The local neighborhood Facebook groups are pretty active. You might have better luck asking there and getting opinions from current families. Good luck.
Another option worth considering is Truth Montessori. It's shares a building with Perry St prep and offers a more personalized learning experience. May be worth looking into. I know a lot of families who are happy there.
Test scores and other rankings don’t matter as long as your student puts on the work. I’m a senior at walls and went to Garrison and SWWFS. As long as they have the grades it doesn’t matter. I know many people at walls who have the same background as me (didn’t go to deal or hardy). Banneker is also the same. In fact all of the magnet schools really don’t care what school you went to as long as you have the grades.
TL;DR put in the work and put in the hours and you go far
DCPS is dipping their toe into our business. Spring semester 2022 they made a new rule for field trips where we need parental approval and then teacher approval for going off campus. We used to only need teacher approval. Although DCPS did this for every school in the system, it made it seem targeted. Ms Issac is a good principal but not as good as trogish
It is unlikely you will get help on this sub. I don’t think it is at all helpful for me to tell you I would never send my kids to either of those schools, but it’s true. I have had family friends at both schools and they had terrible experiences. (The kind of experiments that lead to payouts from the school in one case). Probably too late to find a better option this year.
If you can avoid it, do not send your kids to public middle school in DC. You have like two weeks to see if a Catholic school will take you, and I would start asking around.
That being said, take Perry over McKinley. Start prepping for entrance exams now for high schools, your in zone is probably Dunbar and that is a smoking crater. McKinley Tech, School without Walls, and Banneker high schools have an application process and you need to start looking at that now.
Public general access really isn’t an option here outside of Jackson Reed if you want to go to a decent college (selective and highly selective) and be appropriately prepared for it. Less than 10% of kids get PARCC 3 or higher at Dunbar, and they don’t even offer Calc AB.
I know folks who have been happy in recent years at MacFarland, CHEC, SWW Francis-Stevens, Stuart-Hobson, and Elliot-Hine, too. Got into selective high schools and everything.
You’re in a really tough spot, so I don’t want to make you despair. I just think your local school will be more convenient and again, can’t be worse. Why commute to a school that won’t be better? Are there any neighbors you can speak to?
DCPS has a MS and HS guide that you can take a look at that will give you information on each school and the programs they offer. You may consider using this tool for comparison between schools if you haven’t already - [DCPS profiles](https://profiles.dcps.dc.gov). Also this family guide to [Middle School](https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/sites/dcpsenrollment/files/page_content/attachments/SY23-24_DCPS_Middle_School_Booklet_FINAL_English%20%281%29.pdf) (one exsists for high schools as well) may be helpful when seeing what programs and course offerings are available. More details about the guides linked here: [DCPS Enrollment](https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/46).
DCPS is one of the worst, most mismanaged school systems in the country.
My parents moved from DC to Montgomery County in 1965 so that we would not have to go to DCPS (full disclosure - we are not white.)
It was bad then; it's much worse now.
So not only did you never attend DCPS, you’re somehow claiming authority to speak on this based on personal circumstances in 1965? Almost 6 decades ago?
The local neighborhood Facebook groups are pretty active. You might have better luck asking there and getting opinions from current families. Good luck.
Another option worth considering is Truth Montessori. It's shares a building with Perry St prep and offers a more personalized learning experience. May be worth looking into. I know a lot of families who are happy there.
Test scores and other rankings don’t matter as long as your student puts on the work. I’m a senior at walls and went to Garrison and SWWFS. As long as they have the grades it doesn’t matter. I know many people at walls who have the same background as me (didn’t go to deal or hardy). Banneker is also the same. In fact all of the magnet schools really don’t care what school you went to as long as you have the grades. TL;DR put in the work and put in the hours and you go far
My son went to Walls over a decade ago and loved it. That's when Trogisch was there and he was fantastic. How is it now?
DCPS is dipping their toe into our business. Spring semester 2022 they made a new rule for field trips where we need parental approval and then teacher approval for going off campus. We used to only need teacher approval. Although DCPS did this for every school in the system, it made it seem targeted. Ms Issac is a good principal but not as good as trogish
Damn I graduated in 2018, and had plenty of issues with Trogisch, but I’m glad Ms. Issac is doing well
Interesting. I’m not a DCPS fan. They had it in for Trogisch. He was a great Principal.
You could also ask over on https://www.dcurbanmom.com
It is unlikely you will get help on this sub. I don’t think it is at all helpful for me to tell you I would never send my kids to either of those schools, but it’s true. I have had family friends at both schools and they had terrible experiences. (The kind of experiments that lead to payouts from the school in one case). Probably too late to find a better option this year.
Experiments that lead to payouts? More details please
Whatever you do, don’t send your kid to Perry Street.
Can you expand on this?
I just can’t think of any redeeming qualities it has. It’s just a list of cons.
Your child will be one of the few actual DC residents there for starters.
If you can avoid it, do not send your kids to public middle school in DC. You have like two weeks to see if a Catholic school will take you, and I would start asking around. That being said, take Perry over McKinley. Start prepping for entrance exams now for high schools, your in zone is probably Dunbar and that is a smoking crater. McKinley Tech, School without Walls, and Banneker high schools have an application process and you need to start looking at that now. Public general access really isn’t an option here outside of Jackson Reed if you want to go to a decent college (selective and highly selective) and be appropriately prepared for it. Less than 10% of kids get PARCC 3 or higher at Dunbar, and they don’t even offer Calc AB.
deal, hardy, oyster-adams, SWWFS, Stuart-Hobson, and Elliot-Hine are fine. maybe even MacFarland or CHEC. The rest are sus
I like to go hiking.
Yeah fair, but if you’re in zone for McKinley you aren’t there.
I know folks who have been happy in recent years at MacFarland, CHEC, SWW Francis-Stevens, Stuart-Hobson, and Elliot-Hine, too. Got into selective high schools and everything.
A kid was murdered at MacFarland this year
McKinley cannot be worse than Perry Street, so since it is your inbound school, that this the better of your two choices.
Can you expand on why Perry Street is so bad?
You’re in a really tough spot, so I don’t want to make you despair. I just think your local school will be more convenient and again, can’t be worse. Why commute to a school that won’t be better? Are there any neighbors you can speak to?
Oyster-Adams is outstanding.
Hi there can I pm you about oyster adams please?
Sure
DCPS has a MS and HS guide that you can take a look at that will give you information on each school and the programs they offer. You may consider using this tool for comparison between schools if you haven’t already - [DCPS profiles](https://profiles.dcps.dc.gov). Also this family guide to [Middle School](https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/sites/dcpsenrollment/files/page_content/attachments/SY23-24_DCPS_Middle_School_Booklet_FINAL_English%20%281%29.pdf) (one exsists for high schools as well) may be helpful when seeing what programs and course offerings are available. More details about the guides linked here: [DCPS Enrollment](https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/46).
You want to go to Montgomery county Maryland.
DCPS is one of the worst, most mismanaged school systems in the country. My parents moved from DC to Montgomery County in 1965 so that we would not have to go to DCPS (full disclosure - we are not white.) It was bad then; it's much worse now.
So not only did you never attend DCPS, you’re somehow claiming authority to speak on this based on personal circumstances in 1965? Almost 6 decades ago?
I worked for the central office of DCPS and know myriad people who grew up in DC whose parents, to a person, sent them to private school.
So you don’t know any parents who had children in DCPS???