Reply to Relocating to DC with young Children

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If you were brand new to DC with children pre-school age 3-5, where would you start in researching schools?

If YOU relocated here, what do you wish you knew before coming as it relates to navigating the school system.  (with children that don't have special needs and with children who do)

What advice would you give to a family brand new to the area DC interested in Public & Charters?

Resources?  websites, consultants ect.

TIA[/quote]

What I learned:   Upper Elementary/Middle School programs are more important than a year of free PreK.
What advice:   Sort of like how you look at reviews on Amazon you read the 2 and 3 star reviews to see why someone was unhappy - be open to the critical feedback as there probably is not just someone with an ax to grind.  
I used to be of the mindset that standardized testing does not matter - I have learned that standardized testing is one indicator of the quality of delivery of instruction.   When you are looking at scores, make sure you look at scores for the subgroups.   It is the element that takes out the enrichment that is done by families with means.

For children with learning differences - not all schools are equal.   Even schools that may on paper look the same.   We are in NW DC in what is typically considered a top elementary school.   We are exploring moving as our school is not able to support our child's moderate learning needs.  When visiting neighboring schools, the delivery of services is very different.

Other Advice: Everyone's needs and expectations are different.   Tune out the noise and determine what feels right for you and your family.   When you drive around neighborhoods - look at car stickers.   It is interesting how many private car stickers (and not for elite private schools) are in neighborhoods that have good schools.  Use this as a indicator for yourself as  to why these families have made their choice not to send their child to the neighborhood school.
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