Talk to me about McKinley

[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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

[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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

[Anonymous]

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

I have a 4.0 DC who is seriously considering Banneker and McKinley Tech. Can you please tell me what your son preferred about McKinley Tech over Banneker? What impression did he get during each interview? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

+1. There are tons of students in DC who could and our kids should be able to have access to such.

But “equity” people and OSSE doesn’t care about maximizing the potential of all its students in DC. In fact, they just care about the bottom.

Not surprisedly, that’s why so many kids are not in DCPS. I read something like 30% of kids in DC go private and 50% go charters.

[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.

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.

What made him change his mind? My DS would probably do the same, frankly because Banneker would be too
much work for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Banneker is basically a high school HBCU that prepares lower and mid-SES DC students extremely well for college. It is the kind of “gifted” program with high expectations that should be replicated for ES and MS. Banneker gives lie to the calumny that “gifted education and tracking are racist.” Note I am NOT interested here in people who want to trash Banneker’s SAT scores compared to TJ or whatever. The point is that it is offering a free, rigorous college prep curriculum to a student body that stands to benefit the most from it.

Of course TJ is also extremely important to prepare the best and the brightest for careers necessary for society. (Although I do wonder if the stress I understand is involved in TJ admissions is actually necessary.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

My thoughts too. I feel like DC parents with the kind of kids who potentially could be TJ (or Blair or RMIB) students have self-selected to stay in DC because we don’t like that arms race. I feel sorry for those kids. I went to HS with an extremely smart and high-performing cohort (lots of MIT, CalTech, Stanford admissions) but we all just were very laid back in HS with our 5 APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

So move and get your DC into a magnet. Then you’ll be on the MoCo or AAP board obsessing over how your “cogat 262” kid did not get admitted or whatever. It ain’t pretty over there.

Walls or Banneker can provide plenty of challenges for a kid who actually is bright and science-focused. (McKinley I think the jury is still out.) DC doesn’t need another selective HS - it needs better MS and ES instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

+1. There are tons of students in DC who could and our kids should be able to have access to such.

But “equity” people and OSSE doesn’t care about maximizing the potential of all its students in DC. In fact, they just care about the bottom.

Not surprisedly, that’s why so many kids are not in DCPS. I read something like 30% of kids in DC go private and 50% go charters.

DCPS was sued in the 80s over gifted classes becuase they were so segregated. DC probably has the biggest achievement gaps between white and black students of any school system in the country but most of that boils down to education levels of parents and household income. At a minimum, DC should do more to foster parternships with local universities so advanced kids can take college level science classes and earn college credits. Its a shame DC does so little for advanced kids, of any race. NC has a boarding school devoted to math and science for high school kids. I know kids who went there and it was a phenomenal experience and opportunity. This is how you really nurture the next generation of science and math leaders https://www.ncssm.edu/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

So move and get your DC into a magnet. Then you’ll be on the MoCo or AAP board obsessing over how your “cogat 262” kid did not get admitted or whatever. It ain’t pretty over there.

Walls or Banneker can provide plenty of challenges for a kid who actually is bright and science-focused. (McKinley I think the jury is still out.) DC doesn’t need another selective HS - it needs better MS and ES instruction.

Thoughtful suggestion, but we can't move out of DC.

And no, Walls and Banneker do not have sufficient advanced science offerings. J-R is more promising, but then again, it is a neighborhood high school and not the one we are zoned for.

There is no reason that a city the size of DC shouldn't have programs suitable for strong STEM students. McKinley is the right idea, but it isn't high-level enough for top students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Banneker is basically a high school HBCU that prepares lower and mid-SES DC students extremely well for college. It is the kind of “gifted” program with high expectations that should be replicated for ES and MS. Banneker gives lie to the calumny that “gifted education and tracking are racist.” Note I am NOT interested here in people who want to trash Banneker’s SAT scores compared to TJ or whatever. The point is that it is offering a free, rigorous college prep curriculum to a student body that stands to benefit the most from it.

Of course TJ is also extremely important to prepare the best and the brightest for careers necessary for society. (Although I do wonder if the stress I understand is involved in TJ admissions is actually necessary.)

You don’t know anything about Banneker. As a parent with a child there, you are totally misinformed. Do not listen to this poster, she’s a moron. Please talk with people who have kids at Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

So move and get your DC into a magnet. Then you’ll be on the MoCo or AAP board obsessing over how your “cogat 262” kid did not get admitted or whatever. It ain’t pretty over there.

Walls or Banneker can provide plenty of challenges for a kid who actually is bright and science-focused. (McKinley I think the jury is still out.) DC doesn’t need another selective HS - it needs better MS and ES instruction.

Thoughtful suggestion, but we can't move out of DC.

And no, Walls and Banneker do not have sufficient advanced science offerings. J-R is more promising, but then again, it is a neighborhood high school and not the one we are zoned for.

There is no reason that a city the size of DC shouldn't have programs suitable for strong STEM students. McKinley is the right idea, but it isn't high-level enough for top students.

Since when do HS students have to have “advanced science offerings” to be able to handle science courses in college? SWW has 4 AP science classes and 3 AP math classes. It also has AP seminar and AP research that can be a platform for a STEM project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Banneker is basically a high school HBCU that prepares lower and mid-SES DC students extremely well for college. It is the kind of “gifted” program with high expectations that should be replicated for ES and MS. Banneker gives lie to the calumny that “gifted education and tracking are racist.” Note I am NOT interested here in people who want to trash Banneker’s SAT scores compared to TJ or whatever. The point is that it is offering a free, rigorous college prep curriculum to a student body that stands to benefit the most from it.

Of course TJ is also extremely important to prepare the best and the brightest for careers necessary for society. (Although I do wonder if the stress I understand is involved in TJ admissions is actually necessary.)

You don’t know anything about Banneker. As a parent with a child there, you are totally misinformed. Do not listen to this poster, she’s a moron. Please talk with people who have kids at Banneker.

Ok, why not enlighten us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

+100. Get real, people. There is not a TJ equivalent in DC. Full stop.

There isn't. However, does there really need to be?

There are students who could use a top-tier science high school. My DC is one of them.

So move and get your DC into a magnet. Then you’ll be on the MoCo or AAP board obsessing over how your “cogat 262” kid did not get admitted or whatever. It ain’t pretty over there.

Walls or Banneker can provide plenty of challenges for a kid who actually is bright and science-focused. (McKinley I think the jury is still out.) DC doesn’t need another selective HS - it needs better MS and ES instruction.

Thoughtful suggestion, but we can't move out of DC.

And no, Walls and Banneker do not have sufficient advanced science offerings. J-R is more promising, but then again, it is a neighborhood high school and not the one we are zoned for.

There is no reason that a city the size of DC shouldn't have programs suitable for strong STEM students. McKinley is the right idea, but it isn't high-level enough for top students.

Since when do HS students have to have “advanced science offerings” to be able to handle science courses in college? SWW has 4 AP science classes and 3 AP math classes. It also has AP seminar and AP research that can be a platform for a STEM project.

Does Walls offer those courses consistently? The website says they have to have at least 15 students to offer the course.

And a science-loving student would have no trouble handling college science offerings. But they have little chance of getting in top science colleges (like MIT or CalTech) if they have had no chance to show that they are at all competitive with students from the many, many high schools around the country with strong STEM offerings.