For those of you in-boundary for a terrible DCPS elementary, and who are bummed about that ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will be interesting to hear from 16:55 but she probably means that those involved in homicide tend to be "bad guys" -- involved in crime -- and if one is no involved in crime and out in the middle of the night etc, one doesn't see that as a danger. It's different if 'innocent bistanders' are targeted, etc.

Anyway, I like my neighborhood a lot. Just wish I liked my school more.

16:55 again. Yup, for the most part, homicides involve those who are "in the life". My girlfriend/neighbor, walks her dog at all times of the day and night (including 3am) without issue. I take DD for long walks often. I don't know how accurate it is, but a cop friend said that crime is down 50% on my area. I always laugh when people say they got lost while driving in this area and feared for their safety. As long as you mind your business, nobody is thinking about you. At all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow 8:24, take your meds!

No, I think that was a pretty measured response to someone who was quite clearly being a fuckwit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure if I am being naive..I suppose many of you will say yes. I don't know the conditions of this particular school and homeless shelter. They may indeed be awful. But if the school is suffering from poor test scores, etc., they've got bigger problems than who the neighbors are.

But in the abstract, what is so terrible about being located next to a homeless shelter? Aside from the idea of it? Depending on how that shelter is run, it may not be so awful. If the homeless shelter is discreetly managed without loitering on or near the premises and the school has strong security, I can think of worse places and situations to send a kid to school, especially if there is some solid education going on inside those walls.

Our kid went to a pre-k here in the city that was located right next to a parole center-not much better as far as environments go. I was ready to turn around and pull him out on the very first day. Glad I didn't. He went for 2 years and had a wonderful experience.

Just an add-on that may not speak dfirectly to your issue but is important just the same. This is a city. There are going to be depressing and awkward scenarios no matter where you turn. Kids need to be aware of this and reminded also just how lucky they are and for the older ones especially to start learning street smarts.

I agree. We sent our DD to a preschool on the Hill that was housed in the same building as a soup kitchen. No one got cooties, and she managed to stay clean 'n' sober for the whole year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because Rheeform...

Catchy. You know what they say about folks who think in little slogans, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will be interesting to hear from 16:55 but she probably means that those involved in homicide tend to be "bad guys" -- involved in crime -- and if one is no involved in crime and out in the middle of the night etc, one doesn't see that as a danger. It's different if 'innocent bistanders' are targeted, etc.

Anyway, I like my neighborhood a lot. Just wish I liked my school more.

16:55 again. Yup, for the most part, homicides involve those who are "in the life". My girlfriend/neighbor, walks her dog at all times of the day and night (including 3am) without issue. I take DD for long walks often. I don't know how accurate it is, but a cop friend said that crime is down 50% on my area. I always laugh when people say they got lost while driving in this area and feared for their safety. As long as you mind your business, nobody is thinking about you. At all.

Exactly! My neighborhood was safer for me before it gentrified. There were homicides and drug dealing but the homicides were between people who knew each other and had "issues" with each other (drug turf, domestic violence). While these homicides are a terrible tragedy and of deep concern, they're not about me. What worries me are muggings. There weren't as many muggings as you'd find in a wealthier neighborhood because why would a mugger waste their time there if people have no money? But muggings have increased now that a lot more people with money have moved in.

Ironically I live next to public housing which has always scared outsiders and now that the neighborhood has gentrified those outsiders probably feel safer there. But the truth is that they're less safe!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will be interesting to hear from 16:55 but she probably means that those involved in homicide tend to be "bad guys" -- involved in crime -- and if one is no involved in crime and out in the middle of the night etc, one doesn't see that as a danger. It's different if 'innocent bistanders' are targeted, etc.

Anyway, I like my neighborhood a lot. Just wish I liked my school more.

16:55 again. Yup, for the most part, homicides involve those who are "in the life". My girlfriend/neighbor, walks her dog at all times of the day and night (including 3am) without issue. I take DD for long walks often. I don't know how accurate it is, but a cop friend said that crime is down 50% on my area. I always laugh when people say they got lost while driving in this area and feared for their safety. As long as you mind your business, nobody is thinking about you. At all.

Exactly! My neighborhood was safer for me before it gentrified. There were homicides and drug dealing but the homicides were between people who knew each other and had "issues" with each other (drug turf, domestic violence). While these homicides are a terrible tragedy and of deep concern, they're not about me. What worries me are muggings. There weren't as many muggings as you'd find in a wealthier neighborhood because why would a mugger waste their time there if people have no money? But muggings have increased now that a lot more people with money have moved in.

Ironically I live next to public housing which has always scared outsiders and now that the neighborhood has gentrified those outsiders probably feel safer there. But the truth is that they're less safe!

We used to say our neighborhood was so safe because all the dirt-bags go to Adams-Morgan to rob people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there's more than one poster here complaining about lousy neighborhood schools. It's not like there aren't a lot of lousy neighborhood schools to choose from!

Are the schools lousy because they are in lousy neighborhoods? Are the teachers that teach in these schools lousy? What is it that makes these schools lousy schools?

The parents. It's the parents!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there's more than one poster here complaining about lousy neighborhood schools. It's not like there aren't a lot of lousy neighborhood schools to choose from!

Are the schools lousy because they are in lousy neighborhoods? Are the teachers that teach in these schools lousy? What is it that makes these schools lousy schools?

The parents. It's the parents!

I see. So if these lousy schools would just pick children with better parents, we would all have great neighborhood schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow 8:24, take your meds!

No, I think that was a pretty measured response to someone who was quite clearly being a fuckwit.

if you think "measured" means dripping with sarcasm, cynicism, and hopelessness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there's more than one poster here complaining about lousy neighborhood schools. It's not like there aren't a lot of lousy neighborhood schools to choose from!

Are the schools lousy because they are in lousy neighborhoods? Are the teachers that teach in these schools lousy? What is it that makes these schools lousy schools?

The parents. It's the parents!

I see. So if these lousy schools would just pick children with better parents, we would all have great neighborhood schools.

That is what is happening with private, charter and OOB - concerned parents making an effort = better performance. If you live in a neighborhood with tons of lousy parents, there will be a greater proportion of badly behaving kids who are less likely to learn anything productive at home, are disruptive to other kids trying to learn, who have low expectations for themselves, whose parents don't support the school and the teachers, and good teachers being human are also likely to move on to less stressful surroundings as they gain work experience. Then there are the undiagnosed learning disabilities that can hurt even the brightest kids and lead to "I hate school" behavior and low self esteem - if the parents don't get the right help early, a tree that grows crooked might never straighten its trunk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there's more than one poster here complaining about lousy neighborhood schools. It's not like there aren't a lot of lousy neighborhood schools to choose from!

Are the schools lousy because they are in lousy neighborhoods? Are the teachers that teach in these schools lousy? What is it that makes these schools lousy schools?

The parents. It's the parents!

I see. So if these lousy schools would just pick children with better parents, we would all have great neighborhood schools.

That is what is happening with private, charter and OOB - concerned parents making an effort = better performance. If you live in a neighborhood with tons of lousy parents, there will be a greater proportion of badly behaving kids who are less likely to learn anything productive at home, are disruptive to other kids trying to learn, who have low expectations for themselves, whose parents don't support the school and the teachers, and good teachers being human are also likely to move on to less stressful surroundings as they gain work experience. Then there are the undiagnosed learning disabilities that can hurt even the brightest kids and lead to "I hate school" behavior and low self esteem - if the parents don't get the right help early, a tree that grows crooked might never straighten its trunk.

Wow, just wow. You really think it's all about "lousy" parents? It's easy to condemn other peoples' parenting as lousy when you are likely coming from a position of relative socio-economic privilege which means that instead of worrying about housing, food, or your employment, you can focus most of your attention on your children. That's likely the case for 95% of the parents in the private, charter and OOB schools you are citing (although possibly less so for the charters). You've got to look a little deeper below the surface and realize that the vast majority of parents want the same basic things for their kids that you do, but they may not have the means or knowledge base to provide it. In my book, that does not make them "lousy parents."

[Anonymous]

We bought this house in Hillcrest (SE DC) because it was a nice, large, single-family older home with a huge backyard. The same house in a different neighborhood would have been way out of our price range. We had no kids at the time and didn't think about the neighborhood schools. Now we are stuck! Luckily we got an OOB placement in upper NW for our PK'r - now we have to worry about our two year old.

[Anonymous]

OOB in upper NW, 13:45? Wow! That's great. How will you handle the commute from Hillcrest (do you both work full-time)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We bought this house in Hillcrest (SE DC) because it was a nice, large, single-family older home with a huge backyard. The same house in a different neighborhood would have been way out of our price range. We had no kids at the time and didn't think about the neighborhood schools. Now we are stuck! Luckily we got an OOB placement in upper NW for our PK'r - now we have to worry about our two year old.

Don't know how long a wait you will have, maybe not 'til K or 1st but eventually sibling preference (even OOB) will kick in for your 2 y.o.

[Anonymous]

To 13:45, Hillcrest is a wonderful neighborhood. You don't have to trek way up to NW for good schools either. Anne Beers is a good elementary school, and on Capitol Hill in SE there is Tyler, Maury, Brent, Watkins, etc.

You could also go the private school route in that area. Naylor Road, Dupont Park, and St Francis Xavier are all good private/parochial options in Hillcrest. Hillcrest is truly on of the best kept secrets in DC. Good luck...