DCPS Lottery Consultant?

[Anonymous]

She's in-boundary for Watkins and her children have attended Brent and Basis. If her advice was as useless as pps suggest, would she still be in business? She doesn't make false representations - she freely admits that one could find out most of what she knows by doing the legwork.

[Anonymous]

I believe her kids went to Maury which is her IB school prior to Brent.

E.V. is very nice and has definitely been put through the ringer with DCPS and her SN son. Her info may be dated or Hill focused but the beauty is you aren't forced to use her services. If you want them there they are, if not, forge ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's in-boundary for Watkins and her children have attended Brent and Basis. If her advice was as useless as pps suggest, would she still be in business? She doesn't make false representations - she freely admits that one could find out most of what she knows by doing the legwork.

It's called marketing. She does make false claims to get you in the door "I know exactly how the algorithm works", but then doesn't address any of this in her session. When asked she says has heard from multiple sources different views (DCUM) and is still confused herself though does comment that she can "imagine a machine in some big room makes a bunch of noise and spits something out". Uh? Lucky for her she stays in business bc it's a one time deal. You send your money in advance before arriving and once you get there, after you realize she isn't enlightened, it's too late bc she has already cashed that check. No need to worry about repeat business bc you have already figured it out on our own after the fact and hopefully in some school. Even on her Facebook page she asked her clients how she can get a 5 star for her business, as her clients have only given her 2. She's an authority on his matter just like every other parent that goes through the process...she just markets herself and makes money doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't used her services, but I suspect her sessions are probably very helpful for people who are too busy to or not interested in doing a ton of research for the school lottery (or are unaware of the resources available here or can't stand the vitriol present on DCUM). If you are on this forum, obviously you are willing/able to devote some time to the research. So her services probably wouldn't be as useful.

Here's her website: http://downeyschoolconsulting.wordpress.com/about-2/

I see it like this: I know how to clean my house... if I can put in the time and effort. However, I can't. So, it's worth it to pay a professional to do it for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't used her services, but I suspect her sessions are probably very helpful for people who are too busy to or not interested in doing a ton of research for the school lottery (or are unaware of the resources available here or can't stand the vitriol present on DCUM). If you are on this forum, obviously you are willing/able to devote some time to the research. So her services probably wouldn't be as useful.

Here's her website: http://downeyschoolconsulting.wordpress.com/about-2/

I see it like this: I know how to clean my house... if I can put in the time and effort. However, I can't. So, it's worth it to pay a professional to do it for me.

Yes, but how to clean your house doesn't depend on:

- the location of your house
- the available facilities in your house
- a lottery system where winners get a spotless clean and losers still have layers of dust and grime in each room
- the specific individual learning (er, cleaning) needs of each of your rooms
- your preferred teaching approach

YOU know those things as they relate to your child, an "expert" does not.

[Anonymous]

A friend texted me about this thread. I absolutely hate having to "argue" with people so I'll just state some facts and then let everyone have their own, completely valid, opinions.

I have lived IB for Peabody-Watkins-Stuart-Hobson most of the time since high school. Total coincidence that I moved to different places on the Hill IB for the same school. I went to Wilson and Duke Ellington School of the Arts (at the same time). DC1 did 2 years at a private preschool because we didn't get into public (there was little back then and we got shut out). DC1 and DC2 then were at Maury for 3 years and then switched to Brent. DC2 just finished 4th year at Brent. DC1 is at a special private school for kids with SN. No one ever attended BASIS.

I have taught different ages of kids in schools and in more informal environments (camps, afterschool) for around 17 years. I worked in private school admissions for almost a decade. I visited a lot of schools and just took an interest in different approaches. I left admissions due to DC1's SN -- I needed more time for the family. I found myself, like many of you, answering tons of questions about schools. I offered up a free lecture on MOTH and there were around 65 attendees. I had another which was also super well-attended. I had some more and started charging money ($10 then $25 now $35 for single, $55 for couple). I charge in advance because I often have a waiting list and hate to have to turn people away. I am also often paying for a space and/or a babysitter or something, like any working parent, and can't afford to have a bunch of no-shows. No one has ever asked for money back or seemed displeased, but I would hope people would express concerns if they had them.

Plenty of people follow up with a private consult after a lecture so I assume those people were happy. The price of the lecture is subtracted from the consult so no one ever feels I was trying to withhold information to make someone need a private consult. Some people just need more specialized information.

I had intended to do private school consulting and was investigating that plan when the lectures began. I was also looking into helping others with SN schools. The public/charter thing just took off. I worked with about 400 families in 2013 according to my tax numbers.

I visit tons of schools. I could not possibly visit enough schools. I admit it freely. I am sometimes late for Open Houses, though technically an OH is supposed to be open, not have a specific start time. Just a pet peeve! Anyway, I can think of 3 this past year when I was "late," both in NE, and they were all 3 because I was doing 2 visits in 1 morning. So I had been at another OH already. Sometimes these things can't be avoided. I do know a lot more about schools on the Hill because that's where I live, but I am working on other areas.

I find out information from clients, friends, parents on MoTH, yes, DCUM, and just paying a whole lot of attention when people are talking about schools. I ask people questions when I am sitting next to them. It's my interest and my ears just perk up. I don't generally share things that I haven't heard from multiple people. I know very well from being in private school admissions that disgruntled parents will trash a school and there are different sides to every story. I try really hard to be positive about almost all schools, many about which people on here have little good to say. I strongly encourage people to visit their IB school and give it a fresh eye, not just listen to neighbors who might have had outdated negative experiences. We started at Maury when us parents would organize an OH and be thrilled that 20 people attended. It's a great feeling to participate in a school that started with some great bones and got even better.

I posted on my FB page because I don't know how the stars work. I had 1, 2, 3 stars from people I'd never met or even e-mailed with. Just seems odd, but it is what it is.

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Absolutely most parents could do this 100% by themselves via the methods mentioned above. I receive plenty of e-mails from people in which I simply answer a question or 2 and send them on their way. Lots of people find the introductory lecture helpful. Most attendees have 2-3 year olds, may be new to the area or have babies too or are otherwise super busy. They don't understand how the system works, often down to things like not knowing charters aren't part of DCPS, are free, that kind of thing. Lots of people hear about some great schools and have a lottery list like: Brent, Peabody, Maury, SWS, and 2R when the are OOB/not sibs for all. I'm just giving examples. Absolutely people can get up to speed without me. Some people choose to take a short cut. I aim to help people get the basics down and learn about schools both in their immediate world and maybe near work or somewhere else that could be a possibility. I try to help people narrow down their visit lists so they aren't spending 2 hours visiting a school that they couldn't possibly get into.

I like the cleaning lady analogy. I can clean my own house. I usually do. Sometimes I just have to turn for help because I would rather spend the time doing something else.

I think of my consults largely as an organizational session. A lot of people start out really not understanding the system and a lot of people are really far along in the search. I always feel I have plenty to give to either. A lot of people just want to talk through the logistics, the future possibilities, what might be right for their family. The consults are pretty intimate sessions, I'm sitting right there with the couple (or occasionally one parent). I would hope that I would sense that someone wasn't finding it useful and/or that they would express that. Certainly sometimes I sense that people are getting more out of it than others. I get a whole lot of e-mails from people thanking me for my help, so I'll have to let that be my guide. I do welcome people to give me constructive criticism, but a public forum isn't a useful way to do that. Anonymous rarely works well.

There is no way to game the system. It would be too much to list all the ways in which I help guide people because inevitably I will leave something out, but in general I talk to people about their IB schools, interests, logistics, need for before/after care, tolerance for "up-and-coming" vs. "successful," how to list schools so that the list makes sense (see putting Brent 1st when you are OOB for PK3). That kind of thing. We talk a lot about wait lists, feeder patterns, future possibilities. I'm am quite sure a whole lot of you could do research and strike out on your own. This happens to work well for my personality, my family needs, and, really, I just stumbled into it. I do also do what I had thought I would do, SN and private, but this is the greater part of the business.

I tell people I know little about daycares and that they generally don't need help with pre-preschool programs -- just ask on your local listserve. I help with middle and high school, but usually people have things figured out by then. A lot of that help is getting the bigger picture or people moving in from out of town/country.

I am a little kooky, I talk too much, I'm opinionated (but what would be the point if I were completely without opinion?). I talk about my kids, I talk about experiences in the classroom and what a successful classroom looks like. I can never remember anyone's name to put to a face, but I will remember that you e-mailed me and what you needed.

I make a reasonable amount of money doing this, seeing a need (for some, others don't have the same need), having flexibility for my kids' needs. I don't make a small fraction of what I see people on here make, not even close, and my husband is a teacher. So I'm not laughing all the way to the bank, but it works for us. I do plenty of pro bono or deeply discounted work and try to work with families to make help possible. I answer dozens of e-mails for free. I do what I can to provide a service. If YOU feel that I provided it badly to YOU, please e-mail me and we will see what we can work out. If you don't feel that my services are necessary for your family, no problem. I totally get that. I find I don't really market (FB page, website, a few ads a year) because people who need the help ask a friend or something and find their way to me. It seems to work.

I am attending the Independent Educational Consultants' Association summer seminar in a few weeks to better my business practice and also to learn what others are doing in the field. I am very excited. I deeply hope that DC's system will get to the point where every kid is educated in a school that works for them, their family, regardless of income, neighborhood, luck, SN or any other factor. I would be absolutely thrilled to be put out of business in that manner. It's not a reality right now, but if it ever is, I will happily hang up my hat and go back into the classroom or something. Right now I'm too busy fighting for an appropriate education for my child so this provides needed balance.

I'm just a normal person who provides a service. I understand your right to discuss my services on DCUM, but I do ask that you remember that I'm just a Mom trying to help out other parents and make a little living while doing it. If you don't need my services, great! Some do, some don't and that works for all of us, I hope.

Best,

E.V. Downey (I write too much too)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend texted me about this thread. I absolutely hate having to "argue" with people so I'll just state some facts and then let everyone have their own, completely valid, opinions.

I have lived IB for Peabody-Watkins-Stuart-Hobson most of the time since high school. Total coincidence that I moved to different places on the Hill IB for the same school. I went to Wilson and Duke Ellington School of the Arts (at the same time). DC1 did 2 years at a private preschool because we didn't get into public (there was little back then and we got shut out). DC1 and DC2 then were at Maury for 3 years and then switched to Brent. DC2 just finished 4th year at Brent. DC1 is at a special private school for kids with SN. No one ever attended BASIS.

I have taught different ages of kids in schools and in more informal environments (camps, afterschool) for around 17 years. I worked in private school admissions for almost a decade. I visited a lot of schools and just took an interest in different approaches. I left admissions due to DC1's SN -- I needed more time for the family. I found myself, like many of you, answering tons of questions about schools. I offered up a free lecture on MOTH and there were around 65 attendees. I had another which was also super well-attended. I had some more and started charging money ($10 then $25 now $35 for single, $55 for couple). I charge in advance because I often have a waiting list and hate to have to turn people away. I am also often paying for a space and/or a babysitter or something, like any working parent, and can't afford to have a bunch of no-shows. No one has ever asked for money back or seemed displeased, but I would hope people would express concerns if they had them.

Plenty of people follow up with a private consult after a lecture so I assume those people were happy. The price of the lecture is subtracted from the consult so no one ever feels I was trying to withhold information to make someone need a private consult. Some people just need more specialized information.

I had intended to do private school consulting and was investigating that plan when the lectures began. I was also looking into helping others with SN schools. The public/charter thing just took off. I worked with about 400 families in 2013 according to my tax numbers.

I visit tons of schools. I could not possibly visit enough schools. I admit it freely. I am sometimes late for Open Houses, though technically an OH is supposed to be open, not have a specific start time. Just a pet peeve! Anyway, I can think of 3 this past year when I was "late," both in NE, and they were all 3 because I was doing 2 visits in 1 morning. So I had been at another OH already. Sometimes these things can't be avoided. I do know a lot more about schools on the Hill because that's where I live, but I am working on other areas.

I find out information from clients, friends, parents on MoTH, yes, DCUM, and just paying a whole lot of attention when people are talking about schools. I ask people questions when I am sitting next to them. It's my interest and my ears just perk up. I don't generally share things that I haven't heard from multiple people. I know very well from being in private school admissions that disgruntled parents will trash a school and there are different sides to every story. I try really hard to be positive about almost all schools, many about which people on here have little good to say. I strongly encourage people to visit their IB school and give it a fresh eye, not just listen to neighbors who might have had outdated negative experiences. We started at Maury when us parents would organize an OH and be thrilled that 20 people attended. It's a great feeling to participate in a school that started with some great bones and got even better.

I posted on my FB page because I don't know how the stars work. I had 1, 2, 3 stars from people I'd never met or even e-mailed with. Just seems odd, but it is what it is.

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Absolutely most parents could do this 100% by themselves via the methods mentioned above. I receive plenty of e-mails from people in which I simply answer a question or 2 and send them on their way. Lots of people find the introductory lecture helpful. Most attendees have 2-3 year olds, may be new to the area or have babies too or are otherwise super busy. They don't understand how the system works, often down to things like not knowing charters aren't part of DCPS, are free, that kind of thing. Lots of people hear about some great schools and have a lottery list like: Brent, Peabody, Maury, SWS, and 2R when the are OOB/not sibs for all. I'm just giving examples. Absolutely people can get up to speed without me. Some people choose to take a short cut. I aim to help people get the basics down and learn about schools both in their immediate world and maybe near work or somewhere else that could be a possibility. I try to help people narrow down their visit lists so they aren't spending 2 hours visiting a school that they couldn't possibly get into.

I like the cleaning lady analogy. I can clean my own house. I usually do. Sometimes I just have to turn for help because I would rather spend the time doing something else.

I think of my consults largely as an organizational session. A lot of people start out really not understanding the system and a lot of people are really far along in the search. I always feel I have plenty to give to either. A lot of people just want to talk through the logistics, the future possibilities, what might be right for their family. The consults are pretty intimate sessions, I'm sitting right there with the couple (or occasionally one parent). I would hope that I would sense that someone wasn't finding it useful and/or that they would express that. Certainly sometimes I sense that people are getting more out of it than others. I get a whole lot of e-mails from people thanking me for my help, so I'll have to let that be my guide. I do welcome people to give me constructive criticism, but a public forum isn't a useful way to do that. Anonymous rarely works well.

There is no way to game the system. It would be too much to list all the ways in which I help guide people because inevitably I will leave something out, but in general I talk to people about their IB schools, interests, logistics, need for before/after care, tolerance for "up-and-coming" vs. "successful," how to list schools so that the list makes sense (see putting Brent 1st when you are OOB for PK3). That kind of thing. We talk a lot about wait lists, feeder patterns, future possibilities. I'm am quite sure a whole lot of you could do research and strike out on your own. This happens to work well for my personality, my family needs, and, really, I just stumbled into it. I do also do what I had thought I would do, SN and private, but this is the greater part of the business.

I tell people I know little about daycares and that they generally don't need help with pre-preschool programs -- just ask on your local listserve. I help with middle and high school, but usually people have things figured out by then. A lot of that help is getting the bigger picture or people moving in from out of town/country.

I am a little kooky, I talk too much, I'm opinionated (but what would be the point if I were completely without opinion?). I talk about my kids, I talk about experiences in the classroom and what a successful classroom looks like. I can never remember anyone's name to put to a face, but I will remember that you e-mailed me and what you needed.

I make a reasonable amount of money doing this, seeing a need (for some, others don't have the same need), having flexibility for my kids' needs. I don't make a small fraction of what I see people on here make, not even close, and my husband is a teacher. So I'm not laughing all the way to the bank, but it works for us. I do plenty of pro bono or deeply discounted work and try to work with families to make help possible. I answer dozens of e-mails for free. I do what I can to provide a service. If YOU feel that I provided it badly to YOU, please e-mail me and we will see what we can work out. If you don't feel that my services are necessary for your family, no problem. I totally get that. I find I don't really market (FB page, website, a few ads a year) because people who need the help ask a friend or something and find their way to me. It seems to work.

I am attending the Independent Educational Consultants' Association summer seminar in a few weeks to better my business practice and also to learn what others are doing in the field. I am very excited. I deeply hope that DC's system will get to the point where every kid is educated in a school that works for them, their family, regardless of income, neighborhood, luck, SN or any other factor. I would be absolutely thrilled to be put out of business in that manner. It's not a reality right now, but if it ever is, I will happily hang up my hat and go back into the classroom or something. Right now I'm too busy fighting for an appropriate education for my child so this provides needed balance.

I'm just a normal person who provides a service. I understand your right to discuss my services on DCUM, but I do ask that you remember that I'm just a Mom trying to help out other parents and make a little living while doing it. If you don't need my services, great! Some do, some don't and that works for all of us, I hope.

Best,

E.V. Downey (I write too much too)

You say you're kooky; I say you're genuine.

[Anonymous]

I wasn't going to respond to this, I've only met you once. However - you offer a service. People can take it or leave it. No need to defend yourself.

You seemed nice enough and I enjoyed our (free) conversation on schools.

[Anonymous]

Can you explain what you mean by this?

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Why would you announce to everyone that you were wrong if they didn't know that you'd been wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain what you mean by this?

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Why would you announce to everyone that you were wrong if they didn't know that you'd been wrong?

Honestly, as I'm thinking about it more, I don't remember every single detail. I had a mtg with someone at MySchoolDC and thought I had clarified some aspects of the system that were confusing people. I do think I emailed past clients letting them know this new info. One of them passed the info on to someone else at MySchoolDC and that person emailed me to point out to me my error. I had also advertised to potential attendees (via FB I believe) that I had this clarified info. Within about 2 days of those actions on my part, I had learned about my mistake and corrected it. I was embarrassed and felt bad, but it was an honest misunderstanding of the info on my part. I must admit that I have always regretted trying to attract people to my lectures by indicating that I had this info. It isn't in keeping with my usual way of doing things. It's pushy I think. Anyway, I got mine because I had made a mistake that we are still discussing months later. My point in the "announcement" was that i corrected myself right away and no one (I think) had acted on what I emailed (as I said, they were all clients with whom I had met earlier in the season who were doing the lottery -- I was trying to share updated info with them as I often do). I hope that makes sense. It was a stupid mistake several months ago so my details might be foggy. I learned my lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain what you mean by this?

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Why would you announce to everyone that you were wrong if they didn't know that you'd been wrong?

Because she's honest? Frankly, any good consultant should do exactly this - correct a mistake. Newspapers do it all the time when they make corrections to their articles. The scientific method depends on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain what you mean by this?

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Why would you announce to everyone that you were wrong if they didn't know that you'd been wrong?

Because she's honest? Frankly, any good consultant should do exactly this - correct a mistake. Newspapers do it all the time when they make corrections to their articles. The scientific method depends on it.

If you read what she originally wrote it said that she made a mistake but didn't tell anybody about it, but then corrected it anyway. It's not "honest" to tell someone "a few days ago I thought it was this way but it's actually another way" when they are unaware of the original error because you never told anyone, it's just foolish. Hence the question. She has since clarified - she DID share the erroneous information and under such circumstances of course she should correct herself.

[Anonymous]

Frankly the entire system in DC, the types of schools, how the lottery works, your chances of getting in, the boundary and other changes under proposal are all so confusing I can certainly see why E.V.s services are needed.

There's certainly no need to be coy about charging money to share your expertise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain what you mean by this?

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Why would you announce to everyone that you were wrong if they didn't know that you'd been wrong?

Because she's honest? Frankly, any good consultant should do exactly this - correct a mistake. Newspapers do it all the time when they make corrections to their articles. The scientific method depends on it.

Yes, because newspapers will be correcting something that is PUBLISHED - an error that their readers are aware of. If she "never even told anyone the erroneous version" there is nothing to correct. How do you not understand that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you explain what you mean by this?

The algorhythm thing was an honest but bad mistake on my part. I really thought I understood what was told to me and that I had clarified it sufficiently. I was wrong. I announced to everyone via e-mail and FB that I was wrong before I ever even told anyone the erroneous version. Like, I had the meeting on a Mon/Tues, posted/e-mailed on Tues/Wed, and then corrected my error on Thurs or something like that. I then explained it the way it is. The truth is there is no gaming the system and there is no magic way to get into a school. There is, however, a good approach to figuring out what works.

Why would you announce to everyone that you were wrong if they didn't know that you'd been wrong?

Because she's honest? Frankly, any good consultant should do exactly this - correct a mistake. Newspapers do it all the time when they make corrections to their articles. The scientific method depends on it.

If you read what she originally wrote it said that she made a mistake but didn't tell anybody about it, but then corrected it anyway. It's not "honest" to tell someone "a few days ago I thought it was this way but it's actually another way" when they are unaware of the original error because you never told anyone, it's just foolish. Hence the question. She has since clarified - she DID share the erroneous information and under such circumstances of course she should correct herself.

Her initial analysis would have caused people to strategically order their lists. It would have been unethical of her not to correct herself. Plus, she said that someone on her list asked the Lottery people about it--certainly that person would have known the error.