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Thanks for all the responses everyone! My husband and I did some searching and have settled on Montgomery County, so I started a new thread asking for Montgomery County schools here: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/0/539673.page#8499421
Or you can just reply on this thread.
Thank you!
Or you can just reply on this thread.
Thank you!
Anonymous wrote:donewithchicago wrote:Anonymous wrote:If you both work from home, why are you relocating to the DC area?
Because we're concerned at where Chicago is headed and how the city is being run. City broke, state broke, public school system in disarray and property taxes just went way up. I voted for Rahm, but he seems way in over his head. We want to see how this all plays out from a safe distance.
Of all places, why DC then?
Have you been to Chicago? I don't know that you realize how chaotic it is here. We've read up on how DC is run and it just doesn't compare.
Try living in a city where the murder rate is one of the worst in the country, the public school teachers are striking for the second time in 5 years, the city is dead broke (and with $20 billion of pension obligations to fulfill), the state is dead broke (and in a $6 billion hole), there are regular police brutality cover ups, entrenched nepotism and corruption (our public schools head is the latest politician headed to prison), where 2 of the past 4 governors have gone to prison, the current governor is trying to force the city and state in bankruptcy and is moving to gut worker's rights... I mean... Yeh. Any issues the DMV area is having just don't compare. Oh, and our unemployment rate is still higher than the national average. So, yeh.
Hello everyone,
My husband and I are relocating to Montgomery County from Chicago and our main concern is finding a preschool/daycare for our children.
Our 3 and a half year old son is currently at a full-time, play-based preschool with an engaging curriculum (lots of art and STEM) and a record of prepping its students for top elementary schools, both public and private. The student/teacher ratio for his classroom is between 1:6 and 1:7. We are paying about $1,760 a month for 5 days a week.
Our daughter is at the same school full time, but in their toddler/daycare program. She is 15 months old. The ratio in her classroom is 1:4 and we are paying about $2,100 for 5 days a week.
Basically I am looking for something comparable. We are non-religious, but will tolerate a religious school if the belief system is way in the background and not incorporated into the curriculum. We are self-employed and work from home, so commute isn't as big a concern, although we do want something in or close to Montgomery County, where we'll be moving.
I know the DMV area is more expensive than Chicago, and we can expand our education budget by up to 50% if necessary.
Can you please point me in a good direction here. I've been doing searches on my own and I'm thoroughly overwhelmed. It seems the DC area has way more preschools per square mile than Chicago (I don't know this for sure but it certainly seems that way.) Additionally there is far more diversity in the approaches and philosophies, and it's making things hard to wade through.
Oh, another concern is waiting lists. It seems a lot of good schools have super long waiting lists. Any recommendations or general advice is appreciated!
My husband and I are relocating to Montgomery County from Chicago and our main concern is finding a preschool/daycare for our children.
Our 3 and a half year old son is currently at a full-time, play-based preschool with an engaging curriculum (lots of art and STEM) and a record of prepping its students for top elementary schools, both public and private. The student/teacher ratio for his classroom is between 1:6 and 1:7. We are paying about $1,760 a month for 5 days a week.
Our daughter is at the same school full time, but in their toddler/daycare program. She is 15 months old. The ratio in her classroom is 1:4 and we are paying about $2,100 for 5 days a week.
Basically I am looking for something comparable. We are non-religious, but will tolerate a religious school if the belief system is way in the background and not incorporated into the curriculum. We are self-employed and work from home, so commute isn't as big a concern, although we do want something in or close to Montgomery County, where we'll be moving.
I know the DMV area is more expensive than Chicago, and we can expand our education budget by up to 50% if necessary.
Can you please point me in a good direction here. I've been doing searches on my own and I'm thoroughly overwhelmed. It seems the DC area has way more preschools per square mile than Chicago (I don't know this for sure but it certainly seems that way.) Additionally there is far more diversity in the approaches and philosophies, and it's making things hard to wade through.
Oh, another concern is waiting lists. It seems a lot of good schools have super long waiting lists. Any recommendations or general advice is appreciated!
Anonymous wrote:The problem with that budget is going to be good schools. How "good" do you want them to be?
Well funded schools with good student/teacher ratios, STEM resources and art. How do you suggest I quantify 'goodness'. I'm coming from a different state with a radically different approach to public education, so some context would help.
I am in the process of relocating to the DMV area from Chicago.
My husband and I are self-employed and work from home, so we are flexible in terms of where we live. We plan to rent initially, but when we buy the upper limit of our budget is $3000/month mortgage or $575,000 purchase price for a single family home.
We are looking for a neighborhood that is affordable (for our price range), culturally diverse (any and all cultures; Black, Latino, Asian, White, whatever), family friendly, safe, walkable, bikeable, with lots of green space, a solid tax base and a good public school district. We are entrepreneurs, so it would be nice to live somewhere with a strong small business community. We are fine with living in DC proper, as well as in MD or VA.
Our son is 3 and a half, so kindergarten is looming and we will need to transfer him to a good quality preschool. So we need an area with strong preschool, elementary schools, etc. We are partial to public school, but have budgeted for private if necessary.
For those familiar with the Chicago area, we are looking for a neighborhood like Oak Park, or a diverse version of Roscoe Village or North Center/Wicker Park.
Any and all suggestions and advice are welcome!
My husband and I are self-employed and work from home, so we are flexible in terms of where we live. We plan to rent initially, but when we buy the upper limit of our budget is $3000/month mortgage or $575,000 purchase price for a single family home.
We are looking for a neighborhood that is affordable (for our price range), culturally diverse (any and all cultures; Black, Latino, Asian, White, whatever), family friendly, safe, walkable, bikeable, with lots of green space, a solid tax base and a good public school district. We are entrepreneurs, so it would be nice to live somewhere with a strong small business community. We are fine with living in DC proper, as well as in MD or VA.
Our son is 3 and a half, so kindergarten is looming and we will need to transfer him to a good quality preschool. So we need an area with strong preschool, elementary schools, etc. We are partial to public school, but have budgeted for private if necessary.
For those familiar with the Chicago area, we are looking for a neighborhood like Oak Park, or a diverse version of Roscoe Village or North Center/Wicker Park.
Any and all suggestions and advice are welcome!
Anonymous wrote:If you both work from home, why are you relocating to the DC area?
Because we're concerned at where Chicago is headed and how the city is being run. City broke, state broke, public school system in disarray and property taxes just went way up. I voted for Rahm, but he seems way in over his head. We want to see how this all plays out from a safe distance.
Anonymous wrote:WHere in the DC area are you moving to? That would help with suggestions.
I've been informed that I should start with neighborhood and build from there. So I'm going to head to the 'Real Estate' forum and post in there to get neighborhood suggestions. I didn't realize it at the time but my question is premature.
Anonymous wrote:What are you looking for in a neighborhood? Price range? Bedrooms? Walkability? Excellent public schools?
We would be renting initially, and we've designated $3,000/month as our budget. I would love to have access to great public schools! But coming from Chicago it seems so bizarre. Here there is a small percentage of super top quality public schools scattered throughout the city, so the approach is very much 'get into the school first (which is an ordeal in and of itself) and then let everything else (neighborhood/job/etc) follow'. So it's kind of weird to me (which is sad...) to envision a neighborhood where all I have to do is move there and the schools are great.
As far as neighborhood. Ideal for us is something culturally diverse, child-friendly with lots of local business, green space and friendly neighbors. I'm not concerned about being in a particular socioeconomic strata, but obviously it needs to be a safe community with good quality schools. Any suggestions?
Anonymous wrote:This is really short sighted in Fairfax County. Pre-school is 2 years. FCPS is 13, and in many cases can provide a better education than privates. And different parts of the county have very different vibes, and parents with very different priorities. You really don't want to limit yourself to schools and neighborhoods. that are a bad fit in your quest for the perfect preschool experience. There are lots of high quality preschools, and you can find one in any area affluent enough to have really good schools.
So, start with your housing budget and tell us what you want out of your child's ES/MS/HS experience. The absolute best academics, with a push for AAP admittance and culminating in TJ? A more well rounded community experience (but still strong schools)? Would you be comfortable in a neighborhood where social status is very important, and all the moms SAH, live in 2 million dollar houses and wear full makeup to daily yoga? Or are you a professional, who want to be around other dual professional families? Do you really want urban and walkable? Or a more suburban feel with sidewalks and traditional neighborhoods? Even if location doesn't matter, the answer to these questions do.
What is TJ?
And this is a lot to mull over. Perhaps I should start with neighborhood and go from there? If I start with neighborhood can I be confident that I'll find good schools nearby?
Thank you for the responses thus far!!! Is there such a thing as a DC area school that is good quality and not hard to get into/with a long waiting list? It's not as competitive here in Chicago. My kids' school is awesome and we were only on the waiting list 4 months for my son and about a month for my daughter. Is it practical to think that could happen in the DC area?
We're totally flexible with housing because we work from home. I'm inclined to move close to whatever preschool we select.
Hello everyone,
This is my first time posting in this forum but I'm sure it won't be my last. My husband and I are relocating to the DC area from Chicago and our main concern is finding a preschool/daycare for our children.
Our 3 and a half year old son is currently at a full-time, play-based preschool with an engaging curriculum (lots of art and STEM) and a record of prepping its students for top elementary schools, both public and private. The student/teacher ratio for his classroom is between 1:6 and 1:7. We are paying about $1,760 a month for 5 days a week.
Our daughter is at the same school full time, but in their toddler/daycare program. She is 15 months old. The ratio in her classroom is 1:4 and we are paying about $2,100 for 5 days a week.
Basically I am looking for something comparable. We are non-religious, but will tolerate a religious school if the belief system is way in the background and not incorporated into the curriculum. We have no clue what neighborhood we'll end up in, so it doesn't matter where the school is located. We are self-employed and work from home, so commute isn't as big a concern.
I know the DMV area is more expensive than Chicago, and we can expand our education budget by up to 50% if necessary.
Can you please point me in a good direction here. I've been doing searches on my own and I'm thoroughly overwhelmed. It seems the DC area has way more preschools per square mile than Chicago (I don't know this for sure but it certainly seems that way.) Additionally there is far more diversity in the approaches and philosophies, and it's making things hard to wade through.
Oh, another concern is waiting lists. It seems a lot of good schools have super long waiting lists. Any recommendations or general advice is appreciated!
This is my first time posting in this forum but I'm sure it won't be my last. My husband and I are relocating to the DC area from Chicago and our main concern is finding a preschool/daycare for our children.
Our 3 and a half year old son is currently at a full-time, play-based preschool with an engaging curriculum (lots of art and STEM) and a record of prepping its students for top elementary schools, both public and private. The student/teacher ratio for his classroom is between 1:6 and 1:7. We are paying about $1,760 a month for 5 days a week.
Our daughter is at the same school full time, but in their toddler/daycare program. She is 15 months old. The ratio in her classroom is 1:4 and we are paying about $2,100 for 5 days a week.
Basically I am looking for something comparable. We are non-religious, but will tolerate a religious school if the belief system is way in the background and not incorporated into the curriculum. We have no clue what neighborhood we'll end up in, so it doesn't matter where the school is located. We are self-employed and work from home, so commute isn't as big a concern.
I know the DMV area is more expensive than Chicago, and we can expand our education budget by up to 50% if necessary.
Can you please point me in a good direction here. I've been doing searches on my own and I'm thoroughly overwhelmed. It seems the DC area has way more preschools per square mile than Chicago (I don't know this for sure but it certainly seems that way.) Additionally there is far more diversity in the approaches and philosophies, and it's making things hard to wade through.
Oh, another concern is waiting lists. It seems a lot of good schools have super long waiting lists. Any recommendations or general advice is appreciated!