Reply to John Francis Middle vs. Stuart Hobson (or maybe Eliot Hine)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Any reason you aren't considering Latin, which is probably the best middle school for an "above average but not stellar student"?  We aren't there btw, but have been through this decision (also zoned for Cardozo high) and if you were my friend (maybe you are!), that would be my recommendation.

For Francis vs SH -- SH has better academics at the top end (Geometry and National History Day), but Francis is smaller and maybe a less chaotic environment? And there is more buy-in every year from engaged parents and a push for stronger advanced work. So there is some hope for that.

We were at a Francis feeder and my main reservation with it is that they are way too dependent on screens and apps. [/quote]

Depending on what you are looking for, EH is going to be similar size to SH by next year - their enrollment was 415 this year, and due to a smaller 8th grade class that is moving to high school this summer, their projected enrollment is 500+ for next year. IMO, higher enrollment does mean things are a bit busier, but it also means more funding, more clubs and sports, more advanced classes, and more electives/arts. [/quote]

Zero chance I’d choose EH over SH and OP isn’t even asking about EH. [/quote]

... The subject of the thread mentions Eliot Hine as a consideration...[/quote]

OP here. Yes...I am thinking EH but am primarily interested in the other two. Happy to get impressions of EH as well however.

It's okay to Latin Boost. To be honest, I would love to send my kid to Latin - I think it would be a great fit and would take care of the high school problem. But I'm being realistic about our lottery chances for an only child with no sibling preference and no equitable access preference. I am not anti-Basis by any means, it's been great for some of my friends' kids. But I don't think it's the right fit for my particular kid.

I am not counting on application high schools since yes, my kid is fairly smart but not a genius. But I wouldn't totally count them out either. Kid is still in ES (obviously) but I imagine will apply when the time comes. We are saving for private as a high school backup, but are trying to avoid going that route for middle if possible. We live in center city so SH and Francis are both commutable to. My impression is that both are worth a serious look. Curious if a) that's true and b) one is preferable to the other?

Thank you for the answers - keep them coming! 
[/quote]

I prefer SH. Harder classes than Francis, and you would have Eastern as a backup high school, instead of Cardozo.

The only tricky thing is that Francis is on an upward trajectory, so it's harder to say which will be better in 5 years.
[/quote] Eastern as a back-up HS?  Nutty.  Umm, there are only two dozen white students enrolled at Eastern, almost 20 years since the IB Diploma program was established there.  Planning on using Eastern as a backup sound seriously naive to this Hill denizen of 25 years.[/quote]

I know many parents that are thinking of Eastern as an option along with application high schools. Following Eastern IB on social media (insta) has been a good glimpse of what that program is like. I think it’s great to see Eastern doing more to connect with feeder schools in various ways, and I’m encouraged by the growing interest I am seeing (maybe more amongst people not on this forum) [/quote]

I was going to hop and say something similar. If you have lived here for 25 years and have had kids in school and/or paid attention to education, you would know that schools, neighborhoods, and communities are constantly shifting, growing, and changing. As has been discussed on countless threads here, there are more middle and high school students in DC public schools right now than in previous decades, the novelty of (many, not all) charter schools is wearing off, and several neighborhood DCPS schools (Cap Hill schools for sure) are getting more buy-in across all grade levels. While this has not trickled up to the high school level as much as it has for ES and MS, the past several years have seen increased enrollment at many public high schools, including Eastern.
And lastly, to reference a discussion on another high school thread posted last week, can we stop with the 'x number of white kids= a good school' magic equation people have in their heads. There are all families and kids from all backgrounds looking for strong program. [/quote]

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