Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

How do you mean? The PTA's in DC can pay teachers directly??

Yes. They are PTA employees, not DCPS employees.

How does the PTA decide which classrooms/grades get the extra staffing? Do the 3rd grade parents literally fund a 3rd grade teacher?

Most upper NW DCPS elementary PTAs do this. Often they prioritize K-2, and they fund the 2nd (assistant) teacher in all the classes. In MCPS this is prohibited for multiple reasons.

That’s right, depending on the number of teachers they can fund, they allocate the teachers across the grade levels. So a second teacher per classroom in lower grades, then a floater or two per grade split between classrooms for that grade level. No idea about hiring and firing, but I assume there are very detailed rules the PTA develops and follows.

It is crazy, don’t get me wrong. DCPS PTAs can also pay for school repairs instead of waiting in line in the system wide repair schedule.

If you can be in the Town of Somerset, that also has some great community advantages. I'd target that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

How do you mean? The PTA's in DC can pay teachers directly??

Yes. They are PTA employees, not DCPS employees.

How does the PTA decide which classrooms/grades get the extra staffing? Do the 3rd grade parents literally fund a 3rd grade teacher?

Most upper NW DCPS elementary PTAs do this. Often they prioritize K-2, and they fund the 2nd (assistant) teacher in all the classes. In MCPS this is prohibited for multiple reasons.

That is wild that the PTAs can fund teachers!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

How do you mean? The PTA's in DC can pay teachers directly??

Yes. They are PTA employees, not DCPS employees.

How does the PTA decide which classrooms/grades get the extra staffing? Do the 3rd grade parents literally fund a 3rd grade teacher?

And does the PTA control who is hired/fired?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

How do you mean? The PTA's in DC can pay teachers directly??

Yes. They are PTA employees, not DCPS employees.

How does the PTA decide which classrooms/grades get the extra staffing? Do the 3rd grade parents literally fund a 3rd grade teacher?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

How do you mean? The PTA's in DC can pay teachers directly??

Yes. They are PTA employees, not DCPS employees.

Anonymous wrote:Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

How do you mean? The PTA's in DC can pay teachers directly??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for your input. We are thinking we'd likely go private for middle so we are mostly focused on elementary, though who knows what we'd decide in the future.

Then I would definitely go for Mann.

+1. We are at one of these schools and have friends at the other. What others have said on this thread is accurate. Because of the difference in PTA fundraising policies, Mann is resourced like a private school in the public system, not just a well resourced public like in MCPS. If middle school isn't a consideration, Mann has the clear advantage over Somerset. If middle and high school are considerations, MCPS gives you the more stable, better resourced feeder pattern all the way through.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for your input. We are thinking we'd likely go private for middle so we are mostly focused on elementary, though who knows what we'd decide in the future.

Then I would definitely go for Mann.

Somerset is tiny (not even 400 students) and I think Mann is as well which makes for an intimate community. We have children at Somerset and like it. I’ve heard Mann is good too and it’s true DCPS allows PTAs to pay for staff which gives wealthy schools like Mann a leg up despite the equity issues…

OP here. Thank you for your input. We are thinking we'd likely go private for middle so we are mostly focused on elementary, though who knows what we'd decide in the future.

Mann in a heartbeat. Everyone we know there loves it. And the PTA can fundraise to pay for extra staff, so the ratios are much better than what you'll get at Somerset.

But I would take Westland over Hardy in a heartbeat as well.

Elementary is going to be fine in either DCPS or MCPS, the problem is going to be more when they go to middle and high school. With Somerset you are zoned for BCC which has the IB program. I believe Mann is zoned for Jackson Reed or you can go to a charter in DCPS… but personally I’d stay in MCPS

We are relocating from NW DC and considering homes in boundary for Mann or Somerset.

Any perspectives you can share on the better choice?

Our kids have attended a private preschool that is warm, attentive, and focuses on developing the "whole child," including social emotional learning and fostering a curiosity and love of learning. Our oldest child is at a private elementary school that has the same traits, and we will probably keep her there. For a variety of reasons we are considering the next two to public elementary, though looking for something that will not be a jarring departure from their current experience or vastly different from their older sister's experience.

Thanks for your input. Also posted in the DCPS forum.