do you know a lot of people who are leaving DCPS next year?

[Anonymous]

Another NE here and I know of 2 families who moved out of the city. One to be closer to family and one for more space. But this is no more/different than in previous years. When someone moves out, someone moves in.

Otherwise, people seem just as content as you can be given the current climate. I also feel like there is hope on the horizon. We'll be back to discussing lottery options in the very near future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not one. All middle and high school.

OP here. This is interesting. I don't hang in a high end crowd at all but it seems to be leaving despite sending one or two previous kids through DCPS through middle and high school. In most cases the families will be receiving aid for private or really stretching to make it work.

I think this indicates your lack of understanding of how most of the rest of the city lives. Just the fact that you (I presume?) live in a JKLM neighborhood puts you in the high end crowd compared to most of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

What city are you going to move to that doesn't have incredible inequality and racial animosity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another NE here and I know of 2 families who moved out of the city. One to be closer to family and one for more space. But this is no more/different than in previous years. When someone moves out, someone moves in.

Otherwise, people seem just as content as you can be given the current climate. I also feel like there is hope on the horizon. We'll be back to discussing lottery options in the very near future.

Yes, but the people moving in, on the whole, are younger/have younger kids. There is nothing wrong with that, but that is still the natural life cycle for many people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not one. All middle and high school.

OP here. This is interesting. I don't hang in a high end crowd at all but it seems to be leaving despite sending one or two previous kids through DCPS through middle and high school. In most cases the families will be receiving aid for private or really stretching to make it work.

I think this indicates your lack of understanding of how most of the rest of the city lives. Just the fact that you (I presume?) live in a JKLM neighborhood puts you in the high end crowd compared to most of the city.

No, I'm aware of how other people live--far more than most as I work as a social worker in the city. Clearly my "crowd" is higher end then an unemployed single parent. But we're almost entirely feds, teachers and social workers. Not the monied of upper NW.
I brought up income only to illustrate that I am not hanging with a bunch of high flyers who ever would have considered private prior to this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

What city are you going to move to that doesn't have incredible inequality and racial animosity?

I find it much worse here than the two major cities I've lived/grown up in, if only because these larger cities have a much wider spectrum of incomes across races, diversity in all ways, better leadership, less of the fake southern pleasantry, and different histories of openly reckoning with racism. I've also lost a lot of my idealism about the real value to children of living in a diverse urban place this year, sadly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

What city are you going to move to that doesn't have incredible inequality and racial animosity?

I find it much worse here than the two major cities I've lived/grown up in, if only because these larger cities have a much wider spectrum of incomes across races, diversity in all ways, better leadership, less of the fake southern pleasantry, and different histories of openly reckoning with racism. I've also lost a lot of my idealism about the real value to children of living in a diverse urban place this year, sadly.

Bye! May you find your utopia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not one. All middle and high school.

OP here. This is interesting. I don't hang in a high end crowd at all but it seems to be leaving despite sending one or two previous kids through DCPS through middle and high school. In most cases the families will be receiving aid for private or really stretching to make it work.

I think this indicates your lack of understanding of how most of the rest of the city lives. Just the fact that you (I presume?) live in a JKLM neighborhood puts you in the high end crowd compared to most of the city.

I think this indicates your lack of understanding that there are plenty of apartment renters in upper NW. Not everyone lives in a $1M+ house. We take the bus during non-pandemic times and only vacation to visit family. I shop sales and we entertain ourselves with DC's free offerings. You know, like the "rest of the city".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

What city are you going to move to that doesn't have incredible inequality and racial animosity?

I find it much worse here than the two major cities I've lived/grown up in, if only because these larger cities have a much wider spectrum of incomes across races, diversity in all ways, better leadership, less of the fake southern pleasantry, and different histories of openly reckoning with racism. I've also lost a lot of my idealism about the real value to children of living in a diverse urban place this year, sadly.

This year - this is the year the diverse urban living lost its shine. Who are you seeing outside your house? Its a pandemic year.

I am upset about the lack of DCPS plans to do anything and vaccine sign up. I am upset the parks closed and we didn't have water parks this summer (maybe so people wouldn't gather).

But I see a city that is feeding its hungry without outside pick up for meals and groceries. I live in Ward 1 and the line is huge every other day. I am lucky and I know others who aren't. And I'm lucky but I have had to scale back my giving.

City testing (hiccups exist) for covid have been great and easy.

I love living in Ward 1 but in 2020 it was horrible. Too many people, not enough open space to move around in. But I'm not going to move because of those two reasons in a year with an airborne pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

DC is structurally worse than most cities. SE is a normal low- and modest-income local population that happens to be Black. NW is highly-educated ‘best and brightest’ from all over the country, including all races (but is minority Black because that is how the country overall).

So here, *every* issue — even it is fundamentally about economics or education or whatever — gets viewed as racial, even when that’s not the pertinent dynamic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

DC is structurally worse than most cities. SE is a normal low- and modest-income local population that happens to be Black. NW is highly-educated ‘best and brightest’ from all over the country, including all races (but is minority Black because that is how the country overall).

So here, *every* issue — even it is fundamentally about economics or education or whatever — gets viewed as racial, even when that’s not the pertinent dynamic.

That's just not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

DC is structurally worse than most cities. SE is a normal low- and modest-income local population that happens to be Black. NW is highly-educated ‘best and brightest’ from all over the country, including all races (but is minority Black because that is how the country overall).

So here, *every* issue — even it is fundamentally about economics or education or whatever — gets viewed as racial, even when that’s not the pertinent dynamic.

That's just not true.

Agree. Nor is the statement the white NW is “America’s best and brightest!” I assure you it isn’t. I have lived all over the US. It might be a better educated population but that in NO WAY translates as best and brightest. (Although they love to think of themselves as such! Over inflated sense of self? Definitely NWDC)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

DC is structurally worse than most cities. SE is a normal low- and modest-income local population that happens to be Black. NW is highly-educated ‘best and brightest’ from all over the country, including all races (but is minority Black because that is how the country overall).

So here, *every* issue — even it is fundamentally about economics or education or whatever — gets viewed as racial, even when that’s not the pertinent dynamic.

That's just not true.

Agree. Nor is the statement the white NW is “America’s best and brightest!” I assure you it isn’t. I have lived all over the US. It might be a better educated population but that in NO WAY translates as best and brightest. (Although they love to think of themselves as such! Over inflated sense of self? Definitely NWDC)

Er, it was in quotes for a reason. But the point is that they are, in stereotype, very different demographics. Few cities are this polarized. Most have white low-income, more middle class, etc.

[Anonymous]

Of my 5th graders’ friends, the trend is definitely leaving for public vs moving to the suburbs. The feeling is that MoCo or NOVA will have similar issues of no personal attention, teaching to the middle, etc. Families are also set in their neighborhood and have younger siblings still at the ES.
My fifth graders’ grade lost like 20-30 kids from last year- usually 120 kids/grade, now down to 18 kids per class (90 total). All but 1-2 of his friends are leaving for private.