Anonymous
11/16/2025 22:52
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My DC is in 8th grade and we are getting ready for applications. Their in boundary school right now is Macarthur but we might (not sure at all yet) be moving in a couple months and will then be in boundary for Jackson Reed. I don't want my kid to stress and apply to too many school like some of their friends are planning on. My first question is Macarthur or Jackson Reed? Although Jackson Reed is the better school right now, its very very big and neither my child or I are interested in such a big school. There is a lot of discussion about Macarthur though and I just don't know if it will end up being a good school or a total failure. I know Hardy kids feed into Macarthur but I would've thought that the "good" kids get into selective or private schools. Next for application schools; Walls seems like the best option to apply to but I have heard some negative things about it such as the staff and principal not being very good and communicative and it being very cliquey so I'm wondering if that's true. Banneker seems like a truly great school but is a bit far for us and the commute is difficult. Duke is out of the question and same with McKinley tech as it doesn't interest my child. I'm wondering if they should just go to Macarthur or if it's too risky and should apply to walls or even Banneker? My dc are very academic focused and we care about that as well. Any opinions, facts or experiences from current or former parents of these schools would be greatly appreciated!! And as the title states, what schools are your kids going to/applying to?
Hardy parent here as well and I’m glad this forum is anonymous because I can’t get over the fact that you used the word “good” kids… as opposed to… the “bad” kids? Only “bad” kids go to MacArthur? Really?
Thank you for saying this. This is so gross and I’d love this family to go as far away as possible from the “bad kids”.
Anonymous
11/16/2025 21:07
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:I would like to know more about Walls and Banneker as well. I have numerous friends whose children think they’ll game the system by taking easy classes at our Capitol Hill middle school while we went to a charter and took the most demanding classes. I honestly would prefer continuing at our charter than having my kid get bored with a bunch of kids who aren’t on grade level. But then again maybe Walls or Banneker is better?
I wouldn't judge these kids too harshly. They will be straight A students who are meeting the highest requirements for the school they are in and most of them will rise to the occasion of a harder school. Aptitudes will vary and there are certainly some 99th percentile kids who go to DCPS. Put them in a more challenging situation and they will do very well.
And I'm saying this as someone who chose one of the hard charters for middle school instead of DCPS. If they wanted to go to Walls and were lucky enough to get in, I would not be worried about peer group at ALL.
Anonymous
11/16/2025 14:11
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Stay at BASIS DC for HS.
Get a private school education for free!
Same.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 19:17
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would like to know more about Walls and Banneker as well. I have numerous friends whose children think they’ll game the system by taking easy classes at our Capitol Hill middle school while we went to a charter and took the most demanding classes. I honestly would prefer continuing at our charter than having my kid get bored with a bunch of kids who aren’t on grade level. But then again maybe Walls or Banneker is better?
This makes no sense since grade inflation is rampant at DCPS in both “hard” and easy classes. Everyone gets an A!
I teach at a DCPS Middle School and this is not true.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 17:14
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Our in-bound is J-R, but my kid is at Banneker and likes it. Ranked it higher than Walls despite me pushing for the other way around. Something about their approach just appealed more to him after the interview.
The kids are nice. The teachers seem pretty great; we've met just about our kids's teachers through back to school nights and PTCs.
I don't have a much of a read on the admin beyond that the principal seems to run a very tight ship and doesn't seem to want much parent involvement. No actual, solid complaints though more parent communication would be appreciated. Solid academics. Competitive, but friendly sports teams. Lots of fun clubs.
The kids are nice. The teachers seem pretty great; we've met just about our kids's teachers through back to school nights and PTCs.
I don't have a much of a read on the admin beyond that the principal seems to run a very tight ship and doesn't seem to want much parent involvement. No actual, solid complaints though more parent communication would be appreciated. Solid academics. Competitive, but friendly sports teams. Lots of fun clubs.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 16:13
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:My DC is in 8th grade and we are getting ready for applications. Their in boundary school right now is Macarthur but we might (not sure at all yet) be moving in a couple months and will then be in boundary for Jackson Reed. I don't want my kid to stress and apply to too many school like some of their friends are planning on. My first question is Macarthur or Jackson Reed? Although Jackson Reed is the better school right now, its very very big and neither my child or I are interested in such a big school. There is a lot of discussion about Macarthur though and I just don't know if it will end up being a good school or a total failure. I know Hardy kids feed into Macarthur but I would've thought that the "good" kids get into selective or private schools. Next for application schools; Walls seems like the best option to apply to but I have heard some negative things about it such as the staff and principal not being very good and communicative and it being very cliquey so I'm wondering if that's true. Banneker seems like a truly great school but is a bit far for us and the commute is difficult. Duke is out of the question and same with McKinley tech as it doesn't interest my child. I'm wondering if they should just go to Macarthur or if it's too risky and should apply to walls or even Banneker? My dc are very academic focused and we care about that as well. Any opinions, facts or experiences from current or former parents of these schools would be greatly appreciated!! And as the title states, what schools are your kids going to/applying to?
I have a kid at Walls and she likes it, seems to have found a good group of friends, is involved in activities and seems challenged. Like most schools, the teachers are a mixed bag (some great, others less so), and the facilities are lacking, especially when you see other DCPS high schools. The principal is underwhelming and unimpressive. I think the biggest asset is the cohort of kids.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 16:01
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Stay at BASIS DC for HS.
Get a private school education for free!
Get a private school education for free!
Anonymous
11/15/2025 15:13
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Hardy parent here. Ours is most likely going to MacArthur. Started all the application stuff for privates, but then visited MacArthur, was impressed with what she saw for academics and clubs offered. She liked the teachers she met and also got excited about the opportunity to stay with friends and stay in the neighborhood.
We will see what happens with Walls, we are going to the open house there this weekend, but unless it blows DD away and she has luck in the lottery, she will most likely be at MacArthur and we are happy with that choice.
Any feedback on the Walls open house?
Anonymous
11/15/2025 14:55
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And name at least one DC public middle school where the students get to choose between taking “easy” vs. “difficult “ classes! This is really ridiculous.
Kids who have the option to accelerate in math at Deal and Hardy can choose not to.
This still does not make sense from the context and claims of this thread. This/these are one class/subject matter among the many classes middle schoolers have to take that could impact their GPA, and ultimately, DCPS is moving towards having all 8th graders take Algebra1. If a student does not want to take Geometry in 8th grade, it doesn’t imply that they are choosing an easy class instead.
If you are a kid applying to these schools, choosing Algebra 1 in 8th is the norm. Taking Geometry would be the difficult class.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 13:14
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would like to know more about Walls and Banneker as well. I have numerous friends whose children think they’ll game the system by taking easy classes at our Capitol Hill middle school while we went to a charter and took the most demanding classes. I honestly would prefer continuing at our charter than having my kid get bored with a bunch of kids who aren’t on grade level. But then again maybe Walls or Banneker is better?
This makes no sense since grade inflation is rampant at DCPS in both “hard” and easy classes. Everyone gets an A!
This varies by school. My kid went to a charter and grades were not inflated and homework was required. He did not have a 4.0. Many kids in DC don't.
Do you have statistics proving the grade inflation or is that just your uninformed impression?
PP above said DCPS. We are also at a charter middle school and grades are definately not inflated.
Grades were not inflated at our DCPS middle, either. Fewer than half a dozen kids per grade had straight As in any given term (I attended all the awards assemblies and saw the slides).
Anonymous
11/15/2025 09:59
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And name at least one DC public middle school where the students get to choose between taking “easy” vs. “difficult “ classes! This is really ridiculous.
Kids who have the option to accelerate in math at Deal and Hardy can choose not to.
This still does not make sense from the context and claims of this thread. This/these are one class/subject matter among the many classes middle schoolers have to take that could impact their GPA, and ultimately, DCPS is moving towards having all 8th graders take Algebra1. If a student does not want to take Geometry in 8th grade, it doesn’t imply that they are choosing an easy class instead.
Anonymous
11/15/2025 07:30
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:And name at least one DC public middle school where the students get to choose between taking “easy” vs. “difficult “ classes! This is really ridiculous.
Kids who have the option to accelerate in math at Deal and Hardy can choose not to.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 22:39
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
And name at least one DC public middle school where the students get to choose between taking “easy” vs. “difficult “ classes! This is really ridiculous.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 22:37
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would like to know more about Walls and Banneker as well. I have numerous friends whose children think they’ll game the system by taking easy classes at our Capitol Hill middle school while we went to a charter and took the most demanding classes. I honestly would prefer continuing at our charter than having my kid get bored with a bunch of kids who aren’t on grade level. But then again maybe Walls or Banneker is better?
This makes no sense since grade inflation is rampant at DCPS in both “hard” and easy classes. Everyone gets an A!
This varies by school. My kid went to a charter and grades were not inflated and homework was required. He did not have a 4.0. Many kids in DC don't.
Do you have statistics proving the grade inflation or is that just your uninformed impression?
PP above said DCPS. We are also at a charter middle school and grades are definately not inflated.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 21:52
Subject: What Highschools are your kids applying to/going to?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would like to know more about Walls and Banneker as well. I have numerous friends whose children think they’ll game the system by taking easy classes at our Capitol Hill middle school while we went to a charter and took the most demanding classes. I honestly would prefer continuing at our charter than having my kid get bored with a bunch of kids who aren’t on grade level. But then again maybe Walls or Banneker is better?
This makes no sense since grade inflation is rampant at DCPS in both “hard” and easy classes. Everyone gets an A!
This varies by school. My kid went to a charter and grades were not inflated and homework was required. He did not have a 4.0. Many kids in DC don't.
Do you have statistics proving the grade inflation or is that just your uninformed impression?