Is angst about PK3 mostly from families who want to stay in DC long term?

[Anonymous]

Curious about this - I feel like many families I interact with are very stressed about PK3 lottery. From what I can gather, many of these are kind of the same - Creative Curriculum, most have some general before/after care, talk about their play based approach, etc. Obvious exceptions for language immersion. Does all the drama stem from wanting to get a spot in a school that leads to higher quality options down the road, either later grades in that elementary school or as a feeder into Middle and High School? Or are some of the other considerations (age of building, perceived quality of administration, parent involvement, % of high risk) a bigger deal than I realize at the PreK and early grades?

[Anonymous]

Some, but many are more anxious about getting a free spot that works for pre-k. Many have other plans for K and beyond, including in-bounds, playing the lottery again, and the suburbs once they use the free pre-k.

[Anonymous]

Some of the drama is because of long term paths, yes. Some of it is about perceived quality differences. In my case, looking back, the real issue was postpartum anxiety after my second baby coinciding with the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Some people are lotterying with the idea that they will move to a school if they get in. Naturally that is stressful.

[Anonymous]

The angst comes from the lottery itself. Many of these parents aren't used to having to rely on luck for what they want. They either have earned a place where they want to be, or they've been able to throw money at it. Now they are faced with the real possibility of having to send their babies to Appletree while their neighbors have celebratory playdates and talk about how awesome it's going to be at Brent or Mundo Verde.

[Anonymous]

We're staying long-term, and I imagine we'll be very freaked out when the time comes. Our in-bounds is not ideal, I personally disagree with the charter model (though DH disagrees and in DC that horse is long gone so it's like arguing at the barn door for nothing), and we would love to get into a particular school for multiple reasons. But at the end of the day it's a lottery, and if PK3 doesn't work out then we'll try again.

I think PK3 parents talk about it more because it's their first time, they want/need guidance, and they're trying to share information and make decisions on information they know to be less-than-complete. The second, third, fourth time you play the lottery, many of those concerns are gone or muted.

[Anonymous]

Didn't even discuss the type of school. Just wanted it to be close to home. No such luck. We live in NW and got a spot in Anacostia. I'm not driving a 3-year old to Anacostia and back twice a day. I think I messed up Thomas and Thomson or Thompson, can't even remember.
The closer one, Bruce Monroe where we were listed as #1, started to go backwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're staying long-term, and I imagine we'll be very freaked out when the time comes. Our in-bounds is not ideal, I personally disagree with the charter model (though DH disagrees and in DC that horse is long gone so it's like arguing at the barn door for nothing), and we would love to get into a particular school for multiple reasons. But at the end of the day it's a lottery, and if PK3 doesn't work out then we'll try again.

I think PK3 parents talk about it more because it's their first time, they want/need guidance, and they're trying to share information and make decisions on information they know to be less-than-complete. The second, third, fourth time you play the lottery, many of those concerns are gone or muted.

Don't worry too much. Most people get something they are happy with by the time it actually matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The angst comes from the lottery itself. Many of these parents aren't used to having to rely on luck for what they want. They either have earned a place where they want to be, or they've been able to throw money at it. Now they are faced with the real possibility of having to send their babies to Appletree while their neighbors have celebratory playdates and talk about how awesome it's going to be at Brent or Mundo Verde.

THIS. The lottery really made me face how often in life I've been able to control situations with enough research, advocacy, money, connections, etc. It does a great job of what it was designed to do -- even the playing field. There are many people who believe in a more even playing field, who choose to live in DC and engage in the lottery to support it, but still struggle personally. I think the path through high school is also a consideration for families who aren't happy with their IB options but couldn't afford private.

[Anonymous]

I was under the impression, back then, that there really were strong differences in the schools even at PK level, and that the odds were very much against getting into a good school. The stress is also due to choices in housing - having bought near an IB school we did not want to send our child to. Knowing then, that a poor result would require us to move, eventually. Just the entire not knowing is extremely stressful. You go tour gorgeous schools and think how lovely I want my kid there - and then that school has only 3 non sibling slots. It's not that we planned to stay forever, but did not want this to be the deciding factor whether or not we stay or leave. I think it's justified stress magnified by social pressure.

[Anonymous]

As someone who has gone thru this process, it’s overwhelming and time consuming to make a list, go to all the open houses, and then figure out how to rank the order.

But it was worth all the time, especially attending the open houses, because it gave us a clearer picture about the schools and how we would rank our list. We are planning on staying long term and not interested in moving so feeder into middle school, etc... played a role in our decision too.

[Anonymous]

The issue is that education is so important, and this is one of the first decisions you make for your kid that will matter. Now that we are in PK, and I know a bit more about the different schools in my area, i know that they are all pretty similar in the ways that matter, but I didn't know that when we started out (still not sure that it holds true through the upper grades). And yeah, I certainly would prefer my kid get to stay in the same school the whole way through, if possible.

Plus, the illusion of choice made me think I needed to learn everything about all my "options."

[Anonymous]

It's mostly about long term pathway. In general, 30+ spots are offered at PK3 or PK4, depending on what year is the first that the school offers. After that, the number of available spots per year are in the low single digits (if at all). So if you don't get in early, your odds of getting in somewhere later are significantly smaller via anything other than in-boundary rights.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to take the long view when you're in it. PK3 parents are laughing indulgently at first time parents, but the MSDC lottery seems like life or death since they're going through it for the first time. Before you know it, those same parents will be here freaking out about transcripts and college choices and shaking their heads at how unimportant preschool turned out to be in the big picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's mostly about long term pathway. In general, 30+ spots are offered at PK3 or PK4, depending on what year is the first that the school offers. After that, the number of available spots per year are in the low single digits (if at all). So if you don't get in early, your odds of getting in somewhere later are significantly smaller via anything other than in-boundary rights.

What? No, no, no. Most PK3 seats go to siblings, so it is a hard year to get in. Many schools expand their class sizes for Pk4 and K, and K is when people move to upper NW or the suburbs. PK3 is the hard year.