CommuniKids Preschool in Tenleytown offering FREE Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 for DC Residents!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PK-3 and PK-4 are not universal.

And if you live in Ward 3 that is a good thing - at Janney at least they would need 2 additional classrooms just to accommodate all of the in-boundary PK-4 demand and I assume a similar number of classrooms for PK-3 which would swell the school to 825+ kids.

So if it is not universal and is in essence a scare resource who should get the seats? Even though we completely missed out on PK-3 and only got our youngest into PK-4 because of sibling preference and that probably cost us $40-$50,000 in extra day care costs I still think the seats should go to the kids for whom early intervention is of the most benefit and that is most certainly not my upper middle class kids.

I still think it is problematic that public money is going to a private pre-school especially in Ward 3 and I'm writing as someone who might have benefited from this arrangement.

It is "universal," but to DC that means there are seats, they just might be far away from where you live. http://www.urban.org/urban-wire/portrait-universal-pre-kindergarten-dc

Well that is not universal then - universal to me means you have a right to a slot at your designated school and that is definitely not the case. From the article:

The city guarantees access to pre-K for four-year-olds, but not necessarily in the child’s neighborhood, meaning that slots aren’t always available nearby.

Also the piece you cite, for whatever it is worth, does not reference PK-3 as being "universal."

If you actually want a right to a PK slot at your IB school, then you have to be ok with major changes to the boundaries. For example, sending a lot of kids from Lafayette to Brightwood/Macfarland/Roosevelt.

I'm not inbound for Lafayette and not opposed to boundary changes in principle, but they need to make geographic sense. Forcing kids to commute across the park to a school in a completely different neighborhood is unreasonable and defies the concept of a neighborhood school system, on which DCPS is still based.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite is that $350k is "relatively" high income. Wow.

+1. And that person was not from Ward 3.

Lol, that was me. Judging from professions, most of my neighbors are in the same range, so don't consider it super high.

Just because you live in an affluent bubble doesn't mean this isn't a high income. Please gain some self awareness.

Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great opportunity, and I hope other private preschools do the same. But I'm uncomfortable with giving priority to families who are able to pay for the first year of the program -- that's not at all in keeping with the spirit of free PK, where it really is a lottery that is fair for all.

+1

If there are limited funds and hence limited spaces it does make sense to spend those funds on the kids who will most benefit from PK-3 (and 4).

I would love to have back the money we spent on pre-school when my kids were 3 which we could have really used but don't mind if the spot went to someone more needy and do mind if it went to someone with more money.

Either way I find this very strange that OSSE is diverting money to a private school to pay for PK-3, especially a school that is located in Ward 3.

+1 This is exactly what folks have been concerned about for a long time. Public funds to private schools, which then pick and choose their student body, or which make it difficult financially or logistically for non-wealthy families to participate.

-1 for poor comprehension. The more seats OSSE makes available (regardless of location), the better for everyone. OSSE can't pick and choose locations and tell someone to open a high-quality pre-school there. What they can do is route funding towards high-quality programs which open themselves up to all students.

I really don't agree and you've not made a persuasive argument for funneling public money to what is a private school.

I don't know that this is a good private school, I don't know that they accept all applicants or that the limited spaces they allow for this OSSE program are allocated via the lottery but the fact that they are directly promoting the spaces suggests that is not the case. I don't know that they will keep all students and not kick out a disruptive student who would really benefit from the stability of a full year in pre-K. I'm also not aware that OSSE has located schools throughout the city to accept these funds - this is the first I've heard of it and somehow I think others would have referenced it on here by now if there were other private pre-K spots available. I also don't know whether these spaces are even necessary - certainly WOTP the pre-K slots are filled up but as I understand it citywide not all of the slots are taken so assuming that is true OSSE is spending money creating spaces that in net the city doesn't need and possibly will mostly benefit folks in Ward 3.

And another odd thing about pre-K is there is no way to know that a pre-K kid will even attend DCPS - two of my kids classmates last year both bailed for private schools after taking advantage of a year of free pre-K so those slots went to kids who 1)Could afford daycare and 2)who were not being prepped to attend DCPS.

They have the following credentials:

Licensed by the DC Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE)
Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Approved provider of Childcare Aware Military and DoD Childcare Fee Assistance program

Let's dismiss with the notion that it doesn't meet the standards of a typical DCPS PreK. The notion that somehow, say Bruce Monroe or Miner is offering something superior to Communikids is absurd.

Furthermore, slots are filled on an as availability basis: if more students apply than are seats available, there will be a lottery. Bear in mind that not everyone in Ward 3 is wealthy, however everyone in the city is eligible. I see no logical reason to means-test this location in a program that is universal by design. If this keeps one Ward 3 family from taking a spot in Ward 4, then that's one more spot available in Ward 4 for families who can't manage to commute. Just because free PreK in Ward 3 isn't at the top of OSSE's priority list doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. Every high quality seat in the city improves the chances for more students to get into free PreK. Period. There are lower SES families who can't get into their neighborhood programs because they are full and can't commute outside the neighborhood. There are wealthy families who can arrange to commute outside their neighborhood in order to take advantage of free programs. Such is the nature of universal PreK. You may not like that, but then your quarrel is with the entirety of the design of universal PreK as it is implemented in DC - which is not the same argument as whether or not this particular program is sensible.

As for the students who left your child's free PreK to attend private school - so what? How is that fundamentally different from children who attend public school for elementary and then go private for middle or high school? Who cares? Free and public apply to all residents of the District, not just the ones who meet with your personal approval. It's not as if they cease contributing to the tax base. If it bothers you so very much that your child made friends with students who left the system, then it's up to you to be overbearing and curate his friendships more selectively - not insert yourself into the decision-making of others.

It appears that applications are being accepted until Wednesday the 16th. If I had a pre-school aged child and lived in the area, I'd apply:

http://communikids.com/free-dc-pre-k/

Since I don't, but am a DC taxpayer, I'm glad to see another option available - even (gasp!) one that doesn't benefit me personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great opportunity, and I hope other private preschools do the same. But I'm uncomfortable with giving priority to families who are able to pay for the first year of the program -- that's not at all in keeping with the spirit of free PK, where it really is a lottery that is fair for all.

+1

If there are limited funds and hence limited spaces it does make sense to spend those funds on the kids who will most benefit from PK-3 (and 4).

I would love to have back the money we spent on pre-school when my kids were 3 which we could have really used but don't mind if the spot went to someone more needy and do mind if it went to someone with more money.

Either way I find this very strange that OSSE is diverting money to a private school to pay for PK-3, especially a school that is located in Ward 3.

+1 This is exactly what folks have been concerned about for a long time. Public funds to private schools, which then pick and choose their student body, or which make it difficult financially or logistically for non-wealthy families to participate.

-1 for poor comprehension. The more seats OSSE makes available (regardless of location), the better for everyone. OSSE can't pick and choose locations and tell someone to open a high-quality pre-school there. What they can do is route funding towards high-quality programs which open themselves up to all students.

I really don't agree and you've not made a persuasive argument for funneling public money to what is a private school.

I don't know that this is a good private school, I don't know that they accept all applicants or that the limited spaces they allow for this OSSE program are allocated via the lottery but the fact that they are directly promoting the spaces suggests that is not the case. I don't know that they will keep all students and not kick out a disruptive student who would really benefit from the stability of a full year in pre-K. I'm also not aware that OSSE has located schools throughout the city to accept these funds - this is the first I've heard of it and somehow I think others would have referenced it on here by now if there were other private pre-K spots available. I also don't know whether these spaces are even necessary - certainly WOTP the pre-K slots are filled up but as I understand it citywide not all of the slots are taken so assuming that is true OSSE is spending money creating spaces that in net the city doesn't need and possibly will mostly benefit folks in Ward 3.

And another odd thing about pre-K is there is no way to know that a pre-K kid will even attend DCPS - two of my kids classmates last year both bailed for private schools after taking advantage of a year of free pre-K so those slots went to kids who 1)Could afford daycare and 2)who were not being prepped to attend DCPS.

They have the following credentials:

Licensed by the DC Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE)
Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Approved provider of Childcare Aware Military and DoD Childcare Fee Assistance program

Let's dismiss with the notion that it doesn't meet the standards of a typical DCPS PreK. The notion that somehow, say Bruce Monroe or Miner is offering something superior to Communikids is absurd.

Furthermore, slots are filled on an as availability basis: if more students apply than are seats available, there will be a lottery. Bear in mind that not everyone in Ward 3 is wealthy, however everyone in the city is eligible. I see no logical reason to means-test this location in a program that is universal by design. If this keeps one Ward 3 family from taking a spot in Ward 4, then that's one more spot available in Ward 4 for families who can't manage to commute. Just because free PreK in Ward 3 isn't at the top of OSSE's priority list doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. Every high quality seat in the city improves the chances for more students to get into free PreK. Period. There are lower SES families who can't get into their neighborhood programs because they are full and can't commute outside the neighborhood. There are wealthy families who can arrange to commute outside their neighborhood in order to take advantage of free programs. Such is the nature of universal PreK. You may not like that, but then your quarrel is with the entirety of the design of universal PreK as it is implemented in DC - which is not the same argument as whether or not this particular program is sensible.

As for the students who left your child's free PreK to attend private school - so what? How is that fundamentally different from children who attend public school for elementary and then go private for middle or high school? Who cares? Free and public apply to all residents of the District, not just the ones who meet with your personal approval. It's not as if they cease contributing to the tax base. If it bothers you so very much that your child made friends with students who left the system, then it's up to you to be overbearing and curate his friendships more selectively - not insert yourself into the decision-making of others.

It appears that applications are being accepted until Wednesday the 16th. If I had a pre-school aged child and lived in the area, I'd apply:

http://communikids.com/free-dc-pre-k/

Since I don't, but am a DC taxpayer, I'm glad to see another option available - even (gasp!) one that doesn't benefit me personally.

I agree with you that there shouldn't be means testing and the spots should be open to all (with lottery as necessary). But giving priority to families who pay for the 2 year old program is favoring the affluent, which is not appropriate for tax payer dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great opportunity, and I hope other private preschools do the same. But I'm uncomfortable with giving priority to families who are able to pay for the first year of the program -- that's not at all in keeping with the spirit of free PK, where it really is a lottery that is fair for all.

+1

If there are limited funds and hence limited spaces it does make sense to spend those funds on the kids who will most benefit from PK-3 (and 4).

I would love to have back the money we spent on pre-school when my kids were 3 which we could have really used but don't mind if the spot went to someone more needy and do mind if it went to someone with more money.

Either way I find this very strange that OSSE is diverting money to a private school to pay for PK-3, especially a school that is located in Ward 3.

+1 This is exactly what folks have been concerned about for a long time. Public funds to private schools, which then pick and choose their student body, or which make it difficult financially or logistically for non-wealthy families to participate.

-1 for poor comprehension. The more seats OSSE makes available (regardless of location), the better for everyone. OSSE can't pick and choose locations and tell someone to open a high-quality pre-school there. What they can do is route funding towards high-quality programs which open themselves up to all students.

I really don't agree and you've not made a persuasive argument for funneling public money to what is a private school.

I don't know that this is a good private school, I don't know that they accept all applicants or that the limited spaces they allow for this OSSE program are allocated via the lottery but the fact that they are directly promoting the spaces suggests that is not the case. I don't know that they will keep all students and not kick out a disruptive student who would really benefit from the stability of a full year in pre-K. I'm also not aware that OSSE has located schools throughout the city to accept these funds - this is the first I've heard of it and somehow I think others would have referenced it on here by now if there were other private pre-K spots available. I also don't know whether these spaces are even necessary - certainly WOTP the pre-K slots are filled up but as I understand it citywide not all of the slots are taken so assuming that is true OSSE is spending money creating spaces that in net the city doesn't need and possibly will mostly benefit folks in Ward 3.

And another odd thing about pre-K is there is no way to know that a pre-K kid will even attend DCPS - two of my kids classmates last year both bailed for private schools after taking advantage of a year of free pre-K so those slots went to kids who 1)Could afford daycare and 2)who were not being prepped to attend DCPS.

They have the following credentials:

Licensed by the DC Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE)
Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Approved provider of Childcare Aware Military and DoD Childcare Fee Assistance program

Let's dismiss with the notion that it doesn't meet the standards of a typical DCPS PreK. The notion that somehow, say Bruce Monroe or Miner is offering something superior to Communikids is absurd.

Furthermore, slots are filled on an as availability basis: if more students apply than are seats available, there will be a lottery. Bear in mind that not everyone in Ward 3 is wealthy, however everyone in the city is eligible. I see no logical reason to means-test this location in a program that is universal by design. If this keeps one Ward 3 family from taking a spot in Ward 4, then that's one more spot available in Ward 4 for families who can't manage to commute. Just because free PreK in Ward 3 isn't at the top of OSSE's priority list doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. Every high quality seat in the city improves the chances for more students to get into free PreK. Period. There are lower SES families who can't get into their neighborhood programs because they are full and can't commute outside the neighborhood. There are wealthy families who can arrange to commute outside their neighborhood in order to take advantage of free programs. Such is the nature of universal PreK. You may not like that, but then your quarrel is with the entirety of the design of universal PreK as it is implemented in DC - which is not the same argument as whether or not this particular program is sensible.

As for the students who left your child's free PreK to attend private school - so what? How is that fundamentally different from children who attend public school for elementary and then go private for middle or high school? Who cares? Free and public apply to all residents of the District, not just the ones who meet with your personal approval. It's not as if they cease contributing to the tax base. If it bothers you so very much that your child made friends with students who left the system, then it's up to you to be overbearing and curate his friendships more selectively - not insert yourself into the decision-making of others.

It appears that applications are being accepted until Wednesday the 16th. If I had a pre-school aged child and lived in the area, I'd apply:

http://communikids.com/free-dc-pre-k/

Since I don't, but am a DC taxpayer, I'm glad to see another option available - even (gasp!) one that doesn't benefit me personally.

I agree with you that there shouldn't be means testing and the spots should be open to all (with lottery as necessary). But giving priority to families who pay for the 2 year old program is favoring the affluent, which is not appropriate for tax payer dollars.

The taxpayer dollars go to the available seats. If people want to pay more, so be it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great opportunity, and I hope other private preschools do the same. But I'm uncomfortable with giving priority to families who are able to pay for the first year of the program -- that's not at all in keeping with the spirit of free PK, where it really is a lottery that is fair for all.

+1

I agree with you that there shouldn't be means testing and the spots should be open to all (with lottery as necessary). But giving priority to families who pay for the 2 year old program is favoring the affluent, which is not appropriate for tax payer dollars.

CommuniKids participates in the DC Child Care Subsidy Program, so low-income families can attend as well.

https://osse.dc.gov/service/child-care-subsidyvoucher-program

[Anonymous]

A lot of daycares in DC have this program...this is not news Im not sure why folks are getting all up in arms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of daycares in DC have this program...this is not news Im not sure why folks are getting all up in arms.

The fact that it's located in Ward 3, and therefore is likely to provide some benefit to families in Ward 3 brings out the green-eyed monster in some posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of daycares in DC have this program...this is not news Im not sure why folks are getting all up in arms.

The fact that it's located in Ward 3, and therefore is likely to provide some benefit to families in Ward 3 brings out the green-eyed monster in some posters.

+1

Too many assumptions to sort through: that Ward 3 families are not ourselves apartment dwellers working to make ends meet, that we are not native Spanish speakers at home who would benefit from early childhood immersion, that we're all too damn rich for pk3 even to be offered in our ward (let alone in our uniformly overcrowded public schools), and that anyone with the temerity to provide ECE in Ward 3 -- and of course they'll be private operators, because DCPS won't do it and no charter will ever come here -- should be forever foreclosed from receiving any kind of subsidy from downtown. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The fact that it's located in Ward 3, and therefore is likely to provide some benefit to families in Ward 3 brings out the green-eyed monster in some posters.

+1

Too many assumptions to sort through: that Ward 3 families are not ourselves apartment dwellers working to make ends meet, that we are not native Spanish speakers at home who would benefit from early childhood immersion, that we're all too damn rich for pk3 even to be offered in our ward (let alone in our uniformly overcrowded public schools), and that anyone with the temerity to provide ECE in Ward 3 -- and of course they'll be private operators, because DCPS won't do it and no charter will ever come here -- should be forever foreclosed from receiving any kind of subsidy from downtown. Got it.

+100 This is especially true for Spanish-speakers who live, gasp!, WotP. It's nearly impossible to get into the Spanish daycare programs if you're not very low-income.

[Anonymous]

Any one apply and get accepted? Or alternatively got put on waitlist?

[Anonymous]

We applied but haven't heard yet. I don't think lottery results are out yet.

[Anonymous]

Those who got in were informed via e-mail today. If you applied and haven't heard anything, check their website-- the wait list is posted there.

[Anonymous]

We were accepted for pre k 3. Anyone have any first hand experience with the program? I've heard good things.

[Anonymous]

Congrats PP! My kids never went, but have a couple of neighbors in the Tenleytown area whose kids attended Communikids and they liked it.