JKLM residents are killing elementaries in lower NW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op, I am confused. Are you asserting that the unprepared K kids result from IB students who don't get into ECE at their neighborhood schools? If they applied- they would beat out the OB kids, right? So the problem is that folks IB for your school don't want ECE. Your beef is not with OOB folks- but with your IB population.

This is exactly right. The OOB kids don't get in unless there are available slots after all the IB kids are placed. What OP really is arguing for is that her school's PS and PK classes remain under-enrolled rather that be filled with kids who are IB at JKLM. Which is, of course, ridiculous. She's also claiming that the presence is these children results in underprepared IB kindergarteners. Equally ridiculous.

No. OP here. We want our classes full. But at K we get OOB kids who are underprepared who could have been in our school since PK3 but were displaced by Ward 3 families who were space hogging for a year or two. Surely you remember what it feels like to have students who need a bit of a lift JKLM?

Seems like Ward 3's progressive values go out the window when they have can free daycare.

But most likely those students are at PK3 elsewhere or would not have chosen to go to PK at all. Not sure why you think they would be better prepared at your school than anywhere else.

How do you "space hog" when it's lottery system? Out of Bounds is out of bounds no matter where in the city you come from. Someone who is in bounds for Janney isn't going to get a proximity preference for Francis Stevens any more than someone from the Hill.

[Anonymous]

11:06 again -

people in 20016 pay property taxes just like everyone else and have just as much right to participate in the lottery system as they see fit.

---parent of IB lottery match for an upper NW prek

[Anonymous]

I've had 3 kids start in Janney PK (and then K) in recent years and I've never come across any classmates who did PK at another NWDC public school. Everyone goes to St Columba's or Communikids or one of the Jewish preschools or a downtown daycare or any number of other private (pay) schools.

I do know one family (out of 100) that did the PS3 year at Appletree and then (inbounds) Janney PK.
I honestly don't think OP's post is a widespread "problem" at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op, I am confused. Are you asserting that the unprepared K kids result from IB students who don't get into ECE at their neighborhood schools? If they applied- they would beat out the OB kids, right? So the problem is that folks IB for your school don't want ECE. Your beef is not with OOB folks- but with your IB population.

This is exactly right. The OOB kids don't get in unless there are available slots after all the IB kids are placed. What OP really is arguing for is that her school's PS and PK classes remain under-enrolled rather that be filled with kids who are IB at JKLM. Which is, of course, ridiculous. She's also claiming that the presence is these children results in underprepared IB kindergarteners. Equally ridiculous.

No. OP here. We want our classes full. But at K we get OOB kids who are underprepared who could have been in our school since PK3 but were displaced by Ward 3 families who were space hogging for a year or two. Surely you remember what it feels like to have students who need a bit of a lift JKLM?

Seems like Ward 3's progressive values go out the window when they have can free daycare.

But most likely those students are at PK3 elsewhere or would not have chosen to go to PK at all. Not sure why you think they would be better prepared at your school than anywhere else.

+1. OP is quite funny. Or arrogant. Probably both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are responding to my question. Really?? I have never heard this area referred to as "lower NW", on DCUM or anywhere. It's usually "EOTP" on DCUM, and if you are going as far east as Seaton and Cleveland in Shaw/Le Droit/Bloomingdale, then that's usually referred to as center city or near NW. If "lower NW" means anything, it would more logically refer to Georgetown.

Anyway OP has posted again since my question was repeated, and still hasn't answered, so he or she is obviously more interested in stirring the pot than having a real conversation about this.

Center City, EOTP, near NW. Whatever you want to call it. I live EOTP, in Center City, and my address has a "NW" in it. I'm also not in Tenleytown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op, I am confused. Are you asserting that the unprepared K kids result from IB students who don't get into ECE at their neighborhood schools? If they applied- they would beat out the OB kids, right? So the problem is that folks IB for your school don't want ECE. Your beef is not with OOB folks- but with your IB population.

This is exactly right. The OOB kids don't get in unless there are available slots after all the IB kids are placed. What OP really is arguing for is that her school's PS and PK classes remain under-enrolled rather that be filled with kids who are IB at JKLM. Which is, of course, ridiculous. She's also claiming that the presence is these children results in underprepared IB kindergarteners. Equally ridiculous.

No. OP here. We want our classes full. But at K we get OOB kids who are underprepared who could have been in our school since PK3 but were displaced by Ward 3 families who were space hogging for a year or two. Surely you remember what it feels like to have students who need a bit of a lift JKLM?

Seems like Ward 3's progressive values go out the window when they have can free daycare.

Oh, you mean those brown kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are responding to my question. Really?? I have never heard this area referred to as "lower NW", on DCUM or anywhere. It's usually "EOTP" on DCUM, and if you are going as far east as Seaton and Cleveland in Shaw/Le Droit/Bloomingdale, then that's usually referred to as center city or near NW. If "lower NW" means anything, it would more logically refer to Georgetown.

Anyway OP has posted again since my question was repeated, and still hasn't answered, so he or she is obviously more interested in stirring the pot than having a real conversation about this.

Center City, EOTP, near NW. Whatever you want to call it. I live EOTP, in Center City, and my address has a "NW" in it. I'm also not in Tenleytown.

I am PP. Are you OP? If OP is suggesting that JKLM parents are flocking en masse to Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland for PK, then OP is delusional. Not a knock on these schools, but come on, be real.

[Anonymous]

We are an ECE squatting family (i.e. planning to return to our IB school for K), and I don't feel guilty at all. The classes we were in weren't full either year, and while we would have been even more active at a school that was closer to our house (or if we hadn't had younger siblings), I have been the room parent for our class both years and have been the one the teachers turn to when they need something done for the class. We have also donated quite a bit of time, supplies, and money to the school as well as gotten involved in advocating for a number of improvements to the school. We've been good citizens, and I don't think the school is worse off for our having been there.

One other aspect that hasn't been brought up is that some schools have a pyramid classroom structure with a lot more ECE classrooms than upper grade classrooms. They basically use OOB kids to fill up the school and bring in money. Whether this is good or bad for the school overall, I can't say. But our current school is structured to have 60 or so PK3 kids, 50 or so PK4 kids, and 40 or so K kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8:50 spells out the argument well.

Basicallh they are saying please don't take up our OOB spots if you dont want to commit long term. Leave those for families who really want to stay at the school.

I've never been at a DCPS but it's pretty clear to me.

This exactly. Join a school for the long term, not because you are only staying one year and will not join the community. This is a completely rational request. If you don't understand it then you don't understand what it takes to build s stable school community.

This is one of the reasons that we are paying for private this year (PK3) instead of sending our kid to the DCPS ECE OOB where we lotteried in. It seemed kind of wrong to take a spot in a school where we 100% knew we wouldn't stay past PK4.

Devil's advocate here.

First of all, my OOB child is every bit as entitled as someone else's OOB child to attend a school with seats left over after the IB families have been accommodated. If my kid is in that seat it's not because we're special, but because we won the lottery. There is no secret weight given to Ward 3 families in the common lottery just because we're more likely to front the $250 PTA dues than an equally OOB family in Ward 7. And there's no guarantee that ANY oob family that lotteries into School X this year won't try to lottery into a better school next year.

Second, and relatedly, is it really evident that a family whose "underprepared kindergartener" takes a seat vacated by my Ward 3 kid is more (or less) likely to commit to the school and invest in the culture? Or put more simply, aren't you just projecting your discontent onto high SES families for abandoning your kid to a cohort of undesirables?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had 3 kids start in Janney PK (and then K) in recent years and I've never come across any classmates who did PK at another NWDC public school. Everyone goes to St Columba's or Communikids or one of the Jewish preschools or a downtown daycare or any number of other private (pay) schools.

I do know one family (out of 100) that did the PS3 year at Appletree and then (inbounds) Janney PK.
I honestly don't think OP's post is a widespread "problem" at all.

jeez, THANK you. I am a PP who called bullshit on the alleged problem of children living "JKLM" -- which I'll remind everyone is AU Park, Chevy Chase DC, Wesley Hts, Cleveland Park, Palisades, Forest Hills and Friendship Heights -- running all over the city and snatching up spots in ps3.

This isn't happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8:50 spells out the argument well.

Basicallh they are saying please don't take up our OOB spots if you dont want to commit long term. Leave those for families who really want to stay at the school.

I've never been at a DCPS but it's pretty clear to me.

This exactly. Join a school for the long term, not because you are only staying one year and will not join the community. This is a completely rational request. If you don't understand it then you don't understand what it takes to build s stable school community.

Posts like this always crack me up as a joke from people who wished they live in Mayberry or can only make friends with the other parents from school so want to trap them in long term.

"Committing" to a school happens on an annual basis and doesn't carry over.

[Anonymous]

I love how the failed education system now has parents blaming other parents for why their school "fails" in the middle elementary grades. By arguing with other parents about where they are sending their kids for PK3 and how that doesn't "build a strong community" when they then go to their in-bound school for subsequent grades. Instead of complaining about it on this board, how about contacting the appropriate city council member and proposing a change to DCPS policy? Pointing fingers at upper NW parents is not going to change a thing, and obfuscates the real issue. If you don't like the system, start writing letters and insist on accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had 3 kids start in Janney PK (and then K) in recent years and I've never come across any classmates who did PK at another NWDC public school. Everyone goes to St Columba's or Communikids or one of the Jewish preschools or a downtown daycare or any number of other private (pay) schools.

I do know one family (out of 100) that did the PS3 year at Appletree and then (inbounds) Janney PK.
I honestly don't think OP's post is a widespread "problem" at all.

jeez, THANK you. I am a PP who called bullshit on the alleged problem of children living "JKLM" -- which I'll remind everyone is AU Park, Chevy Chase DC, Wesley Hts, Cleveland Park, Palisades, Forest Hills and Friendship Heights -- running all over the city and snatching up spots in ps3.

This isn't happening.

So what is Woodley Park? Middle NW? Lol!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are an ECE squatting family (i.e. planning to return to our IB school for K), and I don't feel guilty at all. The classes we were in weren't full either year, and while we would have been even more active at a school that was closer to our house (or if we hadn't had younger siblings), I have been the room parent for our class both years and have been the one the teachers turn to when they need something done for the class. We have also donated quite a bit of time, supplies, and money to the school as well as gotten involved in advocating for a number of improvements to the school. We've been good citizens, and I don't think the school is worse off for our having been there.

One other aspect that hasn't been brought up is that some schools have a pyramid classroom structure with a lot more ECE classrooms than upper grade classrooms. They basically use OOB kids to fill up the school and bring in money. Whether this is good or bad for the school overall, I can't say. But our current school is structured to have 60 or so PK3 kids, 50 or so PK4 kids, and 40 or so K kids.

It is great that you're contributing a lot more than the other squatters, but who is going to take your place as room parent next year? Other than Garrison-which only retains about 1 in kid in 10 for K - I think the lower NW schools have eliminated the ECE 'mushroom' structure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had 3 kids start in Janney PK (and then K) in recent years and I've never come across any classmates who did PK at another NWDC public school. Everyone goes to St Columba's or Communikids or one of the Jewish preschools or a downtown daycare or any number of other private (pay) schools.

I do know one family (out of 100) that did the PS3 year at Appletree and then (inbounds) Janney PK.
I honestly don't think OP's post is a widespread "problem" at all.

jeez, THANK you. I am a PP who called bullshit on the alleged problem of children living "JKLM" -- which I'll remind everyone is AU Park, Chevy Chase DC, Wesley Hts, Cleveland Park, Palisades, Forest Hills and Friendship Heights -- running all over the city and snatching up spots in ps3.

This isn't happening.

Excellent. Since it doesn't happen, Ward 3 families will not mind at all to having no OOB feeder rights at PK3 and PK4. Everyone is agreed then...