Anonymous
Post 09/20/2015 12:09     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Well Asian does explain the fear of poor black kids.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 13:14     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:OP here again - just checking back in. We will definitely check out all three schools and visit the various open houses etc. We plan on staying in the district long term and so are looking for good public options through elementary and preferably middle school. We are prepared (or will be) to pay for private for highschool. My husband and I both originate from Africa and grew up all over the world (parents job had is both traveling and being raised in the international school system in Africa and Europe). We have a son and are looking to send him to a diverse solid elementary school. While we would love for him to have the same international school experience as we did - we realize that we cannot swing $30k a year per child ( one on the way) from elementary school. While we are not lawyers or doctors, financially we would be considered middle/higher SES on the $200-$250k range. From what folks have shared on this thread so far, it seems all three schools might be in the running. I think "fit" and "feel" obviously will be the determine factor.


Check out Maury as well.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 12:39     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The fear of poor black kids on this thread is kind of disgusting. If you all feel that way, why the hell aren't you in moco or fairfax?

I have known many families from many walks of life and the poor ones want the same things you do--what is best for ther kids. Furthermore, if they are committed to bringing them in from oob you can be damn sure they care. And in my experience, their kids are just as wonderful as your little snowflake.
+1


My "snowflake" is Asian and we were in PreK3 at JO Wilson not long ago. We almost bought in the LT District but were turned off by the granola crunchie/politically correct vibe we got at PTA meetings.

Glad to see that JO Wilson is attracting a few more neighborhood families. That said, it's PC nonsense for a newbie upper middle-class family of any race to plan to use the school in the upper grades. It will happen...by 2025.

If you want to be or near the Hill and use public schools, buy or rent for Brent or Maury, or lottery into SWS or a charter with strong high SES representation in the upper grades. You missed the boat for Cap Hill Montessori. Done.


And all of this in in your very humble opinion. Sounds like someone who clearly is lost in space. Live in your bubble but don't offer advice that is not factual.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 12:33     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The fear of poor black kids on this thread is kind of disgusting. If you all feel that way, why the hell aren't you in moco or fairfax?

I have known many families from many walks of life and the poor ones want the same things you do--what is best for ther kids. Furthermore, if they are committed to bringing them in from oob you can be damn sure they care. And in my experience, their kids are just as wonderful as your little snowflake.
+1


My "snowflake" is Asian and we were in PreK3 at JO Wilson not long ago. We almost bought in the LT District but were turned off by the granola crunchie/politically correct vibe we got at PTA meetings.

Glad to see that JO Wilson is attracting a few more neighborhood families. That said, it's PC nonsense for a newbie upper middle-class family of any race to plan to use the school in the upper grades. It will happen...by 2025.

If you want to be or near the Hill and use public schools, buy or rent for Brent or Maury, or lottery into SWS or a charter with strong high SES representation in the upper grades. You missed the boat for Cap Hill Montessori. Done.


Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 12:10     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Still tilting at windmills?


I think it's great that you get so much use out of the literary phrase you learned in middle or high school. I mean, it's not as impressive as you think it is and you aren't actually using it properly, but no doubt in certain circles you probably get credit for being smarter than you are for using it. So good on you!


English professor here who doesn't care about any of these schools but who has horrible pregnancy insomnia. What is wrong with the poster's use of this phrase? It seems correctly used to me. You may disagree that you were tilting at windmills, but it's a reasonable charge when looked at from a different perspective.


Hopefully not one that teaches my kid. The phrase refers to responding to or attacking an imaginary enemy. The poster who used that phrase in response a post that failed to address the PP's data. In particular, they asked why a school with a low FARMS rate wouldn't have scores commensurate with other schools with that FARMS rate, and has scores only marginally better or worse than schools with much higher FARMS rates. They concluded by asking why that wouldn't be a concern. That's not fighting an imaginary enemy. That's a valid data based question.

Sorry, Professor, but that's a misuse of a phrase.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 11:54     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:The fear of poor black kids on this thread is kind of disgusting. If you all feel that way, why the hell aren't you in moco or fairfax?

I have known many families from many walks of life and the poor ones want the same things you do--what is best for ther kids. Furthermore, if they are committed to bringing them in from oob you can be damn sure they care. And in my experience, their kids are just as wonderful as your little snowflake.
+1
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 11:52     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
The fear of poor black kids on this thread is kind of disgusting. If you all feel that way, why the hell aren't you in moco or fairfax?

I have known many families from many walks of life and the poor ones want the same things you do--what is best for ther kids. Furthermore, if they are committed to bringing them in from oob you can be damn sure they care. And in my experience, their kids are just as wonderful as your little snowflake.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 11:17     Subject: JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am very familiar with all three schools, but I would encourage you to consider charter schools as well. You will need to play the school lottery to get into them, but based on your family's experience and your goals I think you'd be very happy at some of the schools with a diverse, international focus.

So, I'd recommend renting for a year and playing the lottery. Then, based on what schools you get into, you can move to that part of the city.
It think they are excellent elementary schools and charters need not be an option when you have such good choices of public. If I'm not mistaken each school also has a focus. For example LT is an arts integration school. Try to match up the school with your child's interests.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 11:15     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here again - just checking back in. We will definitely check out all three schools and visit the various open houses etc. We plan on staying in the district long term and so are looking for good public options through elementary and preferably middle school. We are prepared (or will be) to pay for private for highschool. My husband and I both originate from Africa and grew up all over the world (parents job had is both traveling and being raised in the international school system in Africa and Europe). We have a son and are looking to send him to a diverse solid elementary school. While we would love for him to have the same international school experience as we did - we realize that we cannot swing $30k a year per child ( one on the way) from elementary school. While we are not lawyers or doctors, financially we would be considered middle/higher SES on the $200-$250k range. From what folks have shared on this thread so far, it seems all three schools might be in the running. I think "fit" and "feel" obviously will be the determine factor.


Check out away, but the effort won't take you long. JO Wilson is obviously fine for PreK3 and PreK4, and maybe K, and that's it. Diverse and solid elementary school it's certainly because almost all the kids are AA, and poor.

LT works for some in-boundary past PreK4, but not for most. Brent works for most in-boundary, while some parents still choose privates and language immersion charters.

The irony is that JO Wilson has the strongest principal of the three, LT the second best, and Brent the weakest (official) leadership. That said, the capacity of Brent's PTA is a hundred miles ahead of the other two.

Hint: the chief determinant will be what you can afford in housing. If you can afford Brent, I'd wager that you'll be there, committment to fit and feel not withstanding.
I think that if you visit the school you will see for yourself that this poster had no idea what they are talking about. Decide for yourself.


This poster lived a couple blocks from JO Wilson for a decade. She relocated to the Brent District after a good year in PreK3 at JO Wilson. But, yea, decide for yourself.
So poster, do yo think maybe it has changed in the decade that your kids were in PK? Think about it. Also if you have no experience with LT then how can you speak on what works and doesn't work for parents there?
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 08:30     Subject: JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
OP, you sound like your family would fit in well at one of the DCI feeders (we are at one, and there are a number of families with very international backgrounds), so I second the advice to rent and play the lottery to see if you can get in somewhere. If you do that, then you will have much more freedom to choose a house wherever you want. An additional strategy could be to buy a house in bounds for a "rising" school and use it as a backup until you get into an immersion charter. The downside of this strategy is that your family will be in flux for longer. However, if you live near the Hill, you can get your kids involved in the wide range of kid activities available there (Sports on the Hill etc), and start integrating into the local community.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 08:22     Subject: JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am very familiar with all three schools, but I would encourage you to consider charter schools as well. You will need to play the school lottery to get into them, but based on your family's experience and your goals I think you'd be very happy at some of the schools with a diverse, international focus.

So, I'd recommend renting for a year and playing the lottery. Then, based on what schools you get into, you can move to that part of the city.


OP here - given that one would be entering at the kindergarten level what is the likelihood that one could get a good charter based on the lottery? I thought that since so many enter all the good charters at the pre-k level that there wouldn't be that many spots left to lottery in at kindergarten?


It just depends on the charter. Some people use the charters just for PK3 or PK4 and go back to their neighborhood schools for K. Some move from one charter to another at that point due to a poor fit.

Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 07:51     Subject: JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am very familiar with all three schools, but I would encourage you to consider charter schools as well. You will need to play the school lottery to get into them, but based on your family's experience and your goals I think you'd be very happy at some of the schools with a diverse, international focus.

So, I'd recommend renting for a year and playing the lottery. Then, based on what schools you get into, you can move to that part of the city.


OP here - given that one would be entering at the kindergarten level what is the likelihood that one could get a good charter based on the lottery? I thought that since so many enter all the good charters at the pre-k level that there wouldn't be that many spots left to lottery in at kindergarten?
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 07:06     Subject: JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
OP, I am very familiar with all three schools, but I would encourage you to consider charter schools as well. You will need to play the school lottery to get into them, but based on your family's experience and your goals I think you'd be very happy at some of the schools with a diverse, international focus.

So, I'd recommend renting for a year and playing the lottery. Then, based on what schools you get into, you can move to that part of the city.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2015 03:53     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:

Still tilting at windmills?


I think it's great that you get so much use out of the literary phrase you learned in middle or high school. I mean, it's not as impressive as you think it is and you aren't actually using it properly, but no doubt in certain circles you probably get credit for being smarter than you are for using it. So good on you!


English professor here who doesn't care about any of these schools but who has horrible pregnancy insomnia. What is wrong with the poster's use of this phrase? It seems correctly used to me. You may disagree that you were tilting at windmills, but it's a reasonable charge when looked at from a different perspective.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2015 22:14     Subject: Re:JO Wilson vs. Ludlow-Taylor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here again - just checking back in. We will definitely check out all three schools and visit the various open houses etc. We plan on staying in the district long term and so are looking for good public options through elementary and preferably middle school. We are prepared (or will be) to pay for private for highschool. My husband and I both originate from Africa and grew up all over the world (parents job had is both traveling and being raised in the international school system in Africa and Europe). We have a son and are looking to send him to a diverse solid elementary school. While we would love for him to have the same international school experience as we did - we realize that we cannot swing $30k a year per child ( one on the way) from elementary school. While we are not lawyers or doctors, financially we would be considered middle/higher SES on the $200-$250k range. From what folks have shared on this thread so far, it seems all three schools might be in the running. I think "fit" and "feel" obviously will be the determine factor.


Check out away, but the effort won't take you long. JO Wilson is obviously fine for PreK3 and PreK4, and maybe K, and that's it. Diverse and solid elementary school it's certainly because almost all the kids are AA, and poor.

LT works for some in-boundary past PreK4, but not for most. Brent works for most in-boundary, while some parents still choose privates and language immersion charters.

The irony is that JO Wilson has the strongest principal of the three, LT the second best, and Brent the weakest (official) leadership. That said, the capacity of Brent's PTA is a hundred miles ahead of the other two.

Hint: the chief determinant will be what you can afford in housing. If you can afford Brent, I'd wager that you'll be there, committment to fit and feel not withstanding.
I think that if you visit the school you will see for yourself that this poster had no idea what they are talking about. Decide for yourself.


This poster lived a couple blocks from JO Wilson for a decade. She relocated to the Brent District after a good year in PreK3 at JO Wilson. But, yea, decide for yourself.