Does anyone else feel stressed about lack of school options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there's a sea change brewing among the next tier schools. People are actively considering schools like Powell, for example, or Takoma, which had very few in-bounds, middle SES families for decades. Now people are competing to place their 3 yr olds there. Yes there will be peel-off at first, like when the first charters opened... people peeled off for new charters or WotP schools that had a solid reputation. But some people stayed and made the school desirable. Those same charters 10 yrs later have wait lists in the 800s. The same thing will happen with these middle of the road schools in places like Capitol Hill, Petworth, Shaw. It will be a combination of school choice pushing competition, gentrification, political pressure, parental expectations.

Unfortunately, the worst schools in the farthest neighborhoods will probably improve the least.

I wouldn't call it a sea change, but there is definitely a positive trend in that direction. I am hopefully that it will continue. If you have a particular school in mind, talk it up with the parents in the preschools and try to get a core group to commit to staying at the school for later grades.

[Anonymous]

The DC area is changing as we speak. DC used to be an affordable city, but now it is typical big city prices, which come as a shock to everyone. The population is growing by leaps and bounds and there has been an influx of wealth. That does not make it easy for a middle class person to have a comfortable life. There have to be compromises. Even if the compromise is live elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Because it is a such a large city with enormous housing stock (relative to DC), and the personality of many diverse areas -- some very affluent and some very poor, but with lots and lots of ethnic enclaves, eclectic areas, and artistic neighborhoods as well -- Los Angeles literally has a wealth of wonderful, diverse, and personality-filled housing in the mid-price range.

There is a good life to be had outside of DC, I know because I took a leap of faith and found it. The California dream is back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it is a such a large city with enormous housing stock (relative to DC), and the personality of many diverse areas -- some very affluent and some very poor, but with lots and lots of ethnic enclaves, eclectic areas, and artistic neighborhoods as well -- Los Angeles literally has a wealth of wonderful, diverse, and personality-filled housing in the mid-price range.

There is a good life to be had outside of DC, I know because I took a leap of faith and found it. The California dream is back!

Yes, and how are the schools?