With a possibly influx of kids leaving private schools, are charters looking better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Sorry, OP here. Yes, this is correct. Charters can control their sizes.

Contrary to popular belief, in-demand DCPS schools can also control instructor to student ratios to a large extent. With good school leadership, portables can be ordered in advance to head off classroom crowding, PTA funds can help pay for classroom aides and across-grade floater teachers, and long waiting lists can be used to admit enough students to add classrooms where the number of kids stays in the low to mid 20s, not the high 20s. etc. Not rocket science.

But it doesn't work if everyone decides to enroll in July and August.

[Anonymous]

Charter schools? Blech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Sorry, OP here. Yes, this is correct. Charters can control their sizes.

Contrary to popular belief, in-demand DCPS schools can also control instructor to student ratios to a large extent. With good school leadership, portables can be ordered in advance to head off classroom crowding, PTA funds can help pay for classroom aides and across-grade floater teachers, and long waiting lists can be used to admit enough students to add classrooms where the number of kids stays in the low to mid 20s, not the high 20s. etc. Not rocket science.

But it doesn't work if everyone decides to enroll in July and August.

That doesn't happen anywhere. The great majority of IB parents in heavily high SES residential areas make plans for fall schooling many moons in advance. Also, good admins know from experience roughly how many kids will enroll in July and August, a small fraction of the total. It's an urban myth that loads of kid mob neighborhood schools late in the summer, and that charters are the better option because they can control class sizes.

I wouldn't trade living a 2-minute walk from the high-performing school each of my children can attend for up to 8 years for a distant charter, no matter what it offers. No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Sorry, OP here. Yes, this is correct. Charters can control their sizes.

Contrary to popular belief, in-demand DCPS schools can also control instructor to student ratios to a large extent. With good school leadership, portables can be ordered in advance to head off classroom crowding, PTA funds can help pay for classroom aides and across-grade floater teachers, and long waiting lists can be used to admit enough students to add classrooms where the number of kids stays in the low to mid 20s, not the high 20s. etc. Not rocket science.

But it doesn't work if everyone decides to enroll in July and August.

That doesn't happen anywhere. The great majority of IB parents in heavily high SES residential areas make plans for fall schooling many moons in advance. Also, good admins know from experience roughly how many kids will enroll in July and August, a small fraction of the total. It's an urban myth that loads of kid mob neighborhood schools late in the summer, and that charters are the better option because they can control class sizes.

I wouldn't trade living a 2-minute walk from the high-performing school each of my children can attend for up to 8 years for a distant charter, no matter what it offers. No way.

This absolutely happened at our school a few years ago. A whole class of kids, essentially, showed up and registered in July and August.

[Anonymous]

I think your premise may be faulty, but time will tell.

I don't think there's going to be a mass exodus from privates - at least not for this upcoming year. Will some kids leave? Of course, but a few leaving (with a few probably being cleared off of waitlists that will then leave public) does not equate to a mass swelling at the public schools.

We are at a private. As far as I know, none of my kids friends are planning on leaving. I have also spoken casually with several people in the administration over the last week or so and they report that there is no significant (if any?) families that have said they are leaving for public. Of course it may change once the deadline to cancel contracts on June 1st hits. They did however say they are still receiving applications every week for this Fall. It seems there are a number of families disenchanted with the distance learning in their public and are investigating the private route. The general feeling was they are not overly concerned about enrollment at this point.

Now, for '21-22 school year? Who knows. If the economy totally tanks and/or does not recover in a timely manner, you may see more of a pullback in private school enrollments..

Just my 2 cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There will be a revolving door. Kids who leave privates will be replaced by kids in publics. Some movement but probably a wash overall.

you don't think the financial fall out of all of this will mean more kids leaving privates than entering?

No, there are many families with kids in public who can afford private and will jump at the chance to fill vacated seats.

[Anonymous]

For the most part, those being hit financially already are not those in the highest income brackets who attend privates. So this dynamic may take longer to show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Sorry, OP here. Yes, this is correct. Charters can control their sizes.

Contrary to popular belief, in-demand DCPS schools can also control instructor to student ratios to a large extent. With good school leadership, portables can be ordered in advance to head off classroom crowding, PTA funds can help pay for classroom aides and across-grade floater teachers, and long waiting lists can be used to admit enough students to add classrooms where the number of kids stays in the low to mid 20s, not the high 20s. etc. Not rocket science.

Well please tell is how that is working out at Deal and Wilson where the crowding situation is not getting better but worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Sorry, OP here. Yes, this is correct. Charters can control their sizes.

Contrary to popular belief, in-demand DCPS schools can also control instructor to student ratios to a large extent. With good school leadership, portables can be ordered in advance to head off classroom crowding, PTA funds can help pay for classroom aides and across-grade floater teachers, and long waiting lists can be used to admit enough students to add classrooms where the number of kids stays in the low to mid 20s, not the high 20s. etc. Not rocket science.

Above is definitely not happening at the schools EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Non-charters have class size limits too. If they need more space they add another class. And I would say the size of the class and the school doesn't have much to do with the quality of the education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There will be a revolving door. Kids who leave privates will be replaced by kids in publics. Some movement but probably a wash overall.

you don't think the financial fall out of all of this will mean more kids leaving privates than entering?

No, there are many families with kids in public who can afford private and will jump at the chance to fill vacated seats.

Just because you have money, doesn't mean your child will make it in private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Non-charters have class size limits too. If they need more space they add another class. And I would say the size of the class and the school doesn't have much to do with the quality of the education.

And before you jump on that, please look at places like Janney. Compare that to any charter school you can find. The scores are higher, the teacher retention is stellar. There are fewer serious inequities the children are dealing with, which takes away from the day-to-day capacity to teach and learn. Most of these kids are coming from higher SES families, most who are college educated and who have prioritized education from the day their kids were born. This isn't the case at the charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep thinking that we're going to see an increase in students at our school as people leave privates to save some $. Charters don't have to manage a swell of kids- so will they be able to keep class sizes down and look relatively more appealing?

Maybe next year. This year, parents hit by the financial fallout considering charter school bargains over privates probably didn't think to apply in the lottery, at least not for elementary programs. The MySchoolDC deadlines came and went before covid crisis hit DC.

I don’t think OP wrote clearly. OP is asking if charters will look more popular because of private students now enrolling in their IB DCPS schools, leading to overcrowding there. Since charters only accept a set number and don’t need to enroll all IB students, they can control class sizes, theoretically making them more appealing.

Sorry, OP here. Yes, this is correct. Charters can control their sizes.

Contrary to popular belief, in-demand DCPS schools can also control instructor to student ratios to a large extent. With good school leadership, portables can be ordered in advance to head off classroom crowding, PTA funds can help pay for classroom aides and across-grade floater teachers, and long waiting lists can be used to admit enough students to add classrooms where the number of kids stays in the low to mid 20s, not the high 20s. etc. Not rocket science.

Above is definitely not happening at the schools EOTP.

Oh come on. We've been at supposedly super crowded Brent for 8 years, enrolling three kids in this period. None of our kids has ever been in a class with more than around 25 students. some years, we've had 19 or 20 in a class and two instructors. We've got trailers on the playground, and will get more. Big deal. Friends are Maury tell similar stories.

[Anonymous]

Way too much made-up drama on this thread...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the suburbs will see a greater influx as telecommuting increases and the benefits of living in the city for bars, restaurants, public transit, etc. becomes less of a draw.

Agree with the burbs, we are moving to the burbs for more space this summer.