Time to Stop Counting on Charters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, somebody gets in, because there are tons of people with kids in charter schools, including me. I understand your frustration, and yes, the odds are low but just like the Powerball somebody's number is going to come up. It just sucks when it isn't yours. The fact that lots of people don't get in doesn't mean that charters are a waste of time. We all play the hand we're dealt. If I hadn't gotten a slot, we simply would have left our child in daycare until K and then enrolled him at a Catholic school.

I didn't get that she was saying that charters are a waste of time. I thought the message was "you can't depend on luck, so have a Plan B, maybe a Plan C, and if you get lucky it's a gift."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, PP - you know, I was not blase, so fuck you. I simply outlined what I would have HAD to do. B/C I am not so hoity-toity that I can afford to live in the neighborhoods with the best schools and I will not rent a place the size of a shoebox to be zoned there. My DH and I would have faced tough choices - stay where we are and forego or delay a second child, move and deal with a shitty commute to work in the city, or move out of the area altogether. Look - I GET THE FRUSTRATION. But I don't really get the point of this thread. We all know there are not enough good schools. Was this somehow NEWS for OP and others like you?

As you can see from the post right before your totally rude "F-U" post, I get it now, I read your post and I understand now that you weren't blase.

You know, it's the internet, an anonymous message board. Sometimes it's not obvious from someone's post where they're coming from, but you should really drink some tea or take a walk if you are going to get that hot and cursing because people can't tell from your tone that this isn't an easy choice for you. Because, remember, this is DCUM: this IS an easy choice for many here, and there are examples daily on this and other DCUM forums where people take these choices for granted. I went to one lottery and heard a woman say of her older kids (so she's not paying just daycare costs) oh well, I guess I'll keep them in private then. I had hoped for this because it would be great to free up these funds, but their current school is great so we'll just stay there."

Chill out. We get where you're coming from now. No need to flip us all off.

10:55, my post wasn't directed toward you. It was in response to 10:33, you just beat me to posting. So YOU chill out. I was addressing all of the jerks that came before you to pile on. I'm not trying to free up funds to take fancier vacations, and I doubt most others are either. To assume that is just asinine.

Um, since I'm the only one who used the word "blase" in a post, how were you not talking to me? And I'm going to leave it alone after this, but seriously, you aren't even reading clearly now. I just said that I get that YOU aren't freeing up funds for vacations, my point (which I couldn't have said anymore clearly) is that there are MANY here who ARE just as easily going private or doing charters, it's clear from the posts here and on other forums. NO ONE IS ASSUMING YOU HAVE TONS OF FUNDS PP.

But from experience, your way over the top defensiveness is much bigger than this thread, so I'll just leave it at that.

Oh but they did. Yes, they did. And that is my problem. It is rude beyond belief.

Possibly they assumed you had money because you said you'd "simply" keep your kid in daycare and then send them to Catholic school. For my family, that choice wouldn't have been simple. Anyway, you're getting pretty bent out of shape about something a random anonymous person said about you on a message board. For someone whose original message was along the lines of "lighten up", you seem kind of tightly wound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, PP - you know, I was not blase, so fuck you. I simply outlined what I would have HAD to do. B/C I am not so hoity-toity that I can afford to live in the neighborhoods with the best schools and I will not rent a place the size of a shoebox to be zoned there. My DH and I would have faced tough choices - stay where we are and forego or delay a second child, move and deal with a shitty commute to work in the city, or move out of the area altogether. Look - I GET THE FRUSTRATION. But I don't really get the point of this thread. We all know there are not enough good schools. Was this somehow NEWS for OP and others like you?

As you can see from the post right before your totally rude "F-U" post, I get it now, I read your post and I understand now that you weren't blase.

You know, it's the internet, an anonymous message board. Sometimes it's not obvious from someone's post where they're coming from, but you should really drink some tea or take a walk if you are going to get that hot and cursing because people can't tell from your tone that this isn't an easy choice for you. Because, remember, this is DCUM: this IS an easy choice for many here, and there are examples daily on this and other DCUM forums where people take these choices for granted. I went to one lottery and heard a woman say of her older kids (so she's not paying just daycare costs) oh well, I guess I'll keep them in private then. I had hoped for this because it would be great to free up these funds, but their current school is great so we'll just stay there."

Chill out. We get where you're coming from now. No need to flip us all off.

10:55, my post wasn't directed toward you. It was in response to 10:33, you just beat me to posting. So YOU chill out. I was addressing all of the jerks that came before you to pile on. I'm not trying to free up funds to take fancier vacations, and I doubt most others are either. To assume that is just asinine.

Um, since I'm the only one who used the word "blase" in a post, how were you not talking to me? And I'm going to leave it alone after this, but seriously, you aren't even reading clearly now. I just said that I get that YOU aren't freeing up funds for vacations, my point (which I couldn't have said anymore clearly) is that there are MANY here who ARE just as easily going private or doing charters, it's clear from the posts here and on other forums. NO ONE IS ASSUMING YOU HAVE TONS OF FUNDS PP.

But from experience, your way over the top defensiveness is much bigger than this thread, so I'll just leave it at that.

Oh but they did. Yes, they did. And that is my problem. It is rude beyond belief.

Possibly they assumed you had money because you said you'd "simply" keep your kid in daycare and then send them to Catholic school. For my family, that choice wouldn't have been simple. Anyway, you're getting pretty bent out of shape about something a random anonymous person said about you on a message board. For someone whose original message was along the lines of "lighten up", you seem kind of tightly wound.

X 100!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, somebody gets in, because there are tons of people with kids in charter schools, including me. I understand your frustration, and yes, the odds are low but just like the Powerball somebody's number is going to come up. It just sucks when it isn't yours. The fact that lots of people don't get in doesn't mean that charters are a waste of time. We all play the hand we're dealt. If I hadn't gotten a slot, we simply would have left our child in daycare until K and then enrolled him at a Catholic school.

Yeah! 2 extra years of daycare - because you know, everyone can just pay for that.

Time to get a grip. Up until about 3 years ago, paying for daycare is exactly what everybody did. Furthermore, outside of DC, that's exactly what everybody still does.

You know you didn't have a baby just because the Mayor wanted to push universal pre-K. What did you think you were going to do from birth to Kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

Charters are not the problem. The problem is that there are not enough high quality schools. Obviously there is far more demand for that than charters can meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, PP - you know, I was not blase, so fuck you. I simply outlined what I would have HAD to do. B/C I am not so hoity-toity that I can afford to live in the neighborhoods with the best schools and I will not rent a place the size of a shoebox to be zoned there. My DH and I would have faced tough choices - stay where we are and forego or delay a second child, move and deal with a shitty commute to work in the city, or move out of the area altogether. Look - I GET THE FRUSTRATION. But I don't really get the point of this thread. We all know there are not enough good schools. Was this somehow NEWS for OP and others like you?

As you can see from the post right before your totally rude "F-U" post, I get it now, I read your post and I understand now that you weren't blase.

You know, it's the internet, an anonymous message board. Sometimes it's not obvious from someone's post where they're coming from, but you should really drink some tea or take a walk if you are going to get that hot and cursing because people can't tell from your tone that this isn't an easy choice for you. Because, remember, this is DCUM: this IS an easy choice for many here, and there are examples daily on this and other DCUM forums where people take these choices for granted. I went to one lottery and heard a woman say of her older kids (so she's not paying just daycare costs) oh well, I guess I'll keep them in private then. I had hoped for this because it would be great to free up these funds, but their current school is great so we'll just stay there."

Chill out. We get where you're coming from now. No need to flip us all off.

10:55, my post wasn't directed toward you. It was in response to 10:33, you just beat me to posting. So YOU chill out. I was addressing all of the jerks that came before you to pile on. I'm not trying to free up funds to take fancier vacations, and I doubt most others are either. To assume that is just asinine.

Um, since I'm the only one who used the word "blase" in a post, how were you not talking to me? And I'm going to leave it alone after this, but seriously, you aren't even reading clearly now. I just said that I get that YOU aren't freeing up funds for vacations, my point (which I couldn't have said anymore clearly) is that there are MANY here who ARE just as easily going private or doing charters, it's clear from the posts here and on other forums. NO ONE IS ASSUMING YOU HAVE TONS OF FUNDS PP.

But from experience, your way over the top defensiveness is much bigger than this thread, so I'll just leave it at that.

Oh but they did. Yes, they did. And that is my problem. It is rude beyond belief.

Possibly they assumed you had money because you said you'd "simply" keep your kid in daycare and then send them to Catholic school. For my family, that choice wouldn't have been simple. Anyway, you're getting pretty bent out of shape about something a random anonymous person said about you on a message board. For someone whose original message was along the lines of "lighten up", you seem kind of tightly wound.

Fine. I still want someone to address my questions at 11:10. I don't get why OP or any other parent just assumed they could easily get free childcare starting at age 3. This is not standard anywhere in this country. I am well aware that we got very very lucky (and we are therefore very very grateful), but we were in no way "counting" on getting a spot at any decent school. So I truly would like to know why others were as though it is not common knowledge that there are very few spots to go around.

[Anonymous]

Things do get better by K though. We were no higher than #70 on any wait list for PreS3, but we're in the top 15 for four places for K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, somebody gets in, because there are tons of people with kids in charter schools, including me. I understand your frustration, and yes, the odds are low but just like the Powerball somebody's number is going to come up. It just sucks when it isn't yours. The fact that lots of people don't get in doesn't mean that charters are a waste of time. We all play the hand we're dealt. If I hadn't gotten a slot, we simply would have left our child in daycare until K and then enrolled him at a Catholic school.

Yeah! 2 extra years of daycare - because you know, everyone can just pay for that.

Time to get a grip. Up until about 3 years ago, paying for daycare is exactly what everybody did. Furthermore, outside of DC, that's exactly what everybody still does.

You know you didn't have a baby just because the Mayor wanted to push universal pre-K. What did you think you were going to do from birth to Kindergarten?

Thank you. Glad I am not the only one who gets this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, PP - you know, I was not blase, so fuck you. I simply outlined what I would have HAD to do. B/C I am not so hoity-toity that I can afford to live in the neighborhoods with the best schools and I will not rent a place the size of a shoebox to be zoned there. My DH and I would have faced tough choices - stay where we are and forego or delay a second child, move and deal with a shitty commute to work in the city, or move out of the area altogether. Look - I GET THE FRUSTRATION. But I don't really get the point of this thread. We all know there are not enough good schools. Was this somehow NEWS for OP and others like you?

As you can see from the post right before your totally rude "F-U" post, I get it now, I read your post and I understand now that you weren't blase.

You know, it's the internet, an anonymous message board. Sometimes it's not obvious from someone's post where they're coming from, but you should really drink some tea or take a walk if you are going to get that hot and cursing because people can't tell from your tone that this isn't an easy choice for you. Because, remember, this is DCUM: this IS an easy choice for many here, and there are examples daily on this and other DCUM forums where people take these choices for granted. I went to one lottery and heard a woman say of her older kids (so she's not paying just daycare costs) oh well, I guess I'll keep them in private then. I had hoped for this because it would be great to free up these funds, but their current school is great so we'll just stay there."

Chill out. We get where you're coming from now. No need to flip us all off.

10:55, my post wasn't directed toward you. It was in response to 10:33, you just beat me to posting. So YOU chill out. I was addressing all of the jerks that came before you to pile on. I'm not trying to free up funds to take fancier vacations, and I doubt most others are either. To assume that is just asinine.

Um, since I'm the only one who used the word "blase" in a post, how were you not talking to me? And I'm going to leave it alone after this, but seriously, you aren't even reading clearly now. I just said that I get that YOU aren't freeing up funds for vacations, my point (which I couldn't have said anymore clearly) is that there are MANY here who ARE just as easily going private or doing charters, it's clear from the posts here and on other forums. NO ONE IS ASSUMING YOU HAVE TONS OF FUNDS PP.

But from experience, your way over the top defensiveness is much bigger than this thread, so I'll just leave it at that.

Oh but they did. Yes, they did. And that is my problem. It is rude beyond belief.

Possibly they assumed you had money because you said you'd "simply" keep your kid in daycare and then send them to Catholic school. For my family, that choice wouldn't have been simple. Anyway, you're getting pretty bent out of shape about something a random anonymous person said about you on a message board. For someone whose original message was along the lines of "lighten up", you seem kind of tightly wound.

Fine. I still want someone to address my questions at 11:10. I don't get why OP or any other parent just assumed they could easily get free childcare starting at age 3. This is not standard anywhere in this country. I am well aware that we got very very lucky (and we are therefore very very grateful), but we were in no way "counting" on getting a spot at any decent school. So I truly would like to know why others were as though it is not common knowledge that there are very few spots to go around.

Maybe no one's addressing your question because, after freaking out at everyone else for "misreading" you, you have misread OP. Neither or, nor apparently many others in this thread, read OP's post to be one of shock of surprise. Just being real and reacting to the shock that many others in OTHER threads have expressed. So I don't have an answer to your question, because I came into this process knowing the odds were not good. And I didn't read OP to be doing anything else but stating a reality check.

Fortunately, she's not as tightly wound as you and doesn't feel the need to come back and tell everyone to f*** off for misunderstanding her.

[Anonymous]

I hope that everyone who is avoiding their in-boundary DCPS has toured the school.

We started our preschool year at an "undesirable" DCPS school and then moved our DS in October when we got a slot elsewhere. I would have kept him at the school through K for sure (barring any huge issues, and there weren't huge issues).

Does everyone still get an Appletree slot if you wait it out throught the summer?

[Anonymous]

va and md are looking like great options

[Anonymous]

Fine. I still want someone to address my questions at 11:10. I don't get why OP or any other parent just assumed they could easily get free childcare starting at age 3. This is not standard anywhere in this country. I am well aware that we got very very lucky (and we are therefore very very grateful), but we were in no way "counting" on getting a spot at any decent school. So I truly would like to know why others were as though it is not common knowledge that there are very few spots to go around.

I dont' think anyone is assuming they could get free childcare. Its more that...some people do get it and some people don't and its either a matter of luck and/or where you live, so it seems random and thus to some people, unfair. headstart was a much better model, frankly, for divvying up scare resources. At least there you have a baseline for why some people get a slot and others dont.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Fine. I still want someone to address my questions at 11:10. I don't get why OP or any other parent just assumed they could easily get free childcare starting at age 3. This is not standard anywhere in this country. I am well aware that we got very very lucky (and we are therefore very very grateful), but we were in no way "counting" on getting a spot at any decent school. So I truly would like to know why others were as though it is not common knowledge that there are very few spots to go around.

I dont' think anyone is assuming they could get free childcare. Its more that...some people do get it and some people don't and its either a matter of luck and/or where you live, so it seems random and thus to some people, unfair. headstart was a much better model, frankly, for divvying up scare resources. At least there you have a baseline for why some people get a slot and others dont.

Well, I agree with you there. But I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth either.

[Anonymous]

I hear you PPs. But here's the rub. Whether you want to acknowledge it or now, in DC, where we live, PS3 & PK have become the norm. I own a home here (thus paying property taxes) and I work here (thus paying employment taxes) and I reasonably want to see benefits and services for the taxes that I pay. And preferably some benefits and services that benefit me (street lights, police force, functional 911, garbage pick-up, etc.) So, it's reasonable to "expect" to have access to PS and PK. Comparing DC to other jurisdictions doesn't really mean anything, because my reality is that I live here (and have for 20+ years). I've paid into the system for a long time and now I need the services and I expect them. So, sure, you can argue that you shouldn't have counted on PS & PK, but my question is why shouldn't I?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear you PPs. But here's the rub. Whether you want to acknowledge it or now, in DC, where we live, PS3 & PK have become the norm. I own a home here (thus paying property taxes) and I work here (thus paying employment taxes) and I reasonably want to see benefits and services for the taxes that I pay. And preferably some benefits and services that benefit me (street lights, police force, functional 911, garbage pick-up, etc.) So, it's reasonable to "expect" to have access to PS and PK. Comparing DC to other jurisdictions doesn't really mean anything, because my reality is that I live here (and have for 20+ years). I've paid into the system for a long time and now I need the services and I expect them. So, sure, you can argue that you shouldn't have counted on PS & PK, but my question is why shouldn't I?

Why don't you ask the 99.9% of the country who pay all the same taxes you pay and don't get universal preschool? Your question is the very embodiment of the entitlement mentality here. Disgusting.