Commuter nightmare- any options that you would consider?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The negative responses here are way too much. Pipe down if you don’t have anything productive to say, people.

My one (productive) quibble with the above advice about Thomson is that the drive to MacArthur is easier on the highway than cutting across downtown. I would prioritize schools for your younger near the highway.

This is tough love so other people know to come to us sooner. It is painful that OP created this dilemma for herself by simply very poorly understanding the lottery, IB and housing options. We could have set her up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beers is on short waitlists. I think Beers and getting the oldest to a point where she can drive herself is the best solution.

I think if her child were younger then Beers would make sense. But she's going into 4th grade. Better to figure out a middle school pathway now than to have to lottery again for 5th and maybe 6th. Unless the older daughter is going to drive, middle school options are also somewhat limited to what's nearby MacArthur or transit accessible. Hardy, John Francis, BASIS, Stuart-Hobson, maybe Eliot-Hine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative responses here are way too much. Pipe down if you don’t have anything productive to say, people.

My one (productive) quibble with the above advice about Thomson is that the drive to MacArthur is easier on the highway than cutting across downtown. I would prioritize schools for your younger near the highway.

This is tough love so other people know to come to us sooner. It is painful that OP created this dilemma for herself by simply very poorly understanding the lottery, IB and housing options. We could have set her up!

+1. She prioritized space over her kids school. She listed schools in the lottery that she knew was not anywhere close to where she decided to live. Now at the last hour, she realizes it js not an easy commute when she could have easily known that before buying and committing to Hillcrest and now she is scrambling last minute for any options.

Her current predicament was avoidable numerous times in this whole process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yikes this thread got really nasty. If this is how people "help" I hate to see how you treat enemies.

Lots of judging and really nasty tones. You don't have to respond.

I agree but am not shocked.

No one on here will put all their private reasons in an anonymous, mean website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10th grader drives herself as soon as that becomes possible is a solid solution. The drive isnt too bad if its not round trip. Still move thr 4th grader closer if possible.

I would never let a 16 year old drive all the way across town dealing with getting thru rush hour traffic and back twice a day. This is not as easy as it sounds. There is the parking issue, investing una car and maintenance and sky high insurance. Then the higher risk of accidents on top of that

[Anonymous]

Digital Pioneers is a much easier commute than MacArthur, and the younger child could start there at 6th grade if desired...the high school is also not far from Stuart-Hobson if the younger child gets in there or one of its feeders. I would involve the high schooler in decision-making: is she open to the long commute for MacArthur or does she want different options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative responses here are way too much. Pipe down if you don’t have anything productive to say, people.

My one (productive) quibble with the above advice about Thomson is that the drive to MacArthur is easier on the highway than cutting across downtown. I would prioritize schools for your younger near the highway.

This is tough love so other people know to come to us sooner. It is painful that OP created this dilemma for herself by simply very poorly understanding the lottery, IB and housing options. We could have set her up!

OP here solid point. I was originally set to live in brookland… matched to McA but also am in the very low single digits(now) for Truth and in my mind it would have been truth and stokes right in the neighborhood. My youngest is in the single digits for Hyde but it hasn’t moved since day one. I added Brent and Watkins since starting this thread and am in the low teens. So who knows.

Even if I had come here in January my plan was to live in Brookland. Every rental went to someone without pets. Was under contract for 2 houses and both ended up having such significant issues it didn’t work out. Renting for 4-6k or higher just isn’t something I want to do long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Digital Pioneers is a much easier commute than MacArthur, and the younger child could start there at 6th grade if desired...the high school is also not far from Stuart-Hobson if the younger child gets in there or one of its feeders. I would involve the high schooler in decision-making: is she open to the long commute for MacArthur or does she want different options?

OP here, I would never put my child at Digital Pioneers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative responses here are way too much. Pipe down if you don’t have anything productive to say, people.

My one (productive) quibble with the above advice about Thomson is that the drive to MacArthur is easier on the highway than cutting across downtown. I would prioritize schools for your younger near the highway.

This is tough love so other people know to come to us sooner. It is painful that OP created this dilemma for herself by simply very poorly understanding the lottery, IB and housing options. We could have set her up!

+1. She prioritized space over her kids school. She listed schools in the lottery that she knew was not anywhere close to where she decided to live. Now at the last hour, she realizes it js not an easy commute when she could have easily known that before buying and committing to Hillcrest and now she is scrambling last minute for any options.

Her current predicament was avoidable numerous times in this whole process.

OP here… this isn’t true at all… my location of where I planned to live shifted at the last minute due to my oldest needing to come home based on health issues, as well as none of my initial preferred neighborhoods working out. Had I been in brookland my youngest would be close at stokes and my oldest could metro to McA or I could take her. Either way one would have been in neighborhood.

Did I come on here asking for thoughts becuase I realized none of my waitlists were moving yes… am I also less familiar with the dcps options in my new digs also yes.

I do appreciate what has been said with a helpful tone.

[Anonymous]

look at short waitlists on myschool

[Anonymous]

If you are interested in Truth, I'd sent your 4th grader to Lee East End (hidden gem) and call Truth. Very likely your 9th grader will get in off waitlist by count down, and there's a highly used and free school run shuttle from the Ft Totten metro so they can commute themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are interested in Truth, I'd sent your 4th grader to Lee East End (hidden gem) and call Truth. Very likely your 9th grader will get in off waitlist by count down, and there's a highly used and free school run shuttle from the Ft Totten metro so they can commute themselves.

Thanks for this… I did speak with someone at truth on Friday and I def think we will get the call this week.

They didn’t mention the shuttle but this is a great option to have!

I hear such mixed things about Lee east end so this is nice to read!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The negative responses here are way too much. Pipe down if you don’t have anything productive to say, people.

My one (productive) quibble with the above advice about Thomson is that the drive to MacArthur is easier on the highway than cutting across downtown. I would prioritize schools for your younger near the highway.

This is tough love so other people know to come to us sooner. It is painful that OP created this dilemma for herself by simply very poorly understanding the lottery, IB and housing options. We could have set her up!

OP here solid point. I was originally set to live in brookland… matched to McA but also am in the very low single digits(now) for Truth and in my mind it would have been truth and stokes right in the neighborhood. My youngest is in the single digits for Hyde but it hasn’t moved since day one. I added Brent and Watkins since starting this thread and am in the low teens. So who knows.

Even if I had come here in January my plan was to live in Brookland. Every rental went to someone without pets. Was under contract for 2 houses and both ended up having such significant issues it didn’t work out. Renting for 4-6k or higher just isn’t something I want to do long term.

I’d drop Brent from your list. They’re busing to a swing space up in NW between Columbia Heights and Howard for two years with their building modernization. They also have “upper school” where 4th and 5th graders are in the same classes. If your younger kid is entering 4th there’s zero upside to it due to the logistics for the next two years.

[Anonymous]

You are not going to hear a lot about Randle Highlands on this board, and a lot of your Hillcrest area neighbors probably avoid it for other options. But I have been there and it seemed okay. You might consider it. People on this board will also start in on middle school, buy you are unlikely to figure out middle school with a late 4th grade summer change and people who lottery for 5th/6th do fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Digital Pioneers is a much easier commute than MacArthur, and the younger child could start there at 6th grade if desired...the high school is also not far from Stuart-Hobson if the younger child gets in there or one of its feeders. I would involve the high schooler in decision-making: is she open to the long commute for MacArthur or does she want different options?

OP here, I would never put my child at Digital Pioneers

lol OK OP. Gl.