Elementary Schools In Capitol Hill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do Maury and Brent parents seriously not see a problem with their kids attending majority white schools in a city that is majority-minority? I always wonder this about SWS too. It’s not that I don’t understand that it’s no individual parent’s “fault” that this is the case, but… doesn’t it bother you? Of course we all want our kids to get a good education, but one question I’d ask myself is what we are teaching our kids when we tell them the best schools are the whitest schools. Do you not think they pick up in this stuff? Trust me: by MS they know exactly what the score is. That’s part of the education you are giving them too.

Not see a problem. Doesn't bother me. Been at Brent for 8 years. School is decent, but not fantastic. A big influx of needy kids would drive many in-boundary parents out at Brent, Maury etc.

The inconvenient truth is that even the best DCPS elementary programs can barely handle the kids they have now. The problem was writ large in the chaotic school closures and virtual learning efforts we were subjected to during spring 2020 and 2020-2021. Even when my kids can attend school full-time, I need to teach them spelling, grammar, geography, history, classic children's lit and more for them to keep up with private school and suburban GT peers academically.

For the most part, the neediest kids in the District happen to be black. Where I grew up, they were white. The education I'm giving my kids is the best I can do, so I don't lose sleep over it. You lose sleep over it if you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Peabody / Watkins and sending our son there for prek3. Watkins is the only truly racially diverse school amongst Brent, Maury and LT. Other posters aren't saying that but so much of the Maury, Brent and LT hype is because upper middle class white parents who can't afford private school are happy that their kids aren't going to school with black kids. Just keep that in mind when you think about what kind of school experience you want for your kids.

Sure, Jan.

I mean Peabody/Watkins has its own issues related to race but PP has a point. And while in other parts of the city people are more willing to just acknowledge that certain schools are more desirable because they are whiter and richer, on the Hill people will weirdly pretend it's not happening. But Brent and Maury are both predominantly white and that is unquestionably part of the appeal for a lot of families. L-T is interesting to me because while it's demographics don't reflect DC as a whole (it's about 40% white, 40% black, and then significant Asian and mixed race populations) it isn't white washed the way the others are. I am curious to see what happens in 10 years. If I had to place a bet, I'd assume it will eventually be heavily white the way Brent and Maury are. But I also wonder if there is something about that neighborhood that allows it to maintain greater racial diversity? Like maybe the proximity to H Street, which was an historically black business district and still has a lot of black businesses (though far fewer than it once did) might help the school retain a higher percentage of black students.

Still, it's gross that when people list the "good" schools on the Hill, they mostly just list the whitest schools.

The only person making racist assumptions is you (and PP, assuming that isn't also you).

Objectively, the best elementary schools on the Hill are Maury and Brent. For example, if you look at the latest PARCC scores available (2018-19), those two schools score way above L-T, Watkins, etc.

This is such an ignorant statement. Talking about race isn't racist, and these are just facts about the racial makeup of these schools.

To argue that Maury and Brent, the two whitest schools on the Hill (and among the whitest schools in the city -- Brent might have the highest percentage of white students in the city, even when compared to JKLM schools) are the "objectively the best" without addressing the racial component is irresponsible. We have to discuss why there is such a stark contrast in educational opportunities and results for black and white students in this city. Pretending that it's just an accident that the most desirable schools also happen to be the whitest schools doesn't do anyone any good. I know white parents at these schools don't like talking about this because it challenges their self-perception as liberal allies. But we have to talk about it even if it makes people uncomfortable.

Great. You are enlightened--here's your diploma. The messaging gets muddy when people--like pp--make a huge assumption that parents CHOOSE schools because "they don't want their child in school with black kids". That's where it gets beyond ridiculous.

+1. PP is an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Peabody / Watkins and sending our son there for prek3. Watkins is the only truly racially diverse school amongst Brent, Maury and LT. Other posters aren't saying that but so much of the Maury, Brent and LT hype is because upper middle class white parents who can't afford private school are happy that their kids aren't going to school with black kids. Just keep that in mind when you think about what kind of school experience you want for your kids.

Sure, Jan.

I mean Peabody/Watkins has its own issues related to race but PP has a point. And while in other parts of the city people are more willing to just acknowledge that certain schools are more desirable because they are whiter and richer, on the Hill people will weirdly pretend it's not happening. But Brent and Maury are both predominantly white and that is unquestionably part of the appeal for a lot of families. L-T is interesting to me because while it's demographics don't reflect DC as a whole (it's about 40% white, 40% black, and then significant Asian and mixed race populations) it isn't white washed the way the others are. I am curious to see what happens in 10 years. If I had to place a bet, I'd assume it will eventually be heavily white the way Brent and Maury are. But I also wonder if there is something about that neighborhood that allows it to maintain greater racial diversity? Like maybe the proximity to H Street, which was an historically black business district and still has a lot of black businesses (though far fewer than it once did) might help the school retain a higher percentage of black students.

Still, it's gross that when people list the "good" schools on the Hill, they mostly just list the whitest schools.

The only person making racist assumptions is you (and PP, assuming that isn't also you).

Objectively, the best elementary schools on the Hill are Maury and Brent. For example, if you look at the latest PARCC scores available (2018-19), those two schools score way above L-T, Watkins, etc.

Not if broken down by subgroup. In fact, in 2017-18, LT had better ELA scores than Brent notwithstanding their very different racial makeups. Test scores are not the be all and end all by any stretch, but the idea that Brent and Maury have way better PARCC scores than LT or Watkins really ignores the link between race and test scores across the city. All four of these school clearly have a large cohort of high achieving kids and very good test scores for UMC white kids, if that's your thing.

Nice try but no.

Maury and Brent score well above L-T and Watkins. For example:

Here are the numbers for 4+ on ELA for 2018-2019:

Maury 76.9%
Brent: 73.6%
L-T 59.8%
Watkins 48.3%

Here are the numbers for 4+ on math for 2018-2019:

Maury: 75.4
Brent: 70.7%
L-T: 47%
Watkins: 44.2%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do Maury and Brent parents seriously not see a problem with their kids attending majority white schools in a city that is majority-minority? I always wonder this about SWS too. It’s not that I don’t understand that it’s no individual parent’s “fault” that this is the case, but… doesn’t it bother you? Of course we all want our kids to get a good education, but one question I’d ask myself is what we are teaching our kids when we tell them the best schools are the whitest schools. Do you not think they pick up in this stuff? Trust me: by MS they know exactly what the score is. That’s part of the education you are giving them too.

Have you heard about schools in NW DC? Janney is 74% white!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Maury and Brent parents seriously not see a problem with their kids attending majority white schools in a city that is majority-minority? I always wonder this about SWS too. It’s not that I don’t understand that it’s no individual parent’s “fault” that this is the case, but… doesn’t it bother you? Of course we all want our kids to get a good education, but one question I’d ask myself is what we are teaching our kids when we tell them the best schools are the whitest schools. Do you not think they pick up in this stuff? Trust me: by MS they know exactly what the score is. That’s part of the education you are giving them too.

Have you heard about schools in NW DC? Janney is 74% white!

Right. And I’m not sure what I’d be teaching my kid about race by sending him to a failing school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do Maury and Brent parents seriously not see a problem with their kids attending majority white schools in a city that is majority-minority? I always wonder this about SWS too. It’s not that I don’t understand that it’s no individual parent’s “fault” that this is the case, but… doesn’t it bother you? Of course we all want our kids to get a good education, but one question I’d ask myself is what we are teaching our kids when we tell them the best schools are the whitest schools. Do you not think they pick up in this stuff? Trust me: by MS they know exactly what the score is. That’s part of the education you are giving them too.

No one posting here is telling their kids that. Again, the only one making racist assumptions is you.

Sending your kids to your in-bounds school on Capitol Hill that happens to be 60% non-white is not racist.

Sending your kids to the best school that you can find it not racist.

Don't you think black and brown parents want the best education for their kids?

What is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Peabody/ Watkins has a new principal that started last year (rough year to start) but seems great. After 8 years with a principal that divided the school, I would give it a chance. Also, when looking at boundaries, DCPS does have a proximity preference. Since the boundaries are so crazy a lot of people are able to use this preference to get into another school.

From the website:

A lottery preference provided to students who live greater than a half-mile walking distance from their DCPS in-boundary elementary school and apply to attend a DCPS out-of-boundary school that is a half-mile or less walking distance from their home. This preference only applies to students enrolling in PK3 – grade 5. Proximity preference is not offered at DCPS citywide schools. The application will automatically apply this preference based on the guardian's home address provided on the application.

The way he handled the split between distance learning and in-person last year was a disaster and refused to acknowledge or alter his plans once it became apparent to everyone that there were issues. His arrival has just been a bandaid on systemic problems at the school. Peabody is great, but Watkins would be far down my list. The wounds that the previous principal created have not healed - she perpetuated genuine racial and economic issues that would leave parents in tears and parents fighting other parents. Look at the disastrous discourse around the shuttle from one campus to the other that was blew up the only way many working parents could make two campuses work. Woke vs race vs economic. Avoid.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of great elementary schools here, OP. I would focus on WHERE on Capitol Hill you'd like to live. It's a big neighborhood. Where you work may also come into play-- would you need to be super close to metro or is a 20 min walk okay? That kind of thing.

Personally, I love both the Stanton Park and Lincoln Park areas. So much great outdoor space for kids, walkability, and kind of a small-town vibe within a city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Peabody / Watkins and sending our son there for prek3. Watkins is the only truly racially diverse school amongst Brent, Maury and LT. Other posters aren't saying that but so much of the Maury, Brent and LT hype is because upper middle class white parents who can't afford private school are happy that their kids aren't going to school with black kids. Just keep that in mind when you think about what kind of school experience you want for your kids.

Sure, Jan.

I mean Peabody/Watkins has its own issues related to race but PP has a point. And while in other parts of the city people are more willing to just acknowledge that certain schools are more desirable because they are whiter and richer, on the Hill people will weirdly pretend it's not happening. But Brent and Maury are both predominantly white and that is unquestionably part of the appeal for a lot of families. L-T is interesting to me because while it's demographics don't reflect DC as a whole (it's about 40% white, 40% black, and then significant Asian and mixed race populations) it isn't white washed the way the others are. I am curious to see what happens in 10 years. If I had to place a bet, I'd assume it will eventually be heavily white the way Brent and Maury are. But I also wonder if there is something about that neighborhood that allows it to maintain greater racial diversity? Like maybe the proximity to H Street, which was an historically black business district and still has a lot of black businesses (though far fewer than it once did) might help the school retain a higher percentage of black students.

Still, it's gross that when people list the "good" schools on the Hill, they mostly just list the whitest schools.

The only person making racist assumptions is you (and PP, assuming that isn't also you).

Objectively, the best elementary schools on the Hill are Maury and Brent. For example, if you look at the latest PARCC scores available (2018-19), those two schools score way above L-T, Watkins, etc.

Not if broken down by subgroup. In fact, in 2017-18, LT had better ELA scores than Brent notwithstanding their very different racial makeups. Test scores are not the be all and end all by any stretch, but the idea that Brent and Maury have way better PARCC scores than LT or Watkins really ignores the link between race and test scores across the city. All four of these school clearly have a large cohort of high achieving kids and very good test scores for UMC white kids, if that's your thing.

Nice try but no.

Maury and Brent score well above L-T and Watkins. For example:

Here are the numbers for 4+ on ELA for 2018-2019:

Maury 76.9%
Brent: 73.6%
L-T 59.8%
Watkins 48.3%

Here are the numbers for 4+ on math for 2018-2019:

Maury: 75.4
Brent: 70.7%
L-T: 47%
Watkins: 44.2%

I don’t know what you don’t understand about subgroup. Meaning, if you break out scores by race. Also, the claim about 2017-2018 and LT v Brent for ELA specifically is true. You can find a thread on this forum with an in depth discussion if you search for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Peabody / Watkins and sending our son there for prek3. Watkins is the only truly racially diverse school amongst Brent, Maury and LT. Other posters aren't saying that but so much of the Maury, Brent and LT hype is because upper middle class white parents who can't afford private school are happy that their kids aren't going to school with black kids. Just keep that in mind when you think about what kind of school experience you want for your kids.

Sure, Jan.

I mean Peabody/Watkins has its own issues related to race but PP has a point. And while in other parts of the city people are more willing to just acknowledge that certain schools are more desirable because they are whiter and richer, on the Hill people will weirdly pretend it's not happening. But Brent and Maury are both predominantly white and that is unquestionably part of the appeal for a lot of families. L-T is interesting to me because while it's demographics don't reflect DC as a whole (it's about 40% white, 40% black, and then significant Asian and mixed race populations) it isn't white washed the way the others are. I am curious to see what happens in 10 years. If I had to place a bet, I'd assume it will eventually be heavily white the way Brent and Maury are. But I also wonder if there is something about that neighborhood that allows it to maintain greater racial diversity? Like maybe the proximity to H Street, which was an historically black business district and still has a lot of black businesses (though far fewer than it once did) might help the school retain a higher percentage of black students.

Still, it's gross that when people list the "good" schools on the Hill, they mostly just list the whitest schools.

The only person making racist assumptions is you (and PP, assuming that isn't also you).

Objectively, the best elementary schools on the Hill are Maury and Brent. For example, if you look at the latest PARCC scores available (2018-19), those two schools score way above L-T, Watkins, etc.

Not if broken down by subgroup. In fact, in 2017-18, LT had better ELA scores than Brent notwithstanding their very different racial makeups. Test scores are not the be all and end all by any stretch, but the idea that Brent and Maury have way better PARCC scores than LT or Watkins really ignores the link between race and test scores across the city. All four of these school clearly have a large cohort of high achieving kids and very good test scores for UMC white kids, if that's your thing.

Nice try but no.

Maury and Brent score well above L-T and Watkins. For example:

Here are the numbers for 4+ on ELA for 2018-2019:

Maury 76.9%
Brent: 73.6%
L-T 59.8%
Watkins 48.3%

Here are the numbers for 4+ on math for 2018-2019:

Maury: 75.4
Brent: 70.7%
L-T: 47%
Watkins: 44.2%

I don’t know what you don’t understand about subgroup. Meaning, if you break out scores by race. Also, the claim about 2017-2018 and LT v Brent for ELA specifically is true. You can find a thread on this forum with an in depth discussion if you search for it.

Looks like PP is right re: 2017-2018, here’s a thread that references it: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/746391.page.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Peabody / Watkins and sending our son there for prek3. Watkins is the only truly racially diverse school amongst Brent, Maury and LT. Other posters aren't saying that but so much of the Maury, Brent and LT hype is because upper middle class white parents who can't afford private school are happy that their kids aren't going to school with black kids. Just keep that in mind when you think about what kind of school experience you want for your kids.

Sure, Jan.

I mean Peabody/Watkins has its own issues related to race but PP has a point. And while in other parts of the city people are more willing to just acknowledge that certain schools are more desirable because they are whiter and richer, on the Hill people will weirdly pretend it's not happening. But Brent and Maury are both predominantly white and that is unquestionably part of the appeal for a lot of families. L-T is interesting to me because while it's demographics don't reflect DC as a whole (it's about 40% white, 40% black, and then significant Asian and mixed race populations) it isn't white washed the way the others are. I am curious to see what happens in 10 years. If I had to place a bet, I'd assume it will eventually be heavily white the way Brent and Maury are. But I also wonder if there is something about that neighborhood that allows it to maintain greater racial diversity? Like maybe the proximity to H Street, which was an historically black business district and still has a lot of black businesses (though far fewer than it once did) might help the school retain a higher percentage of black students.

Still, it's gross that when people list the "good" schools on the Hill, they mostly just list the whitest schools.

The only person making racist assumptions is you (and PP, assuming that isn't also you).

Objectively, the best elementary schools on the Hill are Maury and Brent. For example, if you look at the latest PARCC scores available (2018-19), those two schools score way above L-T, Watkins, etc.

Not if broken down by subgroup. In fact, in 2017-18, LT had better ELA scores than Brent notwithstanding their very different racial makeups. Test scores are not the be all and end all by any stretch, but the idea that Brent and Maury have way better PARCC scores than LT or Watkins really ignores the link between race and test scores across the city. All four of these school clearly have a large cohort of high achieving kids and very good test scores for UMC white kids, if that's your thing.

Nice try but no.

Maury and Brent score well above L-T and Watkins. For example:

Here are the numbers for 4+ on ELA for 2018-2019:

Maury 76.9%
Brent: 73.6%
L-T 59.8%
Watkins 48.3%

Here are the numbers for 4+ on math for 2018-2019:

Maury: 75.4
Brent: 70.7%
L-T: 47%
Watkins: 44.2%

I don’t know what you don’t understand about subgroup. Meaning, if you break out scores by race. Also, the claim about 2017-2018 and LT v Brent for ELA specifically is true. You can find a thread on this forum with an in depth discussion if you search for it.

Looks like PP is right re: 2017-2018, here’s a thread that references it: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/746391.page.

And this thread has all the numbers: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/746316.page.

[Anonymous]

This topic always comes to this. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This topic always comes to this. Sigh.

OP is long gone by now, questioning if she even wants to move to the Hill anymore lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This topic always comes to this. Sigh.

OP is long gone by now, questioning if she even wants to move to the Hill anymore lol

Well she got what she needed, then. CH has some good schools and some struggling schools, but the one thing consistent across all school boundaries is that it is full of intense, competitive, know-it-all, PITA parents. Best to go in with your eyes open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Peabody / Watkins and sending our son there for prek3. Watkins is the only truly racially diverse school amongst Brent, Maury and LT. Other posters aren't saying that but so much of the Maury, Brent and LT hype is because upper middle class white parents who can't afford private school are happy that their kids aren't going to school with black kids. Just keep that in mind when you think about what kind of school experience you want for your kids.

Sure, Jan.

I mean Peabody/Watkins has its own issues related to race but PP has a point. And while in other parts of the city people are more willing to just acknowledge that certain schools are more desirable because they are whiter and richer, on the Hill people will weirdly pretend it's not happening. But Brent and Maury are both predominantly white and that is unquestionably part of the appeal for a lot of families. L-T is interesting to me because while it's demographics don't reflect DC as a whole (it's about 40% white, 40% black, and then significant Asian and mixed race populations) it isn't white washed the way the others are. I am curious to see what happens in 10 years. If I had to place a bet, I'd assume it will eventually be heavily white the way Brent and Maury are. But I also wonder if there is something about that neighborhood that allows it to maintain greater racial diversity? Like maybe the proximity to H Street, which was an historically black business district and still has a lot of black businesses (though far fewer than it once did) might help the school retain a higher percentage of black students.

Still, it's gross that when people list the "good" schools on the Hill, they mostly just list the whitest schools.

The only person making racist assumptions is you (and PP, assuming that isn't also you).

Objectively, the best elementary schools on the Hill are Maury and Brent. For example, if you look at the latest PARCC scores available (2018-19), those two schools score way above L-T, Watkins, etc.

Not if broken down by subgroup. In fact, in 2017-18, LT had better ELA scores than Brent notwithstanding their very different racial makeups. Test scores are not the be all and end all by any stretch, but the idea that Brent and Maury have way better PARCC scores than LT or Watkins really ignores the link between race and test scores across the city. All four of these school clearly have a large cohort of high achieving kids and very good test scores for UMC white kids, if that's your thing.

Nice try but no.

Maury and Brent score well above L-T and Watkins. For example:

Here are the numbers for 4+ on ELA for 2018-2019:

Maury 76.9%
Brent: 73.6%
L-T 59.8%
Watkins 48.3%

Here are the numbers for 4+ on math for 2018-2019:

Maury: 75.4
Brent: 70.7%
L-T: 47%
Watkins: 44.2%

I don’t know what you don’t understand about subgroup. Meaning, if you break out scores by race. Also, the claim about 2017-2018 and LT v Brent for ELA specifically is true. You can find a thread on this forum with an in depth discussion if you search for it.

Looks like PP is right re: 2017-2018, here’s a thread that references it: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/746391.page.

2018-2019 are the last PARCC scores.

77% ELA 4+ (Maury) > 66% (L-T)
75% math 4+ (Maury) > 47% (L-T)