Parents of current DC PS3 - are you applying in lotteries again this year?

[Anonymous]

If your child is currently enrolled in a DC Public or Public Charter for PS3, will you re-apply this year for PK4 at an alternate school? Could you share your current & choice schools - and why you're considering a new school?

[Anonymous]

Is this a DCPS survey? Sure sounds like one.

Jason, if that's you, lots of people are pretty annoyed at the idea of the DCCAS in second grade. And looking for other options.

[Anonymous]

OP here. No, not a DCPS survey. Just a DC parent curious if people are trying their luck again this year or if most people are happy with where their kid ended up.

[Anonymous]

many of the "good" schools don't offer PreS. so, if you have your sights on any of the following schools, you'll apply for the first time for prek (list not comprehensive)

JKLMM
Hearst
Oyster
Yu Ying
Capital City
a bunch of Cap Hill Elementaries -- Brent?
Hyde
etc.

[Anonymous]

You're not gonig to get many bits on this. Too specific.

But yeah, from experience, I'll make an educated guess that nearly everyone applies again. Even people who are mostly happy in a lower tier school apply, because sure would be nice to hit the lottery and not have to worry about schools for the next 5 years. Everyone is always trying to move up.

But mostly, from PreS-3 to PreK-4, there's a lot of movement because many of the desirable schools don't have preS-3. Most of the most desirable schools start at PreK-4. So, parents in boundary for a desirable prek school will try to get to their in boundary school, knowing they can wait another year until they will automatically be admitted in K.

[Anonymous]

We are very happy where we are (don't think it matters where) but will put in some apps for PK4. The process is easy so why not. We will see what happens. This is why the waitlists are so long! It is very easy to apply.

[Anonymous]

We're very happy with our child's charter school, but we will enter lotteries for other schools that have established/permanent locations as well.

[Anonymous]

We'll apply to Stokes again, because we have lots of French-speakers in the family and would lie our child to improve it outside their visits.

[Anonymous]

We did it last year but struck out in the lottery. We did not go for a charter, though. Several of DD's classmates left this fall for Yu Ying or OOB schools on the west side of the park with higher test scores.

[Anonymous]

OP and others, what would it take to make you stay at your current school? We're in preschool at an east-of-the-park school with loads of middle class parents in PS/PK, many of whom will win lottery spots elsewhere and leave. We're committed to staying. If more middle class families did the same I think the school would be much better overall (both because higher SES automatically means higher test scores, and because of the benefits to low income students of attending a more economically diverse school).

I would like to do whatever I can to encourage my fellow preschool parents to stay. This question may not work without naming the school, but I'm wondering what would make a difference. A public forum on the challenges facing the school and what the principal, teachers, and PTA are doing to improve it? Testimonials from the handful of middle class parents who have stuck it out through 5th?

[Anonymous]

Yes, only one, a Spanish immersion charter. However, we are fine with staying at our current Spanish immersion school.

[Anonymous]

Which Spanish immersion charter?

[Anonymous]

Stokes, of course.

[Anonymous]

We are with poster 14:00. We have stuck it out now through 1st grade and are not going anywhere but we have lost 1/3 of the PS classmates the kids started with. What would encourage folks to stay at their current schools - especially east of the park DCPS?

[Anonymous]

We will be applying for our preschooler for prek. We may just apply OOB for Brent because our older DD already attends and we would like younger DD to join her. Current school is fine so I'm loath to apply everywhere else on the hill. Our goal is to have both kids at the same school, not to try every school on the Hill for a few months.