Teacher and staff preference rules - DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Charter schools are allowed to set aside seats for staff. Most will tell you their process as it may vary. Most schools say they will set aside 10% for staff and staff is highest priority.

Yes - the question is whether DCPS does the same thing.

Charters can't give more than 10% to staff though.

[Anonymous]

We personally know a (beloved) DCPS teacher whose child did not make it off the waitlist for the school where she worked, and consequently her child is enrolled at a school she ranked lower on her lottery form. Her boss/principal followed the lottery and waitlist rules strictly (the family lives out-of-bounds and so all the IB families were ahead of them). That said we are currently at a DCPS school where it is obvious teacher's kids get preference (there is just statistically no way those teachers were all that "lucky."). I'm not sure if it matters what the official "policy" is if whatever "policy" may exist is not being implemented consistently. So a better question is how is it handled at the school you are trying to get into. You could complain that these inconsistencies are unfair (and I would agree with you), but I don't think it is the type of thing that is going to get the attention of the front office.

[Anonymous]

There really should be a policy in this - or way another. And if there is going to be a DCPS staff and or teacher preference it should be handled through the lottery in an open and clear way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There really should be a policy in this - or way another. And if there is going to be a DCPS staff and or teacher preference it should be handled through the lottery in an open and clear way.

There is a policy. Kids of DCPS teachers are not given preference. If a principal "allows" a child in, it is not legal. In fact, now all lottery lists are managed at Central Office so principals can't just play anymore.

I happen to be a DCPS teacher without the ability to get my kids to my school.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. The waitlist is legally required to be managed fairly, respecting the IB and sibling preferences. Nowhere does DCPS prioritize children of staff. From what I can gather, some schools play a little loose with the waitlist to appease valuable staff members but it's very hush-hush because it's technically illegal.

I'm a DCPS employee with an active PK3 lottery application. I've been waitlisted (as expected) at all 10 of my DCPS schools (all of which are geographically close to the school in which I teach, for logistical reasons). I have written letters to the Chancellor and teacher retention board to change this policy and allow some kind of staff preference like is done at the charter schools but to no avail. If I end up sending my daughter to the charter school to which we've been matched, I'll have to miss work to care for my child on days when the DCPS calendar doesn't line up with the charter.

[Anonymous]

Do Charters have the ability to fake staff preference? Can they state a child's parent works at the school (when in fact they don't) in order to help certain families get into the school? For the common lottery, are they any checks to make sure the stated staff members are actually staff members?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do Charters have the ability to fake staff preference? Can they state a child's parent works at the school (when in fact they don't) in order to help certain families get into the school? For the common lottery, are they any checks to make sure the stated staff members are actually staff members?

That's a question for MySchoolDC.