Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lotteried for Stuart-Hobson and are quite pleased. Ended up being offered a very late (last day of September) slot at one of the long waiting list charters and opted out because kiddo seemed to be settling in well at SH and it seemed too disruptive to switch. Realize that was maybe a risky move with HS, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

And I keep trying to remind myself that I went to a very well regarded middle school and I was an excellent student....and it was a terrible experience. MS just kind of sucks, kids are awkward and kind of mean at that age, etc., so I'm really trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I've seen DC parents pleasantly surprised at schools they didn't expect to be very good and families have terrible experiences at well-regarded schools who have had to radically change plans mid-year.

It'll be OK, OP, and no matter what you decide, and if it doesn't work out, you can always course correct in some way or another.

This is just objectively bad advice. So you went to a good academically rigorous school, but you had a bad experience there so it’s okay to send your kid to a poor performing school? Yeah I’m not buying it. We all want neighborhood schools to succeed but this is just bad logic. Also middle school really does matter to prepare you for high school.

Where did you go to school? Because your reading comprehension is poor. OP's kid is at Stuart Hobson, which is not a low performing school. You are conflating performance of the school (teaching quality, educational opportunities, overall environment) with student performance. Because of the high correlation between socioeconomic status (including education level of parents) and academic performance as measured on standardized tests, it is inevitable that high SES schools will have the highest average test scores, and low SES schools will have the lowest average test scores. For a school like S-H, which is mixed, you have to look beyond score averages to understand both school performance (how well subjects are taught, what subjects are offered, whether the school environment is conducive to learning) and how students in your child's cohort perform. High SES students at S-H tend to be high performers, with both high test scores and positive outcomes for admission to competitive high school programs. Low SES students tend to have lower test scores. If you are a high SES family, you can comfortably send your child to S-H without worrying it will ruin his or her academic prospects. Whether it's the right environment will depend on the kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lotteried for Stuart-Hobson and are quite pleased. Ended up being offered a very late (last day of September) slot at one of the long waiting list charters and opted out because kiddo seemed to be settling in well at SH and it seemed too disruptive to switch. Realize that was maybe a risky move with HS, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

And I keep trying to remind myself that I went to a very well regarded middle school and I was an excellent student....and it was a terrible experience. MS just kind of sucks, kids are awkward and kind of mean at that age, etc., so I'm really trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I've seen DC parents pleasantly surprised at schools they didn't expect to be very good and families have terrible experiences at well-regarded schools who have had to radically change plans mid-year.

It'll be OK, OP, and no matter what you decide, and if it doesn't work out, you can always course correct in some way or another.

This is just objectively bad advice. So you went to a good academically rigorous school, but you had a bad experience there so it’s okay to send your kid to a poor performing school? Yeah I’m not buying it. We all want neighborhood schools to succeed but this is just bad logic. Also middle school really does matter to prepare you for high school.

Nice try troll. There are high performers at Stuart Hobson.

Anonymous wrote:We lotteried for Stuart-Hobson and are quite pleased. Ended up being offered a very late (last day of September) slot at one of the long waiting list charters and opted out because kiddo seemed to be settling in well at SH and it seemed too disruptive to switch. Realize that was maybe a risky move with HS, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

And I keep trying to remind myself that I went to a very well regarded middle school and I was an excellent student....and it was a terrible experience. MS just kind of sucks, kids are awkward and kind of mean at that age, etc., so I'm really trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I've seen DC parents pleasantly surprised at schools they didn't expect to be very good and families have terrible experiences at well-regarded schools who have had to radically change plans mid-year.

It'll be OK, OP, and no matter what you decide, and if it doesn't work out, you can always course correct in some way or another.

This is just objectively bad advice. So you went to a good academically rigorous school, but you had a bad experience there so it’s okay to send your kid to a poor performing school? Yeah I’m not buying it. We all want neighborhood schools to succeed but this is just bad logic. Also middle school really does matter to prepare you for high school.

We lotteried for Stuart-Hobson and are quite pleased. Ended up being offered a very late (last day of September) slot at one of the long waiting list charters and opted out because kiddo seemed to be settling in well at SH and it seemed too disruptive to switch. Realize that was maybe a risky move with HS, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

And I keep trying to remind myself that I went to a very well regarded middle school and I was an excellent student....and it was a terrible experience. MS just kind of sucks, kids are awkward and kind of mean at that age, etc., so I'm really trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I've seen DC parents pleasantly surprised at schools they didn't expect to be very good and families have terrible experiences at well-regarded schools who have had to radically change plans mid-year.

It'll be OK, OP, and no matter what you decide, and if it doesn't work out, you can always course correct in some way or another.

If you are worried about MoCo boundaries, you could try Arlington. All the high schools are solid (although they are big). I think home prices have gone up more than DC though, so that may be an issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

MoCo was our plan for a while but now there's all this stuff with them changing the high school magnet programs and people seem in an uproar about it. It's confusing to me as a DC resident. Someone recently told me there is no such thing as a boundary school in MoCo? I don't think that's true but digging into it, it's sort of true? Anyway, we are looking at DC again because housing prices have gone up in MoCo anyway, making it less like a clear affordability win than we originally thought, and the school situation seems in flux.

We know others in the same boat, who were ready to just move up to Tacoma Park or Bethesda and call it done and now aren't so sure that makes sense.

I don't get the "boundary" point? MCPS has rigid boundaries/feeder patterns. There's no lottery or "proximity preference" like DC. Some kids do magnet and therefore go "out of boundary," but not in the vast majority of cases.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

MoCo was our plan for a while but now there's all this stuff with them changing the high school magnet programs and people seem in an uproar about it. It's confusing to me as a DC resident. Someone recently told me there is no such thing as a boundary school in MoCo? I don't think that's true but digging into it, it's sort of true? Anyway, we are looking at DC again because housing prices have gone up in MoCo anyway, making it less like a clear affordability win than we originally thought, and the school situation seems in flux.

We know others in the same boat, who were ready to just move up to Tacoma Park or Bethesda and call it done and now aren't so sure that makes sense.

PP here, our back up was VA. Much, much better options with in state colleges and you have TJ if your kid is gifted or superstar STEM.

Also, you can just move to the W feeders, no?

PP here who moved to MoCo - the magnet programs are under review for how/where they're housed - but magnets are not what the vast majority of kids end up attending. I wouldn't make a stay/go choice based on what may or may not happen with them. My older DC wasn't interested in magnets since she wanted to move on with her friends to the same high school. Not sure what PP's friend meant by no "boundary" schools in MoCo - you feed from an ES to a MS to a HS, it's not complicated. These feeder patterns are also under review, but there are plenty of neighborhoods that won't be affected by this - we are in a part of Kensington that will continue its feed to Walter Johnson, for example.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

High school has more options in DC so if they can make it through middle school, it's another opportunity to lottery, apply to private, or move.

If you are talking decent high schools then no in my book. Walls is no longer guarantee, Latin, Basis, DCI next to impossible.

I’m not even talking great either but decent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

MoCo was our plan for a while but now there's all this stuff with them changing the high school magnet programs and people seem in an uproar about it. It's confusing to me as a DC resident. Someone recently told me there is no such thing as a boundary school in MoCo? I don't think that's true but digging into it, it's sort of true? Anyway, we are looking at DC again because housing prices have gone up in MoCo anyway, making it less like a clear affordability win than we originally thought, and the school situation seems in flux.

We know others in the same boat, who were ready to just move up to Tacoma Park or Bethesda and call it done and now aren't so sure that makes sense.

PP here, our back up was VA. Much, much better options with in state colleges and you have TJ if your kid is gifted or superstar STEM.

Also, you can just move to the W feeders, no?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

MoCo was our plan for a while but now there's all this stuff with them changing the high school magnet programs and people seem in an uproar about it. It's confusing to me as a DC resident. Someone recently told me there is no such thing as a boundary school in MoCo? I don't think that's true but digging into it, it's sort of true? Anyway, we are looking at DC again because housing prices have gone up in MoCo anyway, making it less like a clear affordability win than we originally thought, and the school situation seems in flux.

We know others in the same boat, who were ready to just move up to Tacoma Park or Bethesda and call it done and now aren't so sure that makes sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

High school has more options in DC so if they can make it through middle school, it's another opportunity to lottery, apply to private, or move.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Above is the answer and not all these poorly performing schools other posters are trying to convince you to try. Then what about high school?

We were lucky in the lottery but if we were not, moving was going to be the plan.

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering how that worked out? We are not excited for our in-bound (Wheatley) and we know our lottery options, but the odds of getting in anywhere OOB decrease each year. So what happens if you "lose"? Its really late in the year to move if you own a house.

They ended up in Montgomery County schools - we "lost" and private wasn't an option. Never thought we'd move out of our beloved DC neighborhood, but here we are - actually love the new neighborhood, the change, and the kids are doing great - we really worried about how prepared they'd be coming from their charter school, but they are on pace with other kids and to our relief, have made new friends. Other bonus is that those kids live in the neighborhood, many are at their ES/MS bus stops, and our kids can walk and bike to their friends' homes unlike the charter experience, when their friends were from all over the city and no one was walkable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two Rivers. Also look at Wells and Eliot-Hine.

Don't assume every year will be harder, it's not as linear as that.

You live near some Friendship schools and I would give them a serious look. They did well on the Bold Performance list this year and that's something I respect, because that can't happen without high quality teaching.

For Middle?? Do not do this.

Agreed. Two Rivers is a lateral move from Wheatley for MS. At least Wheatley is close and in a nicer neighborhood that the TR middle school.

Agree with PPs that Eliot Hine is not that hard to lottery into and would be an upgrade. It's also really not far from Trinidad -- your kid could probably bike to school pretty easily. And the campus is very new and nice. This seems like a really good solution.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not apply to private and apply for financial aid? The private schools give out a lot more aid than I think people realize. You may have to pay something but you could be surprised about how much.

OP here. Would love to hear more about this. We attended a financial aid webinar for an expensive private but they are so vague about who qualifies. We have a lot of equity in our house, investments, 401k, kid's college savings account that I assume we wouldn't be eligible but not a high income.

NP here. We moved to PG County, bought a cheap house and send our kids to private.