Thursday, February 17, 2011

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?

1 comment:

Scott Roberts of Bloomingdale said...

See this response from Bloomingdale resident Marc Heller:

Our daughter Molly is now 4, has been in pre-K at Emery since the beginning of this school year. Our experience has been quite positive. We, too, had our doubts, but we got a good feeling about the principal and figured efforts to improve the school and get more parents involved must begin with us. It`s hardly perfect but it is a good structured environment and most of all Molly`s been welcomed into a place where she`s different. It`s not a very diverse place racially but I think that may change over time. That has not been an issue. She is learning things, being well taken care of and best of all making friends and getting a positive introduction to a school environment and regime. The PTA, which has been in disarray, is now pulling together again. Remember that Emery moves into the old middle school next to McKinley next year. It will be a much bigger and improved facility and eliminates the issue of being adjacent to a homeless shelter. I`d strongly urge parents to check it out.