Anonymous
12/10/2025 20:31
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
If I could send my kid to Stuart-Hobson I totally would. DC is at a supposedly desirable EOTP charter but meh.
Feel free to because there is no issue to get in. Very high chance in 6th and wide open 7th and 8th. Can’t say the same of DCI. Major access issue and waitlists.
Kid got shut out in 6th and 7th, and it seems silly to switch just for 8th.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 20:25
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
If I could send my kid to Stuart-Hobson I totally would. DC is at a supposedly desirable EOTP charter but meh.
Feel free to because there is no issue to get in. Very high chance in 6th and wide open 7th and 8th. Can’t say the same of DCI. Major access issue and waitlists.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 20:22
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
No, most educated families clamor to get their child to the handful of the best DCPS middle and high schools -if not private.
Charters are the backup, especially if their kid didn’t make the cut.
The exception is if you really wanted a certain school -like immersion. Not saying DCI isn’t fine but that is not a testament to charters as a whole or what the current data shows.
We are talking EOTP. Please enlighten us what is the best DCPS middle school compared to charters like Basis, Latin, DCI.
Also please enlighten us what is the best DCPS non-selective high school compared to Latin and DCI.
There is no selective charters to do fair comparison to Walls and Banneker but from SAT scores the charters above all do better than Banneker. Although selective, Walls scores, just like their CAPE scores will drop with the new subjective admissions and dropping the testing.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 20:09
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
No, most educated families clamor to get their child to the handful of the best DCPS middle and high schools -if not private.
Charters are the backup, especially if their kid didn’t make the cut.
The exception is if you really wanted a certain school -like immersion. Not saying DCI isn’t fine but that is not a testament to charters as a whole or what the current data shows.
The data shows the three highest scoring high schools in the city are BASIS, Latin and School Without Walls. Only one of those is a public school, and only kinda sorta. Jackson Reid is perfectly fine backup if you don't get into any of them, and if you don't mind your kid being one of 14,000 freshman.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 18:38
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
If I could send my kid to Stuart-Hobson I totally would. DC is at a supposedly desirable EOTP charter but meh.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 18:34
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
No, most educated families clamor to get their child to the handful of the best DCPS middle and high schools -if not private.
Charters are the backup, especially if their kid didn’t make the cut.
The exception is if you really wanted a certain school -like immersion. Not saying DCI isn’t fine but that is not a testament to charters as a whole or what the current data shows.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 18:30
Subject: DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Untrue, this is a funny little thing about charter schools. They do and can push families out after count day. It doesn’t always work but they do try and can, unlike DCPS.
Can you give an example? What do you mean, "do try and can"? I've worked in charter schools for 13 years and we definitely know of other schools with reputations for "counseling" a family out (e.g., schools may not be able to provide the programming or environment for a student with significant needs), but no charter can just push a family out.
DCPS has resources that charters don't, with specialized programs concentrated at certain campuses. It's unfair to compare all charters to DCPS in this way.
The DC government gives a lot more money to DCPS schools than to charter schools, which seems pretty shitty to me. We're penalizing children, and hurting their education, because their parents decided to send them to a charter school? That's a pretty lousy policy.
I remain baffled that governments give any money to charter schools.
Almost half the public school kids in DC go to charters. People wouldn't send their kids to charters if they thought DCPS was a better option. It's a pretty profound rejection of DCPS by the public.
Tell that to Eagle, Hope Tolson, I Dream, and now Capital Village families. What awesome charter schools!
That’s a handful. Now let’s count how many DCPS elementary, middle, and high schools that are failing teaching kids to do basic reading and math above 3rd grade level. Let’s count how many students miss school more than 30 days or more with truancy with no repercussions. Let’s count how many billions DCPS has put into school renovations in under-enrolled schools instead of tutors and academic support. Let’s count how many millions are spent on the latest educational consultant models without getting any input from teachers year after year.. I won’t even go into the issues with central office.
There are so many issues in DCPS as to why the system is so poorly run and failing the kids in this city. Blaming charters is like putting your head in the sand.
Hahaha you have no read a single study on charter schools have you?
Also data shows that charters and dcps are overall similar with DCPS outperforming overall -HOWEVER charters are outperforming overall in Wards 7 and 8 (except MLL students) Which isn’t a surprise, charters are marketed to the poorest members of the community, like it will save all the at risk kids.
I guess renovating to minimize mold, mice, and update facilities overall isn’t important? Which is funny because parents in W7/8 don’t choose charters because they are actually better -many are new and shiny. Who wants to send their kid to a decrepit school?
I do agree that DCPS is poorly ran and they should stop buying useless curriculum without teacher input or spending money on useless central positions.
But many charters are also poorly ran and aren’t producing results.
Charters also get to play by different rules than DCPS. Something I do think is great about charters is the option to be innovative (depending on the school).
DCPS needs to start looking at the actual science and research, as well as trust teachers. The micromanagement, lack of consequences and supports is insane.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 14:15
Subject: Re:DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.
It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.
Anonymous
12/10/2025 14:03
Subject: DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Untrue, this is a funny little thing about charter schools. They do and can push families out after count day. It doesn’t always work but they do try and can, unlike DCPS.
Can you give an example? What do you mean, "do try and can"? I've worked in charter schools for 13 years and we definitely know of other schools with reputations for "counseling" a family out (e.g., schools may not be able to provide the programming or environment for a student with significant needs), but no charter can just push a family out.
DCPS has resources that charters don't, with specialized programs concentrated at certain campuses. It's unfair to compare all charters to DCPS in this way.
The DC government gives a lot more money to DCPS schools than to charter schools, which seems pretty shitty to me. We're penalizing children, and hurting their education, because their parents decided to send them to a charter school? That's a pretty lousy policy.
I remain baffled that governments give any money to charter schools.
Almost half the public school kids in DC go to charters. People wouldn't send their kids to charters if they thought DCPS was a better option. It's a pretty profound rejection of DCPS by the public.
Tell that to Eagle, Hope Tolson, I Dream, and now Capital Village families. What awesome charter schools!
That’s a handful. Now let’s count how many DCPS elementary, middle, and high schools that are failing teaching kids to do basic reading and math above 3rd grade level. Let’s count how many students miss school more than 30 days or more with truancy with no repercussions. Let’s count how many billions DCPS has put into school renovations in under-enrolled schools instead of tutors and academic support. Let’s count how many millions are spent on the latest educational consultant models without getting any input from teachers year after year.. I won’t even go into the issues with central office.
There are so many issues in DCPS as to why the system is so poorly run and failing the kids in this city. Blaming charters is like putting your head in the sand.
I'm not the PP who blames charters. I'm actually a charter parent myself. But you seem to be really in the dark about a few things. Charter schools hire consultants all the time. Lots of charter schools have poor academic performance or low attendance that goes on for years and years. Lots of charter schools spend too much on real estate and renovations. Yes central sucks, but PCSB has its own separate problems and charter autonomy means the freedom to manage a school right into bankruptcy. It's really weird that you think these problems are unique to DCPS. I'm not DCPS booster but I see plenty of bad stuff in both sectors.
I’m the PP and nowhere did I say charters don’t have problems. But DCPS is so dysfunctional as a whole system and failing the kids in this city. That is why families go other routes to charters. It is cause and effect. Fix the system and meet the needs of all students, support the bottom, have high standards and charters would not need to exist as an alternative.