Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 16:19     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The bus situation is interesting and worthy of its own thread. I agree it adds to traffic in the city. But it is derailing this thread.

OK, OP, now you have added another requirement to your list -- commute! That complicates things significantly for you. If you are not going to your neighborhood school, then your commute won't be as smooth unless you live smack dab next to a charter. (I actually live around the corner from one charter that is 'hot' on DCUM but my kids go to another as, of course, my oldest did not get into the one that is around the corner from me...alas.)


The commute thing is crazy to me. I don't know anyone who can't walk their kid to school (or the bus stop) in our neighborhood. How do you meet other parents if everyone is coming from all over? How do you do play dates? It's so different.


It is different. DC is a small town that thinks it's a big city. Most people drive and really don't metro or bus.

Those EOTP are more metro savvy, but most of the families in mid-city make their friends from school and make playdates across the city. You will get used to it - or you will hate it and move back to New York.

Either way, welcome to DC.



Your statement that "most people drive" is not true. Only about 40% of HH even own cars and, like ours, don't use them for the daily commute. Most people choose to pay a premium to live in the city specfically for the transit options. They certainly don't move into the City for the schools!
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 16:11     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:I know test scores are not everything - but from today's Washington Post ...
"The school that boasts the highest real estate costs with the lowest test scores is Garrison Elementary School in the Logan Circle/Shaw neighborhood. The median home sales price there is about $1.1 million and only 25 percent of students test at proficient or advanced levels"


This wouldn't have anything to do with the OP however. She will be living in free housing presumably a rental while she is in the neighborhood.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 16:09     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:PP, you must have had a good lottery draw: most people do not and the OP should know this.


Understood and agree. We had a good lottery draw and realize that this is not a given for everyone. I just wanted to urge the OP to at least apply to the lottery because, like us, you never know what could happen.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 16:04     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Given you have free housing - I would take what you are not spending on housing and plan on spending it on private school.

You have commented that commute is very important - given where you will be living there are not many privates in the neighborhood so you are going to need to decide what is most important for you.

If the stars align and you land at a spot at a reasonable school - great. But you need a back up plan. (I am not sure you will find someone on DCUM who sends a 3rd grader to Marie Reed - your IB school) Last year's test results has less than 60% of the school proficient in math and similar results in reading.


NP - what privates are close to OPs address?


Aidan Montessori

Lowell (not near, but not an impossible commute)
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 16:03     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
PP, you must have had a good lottery draw: most people do not and the OP should know this.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 16:00     Subject: Re:I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:Okay then, charter or private. Pay close attention to commute when choosing a charter school. Contrary to what some will say, your chances of getting into a decent charter are good. Your chance of getting into one of the top charters listed above: not great. Probably 30%


The thing about charters is it really is the luck of the draw. With that, go ahead and apply for the schools that you really think will be a good fit for your daughter. We applied and got into a really good private here in DC, but also applied to charters that we would love to send our DD to. Although we knew our chances were limited, we got into 3 out of 4 of our top 5 choices. It is possible OP, so please do apply...you just may end up being very lucky. Welcome to DC!
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 15:49     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know test scores are not everything - but from today's Washington Post ...
"The school that boasts the highest real estate costs with the lowest test scores is Garrison Elementary School in the Logan Circle/Shaw neighborhood. The median home sales price there is about $1.1 million and only 25 percent of students test at proficient or advanced levels"


Yes, test scores are not everything. Consider that Garrison has one of the highest population of Special Ed kids - 24% or 1/4 of their student population. Nearby schools like Seaton (15%) and Cleveland (9%) have far fewer. Also consider that the testing grades 3-5 are very small. The total for grades 3-5 are about 50 in a total student population of 240.


So there are a total of 50 children at Garrison in grades 3-5 so class size is less than 18? of which non more than 5 test proficient or higher?


If nothing else my dd would certainly pull the scores up.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 15:24     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know test scores are not everything - but from today's Washington Post ...
"The school that boasts the highest real estate costs with the lowest test scores is Garrison Elementary School in the Logan Circle/Shaw neighborhood. The median home sales price there is about $1.1 million and only 25 percent of students test at proficient or advanced levels"


Yes, test scores are not everything. Consider that Garrison has one of the highest population of Special Ed kids - 24% or 1/4 of their student population. Nearby schools like Seaton (15%) and Cleveland (9%) have far fewer. Also consider that the testing grades 3-5 are very small. The total for grades 3-5 are about 50 in a total student population of 240.


So there are a total of 50 children at Garrison in grades 3-5 so class size is less than 18? of which non more than 5 test proficient or higher?
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 15:06     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:You might also want to consider Bridges, which should be moving into its new, permanent location right by the Ft. Totten metro station for the 2016-17 school year. Ft. Totten is on the green, yellow, and red lines, so you could metro from U Street if you don't want to drive. There is a strong community feel and a ton of individualized attention, including for advanced kids, and at least for the past couple of years it seems to be a little easier to get a spot there through the lottery than it is for some of the other charters people have mentioned.


This is great. Thanks.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 13:43     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:I know test scores are not everything - but from today's Washington Post ...
"The school that boasts the highest real estate costs with the lowest test scores is Garrison Elementary School in the Logan Circle/Shaw neighborhood. The median home sales price there is about $1.1 million and only 25 percent of students test at proficient or advanced levels"


Yes, test scores are not everything. Consider that Garrison has one of the highest population of Special Ed kids - 24% or 1/4 of their student population. Nearby schools like Seaton (15%) and Cleveland (9%) have far fewer. Also consider that the testing grades 3-5 are very small. The total for grades 3-5 are about 50 in a total student population of 240.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 13:09     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
I know test scores are not everything - but from today's Washington Post ...
"The school that boasts the highest real estate costs with the lowest test scores is Garrison Elementary School in the Logan Circle/Shaw neighborhood. The median home sales price there is about $1.1 million and only 25 percent of students test at proficient or advanced levels"
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 11:18     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
I don't think being wotp makes one not metro savvy, that is a ridiculous statement.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 10:51     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The bus situation is interesting and worthy of its own thread. I agree it adds to traffic in the city. But it is derailing this thread.

OK, OP, now you have added another requirement to your list -- commute! That complicates things significantly for you. If you are not going to your neighborhood school, then your commute won't be as smooth unless you live smack dab next to a charter. (I actually live around the corner from one charter that is 'hot' on DCUM but my kids go to another as, of course, my oldest did not get into the one that is around the corner from me...alas.)


The commute thing is crazy to me. I don't know anyone who can't walk their kid to school (or the bus stop) in our neighborhood. How do you meet other parents if everyone is coming from all over? How do you do play dates? It's so different.


It is different. DC is a small town that thinks it's a big city. Most people drive and really don't metro or bus.

Those EOTP are more metro savvy, but most of the families in mid-city make their friends from school and make playdates across the city. You will get used to it - or you will hate it and move back to New York.

Either way, welcome to DC.

Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 10:27     Subject: I have no idea what I'm doing.
You might also want to consider Bridges, which should be moving into its new, permanent location right by the Ft. Totten metro station for the 2016-17 school year. Ft. Totten is on the green, yellow, and red lines, so you could metro from U Street if you don't want to drive. There is a strong community feel and a ton of individualized attention, including for advanced kids, and at least for the past couple of years it seems to be a little easier to get a spot there through the lottery than it is for some of the other charters people have mentioned.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2015 10:03     Subject: Re:I have no idea what I'm doing.
Anonymous wrote:We had school choice in NYC too. More, even, because all middle schools and high schools are choice or application. We also had a functioning bus system. That functioned, and allowed working parents to work and not drive across town with their children every day, because who, besides people who don't know any better, thinks that is a sane and viable option?

Here in dc? Unbelievably, I've heard excuses like, "it would add to traffic, having school busses."

It's a different world here, op. Some parts of it are good, like more space, better public pools, free museums, cheap activities, etc. We rent a house here for the price of our Brooklyn apartment. Our kids know what trees are now.

But some things are not as good. And the lack of bussing, indeed, the lack of transit options near most of the charter schools in NE is one of the not good things.

Garisson is a very small school. Maybe small enough to not be so bad? Definitely check it out.


Absolutely agree.