Watkins ES and Stuart-Hobson MS. I hear the administration is top notch and really responsive to high-SES families.

agreed. I think Van Ness will probably be a pretty good school but I don't think it will be even close to 100% in bounds. The DME says there are currently 114 grade-appropriate kids in the neighborhood--it doesn't explain if that's grades PK-5 or in whatever grades Van Ness will take when it opens. Even if the early grades fill up early on, within 5 years I predict the school having a strong separation between mostly in-bounds lower grades and mostly OOB upper grades. Why?

* Not every family in the neighborhood wants to try out a new school. Some will also prefer dual-language, immersion, religious, Montessori, or any number of other DCPS/charter/private options.

* Families will try to get their kids into better feeder patterns. That will pull out a ton of 5th graders for Latin and BASIS and probably some lower grades as kids lottery into Wilson/DCI feeders or their families move into other neighborhoods or leave the District. Eastern is not an option for most of the neighborhood residents.

* There just won't be that many older kids in the neighborhood. The vast majority of housing in the area is rental, most of it studios and 1brs with a handful of 2brs. Even the condos under construction would be a tight fit with more than one kid.

* It is the closest Jefferson/Eastern feeder via public transit for many families whose in-bound middle and high schools are lower performing.

If this comes to pass, it will be very interesting to see how the school manages the inevitable culture clashes that occur when there are some very rich and some very poor families. Some DCPS schools and PTAs seem to handle this a lot better than others.

I think anyone who wants to bank on Van Ness being filled with wealthy IB kids might want to consider the wider neighborhood of OOB students who will also be interested in attending. Don't count on it being an exclusive rich kids only school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

Van Ness Elementary School in the Capitol Riverfront will be just as good as Brent Elementary School when it opens in 2015 - 2016. OOB families should really try to get in once the school opens.

Based on what criteria? The mere fact there will be some indeterminate number of three, four amd five year olds from IB high-SES families attending? Thanks, I'll pass on the "cool aide."

Exactly... When Van Ness Elementary School opens in 2015 - 2016, the school will be filled with 3, 4, and 5 year olds from IB high-SES families. This guarantees that the school will be one of the high performing elementary schools in DC.

[vimeo] :twisted: [quote=Anonymous]Mont Co, new resident back. Moving to small apartment in BCC cluster for Westland MS.

What didn't work for us, in one way or another in DC:

One highly regarded charter with child in "bleeding/leading edge"

Another highly regarded charter in expansion year with class out of control

One OOB school with high principal turnover (many years ago, in early Rhee days)

One OOB MS school with only adequate academics

The best public school years my older child had were at an OOB elementary with a miserable commute. The best public school years my younger child had were at the charter where older was "bleeding" edge, and younger was relatively content (and well educated).

The thing we never tried was Takoma EC, in bounds, and I would never ever send a child to Coolidge, the other in bounds school. I see a major problem with both Roosevelt and Coolidge underenrolled, and until one is closed (preferably Coolidge now that Roosevelt has been renovated), there will not be sufficient neighborhood impetus to improve the high school. There has been a real loss in the boundary proposal that all the education campuses are left intact, with the promise of a someday "new north MS". [/quote]

My spouse is a teacher. That's just over half of her normal hourly rate.

Uh oh. Now the teacher haters are really going to get riled up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of pom-poms on this thread. I can't imagine enrolling my rising 1st-grader in any school mentioned above.

It's easy to wax optimistic when your DC is enrolling for PS3. After paying for daycare, it seems like a gift.

Much the same for PK4, although by then you have a sense of opportunities greater than simply "free."

...

Or because the union is negotiating terms and did not want the teachers to negotiate it piecemeal. They are not paying the teachers the regular salary. I'm sure you com in and work extra hours for no pay at your job or else you get guilted into being a terrible person.

I think I read they were/are paid at over $35/hour for the additional hours.

My spouse is a teacher. That's just over half of her normal hourly rate.

Here is the point about 'reading it somewhere'. If it's not in a contact it does not matter. I can say that I'll pay you 100.00 an hour for extended day. You will agree to it, and then next year I'll change it. Why is DCPS so afraid of putting their promises in writing, and changing the contact?
And why are all you folks, who likely not even zoned for a bottom 40 school pushing extended day? Because you think it's good for the poor/black kids? Because you think teachers make too much money? Because you like to bash unions? There has to be a reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of pom-poms on this thread. I can't imagine enrolling my rising 1st-grader in any school mentioned above.

It's easy to wax optimistic when your DC is enrolling for PS3. After paying for daycare, it seems like a gift.

Much the same for PK4, although by then you have a sense of opportunities greater than simply "free."

K is where the rubber meets the road. By now, you have friends who are enrolled in very desirable programs. They may be HRCS (the Highly Regarded Charter shortlist: Bridges, Cap City, Creative Minds, DC Bilingual, DC Prep, EL Haynes, Inspired Teaching, LAMB, Mundo Verde, Two Rivers, Stokes, Yu Ying) or OOB JKLM, or private.

By 1st, if you didn't have an exit strategy, you need Xanax. Better prepared families have been peeling off for years. And those who didn't get lucky in the lottery, or paid up to go private, have decamped for FFX and MoCo.

Meanwhile DCPS's improvement strategy has offered extended school days... only to be shot down by the WTU. Why? Because when it comes to improving the education of children in DCPS? Children don't pay Union dues! So they (and their families) can go to... someplace hot. Of course, the WTU does insist that they get to keep their massive raise package.

Just because they win, doesn't mean that the taxpayer does.

Or because the union is negotiating terms and did not want the teachers to negotiate it piecemeal. They are not paying the teachers the regular salary. I'm sure you com in and work extra hours for no pay at your job or else you get guilted into being a terrible person.

I think I read they were/are paid at over $35/hour for the additional hours.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of pom-poms on this thread. I can't imagine enrolling my rising 1st-grader in any school mentioned above.

It's easy to wax optimistic when your DC is enrolling for PS3. After paying for daycare, it seems like a gift.

Much the same for PK4, although by then you have a sense of opportunities greater than simply "free."

K is where the rubber meets the road. By now, you have friends who are enrolled in very desirable programs. They may be HRCS (the Highly Regarded Charter shortlist: Bridges, Cap City, Creative Minds, DC Bilingual, DC Prep, EL Haynes, Inspired Teaching, LAMB, Mundo Verde, Two Rivers, Stokes, Yu Ying) or OOB JKLM, or private.

By 1st, if you didn't have an exit strategy, you need Xanax. Better prepared families have been peeling off for years. And those who didn't get lucky in the lottery, or paid up to go private, have decamped for FFX and MoCo.

Meanwhile DCPS's improvement strategy has offered extended school days... only to be shot down by the WTU. Why? Because when it comes to improving the education of children in DCPS? Children don't pay Union dues! So they (and their families) can go to... someplace hot. Of course, the WTU does insist that they get to keep their massive raise package.

Just because they win, doesn't mean that the taxpayer does.

Or because the union is negotiating terms and did not want the teachers to negotiate it piecemeal. They are not paying the teachers the regular salary. I'm sure you com in and work extra hours for no pay at your job or else you get guilted into being a terrible person.

"Cool aide" is borrowed from a recent posting in the Watkins thread.

It's kool aid

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

Van Ness Elementary School in the Capitol Riverfront will be just as good as Brent Elementary School when it opens in 2015 - 2016. OOB families should really try to get in once the school opens.

Based on what criteria? The mere fact there will be some indeterminate number of three, four amd five year olds from IB high-SES families attending? Thanks, I'll pass on the "cool aide."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

Van Ness Elementary School in the Capitol Riverfront will be just as good as Brent Elementary School when it opens in 2015 - 2016. OOB families should really try to get in once the school opens.

Smh you don't have a clue what makes a school good

Anonymous wrote:Where are you OP? Also, you realize the 12 choices in the common lottery include most charters right?

On the hill:
- if they can keep the principal, my money's on JO Wilson. Not much about it here on DCUM, but the principal is publicly and actively courting neighbors. They have a population that's a little challenging, but it seems like they want parents who are willing to put some elbow grease in for Long term results.
- If LT gets a welcoming principal, that wants the neighbors to attend, it's over getting in there OOB - that place will be hotter than Maury in a hot second because the neighborhood is increasingly high-SES
- I think Payne and Miner are still going to have a tough time with their populations. If DC General gets shut down, Payne may see a turn, but not in time for you to stick it out long term.
- Tyler still needs work... Just not the right administration/teacher balance. The SI program is a placeholder while people pray for MV
- I'd bet on Van Ness of it is an option, but I doubt you'll be alone.

Van Ness Elementary School in the Capitol Riverfront will be just as good as Brent Elementary School when it opens in 2015 - 2016. OOB families should really try to get in once the school opens.