Is your school start going smoothly or chaotic af?

[Anonymous]

Wondering, as a new PK3 parent, if our charter is in the norm or not. While the internal classroom dynamic seems fine and therefore this isn't affecting our child directly, there is a lot of confusion over what's happening when, multiple communications via email (which some seem to get and some not), confusion over changes since last year, etc.

Is your school running a tight ship or not? I guess I expected less chaos, but, maybe that is how the start of the year tends to go. At a DCPS I might have expected more of this, especially communication challenges, but maybe it's just par for the course? Or, not...

[Anonymous]

Some schools do this stuff better than others. In general charters are typically short-staffed and underfunded compared to DCPS schools. Not sure why you expected a charter to be better than a DCPS, but that was probably a bad assumption.

If your school is still admitting students from the WL / others are un-enrolling that makes it harder to get things like mailing lists nailed down. Did you school open new classrooms, move locations?

However, if your child's classroom is well-run, that's really all that matters.

[Anonymous]

To me "chaotic AF" would mean children going missing, teachers quitting, lunches not showing up, start/end time of the day changing, etc.

Mailing lists? Not a huge deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some schools do this stuff better than others.

+1. And DCPS or charter doesn't necessarily mean it's done better or worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some schools do this stuff better than others. In general charters are typically short-staffed and underfunded compared to DCPS schools. Not sure why you expected a charter to be better than a DCPS, but that was probably a bad assumption.

If your school is still admitting students from the WL / others are un-enrolling that makes it harder to get things like mailing lists nailed down. Did you school open new classrooms, move locations?

However, if your child's classroom is well-run, that's really all that matters.

+1
Way to drink the kool-aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me "chaotic AF" would mean children going missing, teachers quitting, lunches not showing up, start/end time of the day changing, etc.

Mailing lists? Not a huge deal.

Hee hee. OP has unrealistic expectations. We're over in MCPS, but it's the same.

[Anonymous]

At my kids' school I've noticed the dynamic that a small number parents don't pay attention to the school calendar and other announcements and then blow up the listserv about poor communication.

[Anonymous]

In my experience, most DCPS runs more smoothly than charters.

They're just more practiced at it and have it down. We left the charter world because I couldn't take the instability.

[Anonymous]

Coming from a pretty organized private preschool school, I have sort of been shocked by some of the disorganization at our school (child started in PK3). But my child seems to be happy each day and likes his teachers and school. I just wish there was better communication about things. I think a weekly class newsletter should be a priority and a weekly or biweekly school bulletin. I don't think that's too much to ask to help keep parents connected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a pretty organized private preschool school,

*Jim face from The Office*

Anonymous wrote: I think a weekly class newsletter should be a priority and a weekly or biweekly school bulletin. I don't think that's too much to ask to help keep parents connected.

Sounds like a great volunteer opportunity for a concerned parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a pretty organized private preschool school, I have sort of been shocked by some of the disorganization at our school (child started in PK3). But my child seems to be happy each day and likes his teachers and school. I just wish there was better communication about things. I think a weekly class newsletter should be a priority and a weekly or biweekly school bulletin. I don't think that's too much to ask to help keep parents connected.

OP - yes, that's kind of what I mean. I'd love that. I mean it does not seem that hard but, I guess I'm wrong.

RE some other responses - ok, well, I guess I did drink the kool aid. I had heard friends complain about communication at their DCPS and never heard same from others so I figured it was DCPS that was going to be worse at communication.

Well, as long as we're not an outlier on this and no, kids aren't going missing, things like that, then I guess I will relax about it. Some parents seem really up in arms about this on the list is all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a pretty organized private preschool school, I have sort of been shocked by some of the disorganization at our school (child started in PK3). But my child seems to be happy each day and likes his teachers and school. I just wish there was better communication about things. I think a weekly class newsletter should be a priority and a weekly or biweekly school bulletin. I don't think that's too much to ask to help keep parents connected.

OP - yes, that's kind of what I mean. I'd love that. I mean it does not seem that hard but, I guess I'm wrong.

RE some other responses - ok, well, I guess I did drink the kool aid. I had heard friends complain about communication at their DCPS and never heard same from others so I figured it was DCPS that was going to be worse at communication.

Well, as long as we're not an outlier on this and no, kids aren't going missing, things like that, then I guess I will relax about it. Some parents seem really up in arms about this on the list is all.

It is hard. Count how many administrative staff there are. How many teachers. What time they come in and go home. How many Pk3 kid are not fully potty trained, are still crying at every transition.

The kids safety and education comes first. Communicating 'what is happening' in the classroom or snapping cute pictures -- is not a top priority. That's a nice to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a pretty organized private preschool school, I have sort of been shocked by some of the disorganization at our school (child started in PK3). But my child seems to be happy each day and likes his teachers and school. I just wish there was better communication about things. I think a weekly class newsletter should be a priority and a weekly or biweekly school bulletin. I don't think that's too much to ask to help keep parents connected.

OP - yes, that's kind of what I mean. I'd love that. I mean it does not seem that hard but, I guess I'm wrong.

.

Producing a weekly classroom newsletter takes at least 30-45 minutes. That's the total amount some teachers per week for planning.

If the school is bilingual, double that amount of time, because it needs to be translated. Then the principal or asst principal has to review the newsletter, and suggest edits and make sure no images of children without signed photo releases are included -- so add another 15 minute of his/her time and another 10-15 to the teacher to produce it.

If you assign this task to some office assistant or administrator, multiply the time commitment time however many classrooms there are.

Then you need to figure out how to distribute it -- given that some parents want email, some want text msg and still others need info on paper.

And if your teacher is young or inexperienced, they are even less able to squeeze this sort of thing in.

[Anonymous]

One of the choices you make when you chose public PK3 (charter or DCPS) is that you'll get MUCH less information and interaction with the teachers. Basically you get what you pay for -- when you pay for daycare or preschool, you get a lot more information and personalized care.

[Anonymous]

And then if you do the newsletter but it has a typo or two, people will complain and freak out. It's really a no-win.