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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

My children attend a nearby DCPS that feeds to a different middle school and I could not help but notice some of our strongest 5th graders chose Brookland rather than their IB middle school.  I think Brookland is on the way up.  [/quote]

I would choose Brookland over our IB middle school (McKinley).[/quote]

Me too, but I don't think the difference is really that big.  I would do McKinley of your kid is really into math and science, because they can take 9th grade classes at Tech.[/quote]

I feel the same way--I think it comes down to whether your kid wants a bigger school v. smaller, and is more into math/science.  But I'm also going to be watching to see how the school does with the interim and then new principal.  I think both schools have a lot of potential.[/quote]

Maybe, but doubtful. My DD is in MS and we've been hearing the same old since Brookland MS opened. "Lots of potential"..."maybe it will get better by the time our kids get to MS..." Listen, it probably won't. Even if your kids are in PK, have a plan B (private, move) for later ES, MS years. Your charter or DCPS might be great for your kid(s) in PK, K, even 1st or 2nd, but often the wheels start to come off as kids get older in many of these schools in terms of educational rigor. [/quote]

I hear you, but I don't think this is a unique thing to Ward 5 schools, or DC schools in general.  If our school stops meeting the needs of our kids, we will address that, of course.  That problem can happen anywhere, even in tony neighborhood schools.  But, I've been hearing that our IB is good until K, or good until 2nd, or whatever since we enrolled in PK3, but we've had a good experience so far (not perfect, but no big issues).  That may change, but I know parents in the upper grades who are also happy, so I'm not going to let the fear of the unknown, or the fear of 2 years' old bad test scores drive my decision over my kids' current experience.  It's harder to say that in MS because you are changing schools no matter what, of course.  But I think there's a difference between keeping options open keeping plan Bs in mind, on one hand, and assuming that the middle schools will not be an option and making moves now to avoid them, on the other.[/quote]

Yes, middle school does take a while to improve.  But look at what you see around you.  I know it's hard with COVID and the lack of PARCC data and everything.  But back in 2013 or 2014, it was very hard to get anyone to attend Langley.  They couldn't even fill up two preschool classrooms.  Seaton was okay but easy to get into, not high demand-- same for Burroughs.  Garrison was being threatened with closure.  Noyes was fresh off a test score fixing scandal.  BMS didn't exist.  Now, so many of those schools are in a better state, and their graduates may attend BMS (whether it's their IB or not).  It takes time, yes, but with better feeders and a nice new building, things do slowly improve.  Like how Stuart-Hobson very very slowly improved.  It can happen and one by one, the components are being moved into place.[/quote]

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