Q: "What DCPS schools do you like or don't like?"

From Bloomingdale resident Tim Breen:

Neighbors: With the Feb. 28 deadline fast approaching for entering the DCPS lottery, I wonder what any parents can tell me about the schools they like (from first-hand experience or just reputation) and/or don't like.

We'd love to start our daughter off as local as possible (Emery) -- a 5-minute walk for us, "us" being proud products of public schools as well -- but are hesitant to commit. Seems like there was a flurry of interest (with perhaps a parents group forming and at least touring the school a year or two ago?), but we haven't heard anything lately. Did the enthusiasm die off? For a reason? Our daughter will be a young 3 come September, and at that age frankly we're not worried at all about test scores and the "usual" markers, but are more concerned that she be playing and interacting with good (I know, a squishy term) kids and teachers.

Beyond Emery, what are the schools people like (let's limit this to the free DCPS schools)? It's a delusional fantasy to think we might get into Peabody or the Watkins Montessori program, right?