Janney third grade parents--what do you think of the giant class sizes?

[Anonymous]

I understand. But what can they actually do about it? I'm wondering what kind of pushback there could actually be. They can't stop IB kids from enrolling, so why can't a school say 'sorry, no space this year.'

Part of the issue, I suspect, is ebb and flow. There are plenty of preschools that offer kindergarten (especially Montessori schools), and some families decide to play the charter lottery for language immersion or another specialized curriculum.

So, some kids don't attend Kindy or 1st at their IB school because they are finishing up another school or trying out Mandarin immersion. Those "spots" are given to OOB students. But then maybe the other school ends, or our financial situation changes, or the commute to Yu Ying is killing us. Then we switch back, but the kids who got "our" OOB spots don't get kicked out.

[Anonymous]

. They can't stop IB kids from enrolling, so why can't a school say 'sorry, no space this year.'

PP who doesn't "get it" .... you answered your own question right here. They can't stop IB kids from enrolling (correct). But people EOTP who are Politically Connected HAVE been able to lean on elected representatives, who lean on Central DCPS, who in turns leans on the Princpal to say "Why YES, we DO have space for your Ward 1,2 and 4 kids this year!!! "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And if some Janney children were moved to Mann it would relieve overcrowding, both at Janney but also at Deal. But it would make Mann overcrowded and make Janney parents upset after 5th grade. Still something to consider on the margin.

In the end this is all going to be steps on the margin. Lose a few PK4 classes; tolerate larger class sizes; reduce the boundary some, moving kids to Mann and Hearst; take fewer OOB children; and sadly, likely just make the school less attractive so families will not move in. Wish them well.

I can't for the life me figure out why Hearst hasn't attracted more NW bound families. Good school with great feed and reasonable size. They might be less IB centric, but they're doing well with the kids who attend.

Do you know anyone at the school? This has changed dramatically. If they adjusted the boundaries a little bit, it would be fully IB in lower grades pretty quick. Even the PoP moved directly into boundary planning to attend. With the new physical plant the school has changed a lot. Come to the Hearst playground and you will meet many families there!

This issue is the political pushback in DC that would likely result from OOB enrollment at Hearst being squeezed down.

NP here. I don't understand this. If OOB spots are dependent upon space available after IB kids enroll, how can there be political pushback? What can politicians do if an entire entering class is filled with IB kids?

When upper NW schools like Hearst or Eaton take a lot of OOB students, over time there develop expectations that some substantial number of slots in such schools will be available to students in areas where their elem school options are perceived as lacking. In fact, this has been part of DCPS 'safety valve' strategy. Take a lot of that away, and there will be some very unhappy voters in wards that tend to decide elections for mayor.

I don't think this is the case. years ago there were a good amount of spots that were unfilled at Janney so they went to OOB. now Janney is filled to the roof and in the past few years there have been tens of IB kids waitlisted for pre-k. Murch still took a few OOB not because of the politics of DCPS but because there were spots available. if Murch had 20 IB waitlisted for pre-k at count day, no OOB would have been allowed in (other than some spots that are required to be set aside for kids transferring from some school, I understand something like that exist). A few years ago Stoddert was taking a lot of OOB and now does not even have space for IB. the percentage of IB kids at Hearst is growing exponentially and I think soon there will be no spots left at pre-k or even k for OOB. the reality is in the numbers, a lot of IB parents send their kids to their IB schools, filling them to capacity and more. nobody takes options away from OOB parents. the reality that you cannot put 1000 students in an elementary school designed for 500 is what may push OOB out of schools that until recently had OOB spots available. I am not sure what the Mayor should do, kick IB kids out of the schools? it seems to me that the safety valve now is charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are about 10 kids in Janney's overcrowded third grade who moved to AU Park for a year to get into Janney and then moved elsewhere in the city. Maybe 1 or 2 who lie about living in AU park but live elsewhere in DC. And 1 who definitely lives in Maryland (but I don't think the school knows).

Are you willing to step up to the plate and help fix the situation?

If you take 13 out of 3rd grade, class size will move from giant to large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:32 kids is waaay too many even if you have two "teachers".

Does DCPS pay for these extra teachers? Are they fully licensed?

It's only 4 more than many MCPS classes that have only 1 teacher.

and people avoid moco for this very reason. That does not mean it is a good idea to have 32 kids in a class.

I know and agree. But just saying it could be worse!

My kid had over 30 last year in FCPS. One teacher. Was a nightmare. 2 teachers isn't a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are about 10 kids in Janney's overcrowded third grade who moved to AU Park for a year to get into Janney and then moved elsewhere in the city. Maybe 1 or 2 who lie about living in AU park but live elsewhere in DC. And 1 who definitely lives in Maryland (but I don't think the school knows).

Are you willing to step up to the plate and help fix the situation?

If you take 13 out of 3rd grade, class size will move from giant to large.

I'd love it if these kids were told to leave. NOT because they're not great and NOT because they're out of boundary. Simply because their departure would
decrease class size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are about 10 kids in Janney's overcrowded third grade who moved to AU Park for a year to get into Janney and then moved elsewhere in the city. Maybe 1 or 2 who lie about living in AU park but live elsewhere in DC. And 1 who definitely lives in Maryland (but I don't think the school knows).

Are you willing to step up to the plate and help fix the situation?

If you take 13 out of 3rd grade, class size will move from giant to large.

The old Principal enabled this. I know a family who moved IB for 3 months, spoke with the Principal and she said not to worry. We all know that 3 months is not permanent residency - it is clearly temporary - but they had a lease to prove residency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are about 10 kids in Janney's overcrowded third grade who moved to AU Park for a year to get into Janney and then moved elsewhere in the city. Maybe 1 or 2 who lie about living in AU park but live elsewhere in DC. And 1 who definitely lives in Maryland (but I don't think the school knows).

Are you willing to step up to the plate and help fix the situation?

If you take 13 out of 3rd grade, class size will move from giant to large.

I'd love it if these kids were told to leave. NOT because they're not great and NOT because they're out of boundary. Simply because their departure would
decrease class size.

Under current rules, only 3 of those 13 are at any risk of being asked to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are about 10 kids in Janney's overcrowded third grade who moved to AU Park for a year to get into Janney and then moved elsewhere in the city. Maybe 1 or 2 who lie about living in AU park but live elsewhere in DC. And 1 who definitely lives in Maryland (but I don't think the school knows).

Are you willing to step up to the plate and help fix the situation?

If you take 13 out of 3rd grade, class size will move from giant to large.

The old Principal enabled this. I know a family who moved IB for 3 months, spoke with the Principal and she said not to worry. We all know that 3 months is not permanent residency - it is clearly temporary - but they had a lease to prove residency.

Yes, she did. I know of a family with 2 kids (1st and 3rd) who lived IB for a year while they renovated their house. They moved back and are still at Janney. They aren't "cheating" because the principal knew they were OOB.

[Anonymous]

Can the new Principal clean house and remove families net year who are not EITHER IB or enrolled through OOB lottery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the new Principal clean house and remove families net year who are not EITHER IB or enrolled through OOB lottery?

It will all be moot when GDS builds two large apartment buildings in the Janney catchment, bringing a new influx of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the new Principal clean house and remove families net year who are not EITHER IB or enrolled through OOB lottery?

No. There was a recommendation in the DME boundary process that would have required people who move OOB, after having been IB, to have to apply again to stay via the lottery (and secure an OOB space or go to their new IB). So far DCPS has decided not to implement it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are about 10 kids in Janney's overcrowded third grade who moved to AU Park for a year to get into Janney and then moved elsewhere in the city. Maybe 1 or 2 who lie about living in AU park but live elsewhere in DC. And 1 who definitely lives in Maryland (but I don't think the school knows).

Are you willing to step up to the plate and help fix the situation?

If you take 13 out of 3rd grade, class size will move from giant to large.

The old Principal enabled this. I know a family who moved IB for 3 months, spoke with the Principal and she said not to worry. We all know that 3 months is not permanent residency - it is clearly temporary - but they had a lease to prove residency.

Yes, she did. I know of a family with 2 kids (1st and 3rd) who lived IB for a year while they renovated their house. They moved back and are still at Janney. They aren't "cheating" because the principal knew they were OOB.

yep, this was a brilliant move.
They were at Janney for 3 months and this bought them Janney/Deal/Wilson for 13 years for 2 kids AND a beautiful and newly renovated house in the neighborhood of their choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can the new Principal clean house and remove families net year who are not EITHER IB or enrolled through OOB lottery?

It will all be moot when GDS builds two large apartment buildings in the Janney catchment, bringing a new influx of students.

It depends what kinds of buildings are going to be built. Lately, unfortunately, not much is being built for families, target buyers/renters appear to be young, single professionals who pay $$$$$ to live in 500 sf 1bd or studio in a fancy new building close to transportation and restaurants, and with amenities. The new building that is being completed on CT at Military road seems to contain only super small apartments. If the new buildings are made of 450sf high end, pricey studios there will not be that many kids going to Janney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

. They can't stop IB kids from enrolling, so why can't a school say 'sorry, no space this year.'

PP who doesn't "get it" .... you answered your own question right here. They can't stop IB kids from enrolling (correct). But people EOTP who are Politically Connected HAVE been able to lean on elected representatives, who lean on Central DCPS, who in turns leans on the Princpal to say "Why YES, we DO have space for your Ward 1,2 and 4 kids this year!!! "

I couldn't have answered my own question since I had no idea what your wrote was going on. Is this really happening? Are there OOB kids added to grades already full of IB kids?