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Great discussion and very happy that it has remained informative for the most part. My kids have been at Lafayette since Pre-K. One starts at Deal this coming Fall and the other will be entering 1st grade. We have been very happy with Lafayette and learned the most about it when our oldest daughter was one or two years old and we would talk with parents of public and private school kids at birthday parties to get actual data/experiences about the schools, rather than people who say "my friend's brother's cousin went to a DCPS in the 1970s and it was really bad." Now that Deal has made major improvements and it is in big demand, fewer Lafayette parents are moving out of this great neighborhood when 6th grade comes along. Of course I was lucky enough to buy my house in 1998 when the purchase price was one-third of its current appraised value so I know that "just move to a neighborhood where the DCPS is good" is now easier said than done. I was single when I bought my house and had no clue that Lafayette was one block away!

I work for a no-profit affordable housing organization in DC so I spend a big part of my work day in Wards 5, 7 & 8 and there are indeed challenges with a good chunk of DCPS schools there but be careful not to stereotype everyone who lives east of the river. They want what is best for their kids, and like you, will spend the goo-goo years (when kids are 0 to 2 yrs old!) talking to everyone they can find about schools.

So to all you single and young married couples out there: Enjoy sleeping through the night, not tripping on toys at 1 am, and going to the movies/dates whenever you want (as opposed to lining up sitters etc.). Most of all, look forward to the most wonderful and yes thankless role you will ever have: being a parent. You will get tons of advice (especially from your parents!) but in the end you as the mom and dad will make the choice that is right for your children. Don't get too stressed this early. Once they are in school you will have to start thinking about summer camp! Enjoy!

by D. Smyth on Jul 18, 2012 2:36 pm • link • report