Brent parents: Give me the lowdown on the school
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Anonymous
http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Learn+About+Schools/Lottery+and+Admissions:+Apply+to+Our+Schools |
Anonymous
Wait. Wait. Lying about an address isn't cheating the lottery, that's residency fraud. To be an out of bounds student one must submit an address that is OUT OF BOUNDS, your comment makes zero sense. |
Anonymous
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Brent has added new classes for K, 1, 2 and 3 over the past three years. This, coupled with attrition resulting from families moving from the District or switching to privates like CHDS which provide continuity through 8th, has opened up multiple seats for OOB students. Seems fairly transparent to me.
http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Learn+About+Schools/Lottery+and+Admissions:+Apply+to+Our+Schools/Lottery/Round+Two+Results The ECE situation seems to be less transparent and IB sibling preference accounts for the majority of lottery place,ents. Some complications may arise as a result of DCPS direct placements, such as students with IEPs, Head Start, etc. I assume that enrolling at Brent OOB after K isn't necessarily the easiest thing to do for an OOB family, particularly if your commuting from Ward 8, but the vast majority of the community is welcoming and value diversity. |
Anonymous
| Your = you're |
Anonymous
Brent may no longer be a struggling Title I school unable to make AYP, but that does not mean there are not problems of varying degrees. |
Anonymous
Brent is penalized by DCPS in terms of funding because it has fewer than 400 students. More students = more funding = more resources. This is particularly critical when classes are added for the purpose of keeping the student:teacher ratio at 20:1 or less at each grade level. I can't think of more compelling reasons than these. |
Anonymous
People are talking about residency fraud: OOB kids who got in claiming a bogus in bounds address, not OOB children who were admitted correctly. |
Anonymous
As a parent of upper grade student, this is disturbing to learn that the school has not addressed this residency fraud especially when there is such in- boundary demand for early childhood classes with long waitlists. |
Anonymous
| If there is actual proof of widespread OOB residency fraud, which I very much doubt, then report it to the school so that it can be referred to OSSE. Or, better yet, report it directly to the OSSE hotline. I've heard rumors about using a grandparent's address and IB apartments, but these, even if true, are exceptions, not the rule. Then again, even though i continue to witness parents driving cars with out-of-state tags dropping off and picking up on a daily basis, I have more important issues with which to concern myself. |
Anonymous
There's no fraud. The older kids at that school got in OOB 4-5 years ago when one could still easily lottery in. |
Anonymous
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One can still lottery in. Several OOB K spots went to those with spectacular lottery luck this year. The community is small - I don't like whispering campaigns and vigilante witch hunts related to residency when the parents making accusations are not in a position to know the full story in any particular case. Those who report suspected residency fraud to Principal Young or the DCPS hotline are of course within their rights, but they should leave their anti-fraud/crowding activism at that.
I expect Brent to have more than 400 students within several years. |
Anonymous
Let me try to clear up any confusion on your part. Allegations of residency fraud are not something which are to be addressed by the school. It's not like the PTA is underwriting the cost of an investigator or the Principal is charged with ferreting out cheaters. The school follows OSSE/DCPS protocols, which require certain documentation as proof of residency and a signed certification from a parent or guardian. It is OSSE which employs full-time investigators whose sole job is to determine if DC law is being violated in this regard. Some of these investigations turn out to be inconclusive or are simply not pursued for a variety of reasons. There has been at least one instance in recent years where a student whose parents were not living in DC was summarily removed from the school. By all accounts, it was a traimatic and difficult situation for the students and classmates/her long-time friends. In comtrast, i very much doubt boundary cheaters are a high priority for enforcement action or even potential prosecution for making a false statement, but I suppose there is some possibility of an example being made under particularly egregious set of circumstances. Also, I would caution parents to think carefully before spreading rumors. Accusations are easy to make but harder to substantiate. |
Anonymous
There are many reasons Brent will never have an enrollment approaching 400 students. First, the school simply cannot accommodate another 40 students. Mobile classrooms on the playground are a non-starter for the majority of thr community and there is not an unutilized classroom or other space. Second, as OOB students now comprise about half of Brent's population, any further increases in iB enrollment will be offset by (1) opening fewer lottery seats to OOB students through the lottery and (2) the continued exodus of families to charters and privates after 4th Grade (or in some cases even earlier). I'll concede, however, that next year might prove to be interesting if the entire cohort of IB students who were waitlisted last year show up to enroll for K. In any event, take a look around at Back to School Night this evening and try to imagine this event with another 40 families in attendance. |
Anonymous
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Never say never.
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Anonymous
| As a kindergarten parent, I am less concerned about the few Maryland license plates or those admitted being OOB through the lottery but rather in my child's classes while all are on the Hill, they do not live in Brent boundary. It seems as if the moment they were admitted, their parents moved to Northeast. |