My son is stll a few years away but would love to tap in to your wisdom. |
Anonymous
It's what I've been doing instead of taking a vacation this year [LOL]! I don't think I could offering meaningful rankings, as they'd inevitably be too idiosyncratic. If you want to shoot an email to DCUMail.mail.com, though, I'll try to remember to send you my notes tonight. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks for the reponses! 10:18 your thorough, thoughtful reply is super helpful. I am late to the OOB process and only have time to see Hyde (Friday) before the deadline so your information is a big help. |
Anonymous
Did you have a chance to tour Hyde today? What did you think? |