Lottery/school despair

[Anonymous]

Go to Hyde Addison. They have cleared several of their non preschool lists the last few years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are making the mistake of assuming that popularity = quality. The pool of kids looking to lottery and change schools starts to shrink after K. There start to be spaces in many of the Hill area elementary schools (for example) in mid-elementary grades. There are some reasonably good DCPS elementary schools that do not necessarily get much attention OOB.

No, you don’t understand school differences. There is a huge difference between Capitol Hill DCPS elementary schools and most other DCPS elementary schools EOTP. That difference, which is the most important, is academic performance. CH schools overwhelmingly at and above grade level, 60-89%. Non CH around 30% so overwhelmingly below grade level.

School in CH start losing kids after 4th because of the middle school feed due to Latin and Basis. Retention of families in K-3rd is high. Non CH schools EOTP, in contrast, start losing kids much earlier like K-1st. By 2nd, it’s stark. It’s not due to the middle school feed. It’s because families are not happy like OP and they are looking for a better school and trying to trade up.

There might be an exception in 1 or 2 grade where the CH schools may have space to take a few OOB kids but not common at all. You never see CH schools on short waitlist. Where other many non CH schools you can pretty much get in any grade 1st and up and on the short waitlist almost every year.

And no I’m not in CH. I’m in the other group.

You are massively overstating this. Just this year already, Brent offered 18 spots in the K lottery and has already made 22 offers for K on top of that. Last year Brent made 34 offers for 2nd grade. Ludlow-Taylor offered 4 seats for 1st and also made 4 offers, 7 seats for 2nd and also made 4 offers, 12 seats for 3rd and already made 2 offers, etc. Multiple offers in all grades last year as well. Maury is harder to get into, but last year they made 15 offers for K and 7 for 1st. Now, this isn't to say that any one particular kid will definitely get a spot at a particular school, but if you keep trying at multiple schools, chances are it'll work out. You're being ridiculous when you say "a few OOB kids" and "not common at all". Try checking the data before you assert yourself. This site is supposed to be helpful, not mislead people.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

OP here. None of those schools— Brent, Maury, L-T— have short waitlists. I know because I’m on them. You still have to lick into spots there.

The schools on the Hill with short waitlists are fairly similar to our current school— fine for ECE but issues after that. I’m not interested in trading one such school for another, there is no point.

If you're wanting a school system where you can get into any good school with no luck at all, I'm not sure where you could find that. Definitely not here. But having a short waitlist is not the same thing as it being really hard to get a spot. Sorry you didn't get a good lottery number, but there's a difference between "Can get in even with a terrible number or post-lottery add" and "really hard to get into".

People are trying to help you find a good school that you can get into, but you're defining "good school" as "school with a long waitlist" and if you keep up with that attitude, it might never work out. Last year, Ludlow-Taylor had a 2nd grade waitlist of 17, and made 17 offers. Does that cause you to think it's a bad school?

No, that does not make me think it's a bad school -- I would be over the moon happy if we got into L-T.

But my lottery luck runs such that if they had a waitlist of 17, I'd been spot #17, and then that would be the year they only made 16 offers.

Honestly, this thread is not me asking you to fix my lottery problem. It was really just me venting about the fact that the system feels arbitrary and frustrating, where one family can get lucky in PK3 and other families get unlucky year after year, and that's what dictates whether you can stay in your home. And, oh yeah, all of this is coinciding with market conditions that are throwing up obstacles to us moving, like living in a place with skyrocketing housing prices (except on the kind of housing we currently own) at a time when rates are going up as well.

I'm just complaining. Some people actually have offered useful advice for which I'm grateful, but you're running in circles saying stuff like "Are you saying L-T isn't a good school because they cleared their 2nd grade waitlist last year?" and not listening when I explain that of course it's a good school, it's just that we're not on the waitlist for 2nd and the odds of them clearing their waitlist this year are extremely slim and we are literally in the last spot on their waitlist, so there is virtually no point in discussing whether I would accept a spot there (I would) since I almost certainly won't be offered a spot.

It's a pure lottery. Money, status, education and political clout impute zero advantage. It feels "arbitrary" likely because for the first time in your life there is no way to gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource. Don't conflate "arbitrary" with "unfair".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are making the mistake of assuming that popularity = quality. The pool of kids looking to lottery and change schools starts to shrink after K. There start to be spaces in many of the Hill area elementary schools (for example) in mid-elementary grades. There are some reasonably good DCPS elementary schools that do not necessarily get much attention OOB.

No, you don’t understand school differences. There is a huge difference between Capitol Hill DCPS elementary schools and most other DCPS elementary schools EOTP. That difference, which is the most important, is academic performance. CH schools overwhelmingly at and above grade level, 60-89%. Non CH around 30% so overwhelmingly below grade level.

School in CH start losing kids after 4th because of the middle school feed due to Latin and Basis. Retention of families in K-3rd is high. Non CH schools EOTP, in contrast, start losing kids much earlier like K-1st. By 2nd, it’s stark. It’s not due to the middle school feed. It’s because families are not happy like OP and they are looking for a better school and trying to trade up.

There might be an exception in 1 or 2 grade where the CH schools may have space to take a few OOB kids but not common at all. You never see CH schools on short waitlist. Where other many non CH schools you can pretty much get in any grade 1st and up and on the short waitlist almost every year.

And no I’m not in CH. I’m in the other group.

You are massively overstating this. Just this year already, Brent offered 18 spots in the K lottery and has already made 22 offers for K on top of that. Last year Brent made 34 offers for 2nd grade. Ludlow-Taylor offered 4 seats for 1st and also made 4 offers, 7 seats for 2nd and also made 4 offers, 12 seats for 3rd and already made 2 offers, etc. Multiple offers in all grades last year as well. Maury is harder to get into, but last year they made 15 offers for K and 7 for 1st. Now, this isn't to say that any one particular kid will definitely get a spot at a particular school, but if you keep trying at multiple schools, chances are it'll work out. You're being ridiculous when you say "a few OOB kids" and "not common at all". Try checking the data before you assert yourself. This site is supposed to be helpful, not mislead people.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

OP here. None of those schools— Brent, Maury, L-T— have short waitlists. I know because I’m on them. You still have to lick into spots there.

The schools on the Hill with short waitlists are fairly similar to our current school— fine for ECE but issues after that. I’m not interested in trading one such school for another, there is no point.

If you're wanting a school system where you can get into any good school with no luck at all, I'm not sure where you could find that. Definitely not here. But having a short waitlist is not the same thing as it being really hard to get a spot. Sorry you didn't get a good lottery number, but there's a difference between "Can get in even with a terrible number or post-lottery add" and "really hard to get into".

People are trying to help you find a good school that you can get into, but you're defining "good school" as "school with a long waitlist" and if you keep up with that attitude, it might never work out. Last year, Ludlow-Taylor had a 2nd grade waitlist of 17, and made 17 offers. Does that cause you to think it's a bad school?

No, that does not make me think it's a bad school -- I would be over the moon happy if we got into L-T.

But my lottery luck runs such that if they had a waitlist of 17, I'd been spot #17, and then that would be the year they only made 16 offers.

Honestly, this thread is not me asking you to fix my lottery problem. It was really just me venting about the fact that the system feels arbitrary and frustrating, where one family can get lucky in PK3 and other families get unlucky year after year, and that's what dictates whether you can stay in your home. And, oh yeah, all of this is coinciding with market conditions that are throwing up obstacles to us moving, like living in a place with skyrocketing housing prices (except on the kind of housing we currently own) at a time when rates are going up as well.

I'm just complaining. Some people actually have offered useful advice for which I'm grateful, but you're running in circles saying stuff like "Are you saying L-T isn't a good school because they cleared their 2nd grade waitlist last year?" and not listening when I explain that of course it's a good school, it's just that we're not on the waitlist for 2nd and the odds of them clearing their waitlist this year are extremely slim and we are literally in the last spot on their waitlist, so there is virtually no point in discussing whether I would accept a spot there (I would) since I almost certainly won't be offered a spot.

It's a pure lottery. Money, status, education and political clout impute zero advantage. It feels "arbitrary" likely because for the first time in your life there is no way to gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource. Don't conflate "arbitrary" with "unfair".

+1. Of course it's arbitrary!

OP, it was you who chose to buy a house in a bad school zone, right? Own the decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are making the mistake of assuming that popularity = quality. The pool of kids looking to lottery and change schools starts to shrink after K. There start to be spaces in many of the Hill area elementary schools (for example) in mid-elementary grades. There are some reasonably good DCPS elementary schools that do not necessarily get much attention OOB.

No, you don’t understand school differences. There is a huge difference between Capitol Hill DCPS elementary schools and most other DCPS elementary schools EOTP. That difference, which is the most important, is academic performance. CH schools overwhelmingly at and above grade level, 60-89%. Non CH around 30% so overwhelmingly below grade level.

School in CH start losing kids after 4th because of the middle school feed due to Latin and Basis. Retention of families in K-3rd is high. Non CH schools EOTP, in contrast, start losing kids much earlier like K-1st. By 2nd, it’s stark. It’s not due to the middle school feed. It’s because families are not happy like OP and they are looking for a better school and trying to trade up.

There might be an exception in 1 or 2 grade where the CH schools may have space to take a few OOB kids but not common at all. You never see CH schools on short waitlist. Where other many non CH schools you can pretty much get in any grade 1st and up and on the short waitlist almost every year.

And no I’m not in CH. I’m in the other group.

You are massively overstating this. Just this year already, Brent offered 18 spots in the K lottery and has already made 22 offers for K on top of that. Last year Brent made 34 offers for 2nd grade. Ludlow-Taylor offered 4 seats for 1st and also made 4 offers, 7 seats for 2nd and also made 4 offers, 12 seats for 3rd and already made 2 offers, etc. Multiple offers in all grades last year as well. Maury is harder to get into, but last year they made 15 offers for K and 7 for 1st. Now, this isn't to say that any one particular kid will definitely get a spot at a particular school, but if you keep trying at multiple schools, chances are it'll work out. You're being ridiculous when you say "a few OOB kids" and "not common at all". Try checking the data before you assert yourself. This site is supposed to be helpful, not mislead people.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

OP here. None of those schools— Brent, Maury, L-T— have short waitlists. I know because I’m on them. You still have to lick into spots there.

The schools on the Hill with short waitlists are fairly similar to our current school— fine for ECE but issues after that. I’m not interested in trading one such school for another, there is no point.

If you're wanting a school system where you can get into any good school with no luck at all, I'm not sure where you could find that. Definitely not here. But having a short waitlist is not the same thing as it being really hard to get a spot. Sorry you didn't get a good lottery number, but there's a difference between "Can get in even with a terrible number or post-lottery add" and "really hard to get into".

People are trying to help you find a good school that you can get into, but you're defining "good school" as "school with a long waitlist" and if you keep up with that attitude, it might never work out. Last year, Ludlow-Taylor had a 2nd grade waitlist of 17, and made 17 offers. Does that cause you to think it's a bad school?

No, that does not make me think it's a bad school -- I would be over the moon happy if we got into L-T.

But my lottery luck runs such that if they had a waitlist of 17, I'd been spot #17, and then that would be the year they only made 16 offers.

Honestly, this thread is not me asking you to fix my lottery problem. It was really just me venting about the fact that the system feels arbitrary and frustrating, where one family can get lucky in PK3 and other families get unlucky year after year, and that's what dictates whether you can stay in your home. And, oh yeah, all of this is coinciding with market conditions that are throwing up obstacles to us moving, like living in a place with skyrocketing housing prices (except on the kind of housing we currently own) at a time when rates are going up as well.

I'm just complaining. Some people actually have offered useful advice for which I'm grateful, but you're running in circles saying stuff like "Are you saying L-T isn't a good school because they cleared their 2nd grade waitlist last year?" and not listening when I explain that of course it's a good school, it's just that we're not on the waitlist for 2nd and the odds of them clearing their waitlist this year are extremely slim and we are literally in the last spot on their waitlist, so there is virtually no point in discussing whether I would accept a spot there (I would) since I almost certainly won't be offered a spot.

It's a pure lottery. Money, status, education and political clout impute zero advantage. It feels "arbitrary" likely because for the first time in your life there is no way to gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource. Don't conflate "arbitrary" with "unfair".

I didn't say it was unfair, on purpose in fact. It is arbitrary. It's random. That's frustrating. Not because I've lived some privileged life but actually because I haven't. As for this being the first time in my life I can't gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource... my parents beat me as a kid, I've been unhoused before. If I were the sort of person who was used to using my privilege to gain an advantage, I'd simply live inbounds for a great school. You can condescend to me and make all the assumptions you want, but the truth is that your advice wasn't that helpful and your mad because I didn't fall all over myself thanking you for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are making the mistake of assuming that popularity = quality. The pool of kids looking to lottery and change schools starts to shrink after K. There start to be spaces in many of the Hill area elementary schools (for example) in mid-elementary grades. There are some reasonably good DCPS elementary schools that do not necessarily get much attention OOB.

No, you don’t understand school differences. There is a huge difference between Capitol Hill DCPS elementary schools and most other DCPS elementary schools EOTP. That difference, which is the most important, is academic performance. CH schools overwhelmingly at and above grade level, 60-89%. Non CH around 30% so overwhelmingly below grade level.

School in CH start losing kids after 4th because of the middle school feed due to Latin and Basis. Retention of families in K-3rd is high. Non CH schools EOTP, in contrast, start losing kids much earlier like K-1st. By 2nd, it’s stark. It’s not due to the middle school feed. It’s because families are not happy like OP and they are looking for a better school and trying to trade up.

There might be an exception in 1 or 2 grade where the CH schools may have space to take a few OOB kids but not common at all. You never see CH schools on short waitlist. Where other many non CH schools you can pretty much get in any grade 1st and up and on the short waitlist almost every year.

And no I’m not in CH. I’m in the other group.

You are massively overstating this. Just this year already, Brent offered 18 spots in the K lottery and has already made 22 offers for K on top of that. Last year Brent made 34 offers for 2nd grade. Ludlow-Taylor offered 4 seats for 1st and also made 4 offers, 7 seats for 2nd and also made 4 offers, 12 seats for 3rd and already made 2 offers, etc. Multiple offers in all grades last year as well. Maury is harder to get into, but last year they made 15 offers for K and 7 for 1st. Now, this isn't to say that any one particular kid will definitely get a spot at a particular school, but if you keep trying at multiple schools, chances are it'll work out. You're being ridiculous when you say "a few OOB kids" and "not common at all". Try checking the data before you assert yourself. This site is supposed to be helpful, not mislead people.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

OP here. None of those schools— Brent, Maury, L-T— have short waitlists. I know because I’m on them. You still have to lick into spots there.

The schools on the Hill with short waitlists are fairly similar to our current school— fine for ECE but issues after that. I’m not interested in trading one such school for another, there is no point.

If you're wanting a school system where you can get into any good school with no luck at all, I'm not sure where you could find that. Definitely not here. But having a short waitlist is not the same thing as it being really hard to get a spot. Sorry you didn't get a good lottery number, but there's a difference between "Can get in even with a terrible number or post-lottery add" and "really hard to get into".

People are trying to help you find a good school that you can get into, but you're defining "good school" as "school with a long waitlist" and if you keep up with that attitude, it might never work out. Last year, Ludlow-Taylor had a 2nd grade waitlist of 17, and made 17 offers. Does that cause you to think it's a bad school?

No, that does not make me think it's a bad school -- I would be over the moon happy if we got into L-T.

But my lottery luck runs such that if they had a waitlist of 17, I'd been spot #17, and then that would be the year they only made 16 offers.

Honestly, this thread is not me asking you to fix my lottery problem. It was really just me venting about the fact that the system feels arbitrary and frustrating, where one family can get lucky in PK3 and other families get unlucky year after year, and that's what dictates whether you can stay in your home. And, oh yeah, all of this is coinciding with market conditions that are throwing up obstacles to us moving, like living in a place with skyrocketing housing prices (except on the kind of housing we currently own) at a time when rates are going up as well.

I'm just complaining. Some people actually have offered useful advice for which I'm grateful, but you're running in circles saying stuff like "Are you saying L-T isn't a good school because they cleared their 2nd grade waitlist last year?" and not listening when I explain that of course it's a good school, it's just that we're not on the waitlist for 2nd and the odds of them clearing their waitlist this year are extremely slim and we are literally in the last spot on their waitlist, so there is virtually no point in discussing whether I would accept a spot there (I would) since I almost certainly won't be offered a spot.

It's a pure lottery. Money, status, education and political clout impute zero advantage. It feels "arbitrary" likely because for the first time in your life there is no way to gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource. Don't conflate "arbitrary" with "unfair".

+1. Of course it's arbitrary!

OP, it was you who chose to buy a house in a bad school zone, right? Own the decision.

I bought a condo I could afford in a place I could afford. I do "own" that decision, but it's not like I was like "huh, where can I live that will have a terrible school so that if I have a kid, I'll be desperately trying to lottery out? Also, if possible it should be a home that is hard to sell so if I need to move for better schools, it's really hard." I made a constrained decision, of course if I could have afforded it, I would have bought somewhere with better schools.

[Anonymous]

I still don't understand why you can't go to Burroughs, or Watkins.

[Anonymous]

OP did I miss where you shared grade and general area? People can help you here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP did I miss where you shared grade and general area? People can help you here.

On the first two pages of this thread, OP has said the following things:

"We are in NE and would consider schools in Edgewood, Brookland, H-Street, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, EotR. I think that's our limit."

And also "We'd be thrilled with ITS or Ludlow (and are currently waitlisted for both)."

and "I think Seaton is realistically an impossible commute for us, but otherwise we'd do Seaton or Garrison or Hyde-Addison (the last of which we are also waitlisted for)."

and that she is on the waitlist for LT, Watkins, ITS, Lee, or Burroughs.

I definitely agree that some of these schools require a lot of luck. But some of them really don't. Such as Watkins and Burroughs and Garrison.

If OP failed to make a long enough list for the initial lottery, that's a lesson learned the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP did I miss where you shared grade and general area? People can help you here.

On the first two pages of this thread, OP has said the following things:

"We are in NE and would consider schools in Edgewood, Brookland, H-Street, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, EotR. I think that's our limit."

And also "We'd be thrilled with ITS or Ludlow (and are currently waitlisted for both)."

and "I think Seaton is realistically an impossible commute for us, but otherwise we'd do Seaton or Garrison or Hyde-Addison (the last of which we are also waitlisted for)."

and that she is on the waitlist for LT, Watkins, ITS, Lee, or Burroughs.

I definitely agree that some of these schools require a lot of luck. But some of them really don't. Such as Watkins and Burroughs and Garrison.

If OP failed to make a long enough list for the initial lottery, that's a lesson learned the hard way.

Watkins literally didn't fill its open slots in 1st grade. The kids on the "waiting list" are just a result of every sibling of someone who matches at a school being put on the waiting list *even if* they match at a school they preferenced higher (it's a MySchoolDC thing). So unless they drop a classroom (and I don't think they will for 1st, because they didn't undermatch by that much), you will match at the school. Probably when their registrar returns in August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, hon. You are *much* more in control of this than you think. You *can* stay in your home, if you are willing to open your mind to more schools. It's a choice that you are making. Lots of people attend schools like Langley, Seaton, Burroughs, Miner, etc., and they like it! If that's not what you want, fine. But it's a thing that lots of real people are doing all over the city. You're choosing not to be open-minded and do what you need to do to make a lower-performing school work for your family. But it's a choice. And you'll feel less in despair about this if you recognize that it is a choice.

Oh please. It’s a choice that is no longer tenable in MS.

[Anonymous]

Is this for first grade?

[Anonymous]

We are in NE and started ITDS in mid elementary. They typically make waitlist calls late in the summer/early fall. It's frustrating but don't give up hope if you have a decent number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are making the mistake of assuming that popularity = quality. The pool of kids looking to lottery and change schools starts to shrink after K. There start to be spaces in many of the Hill area elementary schools (for example) in mid-elementary grades. There are some reasonably good DCPS elementary schools that do not necessarily get much attention OOB.

No, you don’t understand school differences. There is a huge difference between Capitol Hill DCPS elementary schools and most other DCPS elementary schools EOTP. That difference, which is the most important, is academic performance. CH schools overwhelmingly at and above grade level, 60-89%. Non CH around 30% so overwhelmingly below grade level.

School in CH start losing kids after 4th because of the middle school feed due to Latin and Basis. Retention of families in K-3rd is high. Non CH schools EOTP, in contrast, start losing kids much earlier like K-1st. By 2nd, it’s stark. It’s not due to the middle school feed. It’s because families are not happy like OP and they are looking for a better school and trying to trade up.

There might be an exception in 1 or 2 grade where the CH schools may have space to take a few OOB kids but not common at all. You never see CH schools on short waitlist. Where other many non CH schools you can pretty much get in any grade 1st and up and on the short waitlist almost every year.

And no I’m not in CH. I’m in the other group.

You are massively overstating this. Just this year already, Brent offered 18 spots in the K lottery and has already made 22 offers for K on top of that. Last year Brent made 34 offers for 2nd grade. Ludlow-Taylor offered 4 seats for 1st and also made 4 offers, 7 seats for 2nd and also made 4 offers, 12 seats for 3rd and already made 2 offers, etc. Multiple offers in all grades last year as well. Maury is harder to get into, but last year they made 15 offers for K and 7 for 1st. Now, this isn't to say that any one particular kid will definitely get a spot at a particular school, but if you keep trying at multiple schools, chances are it'll work out. You're being ridiculous when you say "a few OOB kids" and "not common at all". Try checking the data before you assert yourself. This site is supposed to be helpful, not mislead people.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

OP here. None of those schools— Brent, Maury, L-T— have short waitlists. I know because I’m on them. You still have to lick into spots there.

The schools on the Hill with short waitlists are fairly similar to our current school— fine for ECE but issues after that. I’m not interested in trading one such school for another, there is no point.

If you're wanting a school system where you can get into any good school with no luck at all, I'm not sure where you could find that. Definitely not here. But having a short waitlist is not the same thing as it being really hard to get a spot. Sorry you didn't get a good lottery number, but there's a difference between "Can get in even with a terrible number or post-lottery add" and "really hard to get into".

People are trying to help you find a good school that you can get into, but you're defining "good school" as "school with a long waitlist" and if you keep up with that attitude, it might never work out. Last year, Ludlow-Taylor had a 2nd grade waitlist of 17, and made 17 offers. Does that cause you to think it's a bad school?

No, that does not make me think it's a bad school -- I would be over the moon happy if we got into L-T.

But my lottery luck runs such that if they had a waitlist of 17, I'd been spot #17, and then that would be the year they only made 16 offers.

Honestly, this thread is not me asking you to fix my lottery problem. It was really just me venting about the fact that the system feels arbitrary and frustrating, where one family can get lucky in PK3 and other families get unlucky year after year, and that's what dictates whether you can stay in your home. And, oh yeah, all of this is coinciding with market conditions that are throwing up obstacles to us moving, like living in a place with skyrocketing housing prices (except on the kind of housing we currently own) at a time when rates are going up as well.

I'm just complaining. Some people actually have offered useful advice for which I'm grateful, but you're running in circles saying stuff like "Are you saying L-T isn't a good school because they cleared their 2nd grade waitlist last year?" and not listening when I explain that of course it's a good school, it's just that we're not on the waitlist for 2nd and the odds of them clearing their waitlist this year are extremely slim and we are literally in the last spot on their waitlist, so there is virtually no point in discussing whether I would accept a spot there (I would) since I almost certainly won't be offered a spot.

It's a pure lottery. Money, status, education and political clout impute zero advantage. It feels "arbitrary" likely because for the first time in your life there is no way to gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource. Don't conflate "arbitrary" with "unfair".

I didn't say it was unfair, on purpose in fact. It is arbitrary. It's random. That's frustrating. Not because I've lived some privileged life but actually because I haven't. As for this being the first time in my life I can't gain an advantage to secure a scarce resource... my parents beat me as a kid, I've been unhoused before. If I were the sort of person who was used to using my privilege to gain an advantage, I'd simply live inbounds for a great school. You can condescend to me and make all the assumptions you want, but the truth is that your advice wasn't that helpful and your mad because I didn't fall all over myself thanking you for it.

I mean this genuinely. Sometimes luck doesn't fall on your side and it is absolutely arbitrary and frustrating. Channel your inner lawyer and work the system. Find a short term rental and move IB for a good school with a manageable commute, then move home. Cheaper than permanently moving and cheaper than private school. You don't have to move for the rest of your child's school years, and likely you'll just get auto-enrolled in the feeder middle school even if DCPS policy technically doesn't allow it. People with the money to buy in upper NW and people with good lottery luck will judge on DCUM, but ignore them. Make the system work for you and don't sacrifice your child's education or your financial security because of a lottery system that just can't work for everyone (particularly if you have one child).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, hon. You are *much* more in control of this than you think. You *can* stay in your home, if you are willing to open your mind to more schools. It's a choice that you are making. Lots of people attend schools like Langley, Seaton, Burroughs, Miner, etc., and they like it! If that's not what you want, fine. But it's a thing that lots of real people are doing all over the city. You're choosing not to be open-minded and do what you need to do to make a lower-performing school work for your family. But it's a choice. And you'll feel less in despair about this if you recognize that it is a choice.

Oh please. It’s a choice that is no longer tenable in MS.

Lots of people stay for MS. And since OP's child is entering 1st, OP has lots of time to ponder her strategy and figure something out. Right now, she is *choosing* to be unhappy with schools that other people find acceptable. That's her choice, but it's a choice. The self-pity is not necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, hon. You are *much* more in control of this than you think. You *can* stay in your home, if you are willing to open your mind to more schools. It's a choice that you are making. Lots of people attend schools like Langley, Seaton, Burroughs, Miner, etc., and they like it! If that's not what you want, fine. But it's a thing that lots of real people are doing all over the city. You're choosing not to be open-minded and do what you need to do to make a lower-performing school work for your family. But it's a choice. And you'll feel less in despair about this if you recognize that it is a choice.

Oh please. It’s a choice that is no longer tenable in MS.

Lots of people stay for MS. And since OP's child is entering 1st, OP has lots of time to ponder her strategy and figure something out. Right now, she is *choosing* to be unhappy with schools that other people find acceptable. That's her choice, but it's a choice. The self-pity is not necessary.

I also think this might be the same poster who started a thread right after the lottery. Sooooo many people offered to help with a post lottery app, but she wouldn’t respond. Could be a different person but same vibe.