Open house impressions thread

[Anonymous]

You're right. It is really unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this show just how profoundly unfair this whole process is. thousands of kids on waiting list of schools they have a 1% chance of getting into. The schools don't even have to pretend to give a shit about wooing you anymore. You kids educations is only as good as their luck at age 3.

Which, if you'd done your research before moving to DC or choosing to have kids here, you'd know that there ARE enough seats for every single kid, just not at the schools most people want to go to. It's part of the known risk of choosing to raise kids here if you plan to use public education.

It's not good, and all schools should be improved so that everyone is content with their IB school... but it is not news and it's not a surprise, or shouldn't be for anyone. It's only in the last 10 years that any noticeable number of middle or upper income families even considered any public schools in DC outside of JKLMM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The presenters gave a cold feeling and didn't seem to have answers to most of the questions being asked. The tour was awful just allowing us to take a quick look in the classroom. I didn't get a sense that it was different from any non-immersion school due to the materials displayed. The parents in my session didn't seem to excited either. I really wanted to like the school but left feeling like it wouldn't be a good fit.

To be fair, as a current parent at another charter, I'm very pleased that the school does not let strangers traipse through the classrooms.

I agree with this. The charter I'm thinking of is Bridges, and they don't like tours interrupting the students, etc.

I can see why schools such as some of the very popular HRCs don't feel the need to put on a dog and pony show. If you don't know you're serious about an immersion education, why are you there? There are so many families with language and cultural ties, and they are just agonizing to get in to places like LAMB and Yu Ying, why try to persuade you if you don't even know that it's what you really want?

Maybe it's a pre-sorting mechanism.

Completely agree with you PP. These 2 schools in particular (LAMB and YY) have so many parents DYING to go there, people who know what the schools offer and are passionate and excited about either Spanish and Montessori or IB and Mandarin. And it's so hard to get into each, why bother putting on some dynamic show about how great it is when there are hardly any slots and as a school it's better to have the parents who are applying because it's what they want for their kids, vs. the parents who apply because the classrooms are pretty and the Admins were super friendly.

I'm at one of those 2 schools and I actually liked the open houses at a couple of other schools better than both of theirs, but once we got in we have never looked back, we are so happy there and are excited to see it through all the way through 5th and then DCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The presenters gave a cold feeling and didn't seem to have answers to most of the questions being asked. The tour was awful just allowing us to take a quick look in the classroom. I didn't get a sense that it was different from any non-immersion school due to the materials displayed. The parents in my session didn't seem to excited either. I really wanted to like the school but left feeling like it wouldn't be a good fit.

To be fair, as a current parent at another charter, I'm very pleased that the school does not let strangers traipse through the classrooms.

I agree with this. The charter I'm thinking of is Bridges, and they don't like tours interrupting the students, etc.

I can see why schools such as some of the very popular HRCs don't feel the need to put on a dog and pony show. If you don't know you're serious about an immersion education, why are you there? There are so many families with language and cultural ties, and they are just agonizing to get in to places like LAMB and Yu Ying, why try to persuade you if you don't even know that it's what you really want?

Maybe it's a pre-sorting mechanism.

Completely agree with you PP. These 2 schools in particular (LAMB and YY) have so many parents DYING to go there, people who know what the schools offer and are passionate and excited about either Spanish and Montessori or IB and Mandarin. And it's so hard to get into each, why bother putting on some dynamic show about how great it is when there are hardly any slots and as a school it's better to have the parents who are applying because it's what they want for their kids, vs. the parents who apply because the classrooms are pretty and the Admins were super friendly.

I'm at one of those 2 schools and I actually liked the open houses at a couple of other schools better than both of theirs, but once we got in we have never looked back, we are so happy there and are excited to see it through all the way through 5th and then DCI.

Two reasons the schools should still try 1) they get my tax dollars, please act like you give a shit about educating every potential kid in DC and 2) the trends change. There are some charters school that you used to be highly sought after that have slipped with the competition from the growing numbers of new charters as well as improved IB options (seeing this now EoTP). With this much demand there may be additional immersion, montessori, STEM whatever schools. Todays hot thing, could be a has been in five years.

[Anonymous]

^They can try but keeping the families that already have kids at the school have higher priority than 1. Anon DC taxpayers and 2. The tides of fashion.

[Anonymous]

I agree that all schools should try to put on a good effort at the open house. The immersion concept appeals to many on paper. However, schools do it differently and it is important for families to be able to understand how it is done at that particular school. I disagree that the schools with large waitlists shouldn't try. There are plenty of people who throw a school on the list just because there are 12 schools to choose from.

I have only been to a few open houses so far but I felt Creative Minds and Capital City did a great job discussing their school and answering questions while still providing a warm feeling, which is great for small kids. I don't understand why this is hard for all schools.

[Anonymous]

Yu Ying is IB and Mandarin and LAMB is Montessori Spanish and there are no other schools like them. The parents who really want these programs are not going to be swayed by how well or poorly the open house is done. We are at one of the schools and never bothered to attend an open house but it was still our #1 choice. Sort of understandable why they don't bother with the warm fuzzies for those who are school shopping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yu Ying is IB and Mandarin and LAMB is Montessori Spanish and there are no other schools like them. The parents who really want these programs are not going to be swayed by how well or poorly the open house is done. We are at one of the schools and never bothered to attend an open house but it was still our #1 choice. Sort of understandable why they don't bother with the warm fuzzies for those who are school shopping.

I did not bother attending an open house for either of those schools. Once we got in we were given a real tour with the principal. I did see them at EdFest and was really impressed. Not sure what people are expecting at the open house.

[Anonymous]

You can do what some parents did - and start a school of your own. Say like, Yu Ying, CMI or Two Rivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can do what some parents did - and start a school of your own. Say like, Yu Ying, CMI or Two Rivers.

If more did, the difficult access would decrease.

MV modeled itself after YY, and became an HRCS almost overnight - even in that crazy space down in Dupont Circle. Those are both independently-started charters, as is Cap City, 2 Rivers, Bridges, and ELHaynes, probably LAMB too, along with DC Prep. The really best ideas are home grown. I'd like to see more of that, and I'd like it if the pro-charter movement would reckon with that. It's easy for a network of charters to come into DC and deal with the facilities crisis - they have money. I'd like to see more support for the great ideas. I know Kipp is supposed to be super, but it's one kind of solution with an outsized influence. If Bridges and IT and Lee could command such influence, we really would all be better off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The presenters gave a cold feeling and didn't seem to have answers to most of the questions being asked. The tour was awful just allowing us to take a quick look in the classroom. I didn't get a sense that it was different from any non-immersion school due to the materials displayed. The parents in my session didn't seem to excited either. I really wanted to like the school but left feeling like it wouldn't be a good fit.

To be fair, as a current parent at another charter, I'm very pleased that the school does not let strangers traipse through the classrooms.

I agree with this. The charter I'm thinking of is Bridges, and they don't like tours interrupting the students, etc.

I can see why schools such as some of the very popular HRCs don't feel the need to put on a dog and pony show. If you don't know you're serious about an immersion education, why are you there? There are so many families with language and cultural ties, and they are just agonizing to get in to places like LAMB and Yu Ying, why try to persuade you if you don't even know that it's what you really want?

Maybe it's a pre-sorting mechanism.

Completely agree with you PP. These 2 schools in particular (LAMB and YY) have so many parents DYING to go there, people who know what the schools offer and are passionate and excited about either Spanish and Montessori or IB and Mandarin. And it's so hard to get into each, why bother putting on some dynamic show about how great it is when there are hardly any slots and as a school it's better to have the parents who are applying because it's what they want for their kids, vs. the parents who apply because the classrooms are pretty and the Admins were super friendly.

I'm at one of those 2 schools and I actually liked the open houses at a couple of other schools better than both of theirs, but once we got in we have never looked back, we are so happy there and are excited to see it through all the way through 5th and then DCI.

Two reasons the schools should still try 1) they get my tax dollars, please act like you give a shit about educating every potential kid in DC and 2) the trends change. There are some charters school that you used to be highly sought after that have slipped with the competition from the growing numbers of new charters as well as improved IB options (seeing this now EoTP). With this much demand there may be additional immersion, montessori, STEM whatever schools. Todays hot thing, could be a has been in five years.

LAMB and YY have been around for a long time (especially LAMB), and the interest in these two isn't going to change. Neither of them are "hot things," they are proven schools with track records.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The presenters gave a cold feeling and didn't seem to have answers to most of the questions being asked. The tour was awful just allowing us to take a quick look in the classroom. I didn't get a sense that it was different from any non-immersion school due to the materials displayed. The parents in my session didn't seem to excited either. I really wanted to like the school but left feeling like it wouldn't be a good fit.

To be fair, as a current parent at another charter, I'm very pleased that the school does not let strangers traipse through the classrooms.

I agree with this. The charter I'm thinking of is Bridges, and they don't like tours interrupting the students, etc.

I can see why schools such as some of the very popular HRCs don't feel the need to put on a dog and pony show. If you don't know you're serious about an immersion education, why are you there? There are so many families with language and cultural ties, and they are just agonizing to get in to places like LAMB and Yu Ying, why try to persuade you if you don't even know that it's what you really want?

Maybe it's a pre-sorting mechanism.

Completely agree with you PP. These 2 schools in particular (LAMB and YY) have so many parents DYING to go there, people who know what the schools offer and are passionate and excited about either Spanish and Montessori or IB and Mandarin. And it's so hard to get into each, why bother putting on some dynamic show about how great it is when there are hardly any slots and as a school it's better to have the parents who are applying because it's what they want for their kids, vs. the parents who apply because the classrooms are pretty and the Admins were super friendly.

I'm at one of those 2 schools and I actually liked the open houses at a couple of other schools better than both of theirs, but once we got in we have never looked back, we are so happy there and are excited to see it through all the way through 5th and then DCI.

I actually think comprehensive tours may help narrow the waitlists down to families who truly care and want to be there. I know many people who list a school they know very little about simply because they hear it's good or it sounds interesting. They have no idea what they're signing up for - probably the same disgruntled parents who post here because the school didn't match their expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The presenters gave a cold feeling and didn't seem to have answers to most of the questions being asked. The tour was awful just allowing us to take a quick look in the classroom. I didn't get a sense that it was different from any non-immersion school due to the materials displayed. The parents in my session didn't seem to excited either. I really wanted to like the school but left feeling like it wouldn't be a good fit.

To be fair, as a current parent at another charter, I'm very pleased that the school does not let strangers traipse through the classrooms.

I agree with this. The charter I'm thinking of is Bridges, and they don't like tours interrupting the students, etc.

I can see why schools such as some of the very popular HRCs don't feel the need to put on a dog and pony show. If you don't know you're serious about an immersion education, why are you there? There are so many families with language and cultural ties, and they are just agonizing to get in to places like LAMB and Yu Ying, why try to persuade you if you don't even know that it's what you really want?

Maybe it's a pre-sorting mechanism.

Completely agree with you PP. These 2 schools in particular (LAMB and YY) have so many parents DYING to go there, people who know what the schools offer and are passionate and excited about either Spanish and Montessori or IB and Mandarin. And it's so hard to get into each, why bother putting on some dynamic show about how great it is when there are hardly any slots and as a school it's better to have the parents who are applying because it's what they want for their kids, vs. the parents who apply because the classrooms are pretty and the Admins were super friendly.

I'm at one of those 2 schools and I actually liked the open houses at a couple of other schools better than both of theirs, but once we got in we have never looked back, we are so happy there and are excited to see it through all the way through 5th and then DCI.

Two reasons the schools should still try 1) they get my tax dollars, please act like you give a shit about educating every potential kid in DC and 2) the trends change. There are some charters school that you used to be highly sought after that have slipped with the competition from the growing numbers of new charters as well as improved IB options (seeing this now EoTP). With this much demand there may be additional immersion, montessori, STEM whatever schools. Todays hot thing, could be a has been in five years.

This is our fifth yr at one of the schools. If anything, it has gotten more popular and impossible to get into than when we were applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this show just how profoundly unfair this whole process is. thousands of kids on waiting list of schools they have a 1% chance of getting into. The schools don't even have to pretend to give a shit about wooing you anymore. You kids educations is only as good as their luck at age 3.

It would be more fair, if there were more good choices. That's not the fault of the charter schools, it's the fault of the poor DCPS that won't either change or close and give up facilities to charters. There are currently a couple MILLION empty square feet of school space, which Kaya won't give up. Why is that? It's not because DCPS has an excellent record, it's because of pride and the $$ in her contract.

Make her give up the real estate to charters that will provide the schools. This isn't a mystery. The solution is right in front of everyone's faces, but the entrenched powers don't want to give up what they have - even though it's been proven that others can do it better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this show just how profoundly unfair this whole process is. thousands of kids on waiting list of schools they have a 1% chance of getting into. The schools don't even have to pretend to give a shit about wooing you anymore. You kids educations is only as good as their luck at age 3.

Your kids education is only as good as the parent's foresight in living in IB to a school they were happy with. We all make choices. Many of the individuals on DCUM have financial options such that they can be IB for a good school - it might not be as large, recently renovated, hip - but there are choices that can be made.