DC High Schools (public, charter)
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Yomo
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My kid is in a charter middle school now but I am putting high school right on my front radar. Any personal experience with one of the following?
SWWS Banneker Basis Latin KIPP DC College Prep Dunbar Cardozo Eastern Ellington Wilson Woodson Any private HS that offers generous financial assistance? Many thanks for your input. |
Anonymous
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BASIS has never accepted new students at 9th.
Re Wilson -- if your child isn't currently at Hardy, Deal or Oyster Adams, or you live in the boundary -- you won't get in. It's been years since anyone was accepted OOB. For a talented student, financial assistance is available. Search on the private school board where this question comes up a lot. |
Anonymous
| You should search the forum before putting out such a broad and general question about a range of schools. |
Yomo
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Thank you. |
Yomo
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OP here (slowly picking up the forum slang) - I am a new member and still a bit awkward with this forum but yes, I have been searching and reading. A tad overwhelming! I hope to hear more recent experiences too. |
Anonymous
It can be filled with nasty comments, but also some good information. Take what's useful and don't let the rest bother you. Do not expect to get any useful information about Kipp College Prep, Dunbar, Cardozo, Eastern or Woodson. Parents from those schools just don't seem to frequent the forum. I would recommend that you go to the My School DC Ed Fest school fair (usually happens in December) and talk to the reps from the various high schools you mentioned, then perhaps come back with more detailed or targeted questions about the schools that seem most interesting or promising. Open houses at all the schools pick up after Ed Fest and continue until the lottery deadline. |
Anonymous
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What is it you/your child is looking for in a high school? That's where you need to start that question. You should also talk to your middle school's counselor. Unless your school has a high school attached, you should find that counselor engaging actively and competently with your child about high school. That person should also know your child well to suggest what may be a good fit. Look for criteria such as:
- focus on academics vs. focus on sports; or there need to be extracurriculars vs. not important for us - focus on order vs. focus on independence (e.g. SWW - are you comfortable with your high schooler going off campus to eat lunch?) - focus on a clear path vs. focus on flexibility (e.g. STEM or arts focus vs. my child doesn't know yet) - does your child need size/options or do better within a smaller community? - where is your child academically and how comfortable is he/she with being at the head or the bottom of the pack (helps decide about test-in vs. non-test-in) That will help your fellow moms and dads here chime in about these schools. They all have their pros and cons. |
Anonymous
| +1 |
Anonymous
| OP, we went through this last year as a family new to D.C. and it's important also to keep in mind that even if you pick out what you think is the best school for your child, he/she might not get in. Entry for 9th grade into high-demand charters is just totally luck of the draw. My DD did get into Latin, but we had a private already selected as a backup because we never thought she would get a spot. We're thrilled with Latin so far, though. The teachers are educated in their fields, classes are small and the curriculum is engaging. |
Anonymous
Would you mind sharing what private you selected as a back-up? |
Anonymous
| 10:08 here. It was a Catholic girls school, which in my opinion would probably have been a better fit for DD, but in the end cost was the deciding factor. And we have been happy with Latin. |