Best Cap Hill elementary to middle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

About same as Brent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A little history is indeed in order. Been on the Hill since the 90s. Over the years, have watched more than 3/4 of the kids I know who attended Peabody leave the Cluster by 4th grade at Watkins.

By contrast, the SWS, Brent and Maury students I've known in the last decade have mostly stayed until 4th grade. The 5th grade drop-off is still an issue at all these schools, with so many families taking 5th grade spots at Wash Latin or BASIS.

You are wrong on the history. SWS was in Peabody, and fed to Watkins, until 2011. You can't have seen neighbors stay through fourth at SWS over the last decade, because fourth grade did not exist until the last few years. Don't know about Brent, but you've got rose colored glasses on for Maury, too.

Spots at Latin are total crapshoot without sib priority and BASIS is not everyone's cup of tea. Lots of families looking at wider range if options. Demographically this is only the tip of the iceberg. Wait 4 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

It's in a neighborhood that is increasingly white and wealthy, far from many commuter routes. They do little outreach to low-income neighborhoods. Most of the kids who are admitted have siblings already in the school, slowing any effort to diversify. The Reggio model is also probably more popular with highly-educated higher-income people who are ok with a school that looks a bit more chaotic--no uniforms, lots of messy play, questioning authority in ways that may appear disrespectful, lots of projects and field trips rather than what looks like formal learning to folks who grew up with a more traditional education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

SWS is becoming less white in early grades as older sibling dominance wanes, unlike Brent which is becoming even more white. Wait til 2018-19 SY numbers are released.

[Anonymous]

This whole discussion is so tired. My kids have gone to one of the less desirable cap hill elementary schools for the past 4 years and guess what - its been great. I won't lie and say its been perfect but when we finally "won" the lottery and had the option to switch we declined. Most of the people on this board have little to no recent experience with most of these schools and have no idea what they are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

SWS is becoming less white in early grades as older sibling dominance wanes, unlike Brent which is becoming even more white. Wait til 2018-19 SY numbers are released.

SWS is still pretty white. The number of non-white children in ECE classes really varies by year -depending on how many siblings and just luck of the draw. Some years there are more black kids and some years less. You can't yet say that each entering class is less white because that's not been true so far - ask the admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

SWS is becoming less white in early grades as older sibling dominance wanes, unlike Brent which is becoming even more white. Wait til 2018-19 SY numbers are released.

SWS is still pretty white. The number of non-white children in ECE classes really varies by year -depending on how many siblings and just luck of the draw. Some years there are more black kids and some years less. You can't yet say that each entering class is less white because that's not been true so far - ask the admin.

don't need to ask. some of the sibling preferences are gradually balancing out racial disparity as AA kids in ECE get sibling priority just like white kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

I feel like DME needs to send in a researcher - McKinsey type, or a PhD, somebody with a social science bent, to figure out how the highest demand, nominally citywide schools keep ending up being whiter and richer than the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

I feel like DME needs to send in a researcher - McKinsey type, or a PhD, somebody with a social science bent, to figure out how the highest demand, nominally citywide schools keep ending up being whiter and richer than the city.

What is so hard to understand? If you do not have a car and have an elementary student, it takes a lot of work to get to SWS from outside of Ward 6. So you don’t put it on your list. You go with your IB or a more convenient charter. It is school choice and charters have made schools like SWS and CHML not the only game in town if you do not like your IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

SWS is becoming less white in early grades as older sibling dominance wanes, unlike Brent which is becoming even more white. Wait til 2018-19 SY numbers are released.

SWS is still pretty white. The number of non-white children in ECE classes really varies by year -depending on how many siblings and just luck of the draw. Some years there are more black kids and some years less. You can't yet say that each entering class is less white because that's not been true so far - ask the admin.

We got in a few years ago and declined for this reason. I think it’s a great school if your child has special needs. Otherwise there are better options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS = Super White School

How can SWS be a “super white” school in a citywide school? Aren’t there a significant number of nonwhites that apply to the school in the lottery? Even if it is predominantly White, don’t they teach all students well with the Reggio method—especially those that start at preK?

SWS is becoming less white in early grades as older sibling dominance wanes, unlike Brent which is becoming even more white. Wait til 2018-19 SY numbers are released.

SWS is still pretty white. The number of non-white children in ECE classes really varies by year -depending on how many siblings and just luck of the draw. Some years there are more black kids and some years less. You can't yet say that each entering class is less white because that's not been true so far - ask the admin.

We got in a few years ago and declined for this reason. I think it’s a great school if your child has special needs. Otherwise there are better options.

For more history lesson -- SWS was literally housed within Peabody. For preschool, inbound (mostly white) parents could choose SWS, Peabody or Montessori (which I think was at Watkins?). Neighborhood parents picked SWS, and it was super white. Peabody had mostly black children. In the same building! Not great. Anyway, maybe PPs are right that the school will be less white when the founding families and siblings age out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give us a break. Brent students don't score as high on PARCC as schools in Upper NW mainly because those schools got a 25-year head start in serving UMC communities. Brent does darn well for an EotP school that went from having fewer than 200 students, almost all low SES, to having almost 500 students and being overwhelmingly high SES in a little over a decade. Also, Brent offers 5 specials - most DCPS programs offer 3 or 4. Good.

Hmmm ok, then why don’t Brent kids score as high as Inspired Teaching kids? Haven’t they only been open for like 6-7 years???? Stop with the excuses, your $400k pta funds haven’t helped enough with pull outs. OP, choose Maury. They are a 5 star school (94% grade). Brent is 4 star (65%). 30 point difference is HUGE! Maury serves a more diverse population as well.

People, stop with the drama and pettiness. IST scores well because most the kids are from UMC families just like Brent. But ITS does not do any tracking while at Brent I know they do with math.

Yes, the point is Brent should be doing better. They are a mediocre school who’s population is not performing the same as their counterparts across the city. It should be concerning, especially since Brent doesn’t have a back up plan for middle and High like wotp and are predominantly relying on Basis and SWW (of which you need to pass parcc). As it stands, only 3/4 of its UMC white students would even be even be eligible to apply.

You're right, but then Brent's K classes are 100% in-boundary, or close. The market isn't responding to the mediocrity. Bummer, I know.

You don't need to submit PARCC scores to apply to SWW. Applicants applying from private schools haven't taken the PARCC. Any applicant can submit PSAT or SAT scores instead.

If you are at a DCPS school (and possibly DCPCS too) my school dc has your PARCC scores, there is no submitting them. Also, if your kids cannot score a 4 on the PARCC I think they Re going to have trouble passing the entrance exam. I say this to say check before you rely on an anonymous internet poster to say that PARCC doesn’t matter for SWW (or other application schools).

They don't have your kid's PARCC scores if you opted out. We opt out at an EotP school every year without difficulty. The reality is that Cap HIll parents are starting to behave more like WotP parents. Opting out of a bad test making money for super rich Pearson executives and shareholders isn't unusual in Upper NW.

As for SWS becoming more "diverse." Yes, the school is becoming more internationally diverse, with more UMC parents from Europe, Canada/Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia and even Africa turning up every year. Boo to "diversity" merely being a mix AAs and whites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give us a break. Brent students don't score as high on PARCC as schools in Upper NW mainly because those schools got a 25-year head start in serving UMC communities. Brent does darn well for an EotP school that went from having fewer than 200 students, almost all low SES, to having almost 500 students and being overwhelmingly high SES in a little over a decade. Also, Brent offers 5 specials - most DCPS programs offer 3 or 4. Good.

Hmmm ok, then why don’t Brent kids score as high as Inspired Teaching kids? Haven’t they only been open for like 6-7 years???? Stop with the excuses, your $400k pta funds haven’t helped enough with pull outs. OP, choose Maury. They are a 5 star school (94% grade). Brent is 4 star (65%). 30 point difference is HUGE! Maury serves a more diverse population as well.

People, stop with the drama and pettiness. IST scores well because most the kids are from UMC families just like Brent. But ITS does not do any tracking while at Brent I know they do with math.

Yes, the point is Brent should be doing better. They are a mediocre school who’s population is not performing the same as their counterparts across the city. It should be concerning, especially since Brent doesn’t have a back up plan for middle and High like wotp and are predominantly relying on Basis and SWW (of which you need to pass parcc). As it stands, only 3/4 of its UMC white students would even be even be eligible to apply.

You're right, but then Brent's K classes are 100% in-boundary, or close. The market isn't responding to the mediocrity. Bummer, I know.

You don't need to submit PARCC scores to apply to SWW. Applicants applying from private schools haven't taken the PARCC. Any applicant can submit PSAT or SAT scores instead.

If you are at a DCPS school (and possibly DCPCS too) my school dc has your PARCC scores, there is no submitting them. Also, if your kids cannot score a 4 on the PARCC I think they Re going to have trouble passing the entrance exam. I say this to say check before you rely on an anonymous internet poster to say that PARCC doesn’t matter for SWW (or other application schools).

They don't have your kid's PARCC scores if you opted out. We opt out at an EotP school every year without difficulty. The reality is that Cap HIll parents are starting to behave more like WotP parents. Opting out of a bad test making money for super rich Pearson executives and shareholders isn't unusual in Upper NW.

As for SWS becoming more "diverse." Yes, the school is becoming more internationally diverse, with more UMC parents from Europe, Canada/Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia and even Africa turning up every year. Boo to "diversity" merely being a mix AAs and whites.

^^ nice story but not really true. Certainly no more than other DC public schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give us a break. Brent students don't score as high on PARCC as schools in Upper NW mainly because those schools got a 25-year head start in serving UMC communities. Brent does darn well for an EotP school that went from having fewer than 200 students, almost all low SES, to having almost 500 students and being overwhelmingly high SES in a little over a decade. Also, Brent offers 5 specials - most DCPS programs offer 3 or 4. Good.

Hmmm ok, then why don’t Brent kids score as high as Inspired Teaching kids? Haven’t they only been open for like 6-7 years???? Stop with the excuses, your $400k pta funds haven’t helped enough with pull outs. OP, choose Maury. They are a 5 star school (94% grade). Brent is 4 star (65%). 30 point difference is HUGE! Maury serves a more diverse population as well.

People, stop with the drama and pettiness. IST scores well because most the kids are from UMC families just like Brent. But ITS does not do any tracking while at Brent I know they do with math.

Yes, the point is Brent should be doing better. They are a mediocre school who’s population is not performing the same as their counterparts across the city. It should be concerning, especially since Brent doesn’t have a back up plan for middle and High like wotp and are predominantly relying on Basis and SWW (of which you need to pass parcc). As it stands, only 3/4 of its UMC white students would even be even be eligible to apply.

You're right, but then Brent's K classes are 100% in-boundary, or close. The market isn't responding to the mediocrity. Bummer, I know.

You don't need to submit PARCC scores to apply to SWW. Applicants applying from private schools haven't taken the PARCC. Any applicant can submit PSAT or SAT scores instead.

If you are at a DCPS school (and possibly DCPCS too) my school dc has your PARCC scores, there is no submitting them. Also, if your kids cannot score a 4 on the PARCC I think they Re going to have trouble passing the entrance exam. I say this to say check before you rely on an anonymous internet poster to say that PARCC doesn’t matter for SWW (or other application schools).

They don't have your kid's PARCC scores if you opted out. We opt out at an EotP school every year without difficulty. The reality is that Cap HIll parents are starting to behave more like WotP parents. Opting out of a bad test making money for super rich Pearson executives and shareholders isn't unusual in Upper NW.

As for SWS becoming more "diverse." Yes, the school is becoming more internationally diverse, with more UMC parents from Europe, Canada/Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia and even Africa turning up every year. Boo to "diversity" merely being a mix AAs and whites.

That's absurd. In the micro-geography of the Hill, concerns about diversity are very much tied into concerns about gentrification and the giant wealth gap right on our blocks, so it absolutely means African Americans. I'm glad for more international diversity too (as well as the increasing number of mixed race and black UMC families I see on the Hill) but let's not pretend.