PP, I agree! Places like Brent, Maury, Ludlow, and Ross have grown and changed. They are five years further down the road than Cooke, Marie Reed, West, Garrison, and Francis (to name some of the schools that people have been interested in recently), but in each of these schools I see potential as more parents remain. I really feel like we can't keep killing each other to get into (and then commute to) the few charters and JKLMMOs that have slots available. I want the neighborhood life and school described by a Janney parent in another post, without having to drive to the other side of town to get it or move away from my much-loved neighborhood and the friendships I've made here.

On the Hill there seems to be a progression each year with Brent and Maury and Ludlow. First, people are like, "heck, we'll try this for preschool." Then some of them leave and some stay, and then progressively people become more committed. For my DC, we have lottery entries where I can't see us staying beyond a few years, but maybe we will. Or maybe another family with a kid a few years younger will. I don't think my DC and I are going to turn the school miraculously overnight into Janney, but I feel optimistic that all the schools we put on the lottery application could end up being the right thing for my fmaily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PS 3:

Cooke (OOB with sibling)
Bancroft
Tubman
Ross
Francis
Marie Reed

Curious - why Tubman?

I've met the principal several times and have been impressed with him every time. He does active community outreach for volunteers and is extremely articulate and personable. I love the strong presence of the school at the annual Columbia Heights Day. The outside of the school is ugly, but the inside is beautiful and recently renovated. I just think it is already a good school and is bound to get better with time. With a 100% minority population, they have made great strides in test scores over the past two years.

And, to the person who claims everyone will flee Marie Reed by third grade, so your point is.....? My impression from the JLKMMO schools discussions is that there's also quite a bit of movement from those schools after 3rd grade too, over to the private side of things. So if we can be at Marie Reed for the next 5 years, that's 5 more years we can stay in our current home. Then we can apply OOB for a coveted JKLMMO spot vacated by a child fleeing to private. For now, I'm taking it one year at a time.

"There is a fine line between funny and insufferable. I learned some time ago that always trying to be funny at others' expense often just leaves people with a negative impression of the person trying to be witty."

I was not trying to be funny.

I'd bet hard cold cash my middle school aged kids are older than yours. For families that have lived the reality of DCPS for years, this is no joke.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:for PK-4:

Janney
Hearst
Eaton
Stoddart
Murch
Lafayette (long shot)

Yu Ying

This is a great list but unless you are in boundary they are ALL long shots. Not to say you won't get in somewhere. Best of luck to everyone!

We are in boundary for Janney. Rest are long-shot back-ups (Lafayette being the longest long shot).

Anonymous wrote:Almost only counts in horseshoe and hand grenades.

If rich white folks enroll at Reed and actually show up, they will vanish by third grade. The ones (one?) that's still around in the fourth grade will complain repeatedly and vigorously on this board and crap all over the school.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

And welcome to DCPS!

There is a fine line between funny and insufferable. I learned some time ago that always trying to be funny at others' expense often just leaves people with a negative impression of the person trying to be witty.

Anonymous wrote:pre-K 4

1. Barnard
2. Eaton
3. Hearst
4. Shepherd
5. West
6. Stoddert

PP. I like your list! I am guessing you live east of the park in NW but are willing to commute west for the right school.

Almost only counts in horseshoe and hand grenades.

If rich white folks enroll at Reed and actually show up, they will vanish by third grade. The ones (one?) that's still around in the fourth grade will complain repeatedly and vigorously on this board and crap all over the school.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

And welcome to DCPS!

Anonymous wrote:PS 3:

Cooke (OOB with sibling)
Bancroft
Tubman
Ross
Francis
Marie Reed

Curious - why Tubman?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i dub marie reed the new "it" school.

Let's see who actually shows (and stays) this fall.

We were one of those families that ALMOST did Marie Reed last year. I would not take our decision to change to a different OOB school as a diss on Reed though. Still wishing the school we switched to had a vigorous language program.

Anonymous wrote:for PK-4:

Janney
Hearst
Eaton
Stoddart
Murch
Lafayette (long shot)

Yu Ying

This is a great list but unless you are in boundary they are ALL long shots. Not to say you won't get in somewhere. Best of luck to everyone!

We are actually quite happy with our current OOB school but would be willing to move to a better PK-4, we'll see what happens.

Eaton
Oyster
Stoddert
Hyde
Lafayette
Janney

Yeah, I know. Snowball's chance...