If you get in nowhere, what next?

[Anonymous]

What are parents doing who can't or don't want to afford private school tuition, can't get in the charters of choice, out of bounds doesn't work out and your neighborhood school is unacceptable? What other options are you are investigating? I know homeschool could be an option or moving, but in today's economy that might not really work. Are you going with your neighborhood school anyway? I just ticks me off that even when you are a responsible parent and are striving to do what's best for your children and you live in DC, the school system seems to let you down. Maybe I'm just a little frustrated. I grew up in DC public schools and the schools were fine. The neighborhood schools were fine, they were safe, we had good teachers and administration, we had books and other resources and now while the city supposedly is getting better, the schools aren't. What gives?

[Anonymous]

May I ask what your neighborhood school is? My daughter attends a school that many on this board have blasted, but we have been extremely happy there (even though I spent many sleepless nights worrying about the start of school). You could try out your neighborhood school for a year and then try out of boundary/charter school lotteries again next year. If you're together/educated enough to be posting on this board, then your child is probably getting a solid foundation already and as long as he/she doesn't have a complete maniac for a teacher, should be OK. Also, I don't know a whole lot about it, but Sacred Heart in Mt Pleasant is a reasonably priced private school - not sure when their deadline is.

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel your pain. Matter of fact, I started a very similar forum on here with pretty much the same topic. If I can find it, I'll post it. Well, we had to break down & go private. I'm very happy with the school, but not happy with the payments we're about to put out. One other option, look at some private schools outside of DC. Look at MD & VA. For the most part, alot of them are no where near as expensive as private schools in DC. It might be doable for you, especially, if yours, like mine, in boundary school is NOT acceptable. Good luck, I know how you feel.

[Anonymous]

What grade are you talking about?

I know for K the waitlists move a lot.

[Anonymous]

Were you looking at Pre-K? I think some pre-school-only charters haven't had their lotteries yet. You could try Bridges and LAMB. Maybe you'll get lucky for next fall and that would buy you another year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are parents doing who can't or don't want to afford private school tuition, can't get in the charters of choice, out of bounds doesn't work out and your neighborhood school is unacceptable? What other options are you are investigating? I know homeschool could be an option or moving, but in today's economy that might not really work. Are you going with your neighborhood school anyway? I just ticks me off that even when you are a responsible parent and are striving to do what's best for your children and you live in DC, the school system seems to let you down. Maybe I'm just a little frustrated. I grew up in DC public schools and the schools were fine. The neighborhood schools were fine, they were safe, we had good teachers and administration, we had books and other resources and now while the city supposedly is getting better, the schools aren't. What gives?

Honestly - It's called planning. You need to move to a desirable school, just like the rest of us. You can't have your cheap house and fantastic school, unfortunately. We don't even own yet because of this. We could afford a place in a bad neighborhood, with bad schools. We decided to rent in a desirable area. These were your choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are parents doing who can't or don't want to afford private school tuition, can't get in the charters of choice, out of bounds doesn't work out and your neighborhood school is unacceptable? What other options are you are investigating? I know homeschool could be an option or moving, but in today's economy that might not really work. Are you going with your neighborhood school anyway? I just ticks me off that even when you are a responsible parent and are striving to do what's best for your children and you live in DC, the school system seems to let you down. Maybe I'm just a little frustrated. I grew up in DC public schools and the schools were fine. The neighborhood schools were fine, they were safe, we had good teachers and administration, we had books and other resources and now while the city supposedly is getting better, the schools aren't. What gives?

Honestly - It's called planning. You need to move to a desirable school, just like the rest of us. You can't have your cheap house and fantastic school, unfortunately. We don't even own yet because of this. We could afford a place in a bad neighborhood, with bad schools. We decided to rent in a desirable area. These were your choices.

Wow, that's a little harsh.

[Anonymous]

It's kind of true, though.

[Anonymous]

Oh for the love of God, pull that live ferret out of your *ss!

It's absurd to tell someone who paid over half a million for a house that they shouldn't expect good schools to go along with that. Just because your choices include financial instability doesn't mean that no-one's are justified, nor that they have no right to expect better public school choices.

You have no idea what someone else can afford, nor what their circumstances were when they bought, nor what their other obligations are. You're just so very bitter than you feel the need to pee in everybody else's cornflakes, even when they're asking for help.

In real life I'd go out of my way to avoid someone as sour as you, but in this forum I'm willing to tell you to go poop in somebody else's punchbowl.

What a foul beast you are!

[Anonymous]

Read Sandra Sing Loh's book "Mother on Fire" - it's about this situation!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh for the love of God, pull that live ferret out of your *ss!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read Sandra Sing Loh's book "Mother on Fire" - it's about this situation!

I just read the review in Salon and I think you are oversimplifying here....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are parents doing who can't or don't want to afford private school tuition, can't get in the charters of choice, out of bounds doesn't work out and your neighborhood school is unacceptable? What other options are you are investigating? I know homeschool could be an option or moving, but in today's economy that might not really work. Are you going with your neighborhood school anyway? I just ticks me off that even when you are a responsible parent and are striving to do what's best for your children and you live in DC, the school system seems to let you down. Maybe I'm just a little frustrated. I grew up in DC public schools and the schools were fine. The neighborhood schools were fine, they were safe, we had good teachers and administration, we had books and other resources and now while the city supposedly is getting better, the schools aren't. What gives?

Honestly - It's called planning. You need to move to a desirable school, just like the rest of us. You can't have your cheap house and fantastic school, unfortunately. We don't even own yet because of this. We could afford a place in a bad neighborhood, with bad schools. We decided to rent in a desirable area. These were your choices.

Honestly - you are a jerk and very unkind. And unhelpful. You need to think about your rationale for posting this message. It was your choice, and it was not a good one.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I wish I could pour you a glass of wine and sit down and chat. My advice to you (not that I'd expect you to take it of course, because it would be presumptuous of me to TELL you what to do) would probably vary depending upon A) how old your child is (what grade) and B) what your neighborhood school is. So it's hard for me to give you something useful and personal to work with. But I'm going to try anyway.

If the spot you're looking for is Pre-K, you are NOT alone. There are not enough Pre-K slots to go around. It's like the word got out a few years ago that staying in the city is so much better and safer than we all thought, it's so much cooler than the suburbs, it's worth it, etc. etc. etc. - and so we all did. And the infrastructure hasn't caught up with us. So you need to know that Pre-K isn't universal yet in DC. But K is. And next year when you're applying for K there will be LOTS more slots. There are families that didn't even get into their own in-bounds Pre-K.

The most empowering thing I would say to you, if you were interested in hearing it, is that you DO still have choices. They're not the choices you wanted, but still you're not entirely at someone else's mercy. There are still lots of private/independent/parochial placements out there. There are a couple of charters left. There is your inbounds school. There is home-schooling. Probably the very best thing you could do for your peace of mind right now is make some appointments to go and visit some of these places in person. Just seeing them yourself and asking questions (instead of relying on your fears) will surely help.

If worst comes to worst (and only you know which option really is worst) it is still ONE year. You are obviously a concerned, involved parent (or you wouldn't be in this fishbowl forum lamenting the state of your child's formal education which hasn't even yet begun). With a parent like you, your child will be fine. Really. There's so much that you can teach deliberately. And there's so much that you won't have to consciously - because it is good educationally-focused behavior that you're modeling whether you know it or not.

You will get another chance at the numbers game. It will look better next year when more K slots open up.

I'm really sorry that you have to listen to bitter, unhelpful people on this forum. I wish I could give you a hug. You're a good parent and with parents like you, children even do well in the so-called "worst" schools available (not that THAT is your only choice!).

Hugs for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Honestly - It's called planning. You need to move to a desirable school, just like the rest of us. You can't have your cheap house and fantastic school, unfortunately. We don't even own yet because of this. We could afford a place in a bad neighborhood, with bad schools. We decided to rent in a desirable area. These were your choices.

While the above response seems a little abrupt, I have to agree that we viewed the choices as outlined above -- buying a cheap house we could afford in marginal neighborhood downtown with crappy schools (or cheap house way out in the burbs with a mediocre school), the gamble of getting into private school or renting a smaller home/apartment in a school district we liked. We chose the latter. Sucks that we don't own a house and are so old, that is perhaps not the wisest financial choice (although I've begun to feel a lot better about it since the market meltdown). But, we do love the public school we chose and hope to buy a house somewhere some day.....