Bad Lottery Number

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who got a bad lottery number— high 100 and 200s waitlist numbers at schools 1-11 and matched at 12th school— I would say expect and prepare for the worst. If you do not have a viable private option for PK3, take the time to find some safer bets to put in your list but ONLY put them on your list if you can truly see yourself being ok with sending your child there. I was not mentally prepared for a worst case scenario and felt as though we had no options even though we got matched somewhere because at the end of the day, I wasn’t actually comfortable with our 12th school. If you can find twelve schools that you can actually see your DC attending, you will feel so much more at ease leading up to results day. I know that’s easier said than done, but try to fully wrap your head around ending up at even your lowest ranked schools. Don’t put a school as a safety just to tell yourself you have some safeties. Assume that they will end up at school number 12. Of you can’t actually see your child there, find a solid private/daycare option so that you are able to only play your hand at schools you actually want to attend.

It is so hard to avoid the anxiety, frustration, jealousy that this system perpetuates. But I can say from my own experience, it will be ok and even if you don’t end up at a school you think you want now, your family will end up at the right school eventually and will ultimately thrive. I will also say that many of my friends that matched with those highly sought after charter schools we all think we want ended up being disappointed and those who felt they “lost” were so pleasantly surprised by the school they ended up at.

You will get through this and your child will be ok. They clearly have parents who are deeply invested in their education and overall well-being and that’s worth much more than any one school’s test scores or buzz or convenience.

+1. Be prepared to continually assess whether or not your child's school is a good fit, and it might be a different answer for each kid. We're not happy with our HRC DCI feeder that people are vying for. It's fine if your child is very middle of the bell curve, but it's terrible for special needs or advanced kids.

It's very challenging making these ranking decisions that affect the whole educational trajectory for a 3 year old. It's too young to know what kind of learner they are. Even if you love your school, be prepared to make another move if it turns out to not be a good fit later on. We thought we were done once we got into our #1 pick in PreK, but it wasn't a good fit.

Do you mind stating which feeder it is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

OP here. Take that nonsense elsewhere, please. That comment is classist/elitist, and probably sprinkled with some racism as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

What's offensive is how you throw around the words "decent" and "acceptable" to describe children. Because the only thing that makes an elementary school "decent" in your eyes is the peer group, no matter how you try to make it sound nice by saying "at or above grade level."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

What's offensive is how you throw around the words "decent" and "acceptable" to describe children. Because the only thing that makes an elementary school "decent" in your eyes is the peer group, no matter how you try to make it sound nice by saying "at or above grade level."

PP, you are making ZERO sense. ALL DC kids should have an "acceptable" school to attend without having to win the lottery, drive across town, or move to a high HHI area. If you're the original PP, you start by calling people cheap and the DC Pre-K system a "puppy mill construct". It may be a lot of things, including a rat race, but universal, high quality Pre-K is a good thing for the city. It's just a damn shame that not all DC schools maintain the same high quality in the elementary schools. If we could replicate the success of DC Pre-K through all of elementary, then I'd happily sign up for that puppy mill and skip the lottery. But the system we currently have is one where half of DC students are in charters. Until that changes, families will keep doing the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Of course everyone should have a good school nearby. But if you remove the students, each DCPS elementary school is pretty similar in terms of teacher training and curriculum.

What varies are the kids. How stable are their home lives, how prepared are they to learn, what obstacles do they have to just get to school every day. Those factors matter at least as much as what is happening in the school building, and it isn't really fair to expect DCPS to address all of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course everyone should have a good school nearby. But if you remove the students, each DCPS elementary school is pretty similar in terms of teacher training and curriculum.

What varies are the kids. How stable are their home lives, how prepared are they to learn, what obstacles do they have to just get to school every day. Those factors matter at least as much as what is happening in the school building, and it isn't really fair to expect DCPS to address all of that.

The quality of the principal has a huge influence on the success of the school. The quality of the teachers (often recruited and retained by the principal) plays a huge role. And it's certainly fair to expect DC to address the needs of the population of students coming into the school. That's why many schools offer free breakfasts to all students, to address issues that are obstacles to student success. Everyone should have a quality school, it shouldn't be seen as a zero sum game, because it's not, and when schools are able to go the extra mile to prepare students for success, even when it's outside of traditional responsibilities, they should do so. And in general they are. For all the problems, both DCPS and charters have consistently improved over the last ten years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course everyone should have a good school nearby. But if you remove the students, each DCPS elementary school is pretty similar in terms of teacher training and curriculum.

What varies are the kids. How stable are their home lives, how prepared are they to learn, what obstacles do they have to just get to school every day. Those factors matter at least as much as what is happening in the school building, and it isn't really fair to expect DCPS to address all of that.

We're not talking about DCPS, this thread is about charters and DCPS. I have enough teacher friends in DCPS and charters to know that teacher training and curriculum are absolutely not the same across the board. DCPS all has common standards, but how it's implemented varies WIDELY across schools. Any DCPS that tells you "we don't have control, we have to follow the curriculum" is making an excuse. Plus charters have MUCH more flexibility in curriculum and that's a big part of the reason why (some) parents choose charters over in bounds. Plus the amount of continuing ed varies widely across schools. I want to know if a school says they use responsive classroom and positive discipline, just as an example, has every teacher been trained on those? If not, then those are just words and I bet your teacher with 20 years of experience is using the same approach they've been using for years and are comfortable with.

So no, the difference isn't just the kids. If my charter has 3 blocks a week for science and my DCPS has zero, that's a difference. If our charter has a policy for 100% continuing ed for it's teachers and DCPS doesn't, that's a difference. And BTW, we're at a charter with more at risk students than our in-bounds DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

I am the PP. I don’t post the other responses to your comment.

But, I agree your hyperventilating about my comment is completely over the top and misplaced. Your comment about 2 hour one way commutes is ridiculous. At almost any income, there would be solid options with a far shorter commute than that. And I didn’t remotely say no one without an extremely high HHI should be in DC. But, at almost any income, you have to make choices. Some people choose to prioritize commute, others size of house, others school locations, etc.

That’s simply reality. Most people can’t get everything they want. Some choose to do the lottery and/or become comfortable with schools that might not have been their first choice. Others choose to live in a small/old house or apartment in a better DC feeder pattern (or inner burb) so that they can have schools and a good commute. Others choose to go farther out (not usually 2 hours out) so they can have other things they couldn’t afford closer in. There is no right or wrong approach. But those are the options almost everyone faces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course everyone should have a good school nearby. But if you remove the students, each DCPS elementary school is pretty similar in terms of teacher training and curriculum.

What varies are the kids. How stable are their home lives, how prepared are they to learn, what obstacles do they have to just get to school every day. Those factors matter at least as much as what is happening in the school building, and it isn't really fair to expect DCPS to address all of that.

We're not talking about DCPS, this thread is about charters and DCPS. I have enough teacher friends in DCPS and charters to know that teacher training and curriculum are absolutely not the same across the board. DCPS all has common standards, but how it's implemented varies WIDELY across schools. Any DCPS that tells you "we don't have control, we have to follow the curriculum" is making an excuse. Plus charters have MUCH more flexibility in curriculum and that's a big part of the reason why (some) parents choose charters over in bounds. Plus the amount of continuing ed varies widely across schools. I want to know if a school says they use responsive classroom and positive discipline, just as an example, has every teacher been trained on those? If not, then those are just words and I bet your teacher with 20 years of experience is using the same approach they've been using for years and are comfortable with.

So no, the difference isn't just the kids. If my charter has 3 blocks a week for science and my DCPS has zero, that's a difference. If our charter has a policy for 100% continuing ed for it's teachers and DCPS doesn't, that's a difference. And BTW, we're at a charter with more at risk students than our in-bounds DCPS.

I have to defend DCPS a bit, bc this comment is a little misleading. Our EOTP Title 1 DCPS has a full-time science teacher, and my K student goes several times a week. As for teacher training, please check the credentials of the teachers at your charter vs those as a DCPS --- all of our teachers have masters degreees, which is much more rare at most charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course everyone should have a good school nearby. But if you remove the students, each DCPS elementary school is pretty similar in terms of teacher training and curriculum.

What varies are the kids. How stable are their home lives, how prepared are they to learn, what obstacles do they have to just get to school every day. Those factors matter at least as much as what is happening in the school building, and it isn't really fair to expect DCPS to address all of that.

We're not talking about DCPS, this thread is about charters and DCPS. I have enough teacher friends in DCPS and charters to know that teacher training and curriculum are absolutely not the same across the board. DCPS all has common standards, but how it's implemented varies WIDELY across schools. Any DCPS that tells you "we don't have control, we have to follow the curriculum" is making an excuse. Plus charters have MUCH more flexibility in curriculum and that's a big part of the reason why (some) parents choose charters over in bounds. Plus the amount of continuing ed varies widely across schools. I want to know if a school says they use responsive classroom and positive discipline, just as an example, has every teacher been trained on those? If not, then those are just words and I bet your teacher with 20 years of experience is using the same approach they've been using for years and are comfortable with.

So no, the difference isn't just the kids. If my charter has 3 blocks a week for science and my DCPS has zero, that's a difference. If our charter has a policy for 100% continuing ed for it's teachers and DCPS doesn't, that's a difference. And BTW, we're at a charter with more at risk students than our in-bounds DCPS.

I have to defend DCPS a bit, bc this comment is a little misleading. Our EOTP Title 1 DCPS has a full-time science teacher, and my K student goes several times a week. As for teacher training, please check the credentials of the teachers at your charter vs those as a DCPS --- all of our teachers have masters degreees, which is much more rare at most charters.

PP here. That's fair, I have not done open houses at every DCPS. I'm glad to hear your school has a science teacher and science blocks. Not all DCPS (or charters) do. That is why I said you can't make the blanket statement that PP did, "if you remove the students, each DCPS elementary school is pretty similar in terms of teacher training and curriculum." The fact that your DCPS has science teachers and science blocks and the most recent open house I went to does not and said, "we have to follow DCPS curriculum" means that they are NOT pretty similar at all.

And I did not mean master's degrees, I meant continuing ed. I have questions I ask at every open house and when I hear: "our school uses restorative justice", but then says that there has been no continuing ed on restorative justice and there are old school behavior charts in the classroom, then what conclusions should be drawn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

I am the PP. I don’t post the other responses to your comment.

But, I agree your hyperventilating about my comment is completely over the top and misplaced. Your comment about 2 hour one way commutes is ridiculous. At almost any income, there would be solid options with a far shorter commute than that. And I didn’t remotely say no one without an extremely high HHI should be in DC. But, at almost any income, you have to make choices. Some people choose to prioritize commute, others size of house, others school locations, etc.

That’s simply reality. Most people can’t get everything they want. Some choose to do the lottery and/or become comfortable with schools that might not have been their first choice. Others choose to live in a small/old house or apartment in a better DC feeder pattern (or inner burb) so that they can have schools and a good commute. Others choose to go farther out (not usually 2 hours out) so they can have other things they couldn’t afford closer in. There is no right or wrong approach. But those are the options almost everyone faces.

I’m not hyperventilating, nor am I exaggerating in any way. I was giving an example from my lived experience. If you work in NW and live in Southern MD (due to things such as affordability of housing while taking into consideration quality of schools), your commute is ridiculous. You seem to not realize that people have different experiences than you, and that we can’t all in fact live close to where we work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

I am the PP. I don’t post the other responses to your comment.

But, I agree your hyperventilating about my comment is completely over the top and misplaced. Your comment about 2 hour one way commutes is ridiculous. At almost any income, there would be solid options with a far shorter commute than that. And I didn’t remotely say no one without an extremely high HHI should be in DC. But, at almost any income, you have to make choices. Some people choose to prioritize commute, others size of house, others school locations, etc.

That’s simply reality. Most people can’t get everything they want. Some choose to do the lottery and/or become comfortable with schools that might not have been their first choice. Others choose to live in a small/old house or apartment in a better DC feeder pattern (or inner burb) so that they can have schools and a good commute. Others choose to go farther out (not usually 2 hours out) so they can have other things they couldn’t afford closer in. There is no right or wrong approach. But those are the options almost everyone faces.

I’m not hyperventilating, nor am I exaggerating in any way. I was giving an example from my lived experience. If you work in NW and live in Southern MD (due to things such as affordability of housing while taking into consideration quality of schools), your commute is ridiculous. You seem to not realize that people have different experiences than you, and that we can’t all in fact live close to where we work.

Agreed. To get cheaper housing AND better schools, you're looking at 1.5-2 hours during rush hour. I'd like to see PP come back and post some neighborhoods that are under an hour commute DURING RUSH HOUR, have good schools, and have 3 bedroom houses for less than, say, $750k. Because if you can find those, I'll give my realtor a call tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free Pre-K lol, you get what you pay for. It is like watching a bunch of hungry people fight over cake.

Why not just pay for some small group instructional early learning center that fits well with your kids personality? That way you avoid the whole puppy-mil construct that is DCPS pre-K. My neighbors do the rat race and drive their kid halfway across town all for the privilege of saving a few dollars a day. People are cheap

You 1,000% missed a key concept. You stress about pre-k because that can be the easiest entry years into elementary schools and if you get lucky, middle and high schools. There are PLENTY of options I would be good with for pre-k, but I worried my first year (and still worry, though less) about not ever getting a good enough lottery draw to have a decent elementary option. Plus you are in your elementary school starting in pre-k, then that's one (or two or three) fewer transitions you have to put your kid through instead of switching schools every few years. People who are in bounds for Deal feeders are not stressing this way, it's those of us in not so great DCPS zones.

Seems like you also 1000% missed a key concept: you avoid that worry over schools by choosing to live at a DC address zoned for schools acceptable to you. That you freely chose to live at an address that doesn’t have solid assigned schools K - 12 means you have prioritized other factors. Commute, square footage, owning vs rent, etc.

It’s obvious PP, on their high horse, seems to think all families can afford to live in the areas in DC where all the schools are acceptable which is a major flaw in their argument. Above point not based on economic realities at all.

DP. Well, not based on economic realities if you insist on staying in DC, maybe. There is a very good chance that at most people’s HHI here there would be very viable options in MD or VA that would be quite manageable. But, people prioritize commute and other factors over schools.

People shouldn’t have to choose between a good school for their kids and not having a 2 hour one-way commute. Your argument is implying that no one making under an extremely high HHI should live in DC. That’s absurd and offensive.

I am the PP. I don’t post the other responses to your comment.

But, I agree your hyperventilating about my comment is completely over the top and misplaced. Your comment about 2 hour one way commutes is ridiculous. At almost any income, there would be solid options with a far shorter commute than that. And I didn’t remotely say no one without an extremely high HHI should be in DC. But, at almost any income, you have to make choices. Some people choose to prioritize commute, others size of house, others school locations, etc.

That’s simply reality. Most people can’t get everything they want. Some choose to do the lottery and/or become comfortable with schools that might not have been their first choice. Others choose to live in a small/old house or apartment in a better DC feeder pattern (or inner burb) so that they can have schools and a good commute. Others choose to go farther out (not usually 2 hours out) so they can have other things they couldn’t afford closer in. There is no right or wrong approach. But those are the options almost everyone faces.

I’m not hyperventilating, nor am I exaggerating in any way. I was giving an example from my lived experience. If you work in NW and live in Southern MD (due to things such as affordability of housing while taking into consideration quality of schools), your commute is ridiculous. You seem to not realize that people have different experiences than you, and that we can’t all in fact live close to where we work.

Agreed. To get cheaper housing AND better schools, you're looking at 1.5-2 hours during rush hour. I'd like to see PP come back and post some neighborhoods that are under an hour commute DURING RUSH HOUR, have good schools, and have 3 bedroom houses for less than, say, $750k. Because if you can find those, I'll give my realtor a call tomorrow.

The PP said a 2 hour ONE WAY commute. You are now saying under an hour. That’s shifting the goal posts quite a bit.