Is Latin really all that and a bag of chips?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get a good sense of the Latins and we are on page 4. What are the pros and cons of the school? How are the academics?

I love this question and hope some current families can weigh in. Comparing to DCI, in terms of just test scores and growth, they look very similar. I can think of pros and cons for my kids (Spanish vs. not; small class size vs. not) but don't understand enough about what each school offers or how they work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
People are allowed to like Latin. But don’t lie about the academics.

I'm curious about the academic offerings and how the classes work, mostly. We will go tour schools soon but hoping to hear from families that have experience with Latin and DCI to compare the two (moving to the suburbs is not in the cards for our family and commute isn't a factor since we could walk to the school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

Latin is good on actual USA metrics.

The suburban experience is very different from the city one— and for some, there are actual cons to moving to the suburbs. You need to know your own self and family to know whether staying in the city or moving to the suburbs is the better choice.

Ok … I have no dog in this fight, but this is just not accurate. Latin’s test scores are BAD.

To give you an idea, if you look at the US News list of best high schools (one of the only “USA metrics” we have), Latin is ranked #11,048 in National Rankings. BASIS is ranked #250. Whitman in Bethesda is #147. Yorktown in Arlington is #345.

People are allowed to like Latin. But don’t lie about the academics.

This is a little old, but even in DC the high school is ranked #14

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/district-of-columbia/rankings


Top 5 -: Walls, Banneker, BASIS, McKinley, Wilson (nowJR). This seems right to me, btw, and I would very happily send my kid to any of these five.

Latin is a unicorn bc UMC families do seem really happy there but it's not a particularly strong school, academically, in terms of offerings and test scores.

[Anonymous]

We toured Latin and DCI. Both Latin campuses, especially the current Cooper campus, is inferior to DCI’s campus. And if you want to continue to with Spanish, the 2nd street Latin campus doesn’t offer it. If your priority is the humanities and you don’t prioritize the IB/foreign language learning, Latin is the much better choice. There is no differentiation at DCI apart from math and foreign language and many kids there are below grade level in English and Social Studies. The locations between the Latins and DCI might also matter for commute purposes. Latin has been around much longer than DCI and much more established with seemingly less teacher turnover and admin issues than DCI. College acceptances from Latin seem overall better than from DCI but I could see that improving at DCI with more time. Families excelling at DCI seem to be doing so because they supplement outside of school whereas I didn’t get the impression that Latin families have to make up for school deficiencies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Latin’s more average academics is why it appeals to such a vast number of families. So many more people can see themselves at Latin because it’s essentially a great compromise between “too rigorous” academics like BASIS and “non-existent” academics at their in-bound DCPS middle school. Latin’s academics are good, and lots of high achieving kids go there, which makes it a unicorn in DC. But based on conversations with families there, it’s not the best fit for students advanced in math and science. Also, the laid back attitude of the families there could be exactly what some people are looking for, but it could be the wrong fit for families looking to be surrounded by the type A families that are more likely to be found at a school like BASIS. Just because Latin is so popular doesn’t mean that it’s the best choice for everyone.

Thank you for this very reasonable response.

[Anonymous]

Latin (original) also has better, and far more stable, leadership than BASIS DC, where just one head of school has lasted more than two years since the program kicked off in 2009. Latin also has a more stable teaching force than BASIS (and that's putting it mildly). Latin also has a better facility, with playing fields, and runs its own show, vs. BASIS Arizona calling the shots in DC. No shortage of Type A families at Latin either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

Latin is good on actual USA metrics.

The suburban experience is very different from the city one— and for some, there are actual cons to moving to the suburbs. You need to know your own self and family to know whether staying in the city or moving to the suburbs is the better choice.

Ok … I have no dog in this fight, but this is just not accurate. Latin’s test scores are BAD.

To give you an idea, if you look at the US News list of best high schools (one of the only “USA metrics” we have), Latin is ranked #11,048 in National Rankings. BASIS is ranked #250. Whitman in Bethesda is #147. Yorktown in Arlington is #345.

People are allowed to like Latin. But don’t lie about the academics.

There has to be some metrics missing from this which drops Latin?

I also have no dog but that seems really low. Almost too low.

Uh … no. That’s what happens when you have bad standardized test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get a good sense of the Latins and we are on page 4. What are the pros and cons of the school? How are the academics?

I love this question and hope some current families can weigh in. Comparing to DCI, in terms of just test scores and growth, they look very similar. I can think of pros and cons for my kids (Spanish vs. not; small class size vs. not) but don't understand enough about what each school offers or how they work.

You should talk to current parents. Our son has been very happy at Latin 2nd since he started in 5th a number of years ago. Im frankly not motivated to list pros/cons for strangers on an anonymous forum. Ill expend that energy with inquiring friends etc.

[Anonymous]

Latin is a great school and most families seem reasonably happy there. But if you participated and listed it in the lottery mostly just because it is extremely popular, scored a spot, and now still have very serious reservations, follow your instincts and do not take the spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would a Latin compare to a suburban middle and high school cluster in let’s say a Rockville? Or heck any suburb anywhere in the US where you here the infamous “oh great schools there”

Is Latin good based on DC metrics or actual USA metrics?

Who else uses PARCC to compare? How’s their college graduation rate? Getting into college is one thing, finishing it is another.

Not an anti-Latin poster. Hope our kids get in there. But I think these are the questions the poster wants.

Latin is good on actual USA metrics.

The suburban experience is very different from the city one— and for some, there are actual cons to moving to the suburbs. You need to know your own self and family to know whether staying in the city or moving to the suburbs is the better choice.

Ok … I have no dog in this fight, but this is just not accurate. Latin’s test scores are BAD.

To give you an idea, if you look at the US News list of best high schools (one of the only “USA metrics” we have), Latin is ranked #11,048 in National Rankings. BASIS is ranked #250. Whitman in Bethesda is #147. Yorktown in Arlington is #345.

People are allowed to like Latin. But don’t lie about the academics.

There has to be some metrics missing from this which drops Latin?

I also have no dog but that seems really low. Almost too low.

Yes. Latin didn't report the number of students that took and passed an AP in their senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get a good sense of the Latins and we are on page 4. What are the pros and cons of the school? How are the academics?

I love this question and hope some current families can weigh in. Comparing to DCI, in terms of just test scores and growth, they look very similar. I can think of pros and cons for my kids (Spanish vs. not; small class size vs. not) but don't understand enough about what each school offers or how they work.

You should talk to current parents. Our son has been very happy at Latin 2nd since he started in 5th a number of years ago. Im frankly not motivated to list pros/cons for strangers on an anonymous forum. Ill expend that energy with inquiring friends etc.

I am always a fan of people talking to current parents and realize this forum is not the best place for actual productive conversation. However, not everybody knows people at the school yet, so it is sometimes a helpful starting point to find information. As a 9-year parent at our DCPS school. I have a elevator pitch that I bring out for people that are new to the area or don't know anything about a school. It's not hard and I think it goes a long way as a first step. Anyway, just seems strange to come on this forum that you are already spending time to read and then make a point of saying you aren't going to answer any question about the school.

[Anonymous]

Ok I’ll bite - here are the top five reasons our family is very happy at Latin

1. Incredible, passionate, dedicated teaching and support staff - I’ve never met a group of people in a school setting like them and it goes all the way to the top -

2. The special ed team is great and always works to find the support solutions needed and changes it when it is not working - we have two kids one who needs support and one who doesn’t and both are thriving

3. The small size of the school allows kids to do lots of things they are interested in - like jazz band and wrestling- great do both!

4. The education philosophy I totally buy into - some may not - but the focus on humanities and learning deeply about a subject - classical education sounds stiff but honestly in todays world it is a breath of fresh air

5. Student autonomy - pushing students to interact directly with a teacher if they need help with an assignment or are missing work - I love that it is teaching our kids to take ownership over their own education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We toured Latin and DCI. Both Latin campuses, especially the current Cooper campus, is inferior to DCI’s campus. And if you want to continue to with Spanish, the 2nd street Latin campus doesn’t offer it. If your priority is the humanities and you don’t prioritize the IB/foreign language learning, Latin is the much better choice. There is no differentiation at DCI apart from math and foreign language and many kids there are below grade level in English and Social Studies. The locations between the Latins and DCI might also matter for commute purposes. Latin has been around much longer than DCI and much more established with seemingly less teacher turnover and admin issues than DCI. College acceptances from Latin seem overall better than from DCI but I could see that improving at DCI with more time. Families excelling at DCI seem to be doing so because they supplement outside of school whereas I didn’t get the impression that Latin families have to make up for school deficiencies.

Thanks for this. I have been struggling to know how much to (or not to) prioritize IB. I know we prioritize language but my kid is fluent enough that I think we can keep it up at home. Any sense of if DCI is stronger in science/tech since Latin seems stronger in humanities (which I think my kids would love but already plays to strengths).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get a good sense of the Latins and we are on page 4. What are the pros and cons of the school? How are the academics?

I love this question and hope some current families can weigh in. Comparing to DCI, in terms of just test scores and growth, they look very similar. I can think of pros and cons for my kids (Spanish vs. not; small class size vs. not) but don't understand enough about what each school offers or how they work.

You should talk to current parents. Our son has been very happy at Latin 2nd since he started in 5th a number of years ago. Im frankly not motivated to list pros/cons for strangers on an anonymous forum. Ill expend that energy with inquiring friends etc.

I get this and appreciate it. We have talked to Latin families and all are very happy. But, I can ask more questions too.

We have talked to DCI families too but this is more tricky because most that I know have kids in my kid's grade, in addition to older ones, and didn't/don't have both options. I'm trying to be sensitive to how questions about cons in particular would come off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok I’ll bite - here are the top five reasons our family is very happy at Latin

1. Incredible, passionate, dedicated teaching and support staff - I’ve never met a group of people in a school setting like them and it goes all the way to the top -

2. The special ed team is great and always works to find the support solutions needed and changes it when it is not working - we have two kids one who needs support and one who doesn’t and both are thriving

3. The small size of the school allows kids to do lots of things they are interested in - like jazz band and wrestling- great do both!

4. The education philosophy I totally buy into - some may not - but the focus on humanities and learning deeply about a subject - classical education sounds stiff but honestly in todays world it is a breath of fresh air

5. Student autonomy - pushing students to interact directly with a teacher if they need help with an assignment or are missing work - I love that it is teaching our kids to take ownership over their own education.

Thank you. All of these are huge benefits in our opinion.