Needing a school for 5th grade :(

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with cap city, Thomson, Whittier. Cleveland or marie reed or Chisholm if she's been in spanish immersion. I would be working with the osse ombudsman and the public charter school board to see if there's a way she can keep feeder preference for dci if she wants to go there. Also Washington school for girls is private but tuition free.

IMO Marie Reed and Chisholm don't have acceptable enough feeder MS. OP is trying to avoid having to start over for 5th and then again for 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds really hard. I'm sorry.

Just looking at short waitlists (https://www.myschooldc.org/short-waitlists):

You could do Thomson, Cleveland, or Seaton and feed into John Francis for 6th. If your daughter was previously doing Spanish immersion, she could even continue that at Cleveland.

You could do Friendship Online for 5th and try again for the 6th grade lottery.

You could do Miner and feed into Eliot-Hine for 6th.

You could do Takoma or Whittier and feed into Wells for 6th.

OP here. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should contact the main office. If there was an assault, they have a responsibility to find your child a safe place and to consider an equivalent school. Students can get placed outside of the lottery, you should push for that. Did you report the assault to the police?

This. If there was a assault by a staff member in a DC school then the world is your oyster. Certainly as part of the settlement and probably well before then.

But somehow, I feel like that’s not what actually happened here or you wouldn’t be asking this question in this way

This did actually happen , that staff member was fired within 48 hours of the incident. The only conversation the charter school wants to have is bringing her back. There is an active police report and CFSA case.

I asked this question this way because I am also interested in finding a safe space for my child and what I thought was has turned out not to be

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and that you felt like your kid had to leave rather than the staff member. Sending solidarity and love your way

The staff member was dismissed. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear on that. Just also do not want my child to return

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds really hard. I'm sorry.

Just looking at short waitlists (https://www.myschooldc.org/short-waitlists):

You could do Thomson, Cleveland, or Seaton and feed into John Francis for 6th. If your daughter was previously doing Spanish immersion, she could even continue that at Cleveland.

You could do Friendship Online for 5th and try again for the 6th grade lottery.

You could do Miner and feed into Eliot-Hine for 6th.

You could do Takoma or Whittier and feed into Wells for 6th.

I am so sorry you're dealing with this. I don't have personal experience with most of these schools, but I know Thomson and it is great. People do come in fifth grade (awesome teacher at that level) to get access to John Francis. Principal (Carmen Shepherd) and AP (Crystal Overstreet) are wonderful and warm and will answer all questions.

Other schools on this list could be equally good options, though I'd steer you away from Miner. Good principal and parent community but school has a lot of challenges, particularly in upper grades.

Thank you for this. I will look into all of the options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should contact the main office. If there was an assault, they have a responsibility to find your child a safe place and to consider an equivalent school. Students can get placed outside of the lottery, you should push for that. Did you report the assault to the police?

This was going to be my response. You and your child have rights and the school district cannot just leave you to your own devices if your daughter feels unsafe at school, especially if it is due to physical aggression by a teacher.

If you want to stay in DCPS should allow you to choose whatever elementary school you want to have your child go to

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The long and short of it is my daughter is at a DCI feeder, she was assaulted in school(by a staff member) and we have been educating her at home. Looking ahead for next year, we don't have a viable option for 5th. We did enter the lottery for Latin initially and our numbers are high. I also did the post school lottery and most numbers indicate that we won't get an offer.
Neighborhood school is Bunker Hill. Feeling upset about her experience and also having to move for 5th then again for 6th. Realistically also losing our feeder to DCI for MS and HS.

Any thoughts or feedback during this really unexpected situation.

Thanks

Could you sue the school system and have them pay for private school? It sound like they were unable to provide a free and appropriate education

[Anonymous]

Did you press charges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you press charges?

You can demand that DCPS allow your child her choice of school. It's worth it to ask anyway, through a lawyer's letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with cap city, Thomson, Whittier. Cleveland or marie reed or Chisholm if she's been in spanish immersion. I would be working with the osse ombudsman and the public charter school board to see if there's a way she can keep feeder preference for dci if she wants to go there. Also Washington school for girls is private but tuition free.

IMO Marie Reed and Chisholm don't have acceptable enough feeder MS. OP is trying to avoid having to start over for 5th and then again for 6th.

I understand that reasoning, but honestly, would it be that bad? That first year back in school is going to be difficult, and perhaps the older version of OP's child wouldn't want the friends she makes in secondary school to see her in her 5th grade state. If you see what I mean? Sorry if I'm not articulating my thoughts clearly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you press charges?

You can demand that DCPS allow your child her choice of school. It's worth it to ask anyway, through a lawyer's letter.

If this happened at a DCI feeder, than DCPS has nothing to do with it. They will accept her at her IB at any time, which is their only responsibility. If her school has another campus, then there might be a way to finagle that; if not, I don’t think by what mechanism her school could even offer her a placement elsewhere in some other LEAs. Unfortunately, this is where being at a charter does give you fewer options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you press charges?

You can demand that DCPS allow your child her choice of school. It's worth it to ask anyway, through a lawyer's letter.

If this happened at a DCI feeder, than DCPS has nothing to do with it. They will accept her at her IB at any time, which is their only responsibility. If her school has another campus, then there might be a way to finagle that; if not, I don’t think by what mechanism her school could even offer her a placement elsewhere in some other LEAs. Unfortunately, this is where being at a charter does give you fewer options.

But I thought they were all legally part of DC public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with cap city, Thomson, Whittier. Cleveland or marie reed or Chisholm if she's been in spanish immersion. I would be working with the osse ombudsman and the public charter school board to see if there's a way she can keep feeder preference for dci if she wants to go there. Also Washington school for girls is private but tuition free.

IMO Marie Reed and Chisholm don't have acceptable enough feeder MS. OP is trying to avoid having to start over for 5th and then again for 6th.

The goal would be to keep the dci feeder rights but do 5th at a different immersion school. That's not usually possible but if the child was assaulted by a school employee they are far outside usual procedures. A safety transfer to a different dci feeder could be another option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you press charges?

You can demand that DCPS allow your child her choice of school. It's worth it to ask anyway, through a lawyer's letter.

If this happened at a DCI feeder, than DCPS has nothing to do with it. They will accept her at her IB at any time, which is their only responsibility. If her school has another campus, then there might be a way to finagle that; if not, I don’t think by what mechanism her school could even offer her a placement elsewhere in some other LEAs. Unfortunately, this is where being at a charter does give you fewer options.

But I thought they were all legally part of DC public schools?

No, they're not. Each charter school is it's own "local education agency", ie. like it's own school district in mini.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with cap city, Thomson, Whittier. Cleveland or marie reed or Chisholm if she's been in spanish immersion. I would be working with the osse ombudsman and the public charter school board to see if there's a way she can keep feeder preference for dci if she wants to go there. Also Washington school for girls is private but tuition free.

IMO Marie Reed and Chisholm don't have acceptable enough feeder MS. OP is trying to avoid having to start over for 5th and then again for 6th.

The goal would be to keep the dci feeder rights but do 5th at a different immersion school. That's not usually possible but if the child was assaulted by a school employee they are far outside usual procedures. A safety transfer to a different dci feeder could be another option.

Each charter is a separate LEA so they have no obligation to accept a safety transfer. If I were OP I would add any DCI feeder now. Some will take kids in 5th. It’s not likely, but why not.