Anonymous wrote:Second the recommendation that you look at your neighborhood school - not just on the internet, but by actually going there. Open houses will start in the fall, which is a good way to get a feel for the interior of the school. EdFest will be toward the end of the year (November/December) and is a good opportunity to see how schools do outreach, which can be an indicator of what the school's engagement with the community is (though not the only one).

+1 Especially if your neighborhood school is not a sought after school. Meet with the principal.

Look at all of the lists of schools on Myschools. There are 120 schools serving pre-k 3 Narrow down the list by eliminating schools based on (in no particular order)

1. Location - what is the farthest you are willing to commute? 1 mile? 3?

2. How low are you willing to go on test scores? Test scores are not everything - but at a certain low level - they can create a cut off.

3. Educational method. Is there a method that you do not think would suit your child or family? For instance - are you against drill and kill testing?

Now you probably have a list of 30 or fewer schools. From there - look in more details at the profiles of the schools. School equity reports. Look at the school webpages. Create a list of questions or things you are curious about. Create a list of things you like and dislike about various schools.

Begin visiting schools. Talk with teachers , talk with principals, talk with parents. Get a feel for the school. Ask your friends, co-workers, etc.

Anonymous wrote:decide whether your goal is a place that is good for preK or good through the testing grades and into middle and high school. Often, a nurturing place for a 4 year old is not the right spot for a 14 year old.

And sometimes your child will wind up having issues or talents you never imagined when they were 1-2 years old -- learning disabilities, musical prodigy, math genius or whatever. It's awfully hard to select a path when they are 2-3 years old and be confident it will work through high school.

Stay flexible.

decide whether your goal is a place that is good for preK or good through the testing grades and into middle and high school. Often, a nurturing place for a 4 year old is not the right spot for a 14 year old.

go to open houses. I know some peopel think they are a waste of time and don't do them unless they are already accepted but I found them very helpful. When you are at the playground, chat with other parents of school age kids and ask them how they feel about their school. And definitely visit your IB. Because chances are if you try for any popular charter you are NOT gettng in, so you need to make peace with your options. I did THREE tours/open houses of our IB, starting when our kid was only a year old. I saw some changes over time. We got shut out of our top 5 choices in lottery and will be at teh IB at least for 1-2 years now and I am ok with that.

Second the recommendation that you look at your neighborhood school - not just on the internet, but by actually going there. Open houses will start in the fall, which is a good way to get a feel for the interior of the school. EdFest will be toward the end of the year (November/December) and is a good opportunity to see how schools do outreach, which can be an indicator of what the school's engagement with the community is (though not the only one).

The learndc.org website is a great source of information about DCPS and all charter schools.

You can find class sizes, test scores, demographics, discipline records (e.g. numbers of suspensions/expulsions), mid-year transfer and attrition numbers.

Remember that every dazzling charter school has people who disliked it and left.

Look in the data section of the dcpcsb website for the charter wait list numbers. Read them, weep, and cozy up to your neighborhood school. Or at least try to speak positively of it, because it is likely that you will end up there.

Decide on factors that really matter for your child and your family (commute really does matter!) and base your decision on those things. Visit every school you are considering and trust your instincts and abilities to decide what is best for your family.

Brace yourself for the rash of opinions and judgments that you will hear/read while you consider schools and just keep grounding yourself in your priorities and values.

Good luck!!

You might also consider nearby neighborhood schools. Not all of them fill up with in-boundary kids.

Plan to give your neighborhood school a chance even if you are a little concerned about it. DCPS preschool is usually pretty solid and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Take a map and be realistic about your commute. That should cut it down to 12 schools pretty quickly.

Tell us your neighborhood and people will give you a list.

Start to decide what is important to you: commute, Montessori, billingual, etc.

Talk to your neighbors.

Watch for and attend open houses which is best way to start. They will start in late fall.

Also go to the My School DC fair - check the MSDC website in the fall for the date.

So if I'm trying to find a school for my toddler well in advance, what steps to take? Visit the charters and my neighborhood DCPS?