Up and coming DCPS schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Burroughs.

There is a lot talk about Burroughs but I'm curious to see action - like what will the first few weeks of school look like especially like after the enrollment audit. I toured the school and I'm just concerned about diversity and that Tools of the Mind crap. Hopefully, the parents who are "ALL IN" will organize before school starts. Currently, there is NO diversity in the preschool through Kindergarten classes.

Send your white kid and the rest will follow

Tools of the mind may turn out better than you think. I am assuming you are using the PK classes that is a great age to test a school, a not great year is not a disater at 4.

Didn't read the whole thread so this may have been pointed out, but Burroughs principal said this spring that they may move away from tools of the mind next year. I haven't followed up though to see what the final decision was.

What would they switch to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amidon... please? (they have new windows now!)

I work near there so I checked them out as a safety school..I actually liked what I saw in their preschool rooms. Not sure about the academics in upper grades, but the older kids seem fine when I've seen them on the playground. The behavior I see outside Jefferson gives me the occasional pause.

Jefferson's test scores are a lot better than Amidon, so I think it's a really good thing that you liked what you saw at the ES. I do hope Amidon continues to improve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Burroughs.

There is a lot talk about Burroughs but I'm curious to see action - like what will the first few weeks of school look like especially like after the enrollment audit. I toured the school and I'm just concerned about diversity and that Tools of the Mind crap. Hopefully, the parents who are "ALL IN" will organize before school starts. Currently, there is NO diversity in the preschool through Kindergarten classes.

Send your white kid and the rest will follow

Tools of the mind may turn out better than you think. I am assuming you are using the PK classes that is a great age to test a school, a not great year is not a disater at 4.

Didn't read the whole thread so this may have been pointed out, but Burroughs principal said this spring that they may move away from tools of the mind next year. I haven't followed up though to see what the final decision was.

What would they switch to?

I think tools is great for developing the whole child but less for academics. Alternative curricula could be reggio montessori. Not sure if DCPS has its old preschool curriculum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Burroughs.

There is a lot talk about Burroughs but I'm curious to see action - like what will the first few weeks of school look like especially like after the enrollment audit. I toured the school and I'm just concerned about diversity and that Tools of the Mind crap. Hopefully, the parents who are "ALL IN" will organize before school starts. Currently, there is NO diversity in the preschool through Kindergarten classes.

Send your white kid and the rest will follow

Tools of the mind may turn out better than you think. I am assuming you are using the PK classes that is a great age to test a school, a not great year is not a disater at 4.

Didn't read the whole thread so this may have been pointed out, but Burroughs principal said this spring that they may move away from tools of the mind next year. I haven't followed up though to see what the final decision was.

What would they switch to?

I believe creative curriculum or expeditionary learning were two possibilities mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Reggio montessori? Or Reggio Emilia?

[Anonymous]

Just rent IB for whereever you want for the summer your child is entering K.

Does anyone have a real experience of a Principal not allowing them to continue? Everyone I know has had "Principal Discretion" enabling them to continue through the school.

Another trick is to visit in the early spring during open houses and ask if they have any availability and move your child at that time.

[Anonymous]

I thought that under new DME proposal there won't be any more principals discretion - you will have to switch schools for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought that under new DME proposal there won't be any more principals discretion - you will have to switch schools for next year.

How does DCPS "know" if you are in a school through OOB lottery or some other means? How are kids who enroll 1/2 way through the year through Principal discretion marked?
Since you show evidence of residency at the local school - do you think the school is going to flag a returning family that is still in DC but is no longer IB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that under new DME proposal there won't be any more principals discretion - you will have to switch schools for next year.

How does DCPS "know" if you are in a school through OOB lottery or some other means? How are kids who enroll 1/2 way through the year through Principal discretion marked?
Since you show evidence of residency at the local school - do you think the school is going to flag a returning family that is still in DC but is no longer IB?

I think others would report it to central and they would be able to easily determine that they are no longer IB. Then the person would have to leave and the principal would be caught.

[Anonymous]

What about Truesdell or Brightwood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Truesdell or Brightwood?

Maybe Truesdell, but I doubt it. Same goes for my neighborhood school Whittier. We are OOB at Powell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

I concur with this assessment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Truesdell or Brightwood?

Truesdell is my neighborhood school and I would love to send my kids to a school I can see from my front porch. As long as it is an education campus, however, I do not see it gaining popularity. PS3-8 schools just can't offer the kind of programming (foreign languages, accelerated math) that stand-alone middle schools can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Truesdell or Brightwood?

Truesdell is my neighborhood school and I would love to send my kids to a school I can see from my front porch. As long as it is an education campus, however, I do not see it gaining popularity. PS3-8 schools just can't offer the kind of programming (foreign languages, accelerated math) that stand-alone middle schools can. [/quote

Educational Campuses -- another of Michelle Rhee's very bad ideas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

I concur with this assessment.

+1

J.O. Wilson is well on its way to becoming an inbound destination school, but will need a cohort of PS3 & PS4 students who stay. I know many folks who were planning for their PS3 kids to attend (before the new principal) but bailed when offered a spot at a charter. I've met the new principal and think she's fantastic. Not sure when there will be "critical mass" for Capitol Hill parents to start sending their kids in droves, but it will likely be a good choice following Ludlow-Taylor.