What's your plan if you don't get into a good charter?

[Anonymous]

We live in NE DC and really love our neighborhood, but our in boundary school is terrible and won't improve enough for us to even consider sending our DC when she turns five (she is 18 months right now). I periodically "freak out" a little when I think about the school situation and whether we made a mistake moving to NE and instead should have pushed our budget to be in a good in boundary school in upper NW or should have sucked it up and moved to VA (which my DH would hate).

Does anyone else have these freak out moments? What do others plan to do if they don't get into a good charter? Private school? Move to the suburbs? Try to find a "walkable" area with good schools in MD or VA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in NE DC and really love our neighborhood, but our in boundary school is terrible and won't improve enough for us to even consider sending our DC when she turns five (she is 18 months right now). I periodically "freak out" a little when I think about the school situation and whether we made a mistake moving to NE and instead should have pushed our budget to be in a good in boundary school in upper NW or should have sucked it up and moved to VA (which my DH would hate).

Does anyone else have these freak out moments? What do others plan to do if they don't get into a good charter? Private school? Move to the suburbs? Try to find a "walkable" area with good schools in MD or VA?

Having just gone through this, I think you have a decent chance of getting into a charter or DCPS as OOB that many on this site would consider perfectly fine for pk-3 to K. Where you are truly at the mercy of fate is getting into a charter that people on this site consider a decent path through the later elementary years, middle or high school. Many on this site would say the only viable public middle in the entire city is Deal; seems dramatic but they would likley say you should have gone the upper NW option. My view is that middle and high school are pretty far off, the city is evolving and more options will come up. But that's probably the minority view on this site.

[Anonymous]

Something that's great about NE is that's where so many desirable charters are located. So you actually have a lot of options without a horrible commute.

I live in NE too, and while I know a few families who left DC I know many more pleasantly surprised by where they ended up for PK3 and also lots who were not super excited by first school but lotteried into top choices in PK4, K and even 1st.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something that's great about NE is that's where so many desirable charters are located. So you actually have a lot of options without a horrible commute.

I live in NE too, and while I know a few families who left DC I know many more pleasantly surprised by where they ended up for PK3 and also lots who were not super excited by first school but lotteried into top choices in PK4, K and even 1st.

OP here- this may be a stupid question and probably one I can answer through googling, but if folks get into the best charter for PK3, do they leave for PK4 and those spots open up? In other words, why should I expect spots to open up for PK4 - wouldnt PK4 be full because people get into PK3?

Another concern of mine is that even if my daughter gets into a good elementary school, will we really want to separate her from her friends to go to a different middle or high school? It just seems like a lot of uncertainty through all of the schooling years. I am sorry for the pessimism and really appreciate the replies so far, as hearing from other people helps ease my mind on this!

[Anonymous]

People try all of those strategies but I would counsel you to give the neighborhood school a chance while you play the lottery a few years. Schools can change rather quickly. Ours was "not an option" until this year, and we're enrolling as are several friends. It's not myour ideal but way better than paying for daycare.

Stop saying bad things about your school. You may be going there next year, even if right now you think you won't.

Just tell us the neighborhood and school, you'll get much better advice that way.

[Anonymous]

We moved to Arlington. At least there's the relief of good schools the whole way through graduation. (And the services are a thousand times better than DC.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that's great about NE is that's where so many desirable charters are located. So you actually have a lot of options without a horrible commute.

I live in NE too, and while I know a few families who left DC I know many more pleasantly surprised by where they ended up for PK3 and also lots who were not super excited by first school but lotteried into top choices in PK4, K and even 1st.

OP here- this may be a stupid question and probably one I can answer through googling, but if folks get into the best charter for PK3, do they leave for PK4 and those spots open up? In other words, why should I expect spots to open up for PK4 - wouldnt PK4 be full because people get into PK3?

Another concern of mine is that even if my daughter gets into a good elementary school, will we really want to separate her from her friends to go to a different middle or high school? It just seems like a lot of uncertainty through all of the schooling years. I am sorry for the pessimism and really appreciate the replies so far, as hearing from other people helps ease my mind on this!

There are more spots because the class size goes up. And some schools don't offer pk3 but do offer pk4.

You will likely get into a better school or move before middle school so I wouldn't sweat that issue.

[Anonymous]

This is also helpful. Our local school is Noyes for the PP who asked. I understand that Burroughs is getting better, but that would be out of boundary. I don't see Noyes improving sufficiently in four years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that's great about NE is that's where so many desirable charters are located. So you actually have a lot of options without a horrible commute.

I live in NE too, and while I know a few families who left DC I know many more pleasantly surprised by where they ended up for PK3 and also lots who were not super excited by first school but lotteried into top choices in PK4, K and even 1st.

OP here- this may be a stupid question and probably one I can answer through googling, but if folks get into the best charter for PK3, do they leave for PK4 and those spots open up? In other words, why should I expect spots to open up for PK4 - wouldnt PK4 be full because people get into PK3?

Another concern of mine is that even if my daughter gets into a good elementary school, will we really want to separate her from her friends to go to a different middle or high school? It just seems like a lot of uncertainty through all of the schooling years. I am sorry for the pessimism and really appreciate the replies so far, as hearing from other people helps ease my mind on this!

There are more spots because the class size goes up. And some schools don't offer pk3 but do offer pk4.

You will likely get into a better school or move before middle school so I wouldn't sweat that issue.

Class sizes don't really increase at most of the so-called HRCs between PK3/PK4 and K.

They do in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something that's great about NE is that's where so many desirable charters are located. So you actually have a lot of options without a horrible commute.

I live in NE too, and while I know a few families who left DC I know many more pleasantly surprised by where they ended up for PK3 and also lots who were not super excited by first school but lotteried into top choices in PK4, K and even 1st.

OP here- this may be a stupid question and probably one I can answer through googling, but if folks get into the best charter for PK3, do they leave for PK4 and those spots open up? In other words, why should I expect spots to open up for PK4 - wouldnt PK4 be full because people get into PK3?

Another concern of mine is that even if my daughter gets into a good elementary school, will we really want to separate her from her friends to go to a different middle or high school? It just seems like a lot of uncertainty through all of the schooling years. I am sorry for the pessimism and really appreciate the replies so far, as hearing from other people helps ease my mind on this!

There are more spots because the class size goes up. And some schools don't offer pk3 but do offer pk4.

You will likely get into a better school or move before middle school so I wouldn't sweat that issue.

Class sizes don't really increase at most of the so-called HRCs between PK3/PK4 and K.

They do in DCPS.

YY opens an entire classroom for pk4. And just having more seats in the system makes it easier. Also, op, people do move. I know a family with two kids at Mundo who left dc!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is also helpful. Our local school is Noyes for the PP who asked. I understand that Burroughs is getting better, but that would be out of boundary. I don't see Noyes improving sufficiently in four years.

You stand a chance of getting in OOB at a lot of NE schools. I would encourage you to consider Langdon and Langley as well. I am sending my kid to Langley and it's going to be just fine.

[Anonymous]

Don't freak out, op. You will be just fine at a nearby OOB school while you consider your options. A lot if people do better when they have two kids in the lottery because of sibling preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People try all of those strategies but I would counsel you to give the neighborhood school a chance while you play the lottery a few years. Schools can change rather quickly. Ours was "not an option" until this year, and we're enrolling as are several friends. It's not myour ideal but way better than paying for daycare.

Stop saying bad things about your school. You may be going there next year, even if right now you think you won't.

Just tell us the neighborhood and school, you'll get much better advice that way.

Title 1 schools definitely don't change quickly. That said, most of the public ghetto PreS3 programs are fine as long as you keep an open mind, and don't expect the sun, the moon and the stars. I don't anybody who has struck out on a decent K+ option if they played the lottery for several years, and were willing to move closer to a school for manageable commutes. From what I've observed in 15 years living downtown, parents who are determined to stay downtown make it work all the way to 12th grade. Those on the fence go, short of spectacular lottery luck early on.

[Anonymous]

I love the people who are like, 'oh, you'll be fine!' Listen - I live in NE and we lost the charter lottery many, many times. Ended up at Tyler for two years, which was a NIGHTMARE. Now homeschooling for a year while we prepare for a move to MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the people who are like, 'oh, you'll be fine!' Listen - I live in NE and we lost the charter lottery many, many times. Ended up at Tyler for two years, which was a NIGHTMARE. Now homeschooling for a year while we prepare for a move to MoCo.

It's very unusual to strike out this badly. Everyone I know got into somewhere acceptable by K.

OP, I know it sucks to pay for private preschool, but that's what people in lots of other places have to do. I wouldn't pull up and leave a home and neighborhood you like over just one or two years of private. Start saving now if you're that concerned.