Question for those who are doing the DCPS lotteries-- why did you choose to live where you live?

[Anonymous]

After reading the recent controversial threads about the DCPS/charter school lottery, I am curious about where all of you live in DC that have such terrible schools and why you decided to live there. Are these up and coming/gentrifying neighborhoods and this was the place you could get the most house for your money? Did you not think you would have kids or assumed you would have moved by now?

While this may sound like a troll-ish question, I am genuinely curious. I have a friend in NYC who is in a similar situation-- she is a SAHM (by choice)/DH probably makes $75k (so truly middle class by NYC standards) and they live in an "up and coming" neighborhood where the IB schools are terrible. But she chose to live in there (actually moved there from another neighborhood because they could afford a bigger place there). She just went through the hell and uncertainty of the public school lottery. I felt bad for her, but in a way, it was the natural result of their decision to live there just because they wanted to stay in Brooklyn. They could easily move to another bororough (or suburbs) and not deal with the issue. Or, she could return to work and have higher HHI that would allow them to afford private schools. But that's not what they chose.

In a way, this is also a comment on thread re having to start PS/PK early to guarantee a spot at an OOB school because the IB school was not acceptable. For many low-SES families who live in these neighborhoods, they didn't have a choice about living there, working 2 jobs, and having to send their kids to PS/PK at 3. By contrast, I am guessing that the posters on DCUM did make choices-- whether to live in that neighborhood vs. moving to another one for a smaller place (or to the suburbs), whether to SAHM or take a lower paying job because it was more interesting than the soul-sucking corporate job. My comments agreed with the posters who thought it was entitled of some families to change the whole system to suit their choices.

[Anonymous]

OP, I can't help but to feel your "troll-ish" question is really just a judgemental vent about your "friend" in Brooklyn.

[Anonymous]

Our system allows for choice, either through charters or lottery. It's a lot more flexible than other places where the school you're assigned to (based on your zip code) is pretty much it.

We live in Brookland because it's a lovely place to raise a family, surrounded by diversity at all levels and the most "real" people we've known in our lives. Our house is significantly larger than what we could buy for the same price (10 years ago) elsewhere. We didn't know we'd stay here that long, but we happily have, and so we applied to charters when our children became ready for school because our In-Bounds wasn't a school we could get behind. We were lucky to get a spot at a charter that is also diverse and thriving and mirrors our values. So we could stay in our community of choice, in our large house, with a yard and friends nearby. If not, we would likely have moved where we liked the schools. There's no incentive now to move. For us, the charter lottery has determined our path: staying city residents and loving it!

[Anonymous]

I'll bite.

We thought it was highly unlikely we would have a child, to the degree that it didn't make sense to make financial decisions around the possibility. We're ecstatic to have to figure out what we're going to do about school for DC.

Even if we'd known, we couldn't have afforded to buy in the JKLMM neighborhoods, especially not as first-time home buyers.

There are lots of young families moving into our neighborhood (16th Street Heights/Brightwood). We're very happy with our choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I can't help but to feel your "troll-ish" question is really just a judgemental vent about your "friend" in Brooklyn.

OP here. It's not a trollish vent about my Brooklyn friend (her choices are her choices, and don't affect me at all, so no need to vent). But they are thoughts I've had about her situation (which I see echoed on these boards) that I have not said to her face because it would be rude. But on an annoymous forum, I can ask it because I am curious not just for the life choices issue, but where these neighborhoods even are. It's interesting to me that with all the gentrification that's gone on in DC over the last decade (with tons of families in Mt. Pleasant and the Hill and other areas) that the elementary schools are still not good enough to attend.

[Anonymous]

Never thought we'd have kids - never thought we'd be able to have kids.

I'm thrilled I have to worry about my neighborhood school.

Oh, OP - you are either a bitch or really stupid person who can't think outside of her small little world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I can't help but to feel your "troll-ish" question is really just a judgemental vent about your "friend" in Brooklyn.

OP here. It's not a trollish vent about my Brooklyn friend (her choices are her choices, and don't affect me at all, so no need to vent). But they are thoughts I've had about her situation (which I see echoed on these boards) that I have not said to her face because it would be rude. But on an annoymous forum, I can ask it because I am curious not just for the life choices issue, but where these neighborhoods even are. It's interesting to me that with all the gentrification that's gone on in DC over the last decade (with tons of families in Mt. Pleasant and the Hill and other areas) that the elementary schools are still not good enough to attend.

Not all people are genterfiers - some people ACTUALLY live in bad neighborhoods because they are poor. Can you believe it? That poor people live in the District?

I'm sure you've seen them, you must drive by those neighborhoods very fast in your BMW - Keens pressing very hard to the gas.

"choosing" to live....HA! Such an asshole.

[Anonymous]

beware any threads where the OP uses the phrase "I am genuinely curious"....puleeeeeze.

[Anonymous]

Bought a place in a great, convenient neighborhood with a bad IB school a very long time ago. Never, ever thought we'd be here when kids were school aged. Planned to move out of the area many years ago. That hasn't worked out, but not for lack of trying. Also never thought we'd have a child with a chronic health condition. So here we are, a child, one income, in the same place, not able to have the two incomes we'd need to buy into a better school district, and pretty lucky the lottery worked out for us. We'll stay here as long as we're in the area.

Takeaway - sometimes there are private issues at play not up for public discussion outside close family and a few friends. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Yes, there are people who take chances knowing it will be an issue. But there may be more people than you realize who do not have all the choices you might assume they do. I don't know what the bottom line is with your friend, but it's something to consider as you wonder about other families you encounter.

[Anonymous]

I think OP is the type that lives in a boring neighborhood or in the far flung xburbs and is "generally just sad" about those of us in great neighborhoods.

Yeah, we live in a wonderful neighborhood with an "ok" IB school. Son goes to charter school.

[Anonymous]

DH bought a lovely house in a safe, pretty, diverse neighborhood.... but he could afford it because IB school sucks. he didn't need to worry about schools, then, because his ex lived in a good school district where their kid went to school. We got married at the height of the market, could not afford to move, did not need to move, and figured we would wait and see what things are like if/when we had kids and they were of school age. That is exactly what we will do. Maybe we'll have a great experience and maybe we'll move.

Now, OP, are you really curious? Or is it your way of telling people that you cannot understand why someone might make a different choice than you?

[Anonymous]

I already have a kid in a charter school, but I'll answer anyway, as I too had the lottery stress.

I bought a condo 9 years ago with no thought of staying while having kids. I didn't know if I would ever have kids, and I certainly didn't think that I would stay this long. Fast forward a few years, the downtown area became an amazingly dynamic place to raise a child, with incredible learning resources all within walking distance. We absolutely love it, and the market isn't so great for selling anyway. Our in-bounds school though is not up-to-par - the neighborhood tried to switch it around a few years ago, but the effort was disrailed a bit by the placement of a bad principal, so the momentum was lost; hopefully it will be regained in the near future, but it is too late for my child. We didn't want to move. We think that there are few better places to raise a child than where we live. Therefore, welooked at all our choices, did a ton of research, and played the lottery. In the end, it has worked out perfectly. We love where we live, and I couldn't imagine sending my child to a school that is more perfect for her and our family in general.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Not sure I understand the hate. If it matters, I live in a DC neighborhood with a good IB school. When we bought our house, we did not have kids and it wasn't on the horizon. But I am glad we decided not to buy in some of these other neighborhoods because now we don't have to stress about schools.

My friends who are in the lottery boat all report that they wanted to live in their particular neighborhoods because of commute, liked the diversity/urban flavor of their neighborhoods, and view the lottery as just the cost of living there. Others have moved out of the city upon hitting school age.

[Anonymous]

I used to live in Brooklyn and loved it. If I was still living there I would have done just like your friend. No way, I would have moved to some borring suburbs with long commute when there are so many great places to live in Brooklyn. I would have found a solution for schools just like many of my friends who are now raising their families in NY city.
We all understand your friend very very well.

[Anonymous]

we bought where we could afford a lovely house that is three blocks from a metro in the city. Bought before we got pregnant, with the hope that schools would constantly be improving (south pet worth area). The upside is our house has appreciated dramatically in just two years. What we got for 500k would cost us close to or over a million in either the Janney or Brent IB neighborhoods. So yes, we are a HH of 250k and the best we can do is a shitty school a block a way that as of now I won't consider for even Prek. But we still have a few more years and with Catania running the schools committee now, we may see more major improvements!