Where's Swami? We need a chances-of-getting-off-the-waitlist thread
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Anonymous
| And even if she had, what would be bad about wanting a PK3 spot at your IB school? How about we have better expectations? We spend a tremendous amount of money on our school system - we should expect it to meet the needs of everyone it serves. |
Anonymous
Wow, I’m really enjoying my time living in your head rent-free. 
I merely said I was disappointed that our local ended PK3 the very year we needed it. I absolutely knew it was a crap shoot in the lottery, as H-A has had a waitlist for inbound kids without siblings for PK3. We are eager to join the H-A community, so it was a big let down to get the email in December that H-A was nixing PK3 for another class at a higher level. |
Anonymous
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Despite these good numbers, I think our chances are pretty slim for a 4th grade spot. Right?
Hearst #7 Shepherd #3 Murch #6 Lafayette #4 Janney #9 Eaton #3 Mann #2 Stoddert #6 |
Anonymous
Eaton or Shepherd are possible. Others probably not. |
Anonymous
| What about #4 for Shepherd - Kindergarten |
Anonymous
Mann’s waiting list is flying. I assume she’s already in there by now. |
Anonymous
I know a number of families leaving Mann for private. Sounds like Janney upper grades too. |
Anonymous
That is disappointing, but once you join H-A, you can be thankful to have smaller class sizes. Lucky you! |
Anonymous
Why wouldn't these people chose Deal? Isn't that the crown jewel of middle schools? |
Anonymous
| H-A makes me think of Hay Adams. Or Holton Arms. |
Anonymous
People like you should stop trying to "help". Your arguments are weak and you come off like an entitled d-bag. And that's coming from someone who in part agrees with you! *The amount of money you pay in taxes has nothing to do with the quality of city services you personally receive. That line is straight out of the "HOw to be a d-bag book, Chapter 1" *Your analogs are nonsense and red herrings. No one said don't use sanitation, they said you get what the city provides. If you want garbage picked up daily that's something you have to pay for. You get the fire department when you call 911, but you don't have a right to a firehouse next door and you don't get to prioritize your access over your neighbors. You get to call 911 and ask for the police. But if you want 24/7/365 security on your own terms that's going to be on your dime. You can of course use the public pool, but you wait in line on busy days just like everyone else and you don't have a right to a public pool on your block. I could go on and on tearing apart your silly analogs but you get the point, I think. |
Anonymous
Very well said. Absolutely no one is saying you aren't entitled to PK in DC, simply that if you want to take advantage of the universal PK program, you need to be willing to have some flexibility as to where your child goes. We did PK in DCPS and went to our IB for PK3. We are in one of the handful of school boundaries where this is actually guaranteed (Title 1 school), but since this school never has a waitlist, the guarantee is not actually necessary. Well our child's teacher quit one month into the school year and even subs were scarce so our kid wound up in a combined classroom with the other PK class for a time (they had two aides to deal with the overflow, but it was a mess). We lotteried into a nearby DCPS the following year (also a Title 1) and have been there since. It's a much more stable school and still allows us to walk there, which helps a lot since my DH has a long commute which means pick up/drop off is mostly on me and I don't have access to a car most days. We are not poor, for the record. Middle class (HHI of 100-120k depending on the year). We've paid taxes in the district for 20+ years. The idea that someone in NW is angry about not getting a spot at in PK at their nearby elementary, which I am certain has a very well-funded PTO and high test scores, when they no doubt have access to a half dozen other public PKs near their home or work (and live in an area dense with public transportation options), because they PAY TAXES is revolting. Crazy how many people acting like petulant children are trying to raise children in this city. |
Anonymous
I don't understand these posts. The OP doesn't seem angry at all about not getting a spot. Disappointed maybe, but she clearly just expressed that it was frustrating that her IB had PK3 until recently and now doesn't and is asking her chances of getting off the WL. Someone basically said she shouldn't even be taking up spots on the WL because the spots should not go to someone who can afford to live IB for HA. Which is just bull and not how it works- PK3 is not means tested in this city. She didn't come on and put in her initial post that she paid X amount in taxes over the years so she should get a spot. It was in response to someone saying she shouldn't even be on the WL because of her income. Also it is true that the amount paid in taxes doesn't directly correlate to what you get back in services but people absolutely stay in DC and pay taxes partly because they want to get PK3 spots. This is a benefit that DC gets- would be hard to measure if it is a net benefit to DC or not but there are certainly people who might have otherwise moved when their kids were 1 who stay a few extra years to get the pK3 so DC gets that much more tax revenue before the kid is PK 3 eligible. People who think that someone who is eligible for a non means-tested city service shouldn't take advantage of that service are the real DBs here. |
Anonymous
| And of course H-A now has PK3 again, so there's that. |
Anonymous
Disagree with your characterization. The OP absolutely was complaining -- she said she was "majorly annoyed" that H-A ended PK3 "when we need it." That's whining. And the criticism was mild and did not in any way say she shouldn't be taking up a WL spot -- just pointing out that many of the kids on the WL for the same schools likely have very limited options for PK and much fewer resources. No one said OP shouldn't get a spot at those other PKs, only pointing out that many, many families are in tougher circumstances than she is and don't even have access to a strong IB elementary after PK. A little perspective. Her decision to go straight to "I've paid X amount of taxes in this city!" in response to having this pointed out to her reflects and extremely entitled attitude and the pile on is absolutely merited. In a few months the OP's kid will be happily enrolled either at one of these public options or attending a private PK and this will all be a non-issue. Absolutely no reason to throw around her income like it's even remotely relevant to this conversation. It's not. |