Can anyone update me on Shaw Middle and parent involvement?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am working on DD 4's lottery list and wondering what's going on with Shaw Middle. We just recently moved here and Seaton is our in boundary school, but right now she goes to daycare. I understand that Shaw was closed in recent years and is planned to re-open sometime. Can anyone tell me more about this? Are there parents involved? I see many schools nearby are supposed to feed into Shaw.

Please forgive my cluelessness, I am still in the middle of unpacking and just getting started with school stuff. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

DCPS promised a school and then they took it back, and there are now no plans to reopen it. Get used to it. That is how DCPS works.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP!

Long time resident of the area. Seaton is a great school and I have many neighbors and friends who are happy there. Also, many neighbors and friends who are happy at Garrison.

We decided on a charter school, because in the end...after living here for almost 25 years, I don't trust DCPS. Shaw Middle will never come back. The Mayors we have had and DC government do not believe upper SES families will stay to middle school - and honestly - they don't care about education for poor families.

Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Your IB middle and high school is Cardozo. There are no schools now that are 'supposed' to feed to Shaw.

As others have said, there are no plans to reopen it in time for your daughter's middle school years.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me about Cardozo for middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me about Cardozo for middle school?

You may want to start a new thread. But it's not a school that comes up much on these boards. Also check your precise address on the myschooldc school finder - it's possible you are IB for another MS (maybe MacFarland - which will be reopening in the next few years).

[Anonymous]

Seaton is a great school! Likely you will need to move or get into a charter for middle school though. But in the meantime enjoy a great neighborhood and a great school!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seaton is a great school! Likely you will need to move or get into a charter for middle school though. But in the meantime enjoy a great neighborhood and a great school!!!

Thanks! It's been a great couple of weeks in Bloomingdale, we are loving it so far. I have the same question about Langley and McKinley Middle School, but I guess I should start a new thread...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me about Cardozo for middle school?

You do not send your kid there if you care about academics and behavior. I am a cynic on middle schools in DC. I lived on the Hill back in the 90s and the "committed" parents were fighting to improve middle schools there. Cap Hil actually has good feeders (Brent especially) and their middle school options, 20 years later are mediocre at best. There is a reason the brain drain happens after 4 grade and they all head to latin, basis or private. So if the connected folks on the Hill cant turn it around, the folks in your neigbhorhood aren't either. Certainly not by the time your kid enters 6th grade. I feel the same way about McFarland Middle. A school is only as good as its feeder (ie the success of students) and the feeders to McFarland all currently have the same high SES flight by first grade. so there are no high SES families in 4th, 5th grade to feed to McFarland there won't be even from the current crop of PKers in the feeders. Sorry to be a cynic but I have been wathcing this for well over a decade. New buildings don't make a difference in academnics either (see Dunbar). Brookland Middle which is beautiful and brand new has exactly one white kid in the school, so they clearly failed to attract any diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me about Cardozo for middle school?

You do not send your kid there if you care about academics and behavior. I am a cynic on middle schools in DC. I lived on the Hill back in the 90s and the "committed" parents were fighting to improve middle schools there. Cap Hil actually has good feeders (Brent especially) and their middle school options, 20 years later are mediocre at best. There is a reason the brain drain happens after 4 grade and they all head to latin, basis or private. So if the connected folks on the Hill cant turn it around, the folks in your neigbhorhood aren't either. Certainly not by the time your kid enters 6th grade. I feel the same way about McFarland Middle. A school is only as good as its feeder (ie the success of students) and the feeders to McFarland all currently have the same high SES flight by first grade. so there are no high SES families in 4th, 5th grade to feed to McFarland there won't be even from the current crop of PKers in the feeders. Sorry to be a cynic but I have been wathcing this for well over a decade. New buildings don't make a difference in academnics either (see Dunbar). Brookland Middle which is beautiful and brand new has exactly one white kid in the school, so they clearly failed to attract any diversity.

...if you measure success in terms of number of white kids...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me about Cardozo for middle school?

You do not send your kid there if you care about academics and behavior. I am a cynic on middle schools in DC. I lived on the Hill back in the 90s and the "committed" parents were fighting to improve middle schools there. Cap Hil actually has good feeders (Brent especially) and their middle school options, 20 years later are mediocre at best. There is a reason the brain drain happens after 4 grade and they all head to latin, basis or private. So if the connected folks on the Hill cant turn it around, the folks in your neigbhorhood aren't either. Certainly not by the time your kid enters 6th grade. I feel the same way about McFarland Middle. A school is only as good as its feeder (ie the success of students) and the feeders to McFarland all currently have the same high SES flight by first grade. so there are no high SES families in 4th, 5th grade to feed to McFarland there won't be even from the current crop of PKers in the feeders. Sorry to be a cynic but I have been wathcing this for well over a decade. New buildings don't make a difference in academnics either (see Dunbar). Brookland Middle which is beautiful and brand new has exactly one white kid in the school, so they clearly failed to attract any diversity.

Says who?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me about Cardozo for middle school?

You do not send your kid there if you care about academics and behavior. I am a cynic on middle schools in DC. I lived on the Hill back in the 90s and the "committed" parents were fighting to improve middle schools there. Cap Hil actually has good feeders (Brent especially) and their middle school options, 20 years later are mediocre at best. There is a reason the brain drain happens after 4 grade and they all head to latin, basis or private. So if the connected folks on the Hill cant turn it around, the folks in your neigbhorhood aren't either. Certainly not by the time your kid enters 6th grade. I feel the same way about McFarland Middle. A school is only as good as its feeder (ie the success of students) and the feeders to McFarland all currently have the same high SES flight by first grade. so there are no high SES families in 4th, 5th grade to feed to McFarland there won't be even from the current crop of PKers in the feeders. Sorry to be a cynic but I have been wathcing this for well over a decade. New buildings don't make a difference in academnics either (see Dunbar). Brookland Middle which is beautiful and brand new has exactly one white kid in the school, so they clearly failed to attract any diversity.

Says who?

I think 5 years ago says that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seaton is a great school! Likely you will need to move or get into a charter for middle school though. But in the meantime enjoy a great neighborhood and a great school!!!

Seaton is fantastic. And there is a strong group of parents working very hard to help improve this already wonderful school. They are committing to staying at Seaton through elementary and are very hopeful the changes will spread to the middle school options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seaton is a great school! Likely you will need to move or get into a charter for middle school though. But in the meantime enjoy a great neighborhood and a great school!!!

Seaton is fantastic. And there is a strong group of parents working very hard to help improve this already wonderful school. They are committing to staying at Seaton through elementary and are very hopeful the changes will spread to the middle school options.

But is there an actual plan, working group, or any other organized endeavor?

[Anonymous]

Shaw MS isn't coming back because condo-dwellers without children are becoming the core demographic of the catchment area rather than families with MS-age kids and that's not changing in such a way as to necessitate another secondary school in the area. I don't see trends moving toward needing an MS there due to local demand. It would have to be a citywide demand-oriented school to work.