Ranking assistance - Cap Hill/Brookland area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly all decent middle school options at extremely hard to get into. This shouldn’t be the case. It’s very frustrating. You’re literally competing for a handful of spots.

I think what's frustrating is that you are not "competing" for those spots. It's luck and money, at least for the public school spots (for private, it's money, luck, and for a small number of schools, merit). Either you can afford to buy in-bound for Deal and Hardy or you can't. If you can't, maybe you get lucky with a lottery spot at a feeder, or a lottery spot at BASIS or Latin. For DCI, you really need to nab a lottery spot at a feeder in ECE, both because spots later in elementary can be hard to come by and because moving a kid to an immersion school in mid to late elementary, if they aren't already at an immersion school, is far from ideal.

So basically you either win the PK3 lottery or you win the 5th grade lottery or you have enough money to buy your way into one of the two DCPS middles that are actually good. Or you move or you pay for private. Literally none of this has anything to do with competing, you cannot prepare yourself or your kid for any of that, there's no way to earn your way into a good program with effort or skill. Which sucks because some kids really are hard working and academically inclined, love learning and want to learn more in an environment where other kids also want to learn. And the system does not care. Not even a little. Put your name in the drawing and see what happens, kid. Sorry your parents aren't rich. Good luck.

These are paths but there is another one, which is to make do at a mediocre-but-not-awful middle school (this is Francis, SH, EH, Jefferson, ITDS) and then get into an application high school. I've been here for 20 years and I know MANY kids in this category, some of whom have now gone on to good colleges.

Sorry but schools above (SH, EH, Jefferson) are not mediocre. They are poorly performing. Look at the other thread. They don’t even offer geometry. There is no tracking in other classes and you are with kids 3, 4 grades apart. Kids are falling behind their peers even with families using tutors.

Things have changed at the high school. Walls is a crap shot now and you can’t rely on it if you have a top performing kids. So many kids who should get in did not. Like PP above says, you have absolutely no control.

What gives me pause with Walls is that a lot of kids come from these poorly performing schools. And it’s easy to get a great recommendation and good grades when the school is easy and the class is geared for several grades below what other kids are doing elsewhere.

+1. The academic caliber of the cohort at Walls is getting lower with recent admission changes. This is not a good thing. The achievement gap between DCPS and the charters we are talking here will grow even more.

Don’t even get me talking about Amplify science and the new ELA curriculum where kids are reading no books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly all decent middle school options at extremely hard to get into. This shouldn’t be the case. It’s very frustrating. You’re literally competing for a handful of spots.

I think what's frustrating is that you are not "competing" for those spots. It's luck and money, at least for the public school spots (for private, it's money, luck, and for a small number of schools, merit). Either you can afford to buy in-bound for Deal and Hardy or you can't. If you can't, maybe you get lucky with a lottery spot at a feeder, or a lottery spot at BASIS or Latin. For DCI, you really need to nab a lottery spot at a feeder in ECE, both because spots later in elementary can be hard to come by and because moving a kid to an immersion school in mid to late elementary, if they aren't already at an immersion school, is far from ideal.

So basically you either win the PK3 lottery or you win the 5th grade lottery or you have enough money to buy your way into one of the two DCPS middles that are actually good. Or you move or you pay for private. Literally none of this has anything to do with competing, you cannot prepare yourself or your kid for any of that, there's no way to earn your way into a good program with effort or skill. Which sucks because some kids really are hard working and academically inclined, love learning and want to learn more in an environment where other kids also want to learn. And the system does not care. Not even a little. Put your name in the drawing and see what happens, kid. Sorry your parents aren't rich. Good luck.

These are paths but there is another one, which is to make do at a mediocre-but-not-awful middle school (this is Francis, SH, EH, Jefferson, ITDS) and then get into an application high school. I've been here for 20 years and I know MANY kids in this category, some of whom have now gone on to good colleges.

Sorry but schools above (SH, EH, Jefferson) are not mediocre. They are poorly performing. Look at the other thread. They don’t even offer geometry. There is no tracking in other classes and you are with kids 3, 4 grades apart. Kids are falling behind their peers even with families using tutors.

Things have changed at the high school. Walls is a crap shot now and you can’t rely on it if you have a top performing kids. So many kids who should get in did not. Like PP above says, you have absolutely no control.

What gives me pause with Walls is that a lot of kids come from these poorly performing schools. And it’s easy to get a great recommendation and good grades when the school is easy and the class is geared for several grades below what other kids are doing elsewhere.

+1. The academic caliber of the cohort at Walls is getting lower with recent admission changes. This is not a good thing. The achievement gap between DCPS and the charters we are talking here will grow even more.

Don’t even get me talking about Amplify science and the new ELA curriculum where kids are reading no books.

Is amplify the curriculum for walls too? That’s shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly all decent middle school options at extremely hard to get into. This shouldn’t be the case. It’s very frustrating. You’re literally competing for a handful of spots.

I think what's frustrating is that you are not "competing" for those spots. It's luck and money, at least for the public school spots (for private, it's money, luck, and for a small number of schools, merit). Either you can afford to buy in-bound for Deal and Hardy or you can't. If you can't, maybe you get lucky with a lottery spot at a feeder, or a lottery spot at BASIS or Latin. For DCI, you really need to nab a lottery spot at a feeder in ECE, both because spots later in elementary can be hard to come by and because moving a kid to an immersion school in mid to late elementary, if they aren't already at an immersion school, is far from ideal.

So basically you either win the PK3 lottery or you win the 5th grade lottery or you have enough money to buy your way into one of the two DCPS middles that are actually good. Or you move or you pay for private. Literally none of this has anything to do with competing, you cannot prepare yourself or your kid for any of that, there's no way to earn your way into a good program with effort or skill. Which sucks because some kids really are hard working and academically inclined, love learning and want to learn more in an environment where other kids also want to learn. And the system does not care. Not even a little. Put your name in the drawing and see what happens, kid. Sorry your parents aren't rich. Good luck.

These are paths but there is another one, which is to make do at a mediocre-but-not-awful middle school (this is Francis, SH, EH, Jefferson, ITDS) and then get into an application high school. I've been here for 20 years and I know MANY kids in this category, some of whom have now gone on to good colleges.

Sorry but schools above (SH, EH, Jefferson) are not mediocre. They are poorly performing. Look at the other thread. They don’t even offer geometry. There is no tracking in other classes and you are with kids 3, 4 grades apart. Kids are falling behind their peers even with families using tutors.

Things have changed at the high school. Walls is a crap shot now and you can’t rely on it if you have a top performing kids. So many kids who should get in did not. Like PP above says, you have absolutely no control.

What gives me pause with Walls is that a lot of kids come from these poorly performing schools. And it’s easy to get a great recommendation and good grades when the school is easy and the class is geared for several grades below what other kids are doing elsewhere.

+1. The academic caliber of the cohort at Walls is getting lower with recent admission changes. This is not a good thing. The achievement gap between DCPS and the charters we are talking here will grow even more.

Don’t even get me talking about Amplify science and the new ELA curriculum where kids are reading no books.

Is amplify the curriculum for walls too? That’s shameful.

No. Walls is basically using an AP curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the bottom line if you have a high performing kid, it is Basis and DCI.

Average kid Latin

If your kid doesn’t get into the above, move to MD or VA. I would pick VA for state school benefit for college.

No good options for middle school other than above EOTP.

Don’t waste your time on settling for a poor middle school only to have to settle for another poor high school or move in high school which is worst.

Totally disagree with this. High performing kids definitely fit in at Latin. ITDS definitely has high-performers -- maybe not as many as some other middle schools because it's small -- and a really good track record of 8th graders getting into Banneker and Walls. I'm sure some Hill parents have something to say as well.

+1. The smartest kids at our DCI feeder went to Basis and Latin. We also know some super high performing kids at ITDS.

When was this? Because from our feeder all the smart kids went to DCI

One family with average kid did go to Latin because he needed more hand holding and smaller class but they are planning on sending younger kid to DCI.

I also call BS on the PP saying the “smart” kids went to Latin and basis. The only kids who ended up at Latin, Basis, or Deal were those who struggled with the target language or were burnt out with our charter administration. I’m not saying those kids are less intelligent but certainly would not describe them as the “smart” kids. DCI has been a great experience for us.

[Anonymous]

We are at Burroughs. Our principal was DC Principal of the Year a couple years ago. There is basic, but free aftercare that almost everyone gets into. They are adding classrooms in grades K, 1 and 2 but there is attrition in grades 4 and 5. For music, strings starts in 2nd grade. We are happy there but I wouldn't want to drive from the Hill to go to Burroughs unless I was working at WHC or Catholic and needed to make pickup at 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly all decent middle school options at extremely hard to get into. This shouldn’t be the case. It’s very frustrating. You’re literally competing for a handful of spots.

I think what's frustrating is that you are not "competing" for those spots. It's luck and money, at least for the public school spots (for private, it's money, luck, and for a small number of schools, merit). Either you can afford to buy in-bound for Deal and Hardy or you can't. If you can't, maybe you get lucky with a lottery spot at a feeder, or a lottery spot at BASIS or Latin. For DCI, you really need to nab a lottery spot at a feeder in ECE, both because spots later in elementary can be hard to come by and because moving a kid to an immersion school in mid to late elementary, if they aren't already at an immersion school, is far from ideal.

So basically you either win the PK3 lottery or you win the 5th grade lottery or you have enough money to buy your way into one of the two DCPS middles that are actually good. Or you move or you pay for private. Literally none of this has anything to do with competing, you cannot prepare yourself or your kid for any of that, there's no way to earn your way into a good program with effort or skill. Which sucks because some kids really are hard working and academically inclined, love learning and want to learn more in an environment where other kids also want to learn. And the system does not care. Not even a little. Put your name in the drawing and see what happens, kid. Sorry your parents aren't rich. Good luck.

These are paths but there is another one, which is to make do at a mediocre-but-not-awful middle school (this is Francis, SH, EH, Jefferson, ITDS) and then get into an application high school. I've been here for 20 years and I know MANY kids in this category, some of whom have now gone on to good colleges.

Sorry but schools above (SH, EH, Jefferson) are not mediocre. They are poorly performing. Look at the other thread. They don’t even offer geometry. There is no tracking in other classes and you are with kids 3, 4 grades apart. Kids are falling behind their peers even with families using tutors.

Things have changed at the high school. Walls is a crap shot now and you can’t rely on it if you have a top performing kids. So many kids who should get in did not. Like PP above says, you have absolutely no control.

What gives me pause with Walls is that a lot of kids come from these poorly performing schools. And it’s easy to get a great recommendation and good grades when the school is easy and the class is geared for several grades below what other kids are doing elsewhere.

+1. The academic caliber of the cohort at Walls is getting lower with recent admission changes. This is not a good thing. The achievement gap between DCPS and the charters we are talking here will grow even more.

Don’t even get me talking about Amplify science and the new ELA curriculum where kids are reading no books.

Is amplify the curriculum for walls too? That’s shameful.

No. Walls is basically using an AP curriculum.

Not all kids are taking AP science at Walls. In fact Walls doesn’t even offer the full selection of AP science courses every year.

Amplify is just terrible and being rolled out to all DCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the bottom line if you have a high performing kid, it is Basis and DCI.

Average kid Latin

If your kid doesn’t get into the above, move to MD or VA. I would pick VA for state school benefit for college.

No good options for middle school other than above EOTP.

Don’t waste your time on settling for a poor middle school only to have to settle for another poor high school or move in high school which is worst.

Totally disagree with this. High performing kids definitely fit in at Latin. ITDS definitely has high-performers -- maybe not as many as some other middle schools because it's small -- and a really good track record of 8th graders getting into Banneker and Walls. I'm sure some Hill parents have something to say as well.

+1. The smartest kids at our DCI feeder went to Basis and Latin. We also know some super high performing kids at ITDS.

When was this? Because from our feeder all the smart kids went to DCI

One family with average kid did go to Latin because he needed more hand holding and smaller class but they are planning on sending younger kid to DCI.

I also call BS on the PP saying the “smart” kids went to Latin and basis. The only kids who ended up at Latin, Basis, or Deal were those who struggled with the target language or were burnt out with our charter administration. I’m not saying those kids are less intelligent but certainly would not describe them as the “smart” kids. DCI has been a great experience for us.

+1. I’m the PP and same at my feeder. Kids left because they just struggled with the language which of course affected core subjects.

I don’t blame them. I would pull my kid out too if they were struggling with math and ELA especially ELA where kids get 50% less teaching time.

Immersion isn’t for everyone and that’s OK. But it’s great for kids whom things coming easy in other subjects and who picks up languages easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly all decent middle school options at extremely hard to get into. This shouldn’t be the case. It’s very frustrating. You’re literally competing for a handful of spots.

I think what's frustrating is that you are not "competing" for those spots. It's luck and money, at least for the public school spots (for private, it's money, luck, and for a small number of schools, merit). Either you can afford to buy in-bound for Deal and Hardy or you can't. If you can't, maybe you get lucky with a lottery spot at a feeder, or a lottery spot at BASIS or Latin. For DCI, you really need to nab a lottery spot at a feeder in ECE, both because spots later in elementary can be hard to come by and because moving a kid to an immersion school in mid to late elementary, if they aren't already at an immersion school, is far from ideal.

So basically you either win the PK3 lottery or you win the 5th grade lottery or you have enough money to buy your way into one of the two DCPS middles that are actually good. Or you move or you pay for private. Literally none of this has anything to do with competing, you cannot prepare yourself or your kid for any of that, there's no way to earn your way into a good program with effort or skill. Which sucks because some kids really are hard working and academically inclined, love learning and want to learn more in an environment where other kids also want to learn. And the system does not care. Not even a little. Put your name in the drawing and see what happens, kid. Sorry your parents aren't rich. Good luck.

These are paths but there is another one, which is to make do at a mediocre-but-not-awful middle school (this is Francis, SH, EH, Jefferson, ITDS) and then get into an application high school. I've been here for 20 years and I know MANY kids in this category, some of whom have now gone on to good colleges.

Sorry but schools above (SH, EH, Jefferson) are not mediocre. They are poorly performing. Look at the other thread. They don’t even offer geometry. There is no tracking in other classes and you are with kids 3, 4 grades apart. Kids are falling behind their peers even with families using tutors.

Things have changed at the high school. Walls is a crap shot now and you can’t rely on it if you have a top performing kids. So many kids who should get in did not. Like PP above says, you have absolutely no control.

What gives me pause with Walls is that a lot of kids come from these poorly performing schools. And it’s easy to get a great recommendation and good grades when the school is easy and the class is geared for several grades below what other kids are doing elsewhere.

+1. The academic caliber of the cohort at Walls is getting lower with recent admission changes. This is not a good thing. The achievement gap between DCPS and the charters we are talking here will grow even more.

Don’t even get me talking about Amplify science and the new ELA curriculum where kids are reading no books.

Is amplify the curriculum for walls too? That’s shameful.

No. Walls is basically using an AP curriculum.

Not all kids are taking AP science at Walls. In fact Walls doesn’t even offer the full selection of AP science courses every year.

Amplify is just terrible and being rolled out to all DCPS schools.

Wait so what curriculum do you use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly all decent middle school options at extremely hard to get into. This shouldn’t be the case. It’s very frustrating. You’re literally competing for a handful of spots.

I think what's frustrating is that you are not "competing" for those spots. It's luck and money, at least for the public school spots (for private, it's money, luck, and for a small number of schools, merit). Either you can afford to buy in-bound for Deal and Hardy or you can't. If you can't, maybe you get lucky with a lottery spot at a feeder, or a lottery spot at BASIS or Latin. For DCI, you really need to nab a lottery spot at a feeder in ECE, both because spots later in elementary can be hard to come by and because moving a kid to an immersion school in mid to late elementary, if they aren't already at an immersion school, is far from ideal.

So basically you either win the PK3 lottery or you win the 5th grade lottery or you have enough money to buy your way into one of the two DCPS middles that are actually good. Or you move or you pay for private. Literally none of this has anything to do with competing, you cannot prepare yourself or your kid for any of that, there's no way to earn your way into a good program with effort or skill. Which sucks because some kids really are hard working and academically inclined, love learning and want to learn more in an environment where other kids also want to learn. And the system does not care. Not even a little. Put your name in the drawing and see what happens, kid. Sorry your parents aren't rich. Good luck.

These are paths but there is another one, which is to make do at a mediocre-but-not-awful middle school (this is Francis, SH, EH, Jefferson, ITDS) and then get into an application high school. I've been here for 20 years and I know MANY kids in this category, some of whom have now gone on to good colleges.

Sorry but schools above (SH, EH, Jefferson) are not mediocre. They are poorly performing. Look at the other thread. They don’t even offer geometry. There is no tracking in other classes and you are with kids 3, 4 grades apart. Kids are falling behind their peers even with families using tutors.

Things have changed at the high school. Walls is a crap shot now and you can’t rely on it if you have a top performing kids. So many kids who should get in did not. Like PP above says, you have absolutely no control.

What gives me pause with Walls is that a lot of kids come from these poorly performing schools. And it’s easy to get a great recommendation and good grades when the school is easy and the class is geared for several grades below what other kids are doing elsewhere.

+1. The academic caliber of the cohort at Walls is getting lower with recent admission changes. This is not a good thing. The achievement gap between DCPS and the charters we are talking here will grow even more.

Don’t even get me talking about Amplify science and the new ELA curriculum where kids are reading no books.

Is amplify the curriculum for walls too? That’s shameful.

No. Walls is basically using an AP curriculum.

Not all kids are taking AP science at Walls. In fact Walls doesn’t even offer the full selection of AP science courses every year.

Amplify is just terrible and being rolled out to all DCPS schools.

Wait so what curriculum do you use?

Here you go

https://dcps.dc.gov/page/science

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the bottom line if you have a high performing kid, it is Basis and DCI.

Average kid Latin

If your kid doesn’t get into the above, move to MD or VA. I would pick VA for state school benefit for college.

No good options for middle school other than above EOTP.

Don’t waste your time on settling for a poor middle school only to have to settle for another poor high school or move in high school which is worst.

Totally disagree with this. High performing kids definitely fit in at Latin. ITDS definitely has high-performers -- maybe not as many as some other middle schools because it's small -- and a really good track record of 8th graders getting into Banneker and Walls. I'm sure some Hill parents have something to say as well.

+1. The smartest kids at our DCI feeder went to Basis and Latin. We also know some super high performing kids at ITDS.

When was this? Because from our feeder all the smart kids went to DCI

One family with average kid did go to Latin because he needed more hand holding and smaller class but they are planning on sending younger kid to DCI.

I also call BS on the PP saying the “smart” kids went to Latin and basis. The only kids who ended up at Latin, Basis, or Deal were those who struggled with the target language or were burnt out with our charter administration. I’m not saying those kids are less intelligent but certainly would not describe them as the “smart” kids. DCI has been a great experience for us.

I call BS on your calling BS. Half the kids in our feeder tried for Latin. Many from Spanish-speaking homes. Some got in and are in Latin now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why every DCI feeder except MV8?

It is a well known fact that MV is a hot mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why every DCI feeder except MV8?

It is a well known fact that MV is a hot mess.

Maybe MVP a few years ago. But not anymore.

MV8 has been smooth sailing and unfortunately now the secret is out….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the bottom line if you have a high performing kid, it is Basis and DCI.

Average kid Latin

If your kid doesn’t get into the above, move to MD or VA. I would pick VA for state school benefit for college.

No good options for middle school other than above EOTP.

Don’t waste your time on settling for a poor middle school only to have to settle for another poor high school or move in high school which is worst.

Totally disagree with this. High performing kids definitely fit in at Latin. ITDS definitely has high-performers -- maybe not as many as some other middle schools because it's small -- and a really good track record of 8th graders getting into Banneker and Walls. I'm sure some Hill parents have something to say as well.

+1. The smartest kids at our DCI feeder went to Basis and Latin. We also know some super high performing kids at ITDS.

When was this? Because from our feeder all the smart kids went to DCI

One family with average kid did go to Latin because he needed more hand holding and smaller class but they are planning on sending younger kid to DCI.

I also call BS on the PP saying the “smart” kids went to Latin and basis. The only kids who ended up at Latin, Basis, or Deal were those who struggled with the target language or were burnt out with our charter administration. I’m not saying those kids are less intelligent but certainly would not describe them as the “smart” kids. DCI has been a great experience for us.

I call BS on your calling BS. Half the kids in our feeder tried for Latin. Many from Spanish-speaking homes. Some got in and are in Latin now.

When was this? A few years ago when DCI was more of an unknown?

No way families at our feeder are going for Latin over DCI. This is especially true of native Spanish families. Just look at the ELL population at both schools.

I attended the Latin open house 2 years ago at the main campus. During Q and A, a parent raised her hand and asked if Latin had many families from immersion charters. The answer was no.

FWIW we were not impressed with Latin and DCI was our top choice. It’s been great so far.

[Anonymous]

https://edscape.dc.gov/page/student-enrollment-pathways

You can see here who goes to Latin and there are some DCI feeders.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be surprised if YY parents are splitting for Latin. The language has always been more of an after thought there and few native speaking families.