Relocating to DMV from Chicago, Desperately Looking for a Full-Time Daycare/Preschool
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Anonymous
This. TJ is the NOVA stem magnet HS, and widely considered to be the best public HS in America. It has amazing programs, but is also crazy competitive to attend. Between 2-3% of FCPS HS students qualify. Most come out of FCPS's AAP program, which is their own special version of a gifted program that takes about 12% of the FCPS student body. These students go to special AAP Center schools, instead of their zoned school, for full time advanced instruction from grades 3-8. But AAP Centers also take their zoned neighborhood kids, who are in separate general education classes. Which can create a lot of unhappiness when zoned general education students are outnumbered by AAP kids or are perceived to be getting a lesser education. Yet these schools are often the highest ranked, because AAP students boost test scores. This is further complicated by the fact that kids from only 3 FCPS AAP Center MSs end up with students securing more than half of the available TJ slots each year. All of which is to say, in choosing a school zone, you really have to think hard about what you want for your kids, and look beyond the Great Schools rating. You probably can't get a better education at a private than a strong AAP Center ES and a TJ feeder middle school. Certainly, the most prestigious privates probably can't match TJ in terms of educational opportunities. But, you have to decide whether you want the kind of academic nuttiness that comes with these opportunities-- and what you would do if AAP was important, and you bought a house with AAP in mind, but your kid was in the 88% of kids, many from high SES, highly educated families, who are not elected for AAP. Or if one child was and one wasn't. All of which is to say school choice in FCPS? Very, very complicated. |
Anonymous
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PP makes a really good point. DC is full of smart children with engaged parents who are committed to giving their child every opportunity to blossom.
This means that magnet schools and gifted programs are absolutely bursting with applicants who would be fantastic candidates. It's sort of like applying to a highly regarded undergraduate university. At a certain point, they could literally draw names from a hat and end up with a competent class of students. I mention this just because I think it is common for folks to assume that their child will place into AAP in Virgina or a Highly Gifted Center in Maryland. But imagine your child in a group of 100 kids who have had all the same advantages (highly educated parents, regular food and sleep, enrichment lessons, trips to the art museum). Will they be in the top 2-3 of those kids? |
Anonymous
| Looking at your wish list, I would say you should look at the Herndon/Chantilly area/ Western Fairfax County (distinct from Reston/Herndon, which is different). Zip codes 20151/20171. Very diverse to a point-- largely white and Asian, not so much AA & Hispanic. Many of the Asian families are first or seconded generation, and we like the different cultural backgrounds. Some SAHMs. Lots of two professional parent families. Lots of kids riding bikes, sidewalks, neighborhood playgrounds and swimming pools, etc. Not so big on million dollar homes and luxury cars. Very strong schools, including strong ESs that feed to 2 of the top 3 TJ feeder AAP MSs-- Rocky Run and Carson. Relatively affordable housing for this area-- SFHs at 550-650k. The downside? (Because there always is one)-- I would not want a daily, or even regular commute into DC, even with the silver line metro being built. |
Anonymous
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In the District, 3K per month will get you a 2BR condo if you want to be near good public schools. If you'd like a single family home, there might be a few things in that range (likely townhouses) in Bethesda MD or Arlington, VA which have excellent schools and a short commute into DC. There will be more inventory farther out in Fairfax County VA or in Rockville MD, where the schools are also good.
The District is well served by Metro and is very walkable. Parts of Arlington and Bethesda are as well. Smaller swaths of Fairfax are served by Metro, and it is a sea of strip malls. DC has the worst traffic in the country, and many families make commuting distance a priority. Most kids in the District attend public preschool, either through DC Public Schools or charter schools. However, in neighborhoods with the schools with the highest test scores, the schools are so overcrowded that they can't really accommodate preschool classes, so parents in those neighborhoods usually pay for private preschools or send their kids to public preschool in another part of the city. There are a few private preschools that are known as feeder preschools to the top private schools - National Child Research Center, St John's Episcopal, Little Folks, School for Friends etc. However, these schools have an admissions time table that mirrors private schools; i.e. you apply the winter before the September your child will enter. Additionally, the huge proliferation of public preschools has blown the market wide open, so that the idea of feeder preschools is a bit weaker than it was. |
Anonymous
| OP, I would say if your family is politically right of center you will be generally happier in Virginia and left of center generally happier in MD or DC. |
Anonymous
| If you both work from home, why are you relocating to the DC area? |
Anonymous
I think there are only two things here I would take issue with. One is that, maybe on for ES, where the charters are good, but definately for MS/HS DCPS is pretty bad across the board. Even the Deal/Wilson track, which seems to be the only "good" option, does no better than the very worst FCPS or MCPS schools. Also parts of Fairfax county are pretty moderate to conservative. But there are definately liberal areas. Vice versa in Montgomery county. |
donewithchicago
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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
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I recommend Maryland. Cabin John or Bethesda.
http://www.clarabartoncenter.org http://www.wonderschildcare.org |
Anonymous
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DC metro area is huge so you'll definitely want to find the right neighborhood first and then focus on preschools. It will work out.
Based on some of what you're looking for, you may want to consider Alexandria (Del Ray in particular), Arlington, Falls Church, or Vienna in Virginia. All of those areas have many great preschools. Come back and post again after you've figured out where exactly you're relocating. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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You really do need to pick location first, as there are options lots of places. If you are fleeing chicago due to the issues you cite, I'd avoid the District proper and choose VA or MD.
Your childcare budget will be fine, your house budget may or may not be depending on what you want. |
Anonymous
Plus 1 |
Anonymous
Of all places, why DC then? |
donewithchicago
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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. |
donewithchicago
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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! |