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[quote=Anonymous]Ward 5/Brookland parent here. I was part of the small group Faye mentioned. In addition to the heavy focus on reading/math, here are some other factors I think are at work to keep middle class/academically ambitious parents out of public schools in Brookland/Ward 5:

- The schools seem to be in a constant state of turmoil, flux, and threat of closure. Just a few years ago, a bunch were closed. Brookland/Bunker Hill is itself the product of consolidations. (Renovations to Brookland were promised but never delivered). Now another round of change and closings is in the offing. Maybe it will all be for the better this time around, but the constant state of flux doesn't exactly inspire confidence that the people in charge know what they're doing, and the uncertainty makes the publics seem like a bad bet.

- Poorly thought out/unappealing academic offerings. The PK-8 model hasn't been implemented well, and the middle schoolers (and the rest of the students!) have suffered as a result. More generally, Ward 5 publics have no language immersion option, few special programs (like IB, even Tools of the Mind). The ward's one Montessori primary year program-- at Langdon-- is slated for elimination. What's there to appeal to middle class parents?

- Proximity of lots of compelling charter and private school options. Of course, charters are all lottery based, but people get in. Stokes, Yu Ying, LAMB, Inspired Teaching... There are lots of charter schools that have very attractive programs right nearby. Plus many inexpensive private schools (lots of them Catholic).

- Lack of economic diversity in the schools. This might be a chicken and the egg problem, but it is what it is. Few middle class parents-- even the good people of Brookland, many of whom are committed save-the-world types-- are willing to send their children to schools where a majority of the children are poor. There's a worry that the schools will be focused on remediation, or the classmate cohort won't be a positive influence.

Combined, these things make Ward 5 publics in general, and schools like Brookland/Bunker Hill and Burroughs, a very tough sell for middle class parents. 
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