Hearst waitlist for K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think parents at Hearst are concerned about overcrowding and that is very understandable.

+1

+2 I don't think that being worried about overcrowding and being welcoming of OOB families are inconsistent. Obviously not every OOB family that wants to come can do so. To the extent that they can, we'd love to have them. Indeed, I know a lot of us are stressing about our friends who are on the waiting list now as OOB with siblings for PK4. But I think we (both IB and OOB families currently at school) don't want large class sizes if it can be reasonably avoided. Who would?

Also, IB parents would be less anxious if DCPS provided more detail on how they will implement the at-risk set asides which were dictated by the 2014 revisions. If Deal and Wilson populations stay on their current upward IB trajectories, then many IB students will be in trailers for grades 5-12. That is not acceptable. And, for Murch students in particular, it could mean spending the balance of their DCPS careers in trailers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, of course you would be welcomed with open arms, that poster may not even be from Hearst. I think that no one wants their child in crowded classrooms. And the other thing to keep in mind is that OOB with sibling are still on the wait list. I would not read so much into an anonymous forum. If you are interested, come visit the school or reach out to the PTA.

+1 I am an IB parent and truly hope that there will still will be open spots for OOB kids in the future. Having kids from all over the District is one of the things we like best about the school and I know that most parents agree.

If you feel so strongly about it then please give up your IB slot and lottery into one of the empty EOTP elementary schools. You are an enabler who is allowing DCPS to perpetuate an unsustainable attempt to improve test scores by packing WOTP schools with EOTP kids, rather than doing the actual hard work of improving EOTP schools. If overcrowding continues at Deal and Wilson then the best schools in DCPS will begin to faill and DCPS will eventually collapse with 50%+ of the kids moving to charter schools. And you will have played a small part in the collapse.

Because I chose to live in a neighborhood with a good school and that provides my husband and me with a short commute, that makes me an enabler? Wow, OK. You're totally right, it is my fault that the EOTP schools are failing. I should definitely drive my kids across town to an EOTP school, that will solve everything.

I think you should probably blame the families who live in my neighborhood but send their kids to private school for allowing there to be open seats for OOB kids to take. And also maybe the construction workers who built the new building for making an awesome place that OOB families want to attend. And of course the H3 bus drivers that take the kids across the park to school. Really we all play a part of the collapse of DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, of course you would be welcomed with open arms, that poster may not even be from Hearst. I think that no one wants their child in crowded classrooms. And the other thing to keep in mind is that OOB with sibling are still on the wait list. I would not read so much into an anonymous forum. If you are interested, come visit the school or reach out to the PTA.

+1 I am an IB parent and truly hope that there will still will be open spots for OOB kids in the future. Having kids from all over the District is one of the things we like best about the school and I know that most parents agree.

If you feel so strongly about it then please give up your IB slot and lottery into one of the empty EOTP elementary schools. You are an enabler who is allowing DCPS to perpetuate an unsustainable attempt to improve test scores by packing WOTP schools with EOTP kids, rather than doing the actual hard work of improving EOTP schools. If overcrowding continues at Deal and Wilson then the best schools in DCPS will begin to faill and DCPS will eventually collapse with 50%+ of the kids moving to charter schools. And you will have played a small part in the collapse.

This is truly one of the most ridiculous responses I have ever read on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

Generally curious. If, as you say, the IB and OOB kids are all equally prepared and motivated, why not just attend your IB EOTP school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

Generally curious. If, as you say, the IB and OOB kids are all equally prepared and motivated, why not just attend your IB EOTP school?

NP - because these prepared and motivated kids are spread across many different EOTP schools. Parents want them to attend school with a similarly engaged and serious cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

Generally curious. If, as you say, the IB and OOB kids are all equally prepared and motivated, why not just attend your IB EOTP school?

She is obviously talking about Hearst specifically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

Generally curious. If, as you say, the IB and OOB kids are all equally prepared and motivated, why not just attend your IB EOTP school?

NP - because these prepared and motivated kids are spread across many different EOTP schools. Parents want them to attend school with a similarly engaged and serious cohort.

So, only the prepared and motivated EOTP kids enter the lottery? Or, do some of the less prepared EOTP kids slip through?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

Generally curious. If, as you say, the IB and OOB kids are all equally prepared and motivated, why not just attend your IB EOTP school?

NP - because these prepared and motivated kids are spread across many different EOTP schools. Parents want them to attend school with a similarly engaged and serious cohort.

So, only the prepared and motivated EOTP kids enter the lottery? Or, do some of the less prepared EOTP kids slip through?

Generally speaking, yes, only kids with more prepared and motivated parents enter the lottery. Entering the lottery means thinking about the school year 9 months in the future, it means being able to navigate transportation options to get across the city, etc. So to the extent that kids' preparedness for school reflects their parents' abilities, yes, absolutely, kids who enter the lottery will look different from demographically similar kids who don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

It's all very silly. First of all, (and I can only speak of my experience at Hearst but I suspect that it may be reflective of other WOTP schools) the EOTP families have incomes and education levels on par with the WOTP families (and yes, this includes many of the African American families I know at Hearst). If you picked any two random white families at Hearst, you wouldn't be able to tell who was IB and who was OOB (Although the IB families--while lovable--aren't quite as cool ). And NO, if I have a choice --which in the District of Columbia, I do-- I am not sending my kids to our IB school. If you have a problem with that, talk to your council person or run for office and see if you can take that choice away from District parents...oh, and good luck with that.

Second, we all pay the SAME taxes. There is no separate Ward 3 tax that I am aware of, so I wish people would stop with the tax argument already. Property taxes and housing costs are high all over the city now.

As for overcrowding...except for the current K class, the school isn't overcrowded. However, I think that because of the current K class, the school is now on alert about the possibility of overcrowding. I think the attraction of our new buildings and the shift of some of Murch's boundaries to Hearst caused the IB enrollment to rise faster than the administration thought possible.

Generally curious. If, as you say, the IB and OOB kids are all equally prepared and motivated, why not just attend your IB EOTP school?

NP - because these prepared and motivated kids are spread across many different EOTP schools. Parents want them to attend school with a similarly engaged and serious cohort.

So, only the prepared and motivated EOTP kids enter the lottery? Or, do some of the less prepared EOTP kids slip through?

Generally speaking, yes, only kids with more prepared and motivated parents enter the lottery. Entering the lottery means thinking about the school year 9 months in the future, it means being able to navigate transportation options to get across the city, etc. So to the extent that kids' preparedness for school reflects their parents' abilities, yes, absolutely, kids who enter the lottery will look different from demographically similar kids who don't.

The prepared and motivated parents are also thinking ahead to feeder patterns. Many are also willing to forgo things like free aftercare, which are not as valuable to them as a high performing school.

[Anonymous]

My child goes to an overcrowded ES and there are definitely negatives. Large class sizes in the upper grades. Limited recess and outdoor time (including in afterschool) because of the need to accomodate so many groups of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kids started in DCPS, OOB was code for "black kids." I can say with some certainty that the OOB white population at Hearst now outnumbers --or at least is equivalent to-- the OOB black population (that's why the school still has high OOB percentages but is now majority white). What I find completely comical about this whole thing is that people, over the last few years--at least on this forum-- have gone from OOB vs IB, to EOTP vs WOTP (given that it's not just the little brown kids crossing the park line anymore).

I think OOB is still code for black kids. And I think that at least some of the IB Hearst families would be more than happy to keep families like mine (white but living EOTP) if they could exclude all the little brown kids, as you put it. I think the concern about class sizes also is code for "too many [disruptive] black kids."

I've listened to IB families shit on Hearst for years now, both before and after they had kids enrolled. What galls me about the attitude about Hearst is that the school may not even exist today without the efforts of the OOB families to get their kids there. And it certainly wouldn't be the strong, improving school that it is today because so much of the hard work in building community and getting funding and providing enrichment, etc. has been led by OOB families. Don't get me wrong; certain IB families are also really involved at Hearst, too. But they certainly aren't fully responsible for the growth and improvement at Hearst in the last few years. So it truly angers me to hear incoming/lower grade IB families complain about OOB kids and class sizes when a couple of years ago they didn't even consider the school to be a decent option for their kids and never bothered getting involved at the school, either before or after they enrolled.

There may not be much of a divide between OOB and IB kids in the higher grades, but there is in my kid's grade. OOB kids are excluded. OOB parents are made to feel less welcome. It's getting worse and it sucks, because that's not how the school used to be.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry for your experience, PP. I'm an OOB family in PK and we have felt very welcome. We participate in many events and contribute to the school, both financially and in terms of time. I've never been made to feel like my family doesn't belong. But we are a white EOTP middle income family.

[Anonymous]

Class size is not always "code" for being racist. My child goes to a majority white DCPS ES and I still care about class size. It is a legitimate concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry for your experience, PP. I'm an OOB family in PK and we have felt very welcome. We participate in many events and contribute to the school, both financially and in terms of time. I've never been made to feel like my family doesn't belong. But we are a white EOTP middle income family.

PP@13:21 here. We're also white, EOTP, middle-income. I don't think we're excluded as much as other families who are much more easily distinguishable (e.g., not white) as likely-OOB. But we are.

Class size is not always "code" for being racist. My child goes to a majority white DCPS ES and I still care about class size. It is a legitimate concern.

I agree it's not always that way. But I think at Hearst it often is, or increasingly is.