It may be getting even harder to get a spot at a charter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCPCS offers this. There are children who got in by their parent being on the staff - and the parent left.

There is also the class that was made up of 25% of teacher / staff children. When you hit the point of 25% - it fundamentally impacts the class culture.

When 25% of the class have parent's that are teachers - the burden of chaperons / class parent / etc goes to the other families.

If CCPCS is really offering this already, then they are in violation of the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is to stop teachers to work at a school for a year, get their children in, and then stop teaching but keep the spot? Terrible policy and also completely unfair vis-a-vis DCPS teachers.

So make them have to teach a minimum number of years to keep their kids in the school, but anything else is unfair and potentially unworkable from a life/work balance if your child is going to school across the city how are you expected to cope? And if you are working hard at your school, why shouldn't your kids benefit?

At least for BASIS DC, to get some of the best teachers from AZ to move with their families, their kids absolutely have to be able to attend the school.... And I assume that is true other charter chain schools that are not DC specific. Furthermore, my MIL was a NYC Public School teacher for 30 years, and one of the benefits for her was she made sure that my future husband was at ok schools with colleagues who were friends of hers watching over him, or in schools where she was actually a teacher.

There were a few kids of faculty in my DC private school and I assume that they got discounts because how else could they pay the tuition? I assume that must be true of places like Exeter and other boarding schools as well. But if these parents are good teachers, this may be the best way they can assure their own kids a good education, and if they are good teachers, every other child in the school at which they teach benefits.

So I do not see a downside except if the benefit is manipulated and misused so that a teacher teaches one year in a charter and gets their kids in there in perpetuity. But at least some of these teachers could be doing something else that would give them the means to send their kids to private school on their own hook. It makes sense to allow them to teach instead.

I think it is more than fair, and should apply to teachers period - private, public, charter, and college. If you cannot take care of your child, you may make different decisions about what to do with your life. When my grandfather was a professor at Yale his sons got extremely reduced tuition and his daughters got a discount at Radcliffe because at the time Yale did not accept women.

I don't know what the situation is now, but when teachers, especially in private and charter schools, are taking a pay cut to be there as opposed to being in the public school system, they really deserve to have their kids get the benefit of the education they are providing to other children unless their kids are incapable of meeting the academic standards of the schools.

Just my opinion, but usually for a parent taking care of your kids is paramount, and providing them with a good education is an essential element of that role. If you create a situation where teachers cannot take care of their own children by essentially guaranteeing (absent some learning disability or emotional problem) that their kids can attend the school to which they are so dedicated, you screw up all the incentives and in fact potentially create a barrier to entry for people who perhaps might be some of the most excellent teachers............ because they are dedicated to their own children first and foremost, which is a value that I absolutely share and understand and respect.

Many of us send our kids to school far away from where we live or work--there is no reason why teachers should be any different.

[Anonymous]

Btw the teachers I know at private schools do not get free tuition around here. They have to apply for aid like everyone else; that's how they afford the tuition. And DCPS teachers do not get preferential admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is to stop teachers to work at a school for a year, get their children in, and then stop teaching but keep the spot? Terrible policy and also completely unfair vis-a-vis DCPS teach

This is a good point, except the teachers may actually be more likely to stay at the school with their child I would think.

+1

This. Stronger connection and stronger commitment.

Absolutely. The vast majority of parents would take a pay cut to have their child in their work-place. Easy.

[Anonymous]

Umm my child doesn't attend the daycare facility on my job site, although I get preference its not affordable. I say this to say just because charter teachers make less than DCPS isn't a reason to give them preference for a public school. Furthermore, as a parent you make arrangements or find new employment when your daycare/school options don't work for you.

[Anonymous]

They absolutely should get preferential admission. I would love to know that my child's teacher is fully invested in the school that my child attends. We all know that teachers work for low salaries. Why deny them this small, but meaningful perk? "Many of us send our kids to school far away from where we live or work--there is no reason why teachers should be any different." Really? You sound bitter for having made a choice that you now regret. Choose your neighborhood school or choose to be a teacher at your child's school. Problem solved. Maybe you would have more desirable options close to your home or work if the school system could attract highly qualified candidates by making the terms of employment a little more appealing. Honestly I can't think of one profession that doesn't come with some type of perk. Even restaurant owners know to give the wait staff a discount on their meal after a shift. I don't think I would want to eat at a restaurant where the staff refuses to eat the food. Guess I feel the same way about schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Btw the teachers I know at private schools do not get free tuition around here. They have to apply for aid like everyone else; that's how they afford the tuition. And DCPS teachers do not get preferential admission.

Shenanigans. This isn't about free tuition, it's simply preferential consideration for admission, for highly valued staff members. Not at all the same.

Which desirable private schools in the area do you claim do not offer this?

Names or you're lying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They absolutely should get preferential admission. I would love to know that my child's teacher is fully invested in the school that my child attends. We all know that teachers work for low salaries. Why deny them this small, but meaningful perk? "Many of us send our kids to school far away from where we live or work--there is no reason why teachers should be any different." Really? You sound bitter for having made a choice that you now regret. Choose your neighborhood school or choose to be a teacher at your child's school. Problem solved. Maybe you would have more desirable options close to your home or work if the school system could attract highly qualified candidates by making the terms of employment a little more appealing. Honestly I can't think of one profession that doesn't come with some type of perk. Even restaurant owners know to give the wait staff a discount on their meal after a shift. I don't think I would want to eat at a restaurant where the staff refuses to eat the food. Guess I feel the same way about schools.

This really is a no brainer.

[Anonymous]

I'm laughing at the comment about teachers coming for a year, dropping off their kids, and then leaving. Will many people really just up and quit their current gig, randomly happen to get a job at a great school (which usually don't have many openings), and then be compelled to quit after a year? Also, where are these eager teacher-moms running off to after a year -- another school for their younger DS who has slightly different academic needs?

[Anonymous]

This would make charters more and more like entities that only benefit those who are already there and not the overall city and its taxpayers. It would also make the odds of admissions so dismal that many people would be discouraged and likely move to the suburbs. For individuals who are unlucky enough to be entering the lottery when there are not promising new charters starting, they will always be competing against both siblings and teachers, making it almost impossible to get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This would make charters more and more like entities that only benefit those who are already there and not the overall city and its taxpayers. It would also make the odds of admissions so dismal that many people would be discouraged and likely move to the suburbs. For individuals who are unlucky enough to be entering the lottery when there are not promising new charters starting, they will always be competing against both siblings and teachers, making it almost impossible to get in.

No. What it would do is ensure that charter schools have the means, outside of tenure, to attract and retain top talent. If DCPS could enact a similar policy then the same would be true there. It would also bring to schools, that do not already have in place, a core group of parents who are fully committed to the school and its mission. This is a benefit for everyone. It is time that we start considering ideas that will help to improve schools across the board. Everyone simply cannot get into the hottest charters and this will not change at any point in the near future whether or not teachers get preference.

[Anonymous]

WIS does not offer free tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This would make charters more and more like entities that only benefit those who are already there and not the overall city and its taxpayers. It would also make the odds of admissions so dismal that many people would be discouraged and likely move to the suburbs. For individuals who are unlucky enough to be entering the lottery when there are not promising new charters starting, they will always be competing against both siblings and teachers, making it almost impossible to get in.

Completely agree with everything in this post.

[Anonymous]

People keep saying on here that DCPS doesn't offer preference for their teachers. You'll note the the DME proposals that have been floated for the last couple of months do include provisions aimed at giving just that preference. And from personal experience I see that DCPS employees often are able to somehow get their kids into the schools they teach at. So it's already happening.

[Anonymous]

Apparently it is also already happening at charters.