Long time DC resident, DC charter school parent (one time DCPS parent) and volunteer at ED Fest.

Bring the kids.

I say this, because it's a good chance to see how the school reps respond to your kids especially if they are misbehaving. Honestly, there is nothing you will learn at EdFest that you won't learn online (open houses!) but it's a great chance to see how the school reps and parents interact with you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is Edfest worth going to if you have already done tours of the schools you are interested in? Im not sure what else I would get out of it (we are basing our choices on commute, so even seeing a great school there won't get it added to our list)

Probably not in that case. You may get to ask a couple individual questions of a principal or parent from the school. That's about it.

That question wasn't asked by the OP. That person is admirable but more like a unicorn (I've heard of parents that have already done this much research, just never met one). For me, the OP whom has only done some limited googling, it does seem worth a visit if principals and other parents are there (vs. booths with handouts only).

Anonymous wrote:Is Edfest worth going to if you have already done tours of the schools you are interested in? Im not sure what else I would get out of it (we are basing our choices on commute, so even seeing a great school there won't get it added to our list)

Probably not in that case. You may get to ask a couple individual questions of a principal or parent from the school. That's about it.

Is Edfest worth going to if you have already done tours of the schools you are interested in? Im not sure what else I would get out of it (we are basing our choices on commute, so even seeing a great school there won't get it added to our list)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone attended EdFest in the past that can let me know if bringing 3 year old twins might not be a disaster? My husband and I would both like to go but don't have childcare available that day.

If there are two of you what's the prob, one go do the rounds the other entertains the kiddo, then the other do the rounds. Now a single mom/dad that's a problem!

I just wasn't sure if bringing them would be at all appropriate. I guess I'll see how my husband feels about staying vs. going.

Anonymous wrote:Expect that only one of you at a time will be able to do any school research. Unless your kids are remarkably well-behaved and will literally sit quietly in a stroller the whole time you're there.

But yes, it's doable.

Thanks. They are NOT remarkably well behaved (To be fair to them, they are good sweet kids but they are high energy and would want to explore and be part of the action ... I wasn't even thinking of having our stroller.)

I think we'll split up and one of us will just stay with the kids and the other will go (it's across the city from us ... which I'm guess is true for anyone not living on the Hill so would have been nice to travel together).

I guess, a secondary question, do you learn much from the fair you'd miss from online research?

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone attended EdFest in the past that can let me know if bringing 3 year old twins might not be a disaster? My husband and I would both like to go but don't have childcare available that day.

If there are two of you what's the prob, one go do the rounds the other entertains the kiddo, then the other do the rounds. Now a single mom/dad that's a problem!

We did it with our 3 yo last year. He got a little restless sitting in the stroller. It's doable, but a bit exhausting.

Expect that only one of you at a time will be able to do any school research. Unless your kids are remarkably well-behaved and will literally sit quietly in a stroller the whole time you're there.

But yes, it's doable.

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone attended EdFest in the past that can let me know if bringing 3 year old twins might not be a disaster? My husband and I would both like to go but don't have childcare available that day.

Recommend getting a sitter if you can. There is a little area for games in the back if you are comfortable leaving them with Parks and Rec employees for awhile. Three may be a bit young, but maybe they'd be fine with it. Lots of people have strollers as they are going around and that crowds the aisles (double strollers even worse - I had a 1 and almost 3 year old and felt like a jerk).

Has anyone attended EdFest in the past that can let me know if bringing 3 year old twins might not be a disaster? My husband and I would both like to go but don't have childcare available that day.