DCPS exodus

[Anonymous]

I do think this is a bigger issue than some PPs are making it out to be. Maybe not at the upper NW schools some of you are at, but in the charters and the rest of the city. We go to a DCPS school in NE with a diverse student body, and people are exploring options.

We know a family who started sending their PK son to a Montessori school in Virginia this year and are exploring returning next year and sending their 1st grader as well of the school isn’t in person full time.

We also know families looking at real estate in PG county, which is very likely to be open. They’ve stayed virtual this year but been pretty drama free about it — informing families early and really looking for ways to support kids. I think most of us used to look at PG as a step down from DCPS, but that might have shifted this year.

Another family we know, one of the spouses works in Baltimore. Do they are looking at Howard County, which has great schools and is cheaper than DC.

All of these are families that want to stay in DC, but not if it means sacrificing their kids to a dysfunctional school system. None of us can afford private in DC. So we’re all evaluating options, and most of us have a tolerable option outside of DC without changing jobs, and in many cases with a lower cost of living. The people framing this as a choice between Deal and MoCo are missing what’s happening in the rest of the city.

[Anonymous]

One random question is whether the underenrollments at various schools will be filled via lottery then when schools reopen kids return and the crowding and uncertainty play out.

[Anonymous]

Budgets are based on enrollment projections so once central office sets school budgets to final that will be a school’s enrollment target. So they’ll go to the waitlist to fill to that number. Our school lost lots of kids this year. So our draft budget has less unrestricted money (we are getting some federal $ but it can’t be spent on staffing).

People disregarding the idea that people will leave are underestimating. Families with the most wealth typically have the best jobs where continued telework will be an option. Also, lots of these families have grandparents or other family where they can decamp to for schools. Our family has a second home in another state where we could move overnight. The point is, people with money usually have options and if those are the people moving that’s a healthy part of the tax base that could be leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been asking this question too but no one seems to have answers. At what rate have children withdrawn from public schools? Will those numbers be made public?

Will schools be forced to reduce staff if enrollment is down?

I know of numerous families who have withdrawn to homeschool their elementary aged kids or moved them to private. Curious to see where the chips fall.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/953417.page

[Anonymous]

Maybe. By the summer I should know my agency’s telework plan. I likely could get approved to telework FT if I have to move for schools temporarily. We have relatives in NYC we could stay with. Planning to sell soon for MS anyway.

[Anonymous]

People disregarding this possibility haven’t been tracking what happened to NYC over the past year.

DH and I are 100% moving at least for the year if schools aren’t full time in person. We will likely go to Texas to a very highly rated public school district outside Dallas that has been open this entire time. My employer has an office there that I can work from if needed and I can be remote. If DC schools aren’t back fulltime, my employer will work with employees who need to temporarily relocate as a result.

The people who will move either out of state or to private are going to mostly be from the wealthier cohorts in DCPS. While the numbers may be relatively low when compared to all DCPS families, it can still be incredibly devastating. Besides funding impact, it will have a more concerning impact on widening the educational divide between low income/at risk and higher income children. This has already been occuring this past year - we pulled one kid into private and got tutors for the other, while many many other wealthy families I know did similar or did a pod. It may take years if not over a decade to reverse the divide this stay at home crap is exacerbating between less advantaged and advantaged. (The above doesn’t even get into how it plays out among the parents who can vs can’t afford a stay at home, work from home and/or nanny which is hugely significant too)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People disregarding this possibility haven’t been tracking what happened to NYC over the past year.

DH and I are 100% moving at least for the year if schools aren’t full time in person. We will likely go to Texas to a very highly rated public school district outside Dallas that has been open this entire time. My employer has an office there that I can work from if needed and I can be remote. If DC schools aren’t back fulltime, my employer will work with employees who need to temporarily relocate as a result.

The people who will move either out of state or to private are going to mostly be from the wealthier cohorts in DCPS. While the numbers may be relatively low when compared to all DCPS families, it can still be incredibly devastating. Besides funding impact, it will have a more concerning impact on widening the educational divide between low income/at risk and higher income children. This has already been occuring this past year - we pulled one kid into private and got tutors for the other, while many many other wealthy families I know did similar or did a pod. It may take years if not over a decade to reverse the divide this stay at home crap is exacerbating between less advantaged and advantaged. (The above doesn’t even get into how it plays out among the parents who can vs can’t afford a stay at home, work from home and/or nanny which is hugely significant too)

+1. It's already a situation of haves vs have nots with pods, tutors, and privates. Anything short of schools opening full time 5 days per week for anyone who wants it would likely result in an exodus of those who can afford to leave either by moving (near or far) or putting kids in independent or parochial schools. Teachers can continue to laugh at families struggling and leaving, but it will be particularly devastating for those DCPS schools that were starting to attract UMC families who were improving the schools. I understand that teachers couldn't care less that we absolutely refuse to send DC back to Deal in the Fall if it's not fully open.

[Anonymous]

We are very much considering a move or going private. We’ve already applied and should have answers soon, and if not, we’ll likely just move for the year. We’ve identified a few cities we like, good schools, etc.

Our logic is simple : we can either pay for private, or we can rent a nice place in another city for roughly the same cost. Either way, we get proper education, and perhaps maybe a little life adventure to boot.

We did a private pod this year and while it’s been better it’s not been great either. I’ve lost all respect for DCPS.

[Anonymous]

No one posting house listings just theories and they know numerous families.

I know numerous families figuring it out, not trashing teachers. All are homeowners.

[Anonymous]

And once UMC families start to leave, others will follow because families will panic when they think all their peers are leaving. And for families in Upper NW elementaries that feed to Deal they are watching that closely too. If it becomes clear that Deal will have to change significantly because of overcrowding (continuing hybrid indefinitely, considering cutting schools from the feeding pattern because Of space—it’s almost been 10 years since the last boundary review, etc) families will cut and run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And once UMC families start to leave, others will follow because families will panic when they think all their peers are leaving. And for families in Upper NW elementaries that feed to Deal they are watching that closely too. If it becomes clear that Deal will have to change significantly because of overcrowding (continuing hybrid indefinitely, considering cutting schools from the feeding pattern because Of space—it’s almost been 10 years since the last boundary review, etc) families will cut and run.

This will be fantastic for over crowding!!!!

Go go go!

Also Middle school is hell already. So much money to be made by shrinks from parents who are uprooting their kids at this time!!

Yes I’m trolling all these people w their theories. It’s hard. But saying you are going to shift two jobs, kids, sell a home (w the theory that everyone else is), etc. oh yeah and some of you are divorced- how does that happen?

Bye

[Anonymous]

I predict the return of the private tutor. Find an outstanding- but-disgusted-with-DCPS-bureaucracy-teacher, get a couple of families with kids in the same grades together, offer the teacher $150k or so for the school year, and there you go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are very much considering a move or going private. We’ve already applied and should have answers soon, and if not, we’ll likely just move for the year. We’ve identified a few cities we like, good schools, etc.

Our logic is simple : we can either pay for private, or we can rent a nice place in another city for roughly the same cost. Either way, we get proper education, and perhaps maybe a little life adventure to boot.

We did a private pod this year and while it’s been better it’s not been great either. I’ve lost all respect for DCPS.

I agree that pods aren't a good long-term solution. For the price of a pod, you could just pay for Catholic school and get real school instead as opposed to 6 kids in someone's basement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I predict the return of the private tutor. Find an outstanding- but-disgusted-with-DCPS-bureaucracy-teacher, get a couple of families with kids in the same grades together, offer the teacher $150k or so for the school year, and there you go.

That sounds more expensive than private school and you don't even get the whole school experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I predict the return of the private tutor. Find an outstanding- but-disgusted-with-DCPS-bureaucracy-teacher, get a couple of families with kids in the same grades together, offer the teacher $150k or so for the school year, and there you go.

That sounds more expensive than private school and you don't even get the whole school experience.

Not if you get enough families together to participate - and I think $150K is way more than it would take to get a good teacher. I know plenty who would do if for half of that.