What do families that do not get into an acceptable middle school do?

[Anonymous]

On the elementary school front, it seems like families without an acceptable IB option are open to trying a less secure option in the early grades and continuing to try and play the lottery and sometimes discover the school they have can work. In middle, there seem to be a few known options that are considered solid or acceptable even if not your first choice, including (in no particular order) Deal, Hardy, Latin, DCI, Stuart Hobson, Basis, maybe even SWW at Francis Stevens (and of course, Unicorn Middle). If you are a family with high educational expectations that sends your prepared kid to school every day ready to learn and get into none of these, what do you do? Do families, move, go private, or do they actually send their well-prepared kids to what most of us consider unacceptable schools?

I feel like a lot of elementary schools have improved significantly because of both gentrification and a willingness for parents to take a chance of DCPS ECE and the experience once there that a school has reached or is on the verge of the tipping point so they stay. I don't perceive that is happening at the Middle School level because parents sound less likely to take a chance, but yet there are a lot of well prepared kids coming out of more and more elementary schools around town. Where are they going?

[Anonymous]

They move.

[Anonymous]

And part of the problem with middle schools is that the high schools in DC (except perhaps Wilson) are a non-starter. So if you don't get into, e.g., Latin or BASIS and you live on the Hill, you're probably not going to try Stuart Hobson because where do you go from there? Pray for SWW? You're sure as hell not going to send your kid to Eastern.

[Anonymous]

move or private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And part of the problem with middle schools is that the high schools in DC (except perhaps Wilson) are a non-starter. So if you don't get into, e.g., Latin or BASIS and you live on the Hill, you're probably not going to try Stuart Hobson because where do you go from there? Pray for SWW? You're sure as hell not going to send your kid to Eastern.

Well, it's not just SWW. I have seen kids from iffy middle schools (or charters that go through 8th grade) go on to Ellington, Banneker, and McKinley. Realistically I think these families are prepared and willing to move if needed, but there are a few different options beyond SWW.

[Anonymous]

lottery into Wilson feeder (Hardy?), application high schools, private school ($$$$), or move ($$)

[Anonymous]

You mean, what do most high SES families EOTP do when they don't get into DEAL, BASIS or Latin.

Move.

[Anonymous]

It's a lot easier to take a chance on ECE than MS.

I know families that moved after PreK, because they didn't want the local DCPS experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You mean, what do most high SES families EOTP do when they don't get into DEAL, BASIS or Latin.

Move.

I would put DCI on that list, assuming your kid can handle IB and the languages.

Aside from moving, there are lots of privates you can consider, if you can afford it. Moving might be the best option for most.

[Anonymous]

We moved to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Many OOB kids get into Hardy and Hobson. Everyone gets into Basis. There are options.

[Anonymous]

What about el haynes and cap city charters? Dont they go througb ms and hs?
Both seem to be decent options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You mean, what do most high SES families EOTP do when they don't get into DEAL, BASIS or Latin.

Move.

Seems like the obvious answer, but I personally haven't known anyone in this situation. The people I've known who moved for middle school hadn't bothered to apply or left a few years before. Many of them already had one foot out the door so to speak.

[Anonymous]

I would keep trying to move my kid to a school with an acceptable feeder and if that and the general MS lottery didn't work out I would move.

[Anonymous]

Right now everyone every one who strikes out in positioning for IB for Deal has the back up plan of BASIS.

As CMI and IT expand to middle school, there will be additional spots but I would guess that many parents are going to want a larger / traditional middle school experience for their children.

In the next 4 years, more families from Stoddert will stay for Hardy and there will be less OOB spots available forcing more families into the lottery for BASIS and that will not longer be a guarantee.

Families will look again at private catholic schools for middle school (partially as a better feeder to St. Johns)

Next either move or another private.