Lottery question: what constitutes a safe pick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is confusing, because on its website, Bethune says it is participating in the common lottery and links you there:

http://www.mmbethune.org/apply.html

All the other information says for the 2015-2015 school year. They just haven't updated their website.

I think mmb didn't fill up pk3 at least in the first round. I know a couple families who had attended open houses and were called by the school encouraging to sign up after round one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is confusing, because on its website, Bethune says it is participating in the common lottery and links you there:

http://www.mmbethune.org/apply.html

All the other information says for the 2015-2015 school year. They just haven't updated their website.

I think mmb didn't fill up pk3 at least in the first round. I know a couple families who had attended open houses and were called by the school encouraging to sign up after round one.

I tried to lottery into Bethune in Round 2 and was on a waitlist with a single digit number.

I was never called (but I also never called them, so there's that)

[Anonymous]

Bridges went far into wait list because they added two full PK3 classes fairly late in the process. Kind of unusual. I think it would be a mistake to think it will be there it as a "safety" in the coming year.

[Anonymous]

Bridges added 2 joint PK3/4 classes, not PK3 classes. And they traditionally go through their entire waitlist; I would not expect that to change. They still had spaces as of early October and have lost a few kids since count day. We are having a mixed experience there this year and don't expect to be back next year (the negatives just don't make the commute worth it for us).

[Anonymous]

With respect to leadership in transition, if you are only going to use the school for PS3 and will lottery again, then one year there under transitional leadership will likely not be a big deal. You don't strike me as a "long-timer" at that school anyway, so don't base your decision on what might happen in 5 years.

I hate to encourage anyone to just take a PS3 slot cause they will lottery again next year, but after years in DCPS that is the norm, and I can't stop it. But, for the sake of the school (which will need longer-term committed leadership from parents to really help it turn around), I hope you get into one of your higher-up choices.

[Anonymous]

There's no wait list number that is safe - we were wait listed at our top pick school at the #1 position and never were offered a spot. For safety schools make sure you include any school in a reasonable commute and use all 12 choices. Even schools that are lower performing can offer a decent preschool experience. Even if you don't get into a top choice it is better to get in somewhere IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
AppleTree is a good safety if you are IB for a school that does not have a PK3 program. Bridges is supposedly moving next year, so while it's a solid safety, you will need to weigh both commutes (now and later) into your decisionmaking. Shining Stars, which hasn't been talked about recently, went through its waitlist last year, for reasons that are probably pretty well documented on this site.
.

Where is Bridges supposedly moving to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
AppleTree is a good safety if you are IB for a school that does not have a PK3 program. Bridges is supposedly moving next year, so while it's a solid safety, you will need to weigh both commutes (now and later) into your decisionmaking. Shining Stars, which hasn't been talked about recently, went through its waitlist last year, for reasons that are probably pretty well documented on this site.
.

Where is Bridges supposedly moving to?

I don't know about next year, but they're bidding for a closed DCPS near Fort Totten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is confusing, because on its website, Bethune says it is participating in the common lottery and links you there:

http://www.mmbethune.org/apply.html

All the other information says for the 2015-2015 school year. They just haven't updated their website.

Exactly. The principal told parents at the PTO meeting they were not participating in the common lottery for the coming school year. The website hasn't been updated to reflect this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is confusing, because on its website, Bethune says it is participating in the common lottery and links you there:

http://www.mmbethune.org/apply.html

All the other information says for the 2015-2015 school year. They just haven't updated their website.

Exactly. The principal told parents at the PTO meeting they were not participating in the common lottery for the coming school year. The website hasn't been updated to reflect this.

Did the principal explain why?