Resentful and annoyed

[Anonymous]

OP here. Moving is NOT an option, to the suburbs or anywhere else. It's not going to happen for multiple reasons, housing costs, commute, finances. It's simply not possible. I know you're trying to help, but if it was an option we would certainly be doing it.

Our only option right now is our IB school which, yes, I have toured, and I have serious reservations about the teaching staff and the behavior in the classroom. But our child will have to go there if nothing changes between now and August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I can't move. My housing costs are $1200 a month for a family of 4. Tell me where in the city I could get somewhere to live for that price and a good school? I have lived here since long before I had children so it was not a consideration when I saw single.

People who throw around "can't you move" have no understanding of the reality of normal people who don't have incomes into six figures.

If you have lived there for so long then WHY did you have multiple kids when you didn't have a viable school option the entire time?
Most of us made the housing decisions years ago based on the knowledge that we would have kids someday. We scrimped and saved and bought in areas we didn't want to live in based on our future school needs. AND we only had one child. we didn't have a second because we couldn't afford to.
I kind of feel like you made your bed and now you want to complain about it.

Even if OP ends up having to send her children to a school she doesn't like, I don't think she will regret ever having multiple kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I feel your pain but want to ask: did you apply for any charters that were outside the top 10 most applied to or any DCPS east of RockCreek Park/not on the Hill?

Yes. We applied to DC Prep and KIPP, but our waitlist numbers there are the same as at EL Haynes and Inspired Teaching. We also applied to Garrison and Powell. And Bridges. We had a list of 12 and about half of them were "back-ups".

You mentioned that your IB is pretty bad. Are there any schools where you could get proximity preference that are slightly better than IB? You may consider that for round 2. I have a really good WL number for a school where we have proximity preference even though all of our other WL numbers are in the 100s and 200s. It's not our top choice, but it's not bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Moving is NOT an option, to the suburbs or anywhere else. It's not going to happen for multiple reasons, housing costs, commute, finances. It's simply not possible. I know you're trying to help, but if it was an option we would certainly be doing it.

Our only option right now is our IB school which, yes, I have toured, and I have serious reservations about the teaching staff and the behavior in the classroom. But our child will have to go there if nothing changes between now and August.

It sounds like you know what your priorities are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I feel your pain but want to ask: did you apply for any charters that were outside the top 10 most applied to or any DCPS east of RockCreek Park/not on the Hill?

Yes. We applied to DC Prep and KIPP, but our waitlist numbers there are the same as at EL Haynes and Inspired Teaching. We also applied to Garrison and Powell. And Bridges. We had a list of 12 and about half of them were "back-ups".

I don't know where you live, but try again next year. KIPP and Two Rivers are opening new locations in Ward 5 next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I feel your pain but want to ask: did you apply for any charters that were outside the top 10 most applied to or any DCPS east of RockCreek Park/not on the Hill?

Yes. We applied to DC Prep and KIPP, but our waitlist numbers there are the same as at EL Haynes and Inspired Teaching. We also applied to Garrison and Powell. And Bridges. We had a list of 12 and about half of them were "back-ups".

You mentioned that your IB is pretty bad. Are there any schools where you could get proximity preference that are slightly better than IB? You may consider that for round 2. I have a really good WL number for a school where we have proximity preference even though all of our other WL numbers are in the 100s and 200s. It's not our top choice, but it's not bad.

Unfortunately not. The only school that we are close enough for proximity preference is our inbound. So there is that, at least we'll be able to walk to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else really upset and pissed at the unfairness of the lottery?

This is the third year we've been shut out. We have a poor IB choice. Private school isn't an option. Our child cannot continue where she is. And yet, friends of ours whose plan was to go private until K and then go to their IB JKLM elementary got into one of the top charter schools.

Sure, I was happy for them at first, but it starts to grate when you hear the gloating and the bragging and you know that they had other options that were fantastic and you have none and were shut out AGAIN.

I totally understand! As days go on, I am slowly finding out where our friends have gotten in. Most of them I know for a fact did not do much research, did not go to any open houses and some have missed the lottery deadline. One of them got matched at their #2 choice and waitlististed for their #1 choice at WL #20! (we have the same #1 choice and got 293!!). While us who spent a lot of time doing researchh, went to open hourses, looked at school numbers, etc etc, got shut out!! It makes me mad . Perhaps if I did not do any research at all and did not make any intelligent choice, I would've gotten in somewhere!

They'll be the same ones complaining in 4 months about how unbearable the commute is, they don't like the school's philosophy, blah blah blah. Maybe we'll see some noticeable waitlist movement then

One got a spot at one of the sought after charter schools and is not sure whether she will take it or not. They are trying to decide whether to stay at the current day care or not. I was like are you kidding me? People are dying to be in her position! She has no clue about the school at all!

[Anonymous]

Another vote for move OP.

--Single Mom making my budget work in a good Fairfax school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you OP. if the IB school is good you should not have a charter option. That would be a fair solution.

That would have screwed us.We have a good IB option but are crammed into a crappy condo and so have to move either east DC or out of dc. We would have moved out of dc if we didn't get in. Plus, some of the charters offer things the IB school doesn't - immersion, monetsouri. Some people want a kind of education for their kids not just a "good" safe school (full of rich kids who will pick on your non-rick dc and make her hate school and learning and feel her family is inferior).

[Anonymous]

This was me a few years ago. Not the resentment part but the being shut out time and time again part. I also had a townhouse that was bought long long ago and moving wasn't impossible but would of been very difficult to do. So you know what I did? My kid went to a crappy school for K and 1. Its really not the end of the world. There are good teachers everywhere...even in schools that are failing. I dedicated myself to being an active parent, to volunteer, to get to know my teacher, to not write off the school or act above it, and I was honestly a little sad to leave when we did get into a charter. Yes some DCPS are very "bad" but having spent a lot of time in a "bad" school there is good to be found in any situation. Kindergarden isn't rocket science.

Signed by a Mom who's oldest child learned to read and write in a failing DCPS school.

[Anonymous]

I love how this became yet another "you are doing it all wrong/you need to move/you don't value your children's education" threads. Jesus. People shouldn't have to move. And guess what, maybe people like where they live and there should be decent schools everywhere. Stop blaming everyone else for not living your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was me a few years ago. Not the resentment part but the being shut out time and time again part. I also had a townhouse that was bought long long ago and moving wasn't impossible but would of been very difficult to do. So you know what I did? My kid went to a crappy school for K and 1. Its really not the end of the world. There are good teachers everywhere...even in schools that are failing. I dedicated myself to being an active parent, to volunteer, to get to know my teacher, to not write off the school or act above it, and I was honestly a little sad to leave when we did get into a charter. Yes some DCPS are very "bad" but having spent a lot of time in a "bad" school there is good to be found in any situation. Kindergarden isn't rocket science.

Signed by a Mom who's oldest child learned to read and write in a failing DCPS school.

THANKS! Fortunately my kid already knows how to read and write pretty well so the pressure is off on that front!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how this became yet another "you are doing it all wrong/you need to move/you don't value your children's education" threads. Jesus. People shouldn't have to move. And guess what, maybe people like where they live and there should be decent schools everywhere. Stop blaming everyone else for not living your life.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was me a few years ago. Not the resentment part but the being shut out time and time again part. I also had a townhouse that was bought long long ago and moving wasn't impossible but would of been very difficult to do. So you know what I did? My kid went to a crappy school for K and 1. Its really not the end of the world. There are good teachers everywhere...even in schools that are failing. I dedicated myself to being an active parent, to volunteer, to get to know my teacher, to not write off the school or act above it, and I was honestly a little sad to leave when we did get into a charter. Yes some DCPS are very "bad" but having spent a lot of time in a "bad" school there is good to be found in any situation. Kindergarden isn't rocket science.

Signed by a Mom who's oldest child learned to read and write in a failing DCPS school.

THANKS! Fortunately my kid already knows how to read and write pretty well so the pressure is off on that front!

OMG OP get over yourself

[Anonymous]

Op: my suggestion is that you research DCPS schools that are good , but not highly sought after, visit and meet the principals. The Principals at DCPS schools have much more control over admission spots than charters. One example is Langdon Education campus. It's not highly sought after but has a great montessori program. Two years ago one of their montessori teachers was a DCPS teacher of the year. I believe that there are hidden gems in DCPS, but it's your job to find them and lobby for a spot. I understand your situation. Our mortgage is also less than $1100, couldn't afford to leave DC or live in the burbs for that matter. Also try Mary McLeod Bethune charter and Cap Center Amos II Reggio Emmilio school. It only goes until K but they have talked of expanding. If that does not happen you get admission to one of their other schools. Good luck.