I"m an Eaton parent and to be honest i might pick Mann. But there are a lot of unknown variables:

How long will you be in DC? (if it's long honestly i might pick Hearst for middle school feeder, short and I'd pick Mann because of Eaton renovation).

How much does commute matter? Is there a SAH parent, or are you both working? Do you need metro or specific bus line? Do you need to drive to drop off and then head to work, then drive to pick up? (Eaton can be tricky with car drop off in mornings, not impossible; Eaton closer to Metro (though a hike up/down hills), probably better bus access - the rest depends on your own individual needs).

Younger siblings? Eaton you might (likely) be shut out for PreK

etc etc - lots of things to consider.

Anonymous wrote:Enough already with the Hearst stuff. My kids now go to Hearst after initially going to Mann. Mann is much better and I regret that we didn't remain at Mann. I figured they'd be close to comparable and Hearst was much better located for my DH's commute, enabling him to drop them off instead of me.

What specifically did you think was much better at Mann?

Anonymous wrote:Enough already with the Hearst stuff. My kids now go to Hearst after initially going to Mann. Mann is much better and I regret that we didn't remain at Mann. I figured they'd be close to comparable and Hearst was much better located for my DH's commute, enabling him to drop them off instead of me.

+1. Mann and Janney are still the gold standard for Upper Northwest elementaries.

Anonymous wrote:Enough already with the Hearst stuff. My kids now go to Hearst after initially going to Mann. Mann is much better and I regret that we didn't remain at Mann. I figured they'd be close to comparable and Hearst was much better located for my DH's commute, enabling him to drop them off instead of me.

It's surprising to move from a school closer to one's home to one farther away.

Enough already with the Hearst stuff. My kids now go to Hearst after initially going to Mann. Mann is much better and I regret that we didn't remain at Mann. I figured they'd be close to comparable and Hearst was much better located for my DH's commute, enabling him to drop them off instead of me.

Anonymous wrote:Where are you commuting?
Both are great schools. Mann has beautiful facilities. It is not a very convenient location for public transit.
Eaton is a bit more convenient for public transit, although still a hike from metrorail. We have friends there who love it and have had a great experience. Just depends on where you work, etc. But the potential renovation and swing space is something to consider.

Why not Hearst, as others have suggested? Their renovation is already complete. Great school as well.

Not to mention that Hearst feeds to a more highly regarded middle school (Deal)

Where are you commuting?
Both are great schools. Mann has beautiful facilities. It is not a very convenient location for public transit.
Eaton is a bit more convenient for public transit, although still a hike from metrorail. We have friends there who love it and have had a great experience. Just depends on where you work, etc. But the potential renovation and swing space is something to consider.

Why not Hearst, as others have suggested? Their renovation is already complete. Great school as well.

Both great schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which one has chickens?

Janney.

Eaton can’t fit kids on the playground, let alone chickens.

Mann also has chickens.

Mann and Eaton are both great schools, but quite different from each other. If you are having trouble deciding between them, either you don't have strong opinions about schools (which is fine--they are both good schools), or you haven't actually checked them out very much. Even just looking in the windows of the schools would give you some sense of their differences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mann. Eaton is overcrowded and has no green space.

Among Mann, Eaton and Hearst, Mann is clearly the strongest school academically. It has a beautiful building and ample, shady outdoor play space. Eaton is the most "urban" of the schools.

One of Eaton’s real strengths is a great, truly diverse and dynamic group of families. Mann is more homogeneous, but absolutely wins on facilities.

If the PP meant for “urban” to signify black, then they made no sense. Eaton is extremely diverse ethnically, but it not very heavy on African Americans.

But Eaton is certainly more urban than Mann. It is in a higher density area, near a commercial area and metro stop, and has more car and foot traffic in the neighborhood. It is more crowded school with more compact outside space. It has more income diversity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mann. Eaton is overcrowded and has no green space.

Among Mann, Eaton and Hearst, Mann is clearly the strongest school academically. It has a beautiful building and ample, shady outdoor play space. Eaton is the most "urban" of the schools.

For God's sake, stop using "urban" as a euphemism for black people. FFS.

How about “urban” as a euphemism for not a blade of grass on the school yard in an otherwise rather suburban neighborhood? And now DCPS wants to shrink Eaton’s concrete and rubber playspace — to expand the school building to meet an even larger capacity far exceeding projected local demand. It’s moronic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mann. Eaton is overcrowded and has no green space.

Among Mann, Eaton and Hearst, Mann is clearly the strongest school academically. It has a beautiful building and ample, shady outdoor play space. Eaton is the most "urban" of the schools.

One of Eaton’s real strengths is a great, truly diverse and dynamic group of families. Mann is more homogeneous, but absolutely wins on facilities.

Mann is viewed as a higher performing school than Eaton, with more academic enrichment and accelerated programs. If one overweights diversity — which is an individual choice - then be prepared for at least some trade off in academic quality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mann. Eaton is overcrowded and has no green space.

Among Mann, Eaton and Hearst, Mann is clearly the strongest school academically. It has a beautiful building and ample, shady outdoor play space. Eaton is the most "urban" of the schools.

For God's sake, stop using "urban" as a euphemism for black people. FFS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mann. Eaton is overcrowded and has no green space.

Among Mann, Eaton and Hearst, Mann is clearly the strongest school academically. It has a beautiful building and ample, shady outdoor play space. Eaton is the most "urban" of the schools.

One of Eaton’s real strengths is a great, truly diverse and dynamic group of families. Mann is more homogeneous, but absolutely wins on facilities.