Feedback on lottery for K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs! That is helpful. We are actually interested in ITS for elementary as well -- we did not lottery for it last year because we unsure about the commute, but our kid has developed a real passion for art and is also an introvert and a little bit socially reserved, so it feels like it could be a good fit. But again, we like what we're getting where we are at the moment. I guess on some level I'm really trying to figure out if we should try to lottery for ITS for K or not, and it really comes down to if we can commit to the commute and what the commute would do for our family schedule and dynamic. It's not an insane commute (many people do much worse), but it's not the 10 minute walk we currently have going either. But if we totally love the school it would be worth it, especially since it would resolve MS for us as well. Just hard to know if we'd really love it -- it sounds just right but every school has downsides and it's so hard at this age to know.

Will check out Cap City. Is there a reason we won't get into Latin? Just because everyone lotteries for it? I'm still not totally clear on all the MS feeds and which schools are tougher to get into. I feel like I barely have a handle on the elementary schools!

At Latin, the only year they offer more than a handful of seats is 5th, and they tend to go to siblings. A lot of people try to get in, so it's hard to get in.

There is some art at ITS but no more than any other school-- once a week special for *part* of the year. The thing with ITS is they say they have a lot of specials, but the specials don't last the whole year. A class will have dance OR PE in a trimester, not both. I don't know that it's any better or worse than any other school for introverts or reserved kids. What it does have is a lot of smart kids who read and do math above grade level. But plenty who are on or below grade level too. And it just isn't that hard to get in to ITS in K or any grade above it. So there's no reason to rush the transition if you aren't sure.

This is a small thing, but while kids don't have an Art class all year long, there is visual art integrated into other subjects. E.g., making dioramas in ELA, Social Studies, Science; math sculptures; painting and illustrating in Science. And there are performing arts specials, Dance as PP said and also Theatre.

Those things are common in many schools. And whether you want science and math to be so art-y, rather than more science and math-y, well, I guess that's a personal preference. But I'm super underwhelmed with the science.

[Anonymous]

If you're coming from DCPS, OP, the lack of economic diversity and the unapologetically upper middle class culture is jarring. Tesla in the dropoff line. Houses in Brookland that are much much bigger on the inside than they look on the outside. Raising $100K without trying very hard. It's an adjustment.

[Anonymous]

OP - Are you talking about the Eliot Hine and Stuart Hobson middle schools by chance? We are facing this same issue (although we are in prek3).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled about the calendar changes or the sentiment of the message. Teachers are tired. So are parents. Yes, lots of challenges this year. In part because they barely opened for the last 1.5 years. Once again, families (and kids) holding the bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - Are you talking about the Eliot Hine and Stuart Hobson middle schools by chance? We are facing this same issue (although we are in prek3).

If it's Stuart-Hobson, I wouldn't give up on it, not yet. It takes a long long time to get a middle school to a good level, but SH has improved a lot and in the next 5 years could be as strong as OP's other realistic options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled about the calendar changes or the sentiment of the message. Teachers are tired. So are parents. Yes, lots of challenges this year. In part because they barely opened for the last 1.5 years. Once again, families (and kids) holding the bag.

Yep. Kiss 9 hours of instructional time goodbye, poof, tough sh*t kids and parents!

I would so much rather a full day off on a Friday, then we could actually do something fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

We ranked ITS high on our list last year, but I’ve been very happy with our Ward 5 DCPS school. We have an experienced teacher and I really like the principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled about the calendar changes or the sentiment of the message. Teachers are tired. So are parents. Yes, lots of challenges this year. In part because they barely opened for the last 1.5 years. Once again, families (and kids) holding the bag.

Yep. Kiss 9 hours of instructional time goodbye, poof, tough sh*t kids and parents!

I would so much rather a full day off on a Friday, then we could actually do something fun.

Do half days count toward the 180 as a full day? I recall asynchronous learning, which was a joke (and just a burden for parents) but seemed to count toward the 180. This academic year, our family has experienced only 2 weeks where both kids had a full 5 day week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled about the calendar changes or the sentiment of the message. Teachers are tired. So are parents. Yes, lots of challenges this year. In part because they barely opened for the last 1.5 years. Once again, families (and kids) holding the bag.

Yep. Kiss 9 hours of instructional time goodbye, poof, tough sh*t kids and parents!

I would so much rather a full day off on a Friday, then we could actually do something fun.

Do half days count toward the 180 as a full day? I recall asynchronous learning, which was a joke (and just a burden for parents) but seemed to count toward the 180. This academic year, our family has experienced only 2 weeks where both kids had a full 5 day week.

I have no idea. But what can you really do with a frickin Wednesday afternoon? Friday half day would be way better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled about the calendar changes or the sentiment of the message. Teachers are tired. So are parents. Yes, lots of challenges this year. In part because they barely opened for the last 1.5 years. Once again, families (and kids) holding the bag.

Yep. Kiss 9 hours of instructional time goodbye, poof, tough sh*t kids and parents!

I would so much rather a full day off on a Friday, then we could actually do something fun.

Do half days count toward the 180 as a full day? I recall asynchronous learning, which was a joke (and just a burden for parents) but seemed to count toward the 180. This academic year, our family has experienced only 2 weeks where both kids had a full 5 day week.

I have no idea. But what can you really do with a frickin Wednesday afternoon? Friday half day would be way better.

I’m trying to use those Wednesday afternoons for my kids’ dentist appointment, annual well visit, and eye doctor appointments so they don’t have to be scheduled during school hours.

[Anonymous]

Wow I just looked up ITS and that school in no way reflects the nearby demographics or the demographics of dc. It's way more affluent than I realized. I hope at risk preference helps some nearby kids get in (since the location is hard to reach via transit). And how much does aftercare cost? You make it sound like a fortune.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Huh. I hear this about DC Bilingual too. That MC families like to say the right things, but there is a lot of underlying tension in what those parents are advocating for in the school and what the lower SES families need and want from the school. I hope that as these schools implement the at-risk preference, that they have the hard conversations and administrators can stay firm to actually creating a welcoming school community for the at-risk families they bring in. I don't think it's just ITS or DCB that has these internal tensions, but I think the schools that chose to offer the at-risk preference have a special obligation to put their money where their mouth is and do better for the at-risk families in their schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Pretty much every liberal parent who is not sending their kid to their IB school (and staying in that feeder through HS) is living with this dissonance (myself included).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Pretty much every liberal parent who is not sending their kid to their IB school (and staying in that feeder through HS) is living with this dissonance (myself included).

Yep, me too. At ITS there's no target language or educational philosophy to use as a fig leaf, so it's really kind of awkward. I did give our IB a real try so I don't feel too bad about it, but I'm happy to see the at-risk preference happening and hope that the school and parents will live up to their rhetoric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give an example of the woke stuff at ITS?

They're often talking and talking and talking about equity using all the modern terminology, but their actions just don't match up. Like today-- three half days more than what was already scheduled, and the school is paying so that families enrolled in YMCA aftercare can have free care. But everyone who's not enrolled in the aftercare (which costs way more than DCPS aftercare!) is just SOL and gets no help. They treat parents like everyone has a flexible job or SAHP, basically. And that's not equity. Soooo many of the families say all the woke stuff, but really they're at ITS to avoid the high-poverty, high-trauma environment of Ward 5 DCPS, and they know it. So it's really awkward.

Pretty much every liberal parent who is not sending their kid to their IB school (and staying in that feeder through HS) is living with this dissonance (myself included).

Eh. Many, many DCPS elementary schools perform as well, or even better, as the charters, particularly when you control for your child's demographics and don't just look at the overall numbers. Not true at the middle and high school level. You want to lock in a feeder pattern by kindergarten, then sure, but folks also claim to be taking it year by year and not being sure about staying in the District through high school.