Benefits of being a high school graduate in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to think like PP above. Then I moved my kids from NW to MoCo for high school after a divorce. My ex lives in Chevy Chase MD and we share custody.

What I get in MoCo that I didn't get in JKLM or at Deal, and wouldn't have had at J-R, are systemic supports, capacity and competence that exceeds that in DCPS by a country mile.

I get better tech, better guidance counselors, better trained teachers overall, a more stable teaching force, better school discipline, a much larger high-performing peer group, much better ECs across the board, more transparency and a accountability (loads), more serious AP classes, IBD classes, more classes past the AP level, more foreign languages taught better, far more flexibility in what my kid can learn, superior school leadership, better facilities across the board and less crowding. I could go on.

Have you read any of the MoCo parent issues? They are on fire and say something totally different. Every school system is great at the top-parents make sure of that. It's the lower tier schools that tell the real story.

I take your point, but, really, who says DCPS is "great at the top"? Parents are battling against some strong, entrenched currents who think eliminiating the tops eliminates the existence of a lower tier.

A lot of Banneker, Walls, and JR parents don't care about those currents. It's all just noise. The kids have pretty good college outcomes and that's what matters.

Amen. This board is filled with commentators who don’t have kids at the DCPS schools you mention.

Many kids in DC are average and perform to their ability but the parents don’t want to admit their kid is average so they blame the school/curriculum/other students. Tracey Flick doesn’t have an average intelligence child!

Are you claiming that this board is full of posters who have kids at DCPS high schools other than JR, Walls, or DESA? LOL. No, virtually zero Dunbar or Anacostia parents are on this board.

No I’m saying that people posting have preschool or elementary aged kids and don’t have first hand knowledge about the schools. I have read some of the most stupid things about the high schools here that my kids attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can get a $10,000 grant if they attend a state school (and a smaller grant if they attend a HBCU). But this is no where close to make state schools be as cheap as in state tuition and doesn't have any of the admissions benefits.

My son attended an HBCU, and he got hte full 10k every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I teach AP and IBD high school humanities, have taught in DCPS, Fairfax and Arlington in the past 25 years.

I know of what I speak when I report that there are no great high schools or middle schools in DCPS or DCPCS. There are mediocre high schools and middle schools, bad ones and catastrophic ones. Banneker, Walls, J-R, BASIS, McKinley, Latin, all thoroughly mediocre as compared to top suburban programs.

Some DCPS and DCPCS graduates excel anyway, with a small number going on to IvyPlus colleges each year. If you can make DC public schools work for your family all the way up, more power to you. If you can't, you're a run of the mill high SES family in this Metro area, particularly if you're Asian.

What is a small number going to IvyPlus colleges? If you count the Ivy League schools, plus Stanford, MIT, CalTech, UChicago and some of the top flagships like UVA, Michigan, UCLA and Cal, I think 40+ plus kids from JR were accepted to those schools in the class of 2023. Walls also was probably 30-40 kids.

I don't recall anyone making the argument that DCPS HSs are better than Whitman or other top suburban schools, so not sure why that is being interjected into the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can get a $10,000 grant if they attend a state school (and a smaller grant if they attend a HBCU). But this is no where close to make state schools be as cheap as in state tuition and doesn't have any of the admissions benefits.

My son attended an HBCU, and he got hte full 10k every year.

Private HBCUs (eg Spelman) get the smaller $2500 HBCU grant. Local privates (eg GW) also get a $2500 grant. Public HBCUs (eg NCAT) and local publics (UMCP) get the full public $10k grant. There’s no stacking (which is why the PP got $10k not $12.5k).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to think like PP above. Then I moved my kids from NW to MoCo for high school after a divorce. My ex lives in Chevy Chase MD and we share custody.

What I get in MoCo that I didn't get in JKLM or at Deal, and wouldn't have had at J-R, are systemic supports, capacity and competence that exceeds that in DCPS by a country mile.

I get better tech, better guidance counselors, better trained teachers overall, a more stable teaching force, better school discipline, a much larger high-performing peer group, much better ECs across the board, more transparency and a accountability (loads), more serious AP classes, IBD classes, more classes past the AP level, more foreign languages taught better, far more flexibility in what my kid can learn, superior school leadership, better facilities across the board and less crowding. I could go on.

Have you read any of the MoCo parent issues? They are on fire and say something totally different. Every school system is great at the top-parents make sure of that. It's the lower tier schools that tell the real story.

I take your point, but, really, who says DCPS is "great at the top"? Parents are battling against some strong, entrenched currents who think eliminiating the tops eliminates the existence of a lower tier.

A lot of Banneker, Walls, and JR parents don't care about those currents. It's all just noise. The kids have pretty good college outcomes and that's what matters.

Amen. This board is filled with commentators who don’t have kids at the DCPS schools you mention.

Many kids in DC are average and perform to their ability but the parents don’t want to admit their kid is average so they blame the school/curriculum/other students. Tracey Flick doesn’t have an average intelligence child!

Are you claiming that this board is full of posters who have kids at DCPS high schools other than JR, Walls, or DESA? LOL. No, virtually zero Dunbar or Anacostia parents are on this board.

No I’m saying that people posting have preschool or elementary aged kids and don’t have first hand knowledge about the schools. I have read some of the most stupid things about the high schools here that my kids attend.

Got it, and totally agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I teach AP and IBD high school humanities, have taught in DCPS, Fairfax and Arlington in the past 25 years.

I know of what I speak when I report that there are no great high schools or middle schools in DCPS or DCPCS. There are mediocre high schools and middle schools, bad ones and catastrophic ones. Banneker, Walls, J-R, BASIS, McKinley, Latin, all thoroughly mediocre as compared to top suburban programs.

Some DCPS and DCPCS graduates excel anyway, with a small number going on to IvyPlus colleges each year. If you can make DC public schools work for your family all the way up, more power to you. If you can't, you're a run of the mill high SES family in this Metro area, particularly if you're Asian.

As a teacher, what are you finding so different at the suburban programs vs DCPS/DCPCS that leads you to conclude the latter are all mediocre? Serious question.

[Anonymous]

Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

Some of this is incorrect for my kid’s DCPS HS. But no one is forcing you to stay in DC. Move to MoCo. My problem with MoCo are the culture/people. I would much prefer my kid to stay in DCPS with the diverse and healthy environment. It’s been my experience chatting with my mom friends and work colleagues that DCPS high achieving student cohort is less toxic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

For years we pushed our upper NW ES principal for much of this. The answer was ALWAYS no, because of “equity concerns.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

Move or private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

Some of this is incorrect for my kid’s DCPS HS. But no one is forcing you to stay in DC. Move to MoCo. My problem with MoCo are the culture/people. I would much prefer my kid to stay in DCPS with the diverse and healthy environment. It’s been my experience chatting with my mom friends and work colleagues that DCPS high achieving student cohort is less toxic.

Violence and drugs are pretty toxic to me and my kids. Not an issue where they are now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

This thread asked for the benefits, not so people could complain about the shortcomings. There are plenty of other threads where you can whine about that.

I don’t know of any school that does well in international competitions, but JR has a championship debate team with one of the team members was part of the US national debate team (one of 5 from the US) competing internationally.

Also, the JR hackathon team won the Georgetown and UMD college hackathons…the latter out of about 500 teams representing around 2,000 entrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

Some of this is incorrect for my kid’s DCPS HS. But no one is forcing you to stay in DC. Move to MoCo. My problem with MoCo are the culture/people. I would much prefer my kid to stay in DCPS with the diverse and healthy environment. It’s been my experience chatting with my mom friends and work colleagues that DCPS high achieving student cohort is less toxic.

Violence and drugs are pretty toxic to me and my kids. Not an issue where they are now.

My kid attended JR. Some kids got into fights. He never did, nor did anyone he knew.

I’m not aware of any high schools without drugs. Certainly none of the MoCo high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious answer. Inadequate ES challenge across the board w/out formal GT programs/a DC law on GT ed. Not enough MS rigor/academic tracking (DCPS, most charters) or flexibility per curricula (Latins, BASIS) or both without test-in MS magnet programs. Comparatively weak modern language instruction, e.g. "immersion" ES programs and "partial immersion" MS programs enrolling few or no native speakers off the Spanish tracks, and generally no MS language instruction until 7th or 8th grades and then only at the beginning level. Only a handful of AP languages taught across the board. Relatively weak teacher and school counselor retention, training and other supports. Weak or mediocre facilities across the board compared to top-tier suburban schools. A substandard state standardized testing regime, the fading PARCC vs. strong state-generated tests in VA and MD. Comparatively weak after-school academic and tech supports. No high-performing IB Diploma programs with average points totals in the mid 30s plus. No system of supervised study halls for all comers, with teachers on hand to help with HW, standard in suburban middle and high schools, or free one-on-one on-line HW help financed by the school system (increasingly common in the burbs). Inflexible attendance regimes that don't support achievement, e.g. standard excused absences for students traveling to regional, national and intl academic competitions and competitive enrichment programs that overlap with school days. No system of awarding HS credit or placing out of required HS courses through advanced home/self study. Lack of EC ambition, students seldom prepped to do well in a variety of competitions at the regional, national and intl levels. Little or no instrumental music instruction during the school day before HS (light years behind the burbs). And more.

Some of this is incorrect for my kid’s DCPS HS. But no one is forcing you to stay in DC. Move to MoCo. My problem with MoCo are the culture/people. I would much prefer my kid to stay in DCPS with the diverse and healthy environment. It’s been my experience chatting with my mom friends and work colleagues that DCPS high achieving student cohort is less toxic.

Violence and drugs are pretty toxic to me and my kids. Not an issue where they are now.

LOL where is this mythical high school where kids don’t do drugs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to think like PP above. Then I moved my kids from NW to MoCo for high school after a divorce. My ex lives in Chevy Chase MD and we share custody.

What I get in MoCo that I didn't get in JKLM or at Deal, and wouldn't have had at J-R, are systemic supports, capacity and competence that exceeds that in DCPS by a country mile.

I get better tech, better guidance counselors, better trained teachers overall, a more stable teaching force, better school discipline, a much larger high-performing peer group, much better ECs across the board, more transparency and a accountability (loads), more serious AP classes, IBD classes, more classes past the AP level, more foreign languages taught better, far more flexibility in what my kid can learn, superior school leadership, better facilities across the board and less crowding. I could go on.

Have you read any of the MoCo parent issues? They are on fire and say something totally different. Every school system is great at the top-parents make sure of that. It's the lower tier schools that tell the real story.

I take your point, but, really, who says DCPS is "great at the top"? Parents are battling against some strong, entrenched currents who think eliminiating the tops eliminates the existence of a lower tier.

A lot of Banneker, Walls, and JR parents don't care about those currents. It's all just noise. The kids have pretty good college outcomes and that's what matters.

Amen. This board is filled with commentators who don’t have kids at the DCPS schools you mention.

Many kids in DC are average and perform to their ability but the parents don’t want to admit their kid is average so they blame the school/curriculum/other students. Tracey Flick doesn’t have an average intelligence child!

Are you claiming that this board is full of posters who have kids at DCPS high schools other than JR, Walls, or DESA? LOL. No, virtually zero Dunbar or Anacostia parents are on this board.

No I’m saying that people posting have preschool or elementary aged kids and don’t have first hand knowledge about the schools. I have read some of the most stupid things about the high schools here that my kids attend.

Happy to call out this BS.

Name the school and name the alleged stupid things.