2009-10 Pre-K lotteries to be done by DCPS?

[Anonymous]

I contacted DCPS and was told all pre-K lotteries (in-boundary and out-of-boundary) would be conducted by DCPS through their webpage. They are currently working out the process and information should be posted by Jan. 28th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the past the lottery was "done" by DCPS downtown, but the names of the kids eligible for lottery was determined by the school-- ie the school sent the list downtown and down town sent back the results. This is how it was done in 2004-5 and 2007-8 when I had preK kids. I asked at our school last week, office, for a friend with an upcoming preKer and was told it was all being handled by downtown, but that DCPS had no info on the website.
My school is Murch, and the in boundry/out of boundry/siblings policies have been different with each of the last 3 principals. I think Rhee has a good idea if she is trying to make a uniform policy. Otherwise it seems too arbitrary IMHO.

Thanks for posting this. We're in-boundary for Murch, and we'll be in the pre-K lottery next year; I'm eager to see how this year shakes out.

[Anonymous]

Just FYI, 3 years ago we were one the wait list for Lafayette pre-K and didn't receive a spot. Don't know how many applicants they have these days but back then it was something like 115 for 60 spaces.

[Anonymous]

On this note, does anyone know of any DCPS in NW with Pre-K for 3 year-olds, and will these slots be handled by the same centralized lottery system?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On this note, does anyone know of any DCPS in NW with Pre-K for 3 year-olds, and will these slots be handled by the same centralized lottery system?

i think pre-k is for 4 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On this note, does anyone know of any DCPS in NW with Pre-K for 3 year-olds, and will these slots be handled by the same centralized lottery system?

Bridges PCS (http://bridgespcs.org/) in Columbia Heights has Pre-K 3.

[Anonymous]

BTW -- I heard from one DCPS principal that for 3 and 4 year olds --- the preference will be given to 1) siblings and 2) in boundary kids and 3) out of boundaries if spaces still remain. So, even if you are in boundary for 3 and 4 year old programs (since they are not complusory (i.e. required) you must register for the lottery. Otherwise you will be placed on the waitlist if you contact the school after the lottery process closes on March 13th. The computer lottery will commence on Jan 28th and close on March 13th. The lottery will be held on March 30th and the results posted on March 31st.

[Anonymous]

If PP poster is correct, I have to say I am glad that they are getting rid of out-of-boundary sibling preference but mystified that they are keeping any sibling preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If PP poster is correct, I have to say I am glad that they are getting rid of out-of-boundary sibling preference but mystified that they are keeping any sibling preference.

Hmm, I interpreted PP's note a little differently: "Siblings" get preference, then in-boundary kids -- could that mean all siblings, OOB and in-boundary? If so, I'll be really disappointed -- but glad, at least, that DCPS has settled on a consistent policy rather than leaving it up to the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If PP poster is correct, I have to say I am glad that they are getting rid of out-of-boundary sibling preference but mystified that they are keeping any sibling preference.

Hmm, I interpreted PP's note a little differently: "Siblings" get preference, then in-boundary kids -- could that mean all siblings, OOB and in-boundary? If so, I'll be really disappointed -- but glad, at least, that DCPS has settled on a consistent policy rather than leaving it up to the schools.

Reading it again, you may be right. Does anyone know who will get sibling preference?

[Anonymous]

Sibling preference is a good thing from a school community perspective: it's a LOT easier to get parental involvement and support when all the children attend the same school.

Not to mention, for parents with children at more than one school the travel time for drop-offs can be a real challenge.

Frankly, the hostility to sibling preference on this thread astounds me.

[Anonymous]

Yes, drop-offs can be a real challenge if two kids are going to different schools.

Guess what else is a challenge? Paying for pre-K because siblings of students who aren't in-boundary at our neighborhood school got preference in the lottery. Or, having to drive your child to a pre-K in another neighborhood because OOB siblings took up many spots in your neighborhood school.

Many of the OOB siblings likely have a neighborhood school that offers pre-K, which they can attend for free. I understand their parents' preferences for keeping their kids in the same school, but it seems reasonable to accept that there is a risk in enrolling your child OOB, one of which is that for the pre-K year, you may have to coordinate multiple drop-offs. After that one year, though, your younger child(ren) will almost definitely gain acceptance to the OOB school's K program (given sibling preference in the K-5 OOB lottery), and all of the parental involvement benefits will then accrue.

It seems patently unfair to tell families that live in district for a particular school, who likely also have a great desire to be involved in their neighborhood school, that their firstborn children are lower on the priority list for pre-K than children from other neighborhoods.

I can't see what would be "astounding" about that frustration.

[Anonymous]

I guess I like the idea of all DC schoolchildren having a shot at a good education.

So if somebody from Ward 7 gets lucky with a Pre-K slot at Murch and that propels her through the system, and then her little brother gets sibling preference so that he too escapes the ghetto... I find this to be a good thing.

In the meantime, a parent in upper NW pays for an extra year at Aiden Montessori pre-school before she automatically gets her child in-bounds at Murch without even having so much as to investigate OOBs or charters or privates...

I guess my heart doesn't bleed like you think it should. I must be b*tchy that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sibling preference is a good thing from a school community perspective: it's a LOT easier to get parental involvement and support when all the children attend the same school.

Not to mention, for parents with children at more than one school the travel time for drop-offs can be a real challenge.

Frankly, the hostility to sibling preference on this thread astounds me.

I find the fact that you can't see the other side of the argument astounding. I am against the preference (for in or out of boundary siblings) because it makes no sense to me that you can live in a community your entire life, support the local school with tax dollars, volunteering and donations, yet not have an equal opportunity to access a public program. So I have to pay to send my child to pre-K or go across town every day to take one child to a different (often inferior) public school -- while being unable to put a younger one in preschool (because either can't afford it after private or can't manage drop offs and pick ups -- yes, they can be a real challenge). Meanwhile others have preferred access to a public program just because they happened to have one child before you, or rented for a year to get one child in and then gets preference to go to the school for all future kids, or just moved here and will move away in a couple years when they can't afford private middle school -- where my kids will be without many of those folks valuable involvement. Just so you can see the other perspective.

[Anonymous]

As long as you're in-boundary, it's only a matter of time before you get the super-school for your already privileged child.

For the child from Ward 7 - it's a once in a lifetime shot.

This just isn't hard for me.