Talk to me about McKinley

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different students apply to McKinley than Walls. Students from Ward 7 and 8, which make up a big part of the McKinley student body, are not applying to Walls, or at least they weren't a couple of years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-without-walls-admissions-test-diversity/2021/08/27/6959cec2-0293-11ec-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html

“It could be that our families have gotten wind that certain schools are not for them, or not supportive of them,” said Carlene Reid, the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. State Board of Education. “I would not trust to put my child in a school that has systemically shut out students from Ward 8.”

“Different” in the sense that they could not be admitted to Walls for academic reasons, but could be admitted to McKinley.

Look, I have a privileged white kid who likely would not have gotten into Walls with the prior more selective criteria, but could get into McKinley. No shame in admitting that!

Test scores haven't been used since prior to COVID. The current criteria are GPA, recommendation letter, interview, and writing sample. It is entirely unclear how SWW is implementing any of those besides GPA, and there are kids with high GPAs who are going to McKinley. You have no idea if they could get admitted and neither do they. They are not applying *because they do not want to go*.

as I wrote, he would not have gotten in under the “prior, more selective criteria.” I still think nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls (or Banneker) but feel free to show me data or anecdotes. also not sure why OP or anyone is defensive about this. It’s all part of the picture in understanding the schools.

I definitely think there are kids choosing McKinley over Walls. If you are interested in taking STEM classes in HS and are not inbounds for JR, then McKinley offers much more than Walls. Also, there are definitely many kids that live in parts of DC where McKinley is much more convenient than Walls.

Upper NW DC kids are not choosing McKinley over Walls because they are in bound for JR which offers more STEM classes, ECs and APs than McKinley. That said, if those are their interests, they are not choosing Walls either.

+1. I have a STEM kid and after attending the Walls open house, I'm definitely not sending my kid there. McKinley is still on the table, but I have yet to visit it.

I’m a DCPS HS teacher and no way would I send my kid to McKinley over Walls. Walls has a much higher performing student cohort

Which is great if you are part of that higher-performing student cohort. But what if you're not? If you come to Walls, take Algebra 1 as freshman, and don't score proficient, that puts you in like the bottom 10%. Does the school know what to do with you? Are you getting the opportunities that Walls is helpful for? At McKinley, that's three-quarters of the freshman class. No one is going to write you off, they will work with you, and you will have a peer group and classes being taught at an appropriate level.

Well the current ideology is that a student is always better of with higher performing peers, not that I totally believe that. But yeah, I’d hope most Wall students can pass algebra in 9th at the latest. as a condition of being admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different students apply to McKinley than Walls. Students from Ward 7 and 8, which make up a big part of the McKinley student body, are not applying to Walls, or at least they weren't a couple of years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-without-walls-admissions-test-diversity/2021/08/27/6959cec2-0293-11ec-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html

“It could be that our families have gotten wind that certain schools are not for them, or not supportive of them,” said Carlene Reid, the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. State Board of Education. “I would not trust to put my child in a school that has systemically shut out students from Ward 8.”

“Different” in the sense that they could not be admitted to Walls for academic reasons, but could be admitted to McKinley.

Look, I have a privileged white kid who likely would not have gotten into Walls with the prior more selective criteria, but could get into McKinley. No shame in admitting that!

Test scores haven't been used since prior to COVID. The current criteria are GPA, recommendation letter, interview, and writing sample. It is entirely unclear how SWW is implementing any of those besides GPA, and there are kids with high GPAs who are going to McKinley. You have no idea if they could get admitted and neither do they. They are not applying *because they do not want to go*.

as I wrote, he would not have gotten in under the “prior, more selective criteria.” I still think nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls (or Banneker) but feel free to show me data or anecdotes. also not sure why OP or anyone is defensive about this. It’s all part of the picture in understanding the schools.

I definitely think there are kids choosing McKinley over Walls. If you are interested in taking STEM classes in HS and are not inbounds for JR, then McKinley offers much more than Walls. Also, there are definitely many kids that live in parts of DC where McKinley is much more convenient than Walls.

Upper NW DC kids are not choosing McKinley over Walls because they are in bound for JR which offers more STEM classes, ECs and APs than McKinley. That said, if those are their interests, they are not choosing Walls either.

+1. I have a STEM kid and after attending the Walls open house, I'm definitely not sending my kid there. McKinley is still on the table, but I have yet to visit it.

.

What turned you off?

[Anonymous]

I have a STEM kid and am curious about how much writing there is at Walls. Are they just writing essays constantly?
Is Walls solid on physics, chemistry, calculus, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We thought the physical plant at McKinley was great, especially the engineering lab. The teachers also seemed dedicated and accomplished.

Unfortunately, for us, we were hoping the school was akin to Blair Magnet or TJ, but it is absolutely not anywhere close. We wish DCPS would transform McKinley into a DC TJ, but that doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

The commute was too much for us as well...if it was located where Walls is located (or anywhere in central DC) then the calculation would have been different

There just aren't that many educated/education-pushing households with high school aged kids in DC compared to the TJ or Blair catchment areas.

Banneker is the DC TJ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a STEM kid and am curious about how much writing there is at Walls. Are they just writing essays constantly?
Is Walls solid on physics, chemistry, calculus, etc?

Walls is solid in physical sciences and Math…but STEM has become a euphemism for kids interested in computer science, engineering, robotics, etc which Walls does not offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We thought the physical plant at McKinley was great, especially the engineering lab. The teachers also seemed dedicated and accomplished.

Unfortunately, for us, we were hoping the school was akin to Blair Magnet or TJ, but it is absolutely not anywhere close. We wish DCPS would transform McKinley into a DC TJ, but that doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

The commute was too much for us as well...if it was located where Walls is located (or anywhere in central DC) then the calculation would have been different

There just aren't that many educated/education-pushing households with high school aged kids in DC compared to the TJ or Blair catchment areas.

Banneker is the DC TJ

WTF are you taking about? Banneker is literally not even remotely the TJ equivalent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different students apply to McKinley than Walls. Students from Ward 7 and 8, which make up a big part of the McKinley student body, are not applying to Walls, or at least they weren't a couple of years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-without-walls-admissions-test-diversity/2021/08/27/6959cec2-0293-11ec-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html

“It could be that our families have gotten wind that certain schools are not for them, or not supportive of them,” said Carlene Reid, the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. State Board of Education. “I would not trust to put my child in a school that has systemically shut out students from Ward 8.”

“Different” in the sense that they could not be admitted to Walls for academic reasons, but could be admitted to McKinley.

Look, I have a privileged white kid who likely would not have gotten into Walls with the prior more selective criteria, but could get into McKinley. No shame in admitting that!

Test scores haven't been used since prior to COVID. The current criteria are GPA, recommendation letter, interview, and writing sample. It is entirely unclear how SWW is implementing any of those besides GPA, and there are kids with high GPAs who are going to McKinley. You have no idea if they could get admitted and neither do they. They are not applying *because they do not want to go*.

as I wrote, he would not have gotten in under the “prior, more selective criteria.” I still think nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls (or Banneker) but feel free to show me data or anecdotes. also not sure why OP or anyone is defensive about this. It’s all part of the picture in understanding the schools.

I definitely think there are kids choosing McKinley over Walls. If you are interested in taking STEM classes in HS and are not inbounds for JR, then McKinley offers much more than Walls. Also, there are definitely many kids that live in parts of DC where McKinley is much more convenient than Walls.

Upper NW DC kids are not choosing McKinley over Walls because they are in bound for JR which offers more STEM classes, ECs and APs than McKinley. That said, if those are their interests, they are not choosing Walls either.

+1. I have a STEM kid and after attending the Walls open house, I'm definitely not sending my kid there. McKinley is still on the table, but I have yet to visit it.

It's funny...even though Walls is very up-front that they are a humanities-focused application school, you still have lots of STEM-kid parents attending the open house and even applying. It's as though parents cannot believe it does not have great STEM offerings (they do offer strong physical sciences, but you can't take computer science or engineering classes), even though they don't say or do anything to imply otherwise.

DC is really the odd duck where the "top" application school is not a STEM school. I am not sure if an application school like Walls exists anywhere else in the DMV.

Given that only 80/650 McKinley students pass any AP exam, I’m not sure why the lack of a computer science class at Walls would make a rational family pick McKinley over Walls.

This exactly. Walls kids do go on to do Engineering and CS in college. I know kids who got into Carnegie Mellon, Cornell Engineering, Michigan Engineering, etc., so the lack of Engineering classes or CS did not impact them negatively

Again, don’t conflate college acceptances with a kid’s interests.

Kids who attend Waldorf schools that don’t believe in using technology at all get accepted to those programs.

Also, kids that attend TJ get accepted to Ivy League schools for liberal arts majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different students apply to McKinley than Walls. Students from Ward 7 and 8, which make up a big part of the McKinley student body, are not applying to Walls, or at least they weren't a couple of years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-without-walls-admissions-test-diversity/2021/08/27/6959cec2-0293-11ec-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html

“It could be that our families have gotten wind that certain schools are not for them, or not supportive of them,” said Carlene Reid, the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. State Board of Education. “I would not trust to put my child in a school that has systemically shut out students from Ward 8.”

“Different” in the sense that they could not be admitted to Walls for academic reasons, but could be admitted to McKinley.

Look, I have a privileged white kid who likely would not have gotten into Walls with the prior more selective criteria, but could get into McKinley. No shame in admitting that!

Test scores haven't been used since prior to COVID. The current criteria are GPA, recommendation letter, interview, and writing sample. It is entirely unclear how SWW is implementing any of those besides GPA, and there are kids with high GPAs who are going to McKinley. You have no idea if they could get admitted and neither do they. They are not applying *because they do not want to go*.

as I wrote, he would not have gotten in under the “prior, more selective criteria.” I still think nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls (or Banneker) but feel free to show me data or anecdotes. also not sure why OP or anyone is defensive about this. It’s all part of the picture in understanding the schools.

I definitely think there are kids choosing McKinley over Walls. If you are interested in taking STEM classes in HS and are not inbounds for JR, then McKinley offers much more than Walls. Also, there are definitely many kids that live in parts of DC where McKinley is much more convenient than Walls.

Upper NW DC kids are not choosing McKinley over Walls because they are in bound for JR which offers more STEM classes, ECs and APs than McKinley. That said, if those are their interests, they are not choosing Walls either.

+1. I have a STEM kid and after attending the Walls open house, I'm definitely not sending my kid there. McKinley is still on the table, but I have yet to visit it.

I’m a DCPS HS teacher and no way would I send my kid to McKinley over Walls. Walls has a much higher performing student cohort

What does being a DCPS HS teacher have to do with anything? You don’t reference anything specific to McKinley and are just regurgitating information that anyone can read.

Do you have any unique insight to share?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different students apply to McKinley than Walls. Students from Ward 7 and 8, which make up a big part of the McKinley student body, are not applying to Walls, or at least they weren't a couple of years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-without-walls-admissions-test-diversity/2021/08/27/6959cec2-0293-11ec-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html

“It could be that our families have gotten wind that certain schools are not for them, or not supportive of them,” said Carlene Reid, the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. State Board of Education. “I would not trust to put my child in a school that has systemically shut out students from Ward 8.”

“Different” in the sense that they could not be admitted to Walls for academic reasons, but could be admitted to McKinley.

Look, I have a privileged white kid who likely would not have gotten into Walls with the prior more selective criteria, but could get into McKinley. No shame in admitting that!

Test scores haven't been used since prior to COVID. The current criteria are GPA, recommendation letter, interview, and writing sample. It is entirely unclear how SWW is implementing any of those besides GPA, and there are kids with high GPAs who are going to McKinley. You have no idea if they could get admitted and neither do they. They are not applying *because they do not want to go*.

as I wrote, he would not have gotten in under the “prior, more selective criteria.” I still think nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls (or Banneker) but feel free to show me data or anecdotes. also not sure why OP or anyone is defensive about this. It’s all part of the picture in understanding the schools.

I definitely think there are kids choosing McKinley over Walls. If you are interested in taking STEM classes in HS and are not inbounds for JR, then McKinley offers much more than Walls. Also, there are definitely many kids that live in parts of DC where McKinley is much more convenient than Walls.

Upper NW DC kids are not choosing McKinley over Walls because they are in bound for JR which offers more STEM classes, ECs and APs than McKinley. That said, if those are their interests, they are not choosing Walls either.

+1. I have a STEM kid and after attending the Walls open house, I'm definitely not sending my kid there. McKinley is still on the table, but I have yet to visit it.

I’m a DCPS HS teacher and no way would I send my kid to McKinley over Walls. Walls has a much higher performing student cohort

Which is great if you are part of that higher-performing student cohort. But what if you're not? If you come to Walls, take Algebra 1 as freshman, and don't score proficient, that puts you in like the bottom 10%. Does the school know what to do with you? Are you getting the opportunities that Walls is helpful for? At McKinley, that's three-quarters of the freshman class. No one is going to write you off, they will work with you, and you will have a peer group and classes being taught at an appropriate level.

I would hope that the child of a DCPS HS teacher could take Algebra 1 as a freshman. Is that even high-performing? I thought that was grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"For that and other reasons, nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls."

I am the OP, and it's not my job to educate you as to why this statement is uninformed and useless. So I'll just reiterate, I want to hear about the experiences of kids who actually go there from their families. It is clear that your child does not go there. Why are you here?

(Before someone else chimes, in, yes, I know this is a DCUM thing where people just comment on everything they are uninformed about.)

To those who have kids who go there and have answered, thank you!

I mean, this is true. Let’s hear from all the people who turned down Walls for McKinley though …

Based on the current system, you really can't turn down Walls for McKinley unless it was a waitlist situation. (or people transfer later)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different students apply to McKinley than Walls. Students from Ward 7 and 8, which make up a big part of the McKinley student body, are not applying to Walls, or at least they weren't a couple of years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-without-walls-admissions-test-diversity/2021/08/27/6959cec2-0293-11ec-a664-4f6de3e17ff0_story.html

“It could be that our families have gotten wind that certain schools are not for them, or not supportive of them,” said Carlene Reid, the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. State Board of Education. “I would not trust to put my child in a school that has systemically shut out students from Ward 8.”

“Different” in the sense that they could not be admitted to Walls for academic reasons, but could be admitted to McKinley.

Look, I have a privileged white kid who likely would not have gotten into Walls with the prior more selective criteria, but could get into McKinley. No shame in admitting that!

Test scores haven't been used since prior to COVID. The current criteria are GPA, recommendation letter, interview, and writing sample. It is entirely unclear how SWW is implementing any of those besides GPA, and there are kids with high GPAs who are going to McKinley. You have no idea if they could get admitted and neither do they. They are not applying *because they do not want to go*.

as I wrote, he would not have gotten in under the “prior, more selective criteria.” I still think nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls (or Banneker) but feel free to show me data or anecdotes. also not sure why OP or anyone is defensive about this. It’s all part of the picture in understanding the schools.

I definitely think there are kids choosing McKinley over Walls. If you are interested in taking STEM classes in HS and are not inbounds for JR, then McKinley offers much more than Walls. Also, there are definitely many kids that live in parts of DC where McKinley is much more convenient than Walls.

Upper NW DC kids are not choosing McKinley over Walls because they are in bound for JR which offers more STEM classes, ECs and APs than McKinley. That said, if those are their interests, they are not choosing Walls either.

Do you know this or just “think” this? And where can I compare the AP classes available at McKinley v Walls?

AP classes are not the appropriate comparison. Most STEM classes in engineering and otherwise have no AP offered by College Board. McKinley does offer AP Computer Science Principals and AP CSA which Walls does not provide. Are you seriously asking where you can compare the AP classes....go to each school's website and look at their AP offerings...it is not hard to find.

What I actually did is compare the AP pass rates and the overall PARCC scores. McKinley might be a decent option for kids who cannot get into Walls or Banneker but I still have a very hard time believing that anyone would pick it over Walls or Banneker just to take a CS class (presumably with the 75% of classmates who can’t pass PARCC math).

I say this as a parent with a kid currently enrolled in a DCPS T1 school. It’s quite clear as of 6th grade that academics need to pick up the pace eventually. I’m not totally ruling out McKinley but definitely would never place it above Walls or Banneker.

My kid originally ranked Banneker over McKinley Tech then changed it after both of his interviews. He is now attending McKinley Tech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We thought the physical plant at McKinley was great, especially the engineering lab. The teachers also seemed dedicated and accomplished.

Unfortunately, for us, we were hoping the school was akin to Blair Magnet or TJ, but it is absolutely not anywhere close. We wish DCPS would transform McKinley into a DC TJ, but that doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

The commute was too much for us as well...if it was located where Walls is located (or anywhere in central DC) then the calculation would have been different

There just aren't that many educated/education-pushing households with high school aged kids in DC compared to the TJ or Blair catchment areas.

Banneker is the DC TJ

WTF are you taking about? Banneker is literally not even remotely the TJ equivalent.

Banneker is actually more impressive than TJ in terms of the values of public education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We thought the physical plant at McKinley was great, especially the engineering lab. The teachers also seemed dedicated and accomplished.

Unfortunately, for us, we were hoping the school was akin to Blair Magnet or TJ, but it is absolutely not anywhere close. We wish DCPS would transform McKinley into a DC TJ, but that doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

The commute was too much for us as well...if it was located where Walls is located (or anywhere in central DC) then the calculation would have been different

There just aren't that many educated/education-pushing households with high school aged kids in DC compared to the TJ or Blair catchment areas.

Banneker is the DC TJ

WTF are you taking about? Banneker is literally not even remotely the TJ equivalent.

Banneker is actually more impressive than TJ in terms of the values of public education.

Explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We thought the physical plant at McKinley was great, especially the engineering lab. The teachers also seemed dedicated and accomplished.

Unfortunately, for us, we were hoping the school was akin to Blair Magnet or TJ, but it is absolutely not anywhere close. We wish DCPS would transform McKinley into a DC TJ, but that doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

The commute was too much for us as well...if it was located where Walls is located (or anywhere in central DC) then the calculation would have been different

There just aren't that many educated/education-pushing households with high school aged kids in DC compared to the TJ or Blair catchment areas.

Banneker is the DC TJ

This may be the most delusional thing I've read on this very bizarre board! Banneker is great at what it does . But it's not in the same galaxy as TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"For that and other reasons, nobody is choosing McKinley over Walls."

I am the OP, and it's not my job to educate you as to why this statement is uninformed and useless. So I'll just reiterate, I want to hear about the experiences of kids who actually go there from their families. It is clear that your child does not go there. Why are you here?

(Before someone else chimes, in, yes, I know this is a DCUM thing where people just comment on everything they are uninformed about.)

To those who have kids who go there and have answered, thank you!

I mean, this is true. Let’s hear from all the people who turned down Walls for McKinley though …

Based on the current system, you really can't turn down Walls for McKinley unless it was a waitlist situation. (or people transfer later)

You could probably turn down Walls and call McKinley and be admitted with the proper grades. The school isn't over enrolled.