Is your kid in 8th grade at Washington Latin?

[Anonymous]

What do you love about it? What are the pros/cons? Would love to hear more about Latin in general. I recently toured the school and while I think the program looks pretty good I was a bit concerned that the building and general feel was a bit of a mess. The kids did look engaged and happy though and the stats look good.

Is it just an academic drill and kill kind of place? Or is there a heart there too.

Thanks for any insights.

[Anonymous]

There's definitely heart! A very committed group of parents. Nor is it drill and kill. There are some amazing, dedicated, and enthusiastic teachers -- check out the teacher bios on the school's web page.

Unfortunately it's very difficult to find school space in DC, and that's been an ongoing problem.

[Anonymous]

thanks, I felt like I could see the heart, just want to find out from folks with actual experience.

[Anonymous]

heart, not drill and kill. Why the specific interest in 8th?

[Anonymous]

OP here, have applied for DD for 9th grade and want to know more about what that group is like and what the teaching is like.

[Anonymous]

I'd also like to hear more about the Latin upper grades. Is retention a problem in the upper grades and if so, why? Is it difficult to enter in the 9th grade with no Latin? How are the labs and science facilities in the upper school?

[Anonymous]

Retention is a huge problem for 9th grade. 50-75% of the 8th graders are leaving this year. It seems like a good middle school, but I'd be careful about enrolling for 9th.

[Anonymous]

where are the rising 9th graders going?

[Anonymous]

They are scattering to various public and private schools.

[Anonymous]

why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Retention is a huge problem for 9th grade. 50-75% of the 8th graders are leaving this year. It seems like a good middle school, but I'd be careful about enrolling for 9th.

Curious about this too! Any comments from someone in the know?

[Anonymous]

Friend whose daughter is in the 8th grade said that many parents don't feel the HS curriculum and standards are as competitive as other local HS -both public like Wilson, Banneker and SWW and privates. Many off to privates. Her DD will stay - after not getting into 1 private they were interested in. She has said they are still building the HS. Her DD already has said how lonely it will be to have so many good friends leave. On the other hand, since it is HS, it is an opportunity to start with new friends. Hard to say what the new 9th grade will be like with so many moving on.

[Anonymous]

Most 8th graders and their parents have concluded that Wilson and School without Walls offer better public school options, while others go off to private school. The high school is not nearly as strong as the middle school.

[Anonymous]

But it could be - the middle school changed in a few short years ( those of us who hung in there watched the meteoric rise) and the HS will as well. It will take a core of commitment- the academics are in place as well as caring teachers who know the children. My child is going into 8th and we plan to stay on. Via Wilson - I've talked to parents whose kids switched there. To a person , they 'enjoy the social' but the academics ( even in the academies)' not lighting huge fires'. Anyone hear the report on the sponsored Arabic classes and trip to Qatar that was just on NPR? Anyone see the amazing high school production of our town? Anyone visit the recent science night to be amazed at the scope of outside interactive exhibits and scientific orgs the lead science teacher brought in (rockets! Estuaries!). Anyone see the kids manning the booths of hands on experiments? All the families mingling to enjoy...science. Yes Latin has heart. It definitely - like all charters- needs to find an awesome permanent 'home ' to accomodate it's growth ( though the current upper school is so lovely). It also needs more parent volunteers (I am one and run into a lot of 'I would if I could'ism...'. But it is at base a good group of people and program and vision. Stick with Latin- it is going places.

[Anonymous]

I too hope it will get better, but I think it will take more than a year for the school to create and sustain a high school program that makes the 8th graders want to stay. The teachers are energetic and idealistic, but there is so much turnover. I think the financial pressures on these start-up charters are significant, and grant money isn't as plentiful as it once was.