Oyster vs private

[Anonymous]

If you were in bounds would you send your kid to Oyster even if you could (just) afford private school (would require mom moving to FT work)???

[Anonymous]

How old is DC?

[Anonymous]

DC is in private pre-K right now. This would be for k/1st thru maybe 4th or 6th

[Anonymous]

We live in the Oyster district. We did not send DC1 there and attended one of the Big 3 instead. It was a fine education but not fine enough to have cost almost $125,000 for 5 years. For DC2, we will definitely consider Oyster or a charter.

[Anonymous]

If you haven't already done so, perhaps speaking to current parents and attending an OCC (PTA) meeting would help.
Also, read the thread on the proposed changes to the program under the Public School Forum.
Finally, if you are planning to switch back to private, you should know that Oyster does not have the same track record as schools like Lafayette and Horace Mann for admissions to Top 3 schools
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

PP, would you please elaborate on this? I'm sorry to hijack the thread and perhaps I should start another one, but I would love to know the scoop on public elementary schools in DC that have a good track record of kids moving to private schools for middle school and beyond.

[Anonymous]

From what I've heard from friends around town at different public and private schools (including DC's former public school) as well as teachers at several area private schools. Also there've been posts over the past several weeks on DCUM but not sure which forum, this one, Public School or General School. I think Public School. Check there first.

[Anonymous]

But couldnt the diff be that there are a lot more lower class Hispanic families at Oyster who lack the resources for private school--and who may not have the testing scores.

So the overall numbers at Oyster may be lower but what about those kids who do apply. I wonder what percentage are accepted. The total # admitted may be a poor metric. Maybe better to look at # applied to private and # accepted as a ratio.??

[Anonymous]

I am basing it on ratio. And, unless someone got in this year, Sidwell has not taken a non-Hispanic applicant from Oyster in years -- maybe a decade. Historically, English dominant applicants from Oyster have not stood a chance at Sidwell.