Lee Montessori open slots for 1st and 2nd

[Anonymous]

Are Lee’s MAP scores available?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

I have no dog in this fight but I’m having a really hard time believing anything you write.
Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Even the math PARCC involves considerable typing. Kids also have to explain their work (typed). A written explanation of math work is not something that happens in Montessori. Ask the kids to demonstrate or explain and they do, but do it on a screen and then type an explanation is not some thing they are familiar with. Neither is following test instructions to be honest.

Okay. Sorry but I think explaining math reasoning and written communication generally is important and worthwhile. I'm perplexed why anyone wouldn't want their child to learn that.

[Anonymous]

Why is Lee's racial achievement gap so big, and what is the plan to remedy it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

I have no dog in this fight but I’m having a really hard time believing anything you write.
Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Even the math PARCC involves considerable typing. Kids also have to explain their work (typed). A written explanation of math work is not something that happens in Montessori. Ask the kids to demonstrate or explain and they do, but do it on a screen and then type an explanation is not some thing they are familiar with. Neither is following test instructions to be honest.

Okay. Sorry but I think explaining math reasoning and written communication generally is important and worthwhile. I'm perplexed why anyone wouldn't want their child to learn that.

I’m just explaining the difference. Also it’s not written communication that isn’t taught. It’s typing. Most of the kids wrote beautiful cursive and communicate well in writing. They just don’t routinely do it in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

I have no dog in this fight but I’m having a really hard time believing anything you write.
Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Even the math PARCC involves considerable typing. Kids also have to explain their work (typed). A written explanation of math work is not something that happens in Montessori. Ask the kids to demonstrate or explain and they do, but do it on a screen and then type an explanation is not some thing they are familiar with. Neither is following test instructions to be honest.

Okay. Sorry but I think explaining math reasoning and written communication generally is important and worthwhile. I'm perplexed why anyone wouldn't want their child to learn that.

I’m just explaining the difference. Also it’s not written communication that isn’t taught. It’s typing. Most of the kids wrote beautiful cursive and communicate well in writing. They just don’t routinely do it in math.

Didn't realize writing about math was vewwwwy special and needs to be separately taught.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Are you talking about the Montessori experience at Lee or just Montessori generally? We know a bunch of kids in 2nd and 3rd at Lee and while I'm not grilling them on math concepts, it's not my impression that this is what they are doing there. We looked at the school pre-Covid but this was not how they described their math curriculum, though that was for PK so it may not have been emphasized. And then I look at the PARCC scores and they seem low.

How am I supposed to know if what you describe as a Montessori approach to math (which does sound good to me) is actually how Lee does math? It sounds like an ideal that maybe is not accomplished all the time. What if Lee, specifically, is not doing a great job making the Montessori method work for the kids who attend? How do you assess this if you can't rely on a test like PARCC? The DCPCS oversight feels pretty lightweight to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Are you talking about the Montessori experience at Lee or just Montessori generally? We know a bunch of kids in 2nd and 3rd at Lee and while I'm not grilling them on math concepts, it's not my impression that this is what they are doing there. We looked at the school pre-Covid but this was not how they described their math curriculum, though that was for PK so it may not have been emphasized. And then I look at the PARCC scores and they seem low.

How am I supposed to know if what you describe as a Montessori approach to math (which does sound good to me) is actually how Lee does math? It sounds like an ideal that maybe is not accomplished all the time. What if Lee, specifically, is not doing a great job making the Montessori method work for the kids who attend? How do you assess this if you can't rely on a test like PARCC? The DCPCS oversight feels pretty lightweight to me.

Yes I am taking about Lee - and Montessori in general. They are quite strict re following Montessori at Lee. Lamb, less so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

I have no dog in this fight but I’m having a really hard time believing anything you write.
Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Even the math PARCC involves considerable typing. Kids also have to explain their work (typed). A written explanation of math work is not something that happens in Montessori. Ask the kids to demonstrate or explain and they do, but do it on a screen and then type an explanation is not some thing they are familiar with. Neither is following test instructions to be honest.

Okay. Sorry but I think explaining math reasoning and written communication generally is important and worthwhile. I'm perplexed why anyone wouldn't want their child to learn that.

I’m just explaining the difference. Also it’s not written communication that isn’t taught. It’s typing. Most of the kids wrote beautiful cursive and communicate well in writing. They just don’t routinely do it in math.

Didn't realize writing about math was vewwwwy special and needs to be separately taught.

It’s not, but the more familiar kids are with the requirements of a test the better they will do on it. It’s the same with the ELA. A Montessori kid might work on an project involving independent research that means planning their own field trip to a museum or library, calling places to set it up, reading books and magazines aimed at adults not 4th graders and writing it up in beautiful cursive then presenting it to the class and maybe parents. What they don’t do is lots of short prompts or five paragraph essays on what is the main theme and what is the author trying to say. In a traditional classroom they do these day in and day out and that’s much more in keeping with the type of questions on the PARCC. It’s not that the Montessori kids can’t do these necessary but they just don’t do short responses to questions and they can’t type or do math on a computer showing their working (which involves understanding the controls on PARCC).

[Anonymous]

I’m just not buying what this Montessori lady is selling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is Lee's racial achievement gap so big, and what is the plan to remedy it?

Why would you assume Lee cares enough to address this gap? There is likely no plan.

[Anonymous]

I'm really confused as to why Lee has openings in 1st and 2nd. I just looked at their waitlist data on the MSDC site.

For 1st, they had no open spots at the time of the lottery and had a waitlist of 55. They made no offers by June and 6 by August. I get that waitlists move quickly after school starts because families often don't want to move their kid after school starts. But how many kids did they leave at that point? Enough to go through nearly 50 people on the waitlist and still have openings? That's odd to me. Also, why were enrolled students leaving so late in the summer or in September? Usually this happens because students are offered spots at other schools. To me it is a red flag that families are jumping on late offers from other schools in August/September -- that indicates a lot of motivation to leave.

For 2nd, they had no open spots at the time of the lottery and waitlist of 28 (normal for waitlist size to be smaller as grade level goes up). But then no offers at all before August and now they have open spots? Again, why are people leaving, and most specifically -- why are they leaving so late in the year?

Either there is dissatisfaction with Lee among families OR the school is doing weird mismanagement of their enrollment/waitlists.

It just doesn't make sense that Lee apparently reenrolled their entire 1st and 2nd grade class in the spring (thus no open lottery seats), made very few offers over the summer, and suddenly has open seats. Something does not add up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montessori students gain valuable skills learning how to be independent and take care of themselves at an early age. The fine motor skills that are practiced in Montessori help the students with handwriting (they learn cursive starting in PK3).

So they can write "I am failing math" in cursive?

Anyone who thinks that knows nothing about how the Montessori math curriculum works. It’s incredible and Montessori kids end up several grade levels ahead of their traditional school peers with an excellent foundation in math.

Except at Lee where most 3rd-5th graders are working below grade level in math.

That certainly depends on how you measure it. If you go into the classroom and see those kids working on long division, algebra and how to determine area for their entire classroom you won’t think they are behind. If you look at the test scores for a school that is anti testing, sure you can conclude that. The depth of knowledge there can not be measured by PARRC.

I have no dog in this fight but I’m having a really hard time believing anything you write.
Oh please. "Depth of knowledge" but still scoring a ONE on the PARCC? Come on. Even allowing for lack of computer skills and unfamiliarity with the style of math, people with even a little bit of knowledge should be able to get a 2.

+100. “Working on” algebra and long division doesn’t mean these kids have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. Are they getting correct answers? Do they have a deep understanding of the concepts? Otherwise, it’s just optics, which appears to thrill parents of younger students. But if your child is truly struggling with these concepts, you see beyond this smoke and mirrors.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! Montessori math is amazing. They absolutely have an understanding of the concepts way being traditional school. Every school should adopt Montessori metrics to teach math. Even what they do are 3 or 4 builds on what they do next to take them to understand advanced concepts in geometry for example. If there’s in’s thing I’m absolutely persuaded of it’s how well Montessori teaches math and gives kids a solid foundation. There is no reciting facts, it’s actually learning how the decimal system works and how numbers and shapes relate to each other, for example. Way beyond anything kids get that age elsewhere.

Even the math PARCC involves considerable typing. Kids also have to explain their work (typed). A written explanation of math work is not something that happens in Montessori. Ask the kids to demonstrate or explain and they do, but do it on a screen and then type an explanation is not some thing they are familiar with. Neither is following test instructions to be honest.

Okay. Sorry but I think explaining math reasoning and written communication generally is important and worthwhile. I'm perplexed why anyone wouldn't want their child to learn that.

I’m just explaining the difference. Also it’s not written communication that isn’t taught. It’s typing. Most of the kids wrote beautiful cursive and communicate well in writing. They just don’t routinely do it in math.

Didn't realize writing about math was vewwwwy special and needs to be separately taught.

It’s not, but the more familiar kids are with the requirements of a test the better they will do on it. It’s the same with the ELA. A Montessori kid might work on an project involving independent research that means planning their own field trip to a museum or library, calling places to set it up, reading books and magazines aimed at adults not 4th graders and writing it up in beautiful cursive then presenting it to the class and maybe parents. What they don’t do is lots of short prompts or five paragraph essays on what is the main theme and what is the author trying to say. In a traditional classroom they do these day in and day out and that’s much more in keeping with the type of questions on the PARCC. It’s not that the Montessori kids can’t do these necessary but they just don’t do short responses to questions and they can’t type or do math on a computer showing their working (which involves understanding the controls on PARCC).

Ok so why are the white kids at Lee so much better at PARCC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm really confused as to why Lee has openings in 1st and 2nd. I just looked at their waitlist data on the MSDC site.

For 1st, they had no open spots at the time of the lottery and had a waitlist of 55. They made no offers by June and 6 by August. I get that waitlists move quickly after school starts because families often don't want to move their kid after school starts. But how many kids did they leave at that point? Enough to go through nearly 50 people on the waitlist and still have openings? That's odd to me. Also, why were enrolled students leaving so late in the summer or in September? Usually this happens because students are offered spots at other schools. To me it is a red flag that families are jumping on late offers from other schools in August/September -- that indicates a lot of motivation to leave.

For 2nd, they had no open spots at the time of the lottery and waitlist of 28 (normal for waitlist size to be smaller as grade level goes up). But then no offers at all before August and now they have open spots? Again, why are people leaving, and most specifically -- why are they leaving so late in the year?

Either there is dissatisfaction with Lee among families OR the school is doing weird mismanagement of their enrollment/waitlists.

It just doesn't make sense that Lee apparently reenrolled their entire 1st and 2nd grade class in the spring (thus no open lottery seats), made very few offers over the summer, and suddenly has open seats. Something does not add up.

I would think a lot of people are declining wait list offers, or getting off the list before receiving an offer at all.

Waitlists move fast in late August through early October. Burning through a waitlist of 28 for 2nd isn't really unusual or concerning. It's the empty seats that are concerning, for budget reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is Lee's racial achievement gap so big, and what is the plan to remedy it?

Why would you assume Lee cares enough to address this gap? There is likely no plan.

+1, normally a school with numbers like this and an achievement gap that stark would be making moves to address it, but Lee seems almost proud of it.

Also, if these numbers were really just due to flaws in the tests or a misapplication of standards to the way Montessori education works, you might see low scores but should not see an achievement gap, right? Or at least not a gap that is wider than what you see at other schools.

The impression I'm getting is that Lee is a school that privileged parents who are more than happy to supplement like to plant their kids at for a few years in order to give them a pleasant experience, even if the academics aren't great. If you have a lot of resources and well-educated parents, you might not worry that much about your kids getting a strong education in ECE, for instance. But if you have ANY other needs (remedial help, additional supports, technology access), you will be told you simply aren't adequately buying into the Montessori method. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm really confused as to why Lee has openings in 1st and 2nd. I just looked at their waitlist data on the MSDC site.

For 1st, they had no open spots at the time of the lottery and had a waitlist of 55. They made no offers by June and 6 by August. I get that waitlists move quickly after school starts because families often don't want to move their kid after school starts. But how many kids did they leave at that point? Enough to go through nearly 50 people on the waitlist and still have openings? That's odd to me. Also, why were enrolled students leaving so late in the summer or in September? Usually this happens because students are offered spots at other schools. To me it is a red flag that families are jumping on late offers from other schools in August/September -- that indicates a lot of motivation to leave.

For 2nd, they had no open spots at the time of the lottery and waitlist of 28 (normal for waitlist size to be smaller as grade level goes up). But then no offers at all before August and now they have open spots? Again, why are people leaving, and most specifically -- why are they leaving so late in the year?

Either there is dissatisfaction with Lee among families OR the school is doing weird mismanagement of their enrollment/waitlists.

It just doesn't make sense that Lee apparently reenrolled their entire 1st and 2nd grade class in the spring (thus no open lottery seats), made very few offers over the summer, and suddenly has open seats. Something does not add up.

I would think a lot of people are declining wait list offers, or getting off the list before receiving an offer at all.

Waitlists move fast in late August through early October. Burning through a waitlist of 28 for 2nd isn't really unusual or concerning. It's the empty seats that are concerning, for budget reasons.

PP here and I agree that fast waitlists in September aren't unusual but what is unusual is for a school that appeals to the demographic that tends to gravitate to Lee (high SES parents), it's very weird to leave the school in August or September. That kind of ship jumping is common at crowded DCPS schools, Title 1 schools (or any school with a large FARMS population), or other schools that may be more challenging for parents in this demographic to navigate. It's unusual at these niche charters with specialty programming and nice facilities. Especially weird for Lee to be losing students at this stage when schools like ITS, LAMB, CHMS, and Two Rivers (which tend to attract the same people in the lottery) still have waitlists for those grades. You would expect Lee to have few issues filling the spots given that schools that attract similar students still have people trying and failing to get spots. It would be weird, for instance, that none of the 50+ families on the CHMS waitlist for 1st would also be trying to get into Lee and be willing to take a spot there given that CHMS's waitlist isn't moving at all.