Resentful and annoyed

[Anonymous]

Have you been there? Do your kids go there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you been there? Do your kids go there?

Indeed I have

[Anonymous]

Lafayette - principal retiring after many, many years
Janney - principal in her 5th year
Mann - principal of many, many years
Murch - turnover but in second year (I think) and the current families seem happy now (based only on DCUM)
Key - not sure and cannot tell from the website, I guess longstanding because you don't hear many complaints.

[Anonymous]

As I said, Murch is the exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't we all just agree that the real problem is not one of resenting that "someone has more than I do." The real issue isn't folks west of the Park decide to opt into the charter school system. The problem is the number of families in this city that literally don't have an elementary school option where kids are testing above 40% proficient -- that is frustrating and troubling and should be cause for concern, aggravation, and, perhaps, bitterness. We're not necessarily talking about folks who are upset their kids can't go to the best public school or the best private school -- we're talking about folks whose IB option may literally be a FAILING school.

Now, real talk, low income families have been facing this conundrum in cities for generations, so let's not pretend this is a new phenomenon. However, the answer to the frustration shouldn't be - "you should've engaged in better life planning." The answer should be that we're all up in arms that so many of this nation's children (and perhaps our own) don't have access to quality education.

It's insane that you need to spend $800,000+ plus to buy an average sized home in DC that's zoned for a decent elementary/middle/high school. That said, it's also not very productive to blame or be bitter towards the folks who were able to do this.

Just my thoughts on the matter,

An EOP Parent whose kid attends a charter school (and whose inbound school had a 21% proficiency rate)

+1

[Anonymous]

Hi there from Ward 3 -

We are some of the people that live in apartments on Connecticut Avenue and drag down the test scores, 'SES', English speaking abilities, and overall environment of the little snowflakes down the street in their million dollar homes.

I understand why OP is resentful and annoyed at those who win the lottery. And she would hate our family as well because we got into a highly sought after charter school in the lottery and we are zoned for a JKLM. However, I want to note that we also pay taxes in this city and we are also interested in bilingual education for our child. So, I do feel that we should have as much right to lottery for a charter school as anyone else in the city. Just because we have a decently good IB school does not mean that we should be shut out of all of the charter schools in the city. Plus, our JKLM is SO over-crowded that I am not very optimistic about its state right now.....

I agree with some of the previous posters that in an ideal world, you should not be resentful of other people for having made different life choices. But at the same time, I too am resentful and annoyed at some people for making - or having the option to make - different choices than ours. We have chosen to prioritize schools over neighborhood, space, and number of children. For a good IB school, we have chosen to live in a fairly small apartment. For a good IB school, we have chosen to have one child (b/c we need to live in a small apartment to do so!). For a good IB school, we have chosen to live in a part of the city that would not be my ideal choice - it's a bit too ritzy and pasty white for my taste.

So, I don't think you should resent me. I gave up those other things in order to have more education-oriented choices, which we now have. That makes me very happy. However, because of the tradeoffs of life, I am resentful of other things. I resent my neighbors and friends for having bigger homes. I resent OP and others for having two children or more versus my one. I resent my colleagues and friends that live in cooler, more fun parts of the city that are closer to metro or downtown.

But that resentment leaves me nowhere. In the end, we cannot have it all. Too many of us were taught to dream that we could have it all, which I think is a failure of our generation. We just have to decide what is most important to us and make choices based on those values. For OP, if you continue to be unlucky in the lotteries and if education is very important to you, join us in a small apartment in Ward 3 - or even in MoCO or VA if Ward 3 is too expensive for the size you want. Living in a small apartment is honestly not so bad. The proximity of wonderful neighbors in our building makes the loss of space a joy.

Signed,
Don't Resent Me b/c I Won the Lottery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi there from Ward 3 -

We are some of the people that live in apartments on Connecticut Avenue and drag down the test scores, 'SES', English speaking abilities, and overall environment of the little snowflakes down the street in their million dollar homes.

I understand why OP is resentful and annoyed at those who win the lottery. And she would hate our family as well because we got into a highly sought after charter school in the lottery and we are zoned for a JKLM. However, I want to note that we also pay taxes in this city and we are also interested in bilingual education for our child. So, I do feel that we should have as much right to lottery for a charter school as anyone else in the city. Just because we have a decently good IB school does not mean that we should be shut out of all of the charter schools in the city. Plus, our JKLM is SO over-crowded that I am not very optimistic about its state right now.....

I agree with some of the previous posters that in an ideal world, you should not be resentful of other people for having made different life choices. But at the same time, I too am resentful and annoyed at some people for making - or having the option to make - different choices than ours. We have chosen to prioritize schools over neighborhood, space, and number of children. For a good IB school, we have chosen to live in a fairly small apartment. For a good IB school, we have chosen to have one child (b/c we need to live in a small apartment to do so!). For a good IB school, we have chosen to live in a part of the city that would not be my ideal choice - it's a bit too ritzy and pasty white for my taste.
So, I don't think you should resent me. I gave up those other things in order to have more education-oriented choices, which we now have. That makes me very happy. However, because of the tradeoffs of life, I am resentful of other things. I resent my neighbors and friends for having bigger homes. I resent OP and others for having two children or more versus my one. I resent my colleagues and friends that live in cooler, more fun parts of the city that are closer to metro or downtown.

But that resentment leaves me nowhere. In the end, we cannot have it all. Too many of us were taught to dream that we could have it all, which I think is a failure of our generation. We just have to decide what is most important to us and make choices based on those values. For OP, if you continue to be unlucky in the lotteries and if education is very important to you, join us in a small apartment in Ward 3 - or even in MoCO or VA if Ward 3 is too expensive for the size you want. Living in a small apartment is honestly not so bad. The proximity of wonderful neighbors in our building makes the loss of space a joy.

Signed,
Don't Resent Me b/c I Won the Lottery

Why are you suffering in your cramped space to have a great IB option if you just said that you DON'T want to go to your IB school and you lotteried in. Your post makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi there from Ward 3 -

We are some of the people that live in apartments on Connecticut Avenue and drag down the test scores, 'SES', English speaking abilities, and overall environment of the little snowflakes down the street in their million dollar homes.

I understand why OP is resentful and annoyed at those who win the lottery. And she would hate our family as well because we got into a highly sought after charter school in the lottery and we are zoned for a JKLM. However, I want to note that we also pay taxes in this city and we are also interested in bilingual education for our child. So, I do feel that we should have as much right to lottery for a charter school as anyone else in the city. Just because we have a decently good IB school does not mean that we should be shut out of all of the charter schools in the city. Plus, our JKLM is SO over-crowded that I am not very optimistic about its state right now.....

I agree with some of the previous posters that in an ideal world, you should not be resentful of other people for having made different life choices. But at the same time, I too am resentful and annoyed at some people for making - or having the option to make - different choices than ours. We have chosen to prioritize schools over neighborhood, space, and number of children. For a good IB school, we have chosen to live in a fairly small apartment. For a good IB school, we have chosen to have one child (b/c we need to live in a small apartment to do so!). For a good IB school, we have chosen to live in a part of the city that would not be my ideal choice - it's a bit too ritzy and pasty white for my taste.

So, I don't think you should resent me. I gave up those other things in order to have more education-oriented choices, which we now have. That makes me very happy. However, because of the tradeoffs of life, I am resentful of other things. I resent my neighbors and friends for having bigger homes. I resent OP and others for having two children or more versus my one. I resent my colleagues and friends that live in cooler, more fun parts of the city that are closer to metro or downtown.

But that resentment leaves me nowhere. In the end, we cannot have it all. Too many of us were taught to dream that we could have it all, which I think is a failure of our generation. We just have to decide what is most important to us and make choices based on those values. For OP, if you continue to be unlucky in the lotteries and if education is very important to you, join us in a small apartment in Ward 3 - or even in MoCO or VA if Ward 3 is too expensive for the size you want. Living in a small apartment is honestly not so bad. The proximity of wonderful neighbors in our building makes the loss of space a joy.

Signed,
Don't Resent Me b/c I Won the Lottery

But I don't understand. If you won the lottery, why don't you just move? You could live anywhere.

[Anonymous]

It's okay for priorities to be different for different people.

She just won. If I was her, I would see if the school works for my family before making life changes.

Good luck PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's okay for priorities to be different for different people.

She just won. If I was her, I would see if the school works for my family before making life changes.

Good luck PP.

Yes except she said she doesn't like her neighborhood and resents her neighbors. Her post makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I guess you are right.

She kind of resents everyone. Sorta sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I guess you are right.

She kind of resents everyone. Sorta sad.

Not really, she is being honest that there are trade offs. What is dishonest is to say that you have no choices when if fact you do not want to make the trade offs she did. Many people actually have no choices, but it is not usually the DCUM posters.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the choices message, 100%.

But, since I understand there are choices, I don't resent people that make other choices, that is the part I don't get.

But she is right, we all make our own choices and must live with the results. True.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I guess you are right.

She kind of resents everyone. Sorta sad.

Not really, she is being honest that there are trade offs. What is dishonest is to say that you have no choices when if fact you do not want to make the trade offs she did. Many people actually have no choices, but it is not usually the DCUM posters.

Right but what is she trading off for. Apparently she could have a really great life going to her awesome charter and living in a hip neighborhood and trying for kid #2 but instead plays the martyr about her cramped quarters and tight finances. I'm just saying she could have everything she wants.

[Anonymous]

I would wait until the school works out before moving.