Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

Please do. You sound like quite the gang expert, pepper mom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

You sound like a raving lunatic. If something blows up DC, it will take out the suburbs. If there is some sort of terrorist shooting, it would be more likely to be in the suburbs as we have seen in France for instance. I have a beautiful yard right here in DC and don't feel the need to have two acres. Listen, I'm not trying to convince you to move to DC, but your insane ravings are hilarious.

I think what she's saying is that museums are overrated. I agree. We take our 4 year old to museums when we run out of other things to do with him. Would much rather have a giant yard and other suburban/small town stuff for him to do. DC is really for the parents, not the kids, as far as recreation goes. The only real plusses overall for the family are short commutes and housing value increases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though it may be diversity in terms of ethnic background/birthplace, I'm not sure schools full of diplomats' and WB executives' kids is really more meaningfully "diverse" than many DC DCPS/HRCS especially at the ES level. That is, I think socioeconomic diversity sometimes matters a whole lot more...

Completely agree. World Bank culture is surprisingly homogenous. Many different languages, skin colors, birth places, but all middle/upper middle class childhoods with 2+ degrees from good universities. And many studied at the same universities in the US, UK and EU. SES diversity is much more noticeable than ethnic diversity after you've known someone for more than a day.

You need to have a degree in higher education to work at the world bank, IADB, IMF, etc.

And as someone who actually works at one of these places, I can tell you it's quite diverse.

It's 100% fair to say it's a different kind of diversity though. I'm a U.S. career FSO and would never deny that foreign diplomats posted to DC long term (as most countries do, especially poorer ones) are actually more "like me" than many of my NE neighbors. Theirs kids are even more like my kids, Since many of them have been 100% raised here.

I work for the WB, and this is 100% correct, and this is the only kind of diversity I want for my children. I don't really want them to have Section 8 friends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

You sound like a raving lunatic. If something blows up DC, it will take out the suburbs. If there is some sort of terrorist shooting, it would be more likely to be in the suburbs as we have seen in France for instance. I have a beautiful yard right here in DC and don't feel the need to have two acres. Listen, I'm not trying to convince you to move to DC, but your insane ravings are hilarious.

I think what she's saying is that museums are overrated. I agree. We take our 4 year old to museums when we run out of other things to do with him. Would much rather have a giant yard and other suburban/small town stuff for him to do. DC is really for the parents, not the kids, as far as recreation goes. The only real plusses overall for the family are short commutes and housing value increases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though it may be diversity in terms of ethnic background/birthplace, I'm not sure schools full of diplomats' and WB executives' kids is really more meaningfully "diverse" than many DC DCPS/HRCS especially at the ES level. That is, I think socioeconomic diversity sometimes matters a whole lot more...

Completely agree. World Bank culture is surprisingly homogenous. Many different languages, skin colors, birth places, but all middle/upper middle class childhoods with 2+ degrees from good universities. And many studied at the same universities in the US, UK and EU. SES diversity is much more noticeable than ethnic diversity after you've known someone for more than a day.

You need to have a degree in higher education to work at the world bank, IADB, IMF, etc.

And as someone who actually works at one of these places, I can tell you it's quite diverse.

It's 100% fair to say it's a different kind of diversity though. I'm a U.S. career FSO and would never deny that foreign diplomats posted to DC long term (as most countries do, especially poorer ones) are actually more "like me" than many of my NE neighbors. Theirs kids are even more like my kids, Since many of them have been 100% raised here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

You sound like a raving lunatic. If something blows up DC, it will take out the suburbs. If there is some sort of terrorist shooting, it would be more likely to be in the suburbs as we have seen in France for instance. I have a beautiful yard right here in DC and don't feel the need to have two acres. Listen, I'm not trying to convince you to move to DC, but your insane ravings are hilarious.

I think what she's saying is that museums are overrated. I agree. We take our 4 year old to museums when we run out of other things to do with him. Would much rather have a giant yard and other suburban/small town stuff for him to do. DC is really for the parents, not the kids, as far as recreation goes. The only real plusses overall for the family are short commutes and housing value increases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

You sound like a raving lunatic. If something blows up DC, it will take out the suburbs. If there is some sort of terrorist shooting, it would be more likely to be in the suburbs as we have seen in France for instance. I have a beautiful yard right here in DC and don't feel the need to have two acres. Listen, I'm not trying to convince you to move to DC, but your insane ravings are hilarious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Your response is just a way to justify your choices. That's what WE ALL do.

Let me model this for you.

Who cares how close you are to the Smithsonian? Museums are not the end all in enrichment. We live in the exurts on 2 acres, close to horse farms and a beautiful reservoir. We can purchase locally-grown items (locally grown as in down the road). We don't have to worry about gang issues in schools. Our kids can run around the neighborhood, and we don't have to worry. We have more than enough room to grow a garden. We have a pool. We entertain all the time b/c there's plenty of room for large crowds and enough street parking. If the shit hits the fan, DC is the first to go. And your World Bank pals won't be waiting to save your ass.

Should I go on and on?

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who bailed on the Hill a couple years ago over schools issues. Her child has moved onto an AAP center in Fairfax, while ours, who is the same age, is at Brent. I'm not convinced that her child learns more than mine a given week. She's far from the Smithsonians now, while we walk down most weekends. Our child takes seriously good music and art classes a 5-minute walk from our house, and visit the the local library across the street almost every day. She has to drive her kid everywhere, or put him on a school bus. My kids' classmates have parents who are World Bank economists, design Mars rovers for NASA, serve as senior diplomats and military officers, and drive legislative battles in the Senate.

I'm not buying that Fairfax offers young families more overall, at least at the elementary school level.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. So why are people always claiming that MoCo and N. Arlington are so much better? Though true those are statewide scores...can we see a county breakdown