For those of you in-boundary for a terrible DCPS elementary, and who are bummed about that ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:l I am not that pressed to get into schools with the highest test scores, but these have got to be as low as they get for the city. Not cool with low expectations for my kiddo.

So you're attributing low test scores with low expectations by the adults in the building?

[Anonymous]

You have to take a chance on a new charter or up and coming traditional DCPS. That's how people get in -- BEFORE it's hot. Lke people who bought google stock way back when, or Microsoft in the 90s. Of course now that the facilities are together, the programs have a history, there are 100s of applicants. Find the new one, get a spot, make it work.

I disagree with this. Your best bet is to try your luck with good, established programs, rather than programs with a lot of buzz and not much substance to back it up.

To the PP - if your child is in a school with dismal scores, you can be sure that your child, even if she/he is a top performer, will not be offered the types of learning activities that they deserve. The teacher simply won't have time for enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You have to take a chance on a new charter or up and coming traditional DCPS. That's how people get in -- BEFORE it's hot. Lke people who bought google stock way back when, or Microsoft in the 90s. Of course now that the facilities are together, the programs have a history, there are 100s of applicants. Find the new one, get a spot, make it work.

I disagree with this. Your best bet is to try your luck with good, established programs, rather than programs with a lot of buzz and not much substance to back it up.

OK, sure then. Throw your hat into, say, Mann's OOB lottery. Good luck with that!

My point is that the charters that now have 400 applicants for 7 slots began with 70 applicants for 60 slots. That's how I got in the first year of a well-regarded charters. Well-regarded now, that is. When I applied for one of the 60 slots, only 69 other families agreed with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We totally bought for the big historic rowhouse and the neighborhood potential. Sure we thought we'd have kids some day, we just didn't expect to accidentally get pregnant 6 weeks after closing.

Our neighborhood school is a disgrace. If we hadn't gotten into Yu Ying a couple years ago, we'd be in Virginia by now.

Ditto. Didn't expect to still be in this house 6 years later, but we got into E.L. Haynes so we're giving it a go. We love where we live, but if the school doesn't work out for some reason, we'll most likely move to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Didn't really think about schools. Not pg, but about to get married at the time we bought. Figured we'd move or do private. Now we love the neighborhood and the house. And, LOVE that I can stay home with the kids and not work, which we could not afford if we had bought in AU park instead of Col. Hts. So, we are playing the charter, OOB lottery. Also, have looked at our in-boundary schools and did not think they were "shit-holes". Actually, we kind of like the in-boundary school. We won't be sorry if DC goes there next year for PS.

Unlike a lot of people on this forum, we are not actually afraid of black people or poor people and our kids aren't either.

[Anonymous]

Found a detached bungalow in NW for less than the price of many city condos a little further up north than my usual rut. Immediate neighbors are great, but the wider neighborhood has a lot of poor families. Turned out a nearby but not in bounds DCPS is very good, certainly for PreK. Managed to luck out and got into 4 out of 6 of our OOB schools after waitlisting (the 4th one just called). Also got into 2 of the 4 charters we applied to (but not LAMB - guess their waitlists have not moved as much!)
This was for PS3 so it doesn't include the whole spectrum of east of the park schools that offer PK4. Still considering whether to go through the lottery again next spring.
Honestly I would move to the JKLMO if we could afford it, but not VA or MO just yet.
RE: bad stuff not starting early, a friend who teaches in DC says it's not the kids, it's the parents. She had one little boy who called her a "stupid b-" in 1st grade. Wondered, where is that coming from? Then she met the mom. My main concern is that low performing, disrespectful peers will make it difficult for my DC to learn.

[Anonymous]

I have heard of kids who move to move to the suburbs (MC) after a few years in DCPS being required to repeat a grade, mainly due to being behind in math. Not sure of the validity, but something to keep in mind. Obviously it would suck, if true, and might really have an effect on DC. That is the kind of thing I worry about. It's not "being afraid of poor people" it's having the focus in many DC schools on kids who are way behind in school readiness and who may have chaotic lives. It's starting out with an inferior education. Kids from JKLMO have always done well at privates, if that was a choice the parents made later. Just not sure what later options might be influenced by starting at a Cooke or a Bancroft. PS or PK is different than grades where academic learning should be taking place. I don't want my lifestyle choices to limit my kid's later choices or potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of kids who move to move to the suburbs (MC) after a few years in DCPS being required to repeat a grade, mainly due to being behind in math. Not sure of the validity, but something to keep in mind. Obviously it would suck, if true, and might really have an effect on DC. That is the kind of thing I worry about. It's not "being afraid of poor people" it's having the focus in many DC schools on kids who are way behind in school readiness and who may have chaotic lives. It's starting out with an inferior education. Kids from JKLMO have always done well at privates, if that was a choice the parents made later. Just not sure what later options might be influenced by starting at a Cooke or a Bancroft. PS or PK is different than grades where academic learning should be taking place. I don't want my lifestyle choices to limit my kid's later choices or potential.

What? Never heard of kids repeating grades due to being behind because of DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:l I am not that pressed to get into schools with the highest test scores, but these have got to be as low as they get for the city. Not cool with low expectations for my kiddo.

So you're attributing low test scores with low expectations by the adults in the building?

Low expectations from everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:are you saying that the open-air drug market is part of the school?

When you call this a "shit-hole" school, is it because you've been in this school and don't like what's going on inside. Is this your opinion of the teachers and administrators?

Or is this all hypothetical?

Not the PP, but I live in Bloomingdale so I'll answer. Our inbounds school is Emery education campus. It's a PS to 8th grade school (ugh!) with a playground that backs up to men's homeless shelter.

Yes, you read that right, pre-schoolers right next to a MEN'S HOMELESS SHELTER. Don't know about you, but that's a shithole in my book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of kids who move to move to the suburbs (MC) after a few years in DCPS being required to repeat a grade, mainly due to being behind in math. Not sure of the validity, but something to keep in mind. Obviously it would suck, if true, and might really have an effect on DC. That is the kind of thing I worry about. It's not "being afraid of poor people" it's having the focus in many DC schools on kids who are way behind in school readiness and who may have chaotic lives. It's starting out with an inferior education. Kids from JKLMO have always done well at privates, if that was a choice the parents made later. Just not sure what later options might be influenced by starting at a Cooke or a Bancroft. PS or PK is different than grades where academic learning should be taking place. I don't want my lifestyle choices to limit my kid's later choices or potential.

You are not raising them on a farm, so they probably won't know how to grow soybeans. If you are in the suburbs they can't get to anything without a driver. Every lifestyle choice you make affects your kids in one way or another.

[Anonymous]

We moved to DC before our child was born. I didn't want to move to the burbs and the DCPS were terrible. We bit the bullet like many others and paid for private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:l I am not that pressed to get into schools with the highest test scores, but these have got to be as low as they get for the city. Not cool with low expectations for my kiddo.

So you're attributing low test scores with low expectations by the adults in the building?

Low expectations from everyone.

And you know this because you've heard teachers express low expectations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:are you saying that the open-air drug market is part of the school?

When you call this a "shit-hole" school, is it because you've been in this school and don't like what's going on inside. Is this your opinion of the teachers and administrators?

Or is this all hypothetical?

Not the PP, but I live in Bloomingdale so I'll answer. Our inbounds school is Emery education campus. It's a PS to 8th grade school (ugh!) with a playground that backs up to men's homeless shelter.

Yes, you read that right, pre-schoolers right next to a MEN'S HOMELESS SHELTER. Don't know about you, but that's a shithole in my book.

That's not a good combination of services. Why does Michelle Rhee allow this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, you read that right, pre-schoolers right next to a MEN'S HOMELESS SHELTER. Don't know about you, but that's a shithole in my book.

That's not a good combination of services. Why does Michelle Rhee allow this?

Does Michelle Rhee control all of the city real estate AND run the homeless shelters now, too?