Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You put it higher on your list for a reason. Just move.

I'm sure your kid loves their school but they'll also love their other school.

Also, how white could the new school be? There are no lily white schools at all in the district, that I know of.

Same poster. Also, if it's that white it's DCPS and feeds to Jackson Reed. That is huge. That is a path all the way to high school. You should take the spot for that reason alone.

OP here. This may give away both schools but Highly Sought After does not feed JR or McArthur. The schools that do are too far for us.

I am good with the middle from what I know of it - pretty good reputation for a non Deal/Hardy. I am def NOT okay with the high school. Yes, if feeder pattern changed, mental math would be different.

On behavior at Hidden Gem..it frankly doesn't seem like a problem per other parents, even in the upper grades. Academics also seem strong - lots of kids from Hidden Gem enroll at Basis and do well there, for what that's worth, but I am guessing the academics at Highly Sought After are at least as strong or stronger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

I know people who have left my IB and nearby ones for supposedly greener pastures
One hated the commute, came back to the IB, and moved out of DC for middle school.
One felt that the Title I school was better at differentiating her (non-white, far above grade level) child and they were tired of the racial stereotypes and microaggressions they encountered WOTP. They came back and eventually left DC.
Several others have stayed with the further away school and eventually continued in that feeder pattern or went to BASIS (which is a better commute from my neighborhood).

A lot depends on how you tolerate the commute, your kid's temperment, and the other kids/teachers/admins in the particular school in question, which are hard to judge. But I think it's worth trying the new school if your husband will shoulder a bunch of the burden associated with the longer commute.

I think this is going to be school specific. We moved from a Title 1 to a "top 5" DCPS with a very above grade (deep 99th percentile) kid. Our Title 1 was making a valiant effort to differentiate in reading and math but it was kind of chaotic and teacher-dependent. The top 5 DCPS is differentiating for him in a much more thought-out and logical way, in a plan that was approved by the principal and formed in coordination with the math and literacy coaches.

Is husband willing to do pickup every day? (Not dropoff bc drop off is easier) if so then switch.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

Do it now and immerse yourself in the new community. Over time it will become the new normal and you’ll move past your regrets. Or maybe you don’t and you can go back to your current school.

Behavior and academics all get worse in upper grades, no matter what desirability the school is. Make it one thing you have to worry less about (until middle school when it sounds like you’d be trying to lottery again).

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

I know people who have left my IB and nearby ones for supposedly greener pastures
One hated the commute, came back to the IB, and moved out of DC for middle school.
One felt that the Title I school was better at differentiating her (non-white, far above grade level) child and they were tired of the racial stereotypes and microaggressions they encountered WOTP. They came back and eventually left DC.
Several others have stayed with the further away school and eventually continued in that feeder pattern or went to BASIS (which is a better commute from my neighborhood).

A lot depends on how you tolerate the commute, your kid's temperment, and the other kids/teachers/admins in the particular school in question, which are hard to judge. But I think it's worth trying the new school if your husband will shoulder a bunch of the burden associated with the longer commute.

Anonymous wrote:You put it higher on your list for a reason. Just move.

I'm sure your kid loves their school but they'll also love their other school.

Also, how white could the new school be? There are no lily white schools at all in the district, that I know of.

Same poster. Also, if it's that white it's DCPS and feeds to Jackson Reed. That is huge. That is a path all the way to high school. You should take the spot for that reason alone.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

Yes, we did. We had similar mental math - we were on the fence but felt we could take the chance knowing we had a safe place to land back at the IB if the new school didn’t work. We liked the IB school and loved the people there but my sensitive child was not coping well with the behaviors that were present in K/1st. Turned into nightmares and anxiety. So we kind of had to make a change and unfortunately what the school offered for accommodations was not acceptable.

We lotteried to a WOTP school though that feeds to Hardy and MacArthur, and that made the decision easier to also have a “better” feeder pattern. The commute hasn’t been fun but not as bad as I feared. We did have to buy a second car to make this work as well so there may be financial considerations.

I have no regrets other than I wish we had left at K when we first tried and got a spot (our new school is not as highly sought after as some, and we’ve had middle luck each lottery, so we actually got a spot by match or waitlist K and 1st, and then we finally took a waitlist spot for 2nd). My kid made a couple good friends in 1st and her missing them has made her transition to a school where more established friendships existed not easy. But the school offered some social support via the 504 process for her anxiety diagnosis and that’s been like night and day.

Good luck with the decision!

You put it higher on your list for a reason. Just move.

I'm sure your kid loves their school but they'll also love their other school.

Also, how white could the new school be? There are no lily white schools at all in the district, that I know of.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

Yes. And while I was very emotional about it, it was necessary for my DD's academics even in K. I don't regret it at all, though I am aware of pros and cons and the Title I school was better in certain aspects.

It isn't the same middle school though, and that was a big reason for us.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

I did it mid-elementary. Absolutely no regrets. I do think the kids at the Title 1 were a little sweeter. but the academics -- there is no comparison. Even my kid can tell ("i'm less bored") and he is objectively learning much more. No chance we are going back.

Anonymous wrote:Your husband will likely not get over it and will bring it up anytime something bad happens at your current school so yes, make the switch.

The difference in academics and behavior isn't huge in K but in upper elementary is all too real.

Ha! Yes. You must have a listening device in my house. He has already made that point!

OP here. Thank you. I guess I'm also wondering...has anyone else been in this situation, left a beloved Title I for a school that's among the highest performing in the city?

Were you glad you switched? Did you stay or switch back?

Your husband will likely not get over it and will bring it up anytime something bad happens at your current school so yes, make the switch.

The difference in academics and behavior isn't huge in K but in upper elementary is all too real.

Yes, it does. Once you're in K, you have the right to attend your IB at any time.

We had crazy lottery luck for K and got into a highly sought-after, mostly white, super high achieving elementary school I didn't think we had any shot at.

We are currently happy at our super diverse, hidden gem in-bound, which we absolutely love, but which has struggled with enrollment. It gets through its whole wait list every year, for every grade, except maybe PreK-3. Our in bound has low test scores overall, though I think it outperforms its demographics. We had planned to stay through 5th and lotteried just for the heck of it (mostly to appease my husband who hates our school's admittedly crap facilities, which are def the worst thing about our school.) Both schools have same feeder middle/high.

I am currently doing research on Highly Sought After to see if it's worth the longer commute/lack of diversity. My friends at Hidden Gem say that if I am even remotely considering Highly Sought After I should go ahead and enroll there. Their Argument: If we change our minds, or try it and decide it's not for us, Hidden Gem has to take us back, cause we're K and in boundary. Plus, unless something crazy happens there will be more than enough room in K for us at Hidden Gem, at any point in the school year.

We will almost certainly never lottery back into Highly Sought After - this is our one shot to try a school like it without moving. It is certainly better resourced than Hidden Gem.

So hive mind...are my friends right? Does our in bound have to take us back no matter what?