do you know a lot of people who are leaving DCPS next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

DC is structurally worse than most cities. SE is a normal low- and modest-income local population that happens to be Black. NW is highly-educated ‘best and brightest’ from all over the country, including all races (but is minority Black because that is how the country overall).

So here, *every* issue — even it is fundamentally about economics or education or whatever — gets viewed as racial, even when that’s not the pertinent dynamic.

Aha. I think you've explained something to me, yes. The white folks here aren't just here, they moved here and are of a type. There are very few ordinary working class white people in DC. This makes the racial animosity so much worse than other cities.

[Anonymous]

I’m waiting on my agency’s post-pandemic telework policy. If they expand to 3 days/week we will strongly consider relocating outside of DC maybe as far as Frederick and commuting in 2x/week. A large part of the motivation would be to escape DCPS.

[Anonymous]

I know 7 families who left this year. They were likely to make the move in 2 years for 5th grade but went ahead this year. Its an easy transition since everytign was online. But three of the families are now getting in person or hybrid in MD.

[Anonymous]

We live in Capitol Hill and know a few families that have temporarily pulled out young ESers and out them in local privates, but with the intent to return to DCPS probably the year after next. We also know a few people sitting on St. Peter's admissions for next year who are having a hard time deciding whether to pull the trigger (not families that planned to/would otherwise have gone private; in a few cases, their older kids are in DCPS just coping with DL better). (As an aside, I'm really curious what happens with St. Peter's next year; if DCPS announces 5 days a week soon, its yield will be devastated, it seems to have admitted tons of families with no commitment to Catholic school, which seems an odd strategic choice -- even if the kids themselves are great -- since many, if not most, of those families will bail in 1-2 years at most.)

We also know of quite a few families that bailed for the burbs. Some of these families might have anyway (oldest kids nearing middle school), but not all. Combo of space & schools were the reason, both COVID-related.

[Anonymous]

I know several families who have moved or are in the process of moving. We are leaving our cap hill elementary for private but haven't told anyone yet (they we applied or were accepted). We have a close group of friends at our school and don't know what the right time is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

Are you me? Because I agree with everything you wrote.

I regret not taking my parents up on their offer this summer to have our kids live with them in Florida, where schools reopened as normal in the fall, and stayed open. It's March, and our ES kid is only back two days a week, and our MS is still 100% distance learning. The schools, teachers, and DC government have completely failed to meet their obligations to the city's schoolkids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

Are you me? Because I agree with everything you wrote.

I regret not taking my parents up on their offer this summer to have our kids live with them in Florida, where schools reopened as normal in the fall, and stayed open. It's March, and our ES kid is only back two days a week, and our MS is still 100% distance learning. The schools, teachers, and DC government have completely failed to meet their obligations to the city's schoolkids.

+1 to these two posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yeah, I'm not going to miss the "I could do my job from Jackson Hole" people. I'd love it if the white people in DC were a little more civic minded and not always on alert for perceived privileges being taken away. Gives other white people a bad name. I don't want to be treated like some "Karen" but if all white people get mentioned for is REOPEN NOW GODDAMIT and DEAL ACCESS 4EVA then it's hard to explain myself.

bye troll

[Anonymous]

No, I don't know many leaving next year. However, my kids are still in the early elementary years. I am willing to give DCPS a bit more time before making the decision to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yeah, I'm not going to miss the "I could do my job from Jackson Hole" people. I'd love it if the white people in DC were a little more civic minded and not always on alert for perceived privileges being taken away. Gives other white people a bad name. I don't want to be treated like some "Karen" but if all white people get mentioned for is REOPEN NOW GODDAMIT and DEAL ACCESS 4EVA then it's hard to explain myself.

Perceived privilege? You mean allowing children to go to school? That's long been considered a basic human right.

The most entitled people in Washington DC are public school teachers who seem to think they have an inalienable right to work as little as they like, for as long as they like, regardless of how many children they hurt and even if doctors agree schools should have reopened a long time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

We are also looking at moving away, job dependent. Even if schools open full time next fall, this disillusionment you speak of is a main driver. That and disillusionment that this city can even function with such incredible inequality and intense racial animosity. I don't want my kids growing up here anymore.

Another factor is the understanding that my kids don't matter in this school system, at all, or to their school. So much energy must be focused on underperforming and at risk kids that they will be increasingly ignored especially as teachers struggle to close this huge increased learning gap the pandemic is creating. Even now they are just coasting and hardly learning, but it's not important because they're white and not at risk. We will be required to do so much more for them even after the pandemic.

If 2020 taught you anything, it should be that this is the case all across America. And good luck if you are moving to another country where racism is generally even worse, if you can believe it.

DC is structurally worse than most cities. SE is a normal low- and modest-income local population that happens to be Black. NW is highly-educated ‘best and brightest’ from all over the country, including all races (but is minority Black because that is how the country overall).

So here, *every* issue — even it is fundamentally about economics or education or whatever — gets viewed as racial, even when that’s not the pertinent dynamic.

Aha. I think you've explained something to me, yes. The white folks here aren't just here, they moved here and are of a type. There are very few ordinary working class white people in DC. This makes the racial animosity so much worse than other cities.

Thank you both for articulating what I've been thinking. Poor in DC almost always equals POC, mostly black. It's not like other places that have poor white people too. The whites in DC are a type, and most of us relocated here. This contributes to the heightened racism against whites and antisemitism against Jews. Add that to the political corruption and I'm disillusioned. It's no longer a small part of living in DC, but a huge disincentive that affects every major aspect of our lives. Although I should stop saying this, because I want someone to buy my house.

[Anonymous]

Nope, don’t know any families bailing for private.

We aren’t either.

[Anonymous]

I am considering leaving our supposedly HRCS in favor of DCPS.

[Anonymous]

I’ve long been pressuring my husband to move the family back to his native country bc it’s a functional democracy with a strong central government and rule of law. He didn’t want to at first but is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the US and the extended school closures are really not helping. We’re going to send the kids to school there in the fall and see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

We know several families moving younger kids to private but letting the older kids finish up at our Wilson feeder.