Would you send your kid to Seabrook Elementary? How do you decide?

[Anonymous]

Our neighborhood school is Seabrook Elementary. It has a 7 on greatschools and good reviews, but I am ambivalent about sending my kids there. The building is very, very old and I find it depressing. It is also not a terribly diverse school. I don't know if I should give it a chance or not. What would you do? Have you heard anything about this school?

[Anonymous]

Oh, and the other thing that concerns me a little bit is that there is no PTA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our neighborhood school is Seabrook Elementary. It has a 7 on greatschools and good reviews, but I am ambivalent about sending my kids there. The building is very, very old and I find it depressing. It is also not a terribly diverse school. I don't know if I should give it a chance or not. What would you do? Have you heard anything about this school?

Its not diverse? 52 percent black and 35 percent Hispanic isn't diverse? You mean not a lot of white kids? Nothing wrong with that btw, I just find it interesting that the de facto vision of diversity starts with majority white and a smattering of everything else. The parental reviews expressed similar concerns and they all seem more then happy. Also think of it like this they are a 7 with good scores without a PTA, imagine if your child went there and you as a mom started one? The school could easily be a 9, aren't you guys always claiming that the issue in P.G. isn't the school but the parents? Well put your money where your mouth is and get involved. Its always those "other parents" need to be more active...no its 'you'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our neighborhood school is Seabrook Elementary. It has a 7 on greatschools and good reviews, but I am ambivalent about sending my kids there. The building is very, very old and I find it depressing. It is also not a terribly diverse school. I don't know if I should give it a chance or not. What would you do? Have you heard anything about this school?

Its not diverse? 52 percent black and 35 percent Hispanic isn't diverse? You mean not a lot of white kids? Nothing wrong with that btw, I just find it interesting that the de facto vision of diversity starts with majority white and a smattering of everything else. The parental reviews expressed similar concerns and they all seem more then happy. Also think of it like this they are a 7 with good scores without a PTA, imagine if your child went there and you as a mom started one? The school could easily be a 9, aren't you guys always claiming that the issue in P.G. isn't the school but the parents? Well put your money where your mouth is and get involved. Its always those "other parents" need to be more active...no its 'you'

Simmer down cowgirl! I would be more than happy to start a PTA but I'm not sure it would matter much if other parents did not participate. We are of an ethnic group that is technically white, but we are darker skinned and get mistaken for Hispanic a lot. I worry a little bit about my kids sticking out or not being included. Why shouldn't I? It's not like I'm sort of expert parent and know all the answers. People don't want to experiment with their children, and neither do I! And the building looks really, really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our neighborhood school is Seabrook Elementary. It has a 7 on greatschools and good reviews, but I am ambivalent about sending my kids there. The building is very, very old and I find it depressing. It is also not a terribly diverse school. I don't know if I should give it a chance or not. What would you do? Have you heard anything about this school?

Its not diverse? 52 percent black and 35 percent Hispanic isn't diverse? You mean not a lot of white kids? Nothing wrong with that btw, I just find it interesting that the de facto vision of diversity starts with majority white and a smattering of everything else. The parental reviews expressed similar concerns and they all seem more then happy. Also think of it like this they are a 7 with good scores without a PTA, imagine if your child went there and you as a mom started one? The school could easily be a 9, aren't you guys always claiming that the issue in P.G. isn't the school but the parents? Well put your money where your mouth is and get involved. Its always those "other parents" need to be more active...no its 'you'

Simmer down cowgirl! I would be more than happy to start a PTA but I'm not sure it would matter much if other parents did not participate. We are of an ethnic group that is technically white, but we are darker skinned and get mistaken for Hispanic a lot. I worry a little bit about my kids sticking out or not being included. Why shouldn't I? It's not like I'm sort of expert parent and know all the answers. People don't want to experiment with their children, and neither do I! And the building looks really, really sad.

As I stated there was nothing wrong with your comment at all. I just was pointing out that if the school was 50 percent white and 35 percent Asian it would be considered "diverse". Dont judge a school by the building. Have you seen DCPS new High School buildings there like museums and I would NEVER send my kids there lol. Give it a chance people run from PG schools and judge them unfairly. You can't say no one will join the PTA without actually trying and seeing.

[Anonymous]

OP again. Does anyone know anything about this school that cannot be found online? The latest review on greatschools is 4 years old. I was hoping someone would have some feedback!

[Anonymous]

Is the greatschools based on the MSAs or the more recent PARCCs? I looked at this school and ended up going elsewhere. The 'lack of diversity' wasn't a problem for me, but I tried to set up a tour and they said they didn't do that and that no one really asked. I also couldn't connect to a PTA -- I felt as though there would be very little parent involvement. I also worried that the greatschools score was based on the robert goddard immersion students and not a good sample if we didn't get into that.

Sorry I don't have any actual experience re the school to share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the greatschools based on the MSAs or the more recent PARCCs? I looked at this school and ended up going elsewhere. The 'lack of diversity' wasn't a problem for me, but I tried to set up a tour and they said they didn't do that and that no one really asked. I also couldn't connect to a PTA -- I felt as though there would be very little parent involvement. I also worried that the greatschools score was based on the robert goddard immersion students and not a good sample if we didn't get into that.

Sorry I don't have any actual experience re the school to share.

Where did you end up sending your kids? When I called, they just said they don't have a PTA right now. So I assume the parent interest just was not there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the greatschools based on the MSAs or the more recent PARCCs? I looked at this school and ended up going elsewhere. The 'lack of diversity' wasn't a problem for me, but I tried to set up a tour and they said they didn't do that and that no one really asked. I also couldn't connect to a PTA -- I felt as though there would be very little parent involvement. I also worried that the greatschools score was based on the robert goddard immersion students and not a good sample if we didn't get into that.

Sorry I don't have any actual experience re the school to share.

Why would the school's scores not be based on the actual school? ... I did not even think of that as a possibility.

[Anonymous]

This was a couple of years ago so I might have the name wrong, but I recall there being a specialty school in the same building and I wasn't certain if the scores were separated out. However, my main issue was lack of parent involvement.

I ended up using the babysitter transfer to a different school that I really like, but it has the hassle of transporting and no neighborhood kids in the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was a couple of years ago so I might have the name wrong, but I recall there being a specialty school in the same building and I wasn't certain if the scores were separated out. However, my main issue was lack of parent involvement.

I ended up using the babysitter transfer to a different school that I really like, but it has the hassle of transporting and no neighborhood kids in the school.

I don't understand what you mean by babysitter transfer... do you mean that your kids go to a private school? I wasn't aware that there were any specialty schools sharing space with Seabrook ever... it is a smaller, old building as far as I can tell.

[Anonymous]

I do not know about other counties, but in PG county you can get a transfer to a school that is not your home school by residence if you can show that your aftercare or beforecare is in the boundaries of the place you want to be transferred to, and if that school is not yet at capacity. However, you have to provide the transportation, so that can be a hassle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not know about other counties, but in PG county you can get a transfer to a school that is not your home school by residence if you can show that your aftercare or beforecare is in the boundaries of the place you want to be transferred to, and if that school is not yet at capacity. However, you have to provide the transportation, so that can be a hassle.

Oh that is a huge hassle. And my kids are home with my parent anyway, I don't use aftercare. What school did you choose instead of Seabrook?

[Anonymous]

Ok, well I guess she doesn't want to share. Does anyone else know anything about this school?

[Anonymous]

I have not input on that specific school but I will chime in on my experience worrying about diversity.
My white daughter goes to a school that is 97% non white and we have had zero problems so far. She is 1 of 2 white kids in her grade and although she talks about race she has never said that she gets teased or feels like she sticks out. I am guessing that may change when she gets older but for K-2 it hasn't been an issue at all.
Good Luck!