would you move from AU to Woodley for Oyster?

[Anonymous]

if we moved into the neighborhood, are you for sure, "in"? if exposure to langagues and supporting public education is important to us, is this the way to go? or is Janney with some extra programs just as good? So overwhelming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if we moved into the neighborhood, are you for sure, "in"? if exposure to langagues and supporting public education is important to us, is this the way to go? or is Janney with some extra programs just as good? So overwhelming.

You'd be in for K, maybe not for pre-K (similar to Janney, although your pre-K odds would be much better at Janney).

I actually think that, holding language immersion aside, Janney's a better school than Oyster -- I certainly wouldn't move if it involved selling/buying; maybe if you're renting and language immersion is really important to you.

[Anonymous]

You need to visit Oyster and ask a lot of questions. Although it is a neighborhood school, it is a very unique teaching model in DCPS. It's not a good fit for every child, but most do quite well if start in K.

Near AU there is Communikids language school and WIS summer school that could be very good Spanish exposure and cultural enrichment.

[Anonymous]

I would not move if in bounds for Janney. No way.

[Anonymous]

nothing is perfect -
before doing that I would definitely see how the new teaching model for Oyster is going (they changed how classes are taught this past year).

Talk to lots of parents. It is my understanding that there are tensions between the haves / have-not's at Oyster. For example there are 2 options for after care, the expensive and the cheap. Although JED is not perfect, you do not get that segmentation.

I know of a family who was in-bounds and moved OOB for Oyster. They kept child #1 at Oyster and enrolled child #2 at their new in bounds school b/c they did not think that child would thrive in the language immersion environment - so make sure it is not just something you want - but that your child would be successful in as well.

[Anonymous]

I would not. -- former Oyster teacher

[Anonymous]

I think Oyster suffers from the sense that if you see a line with lots of people in it, there must be something good at the end. Many people vie to get into Oyster based on a reputation which exploded with a new building and the pre-lottery policy of first come first serve lines that wrapped around the building and down the block for out of boundary enrollment. I am not saying Oyster is not special; it is. It also has its faults. There are many other similar schools (special/faults). You need to think about whether it is THAT special for your child before contemplating a drastic move. Yes, in-boundary you would be guaranteed in. But just like some Harvard programs, don't go JUST because it's hard to get in...
--former Oyster teacher

[Anonymous]

We live in bounds for Janney and send our DC OOB to Oyster because the dual language immersion is that important to us. I don't think we would have moved if we hadn't gotten in OOB, but mostly because of the difficulties of selling our house and buying in-boundary for Oyster. If we hadn't gotten into Oyster we probably would not have sent DC to Janney, but would have tried another language immersion program. Only you can decide if the language component is that important to you and appropriate for your child. For us, there wasn't a real question about it. Maybe your post reveals enough uncertainty about the language issue to provide you with your answer?

[Anonymous]

I would not move for Oyster now. They are still under transition with the new campus and with the new principal.

[Anonymous]

OF course, Janney also has a new principal

[Anonymous]

asf

[Anonymous]

I would move to Oyster. The language component is priceless. There are many problems w/ Janney including a new principal (Oyster's principal has proven to be very good since she's been there), it's extremely overcrowded and construction (and trailers!) are set to begin. You get the same extras at Oyster that you do at Janney (art, science, etc) and we have been very happy w/ the reading approach at Oyster.

[Anonymous]

We did Oyster for pre-K - Grade 6 and the language component was great. I think the new model will make it even greater. It's a wonderful community, too. Visit the school and see if you like it!

[Anonymous]

Interesting to hear a parent who's happy with the current Oyster principal. Is that the prevailing view of the parent community? And the teachers? (I've been to open houses both last year and this year and been significantly underwhelmed both times. The principal is certainly charismatic and well-spoken, but was painfully disorganized last year and then painfully disorganized -- in essentially the same ways -- this year. If she can't run an open house, I shudder to think how she runs the school. But maybe she just doesn't care about open houses and actually is a competent administrator? That would be a relief!)

[Anonymous]

To the 13:44 poster, where did your child go for 7th grade? I heard that the school becomes disorganized starting at the 5th grade.