Time to Stop Counting on Charters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

So basically this means that 90% of the families in Columbia Heights, Petworth, etc. with children age 4 and younger are just going to have to move or invest thousands of dollars in private school? Rather than just working together as a community, with hundreds of families that are in the exact same boat, to improve the school that is right down the block? That is going to be quite an exodus. Who do you think is going to buy all your houses?

[Anonymous]

This is directed to 14:04 (and 14:01)

We (also Ward 5) enrolled in the local school (underperforming) and my older son had a FANTASTIC teacher. The school lacks resources and parental involvement which lead to the low test scores, but so far he's been doing well. Younger son, also above grade level, with a different teacher.

I'm frustrated with DCPS but also with parents in our community who have the ability and resources but aren't willing to do a little work to make it better. Half of the schools that people are rushing to go to got that way because a group of parents decided to get involved. Not trying to steer you away from your charter if you're happy with it, but I also don't believe it would have been a huge sacrifice of your child if you and some others got involved and DCPS did its part. (I know that's a huge IF)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

+1 or pay for private. We applied to private schools and the charter our child currently attends, got in off the waitlist. Our inbound elementary is 90+ % FARMS, we did not even consider it. If we hadn't gotten into the charter, we simply would have considered private school tuition the toll we pay for cheaper housing and short commute.

[Anonymous]

14:08- this isn't scientific, but on my block- I've had two children in the past 5 years. New neighbors down the block with a 1.5 yo, New family across the street with a 3 yo, Two families down the block both with 2 children under the age of 4. Family at the end of the block with a 4 yo.

[Anonymous]

Where do you get your 90% stat? And for the last couple of years every house on my Petworth street has sold within a week of going on the market. Not too worried about that, especially considering my house has appreciated 300% since purchasing it a decade ago. Anyway, please do gather your troops and take over your local school to improve it...you're in for a rude awakening. Just check out the thread about Payne Elementary and what happened when too many middle class families showed an interest...you'll spin your wheels and realize that your child's childhood is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do you get your 90% stat? And for the last couple of years every house on my Petworth street has sold within a week of going on the market. Not too worried about that, especially considering my house has appreciated 300% since purchasing it a decade ago. Anyway, please do gather your troops and take over your local school to improve it...you're in for a rude awakening. Just check out the thread about Payne Elementary and what happened when too many middle class families showed an interest...you'll spin your wheels and realize that your child's childhood is over.

We don't live in Petworth but downtown and our IB is Walker Jones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

+1 or pay for private. We applied to private schools and the charter our child currently attends, got in off the waitlist. Our inbound elementary is 90+ % FARMS, we did not even consider it. If we hadn't gotten into the charter, we simply would have considered private school tuition the toll we pay for cheaper housing and short commute.

You know, I always thought that the "XX% FARMs" argument felt a little bit icky. Can you tell me why you do not want your child going to the same school that poor kids go to?

[Anonymous]

Nothing against poor kids but as has been said many times on DCUM, kids don't do well academically where the majority of their peers come from a lower SES background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

+1 or pay for private. We applied to private schools and the charter our child currently attends, got in off the waitlist. Our inbound elementary is 90+ % FARMS, we did not even consider it. If we hadn't gotten into the charter, we simply would have considered private school tuition the toll we pay for cheaper housing and short commute.

You know, I always thought that the "XX% FARMs" argument felt a little bit icky. Can you tell me why you do not want your child going to the same school that poor kids go to?

Documented, scientifically proven achievement gap. Which means, while teachers are working double time to get a low SES child up to speed (because that child wasn't taught ABCs and numbers when he/she was 2 or 3) your child is sitting there bored and uninspired. That's no way to inspire a life long love of learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

So basically this means that 90% of the families in Columbia Heights, Petworth, etc. with children age 4 and younger are just going to have to move or invest thousands of dollars in private school? Rather than just working together as a community, with hundreds of families that are in the exact same boat, to improve the school that is right down the block? That is going to be quite an exodus. Who do you think is going to buy all your houses?

There's some truth in this. If a class has 30 students, and 10 or 15 are children of middle class families who are a new development in Wards 1 and 4, that's a game-changer.

What schools should do is have POST-lottery open houses that are really easy for interested parents to get to.

Like 12pm on a Saturday or something really accessible.

So that they can see others in a similar boat who are interested in possibly getting into that DCPS school, so they don't just have to think the worst and act on that because they don't have any information beyond "FARMS percentages" and 3rd grade test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, somebody gets in, because there are tons of people with kids in charter schools, including me. I understand your frustration, and yes, the odds are low but just like the Powerball somebody's number is going to come up. It just sucks when it isn't yours. The fact that lots of people don't get in doesn't mean that charters are a waste of time. We all play the hand we're dealt. If I hadn't gotten a slot, we simply would have left our child in daycare until K and then enrolled him at a Catholic school.

Yeah! 2 extra years of daycare - because you know, everyone can just pay for that.

Again, JERK - it would have meant putting off having a second child. I can't "just pay for that" either. I'd have to make choices and stay on BC. But thanks for pretending you know everything about my situation when you don't. My point is that everyone has to make tough choices. No one is guaranteed a spot for free PS3/PK4 and no one should act as though they are entitled to it.

Meow honey.

In DC, everyone is entitled to it. Are you new to the city?

Lived here 10 years. Not aware that PS3 has been mandated yet, that's news to me. So fine - no one is entitled to the school of their choice. Fair enough or would you care to argue that point?

TEN WHOLE YEARS! Wow. I'm so impressed by your decade of service to the city. You realize that there are generations of people who have lived here - right? I have shoes that have lived in this city longer than you.

Good for you. Who fucking cares? Point is I still know the law and the current system intimately because I live with it every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do you get your 90% stat? And for the last couple of years every house on my Petworth street has sold within a week of going on the market. Not too worried about that, especially considering my house has appreciated 300% since purchasing it a decade ago. Anyway, please do gather your troops and take over your local school to improve it...you're in for a rude awakening. Just check out the thread about Payne Elementary and what happened when too many middle class families showed an interest...you'll spin your wheels and realize that your child's childhood is over.

I am making the stat up, but going with the fact that this year there were thousands of families that applied for the popular charters and only a handful, mostly those who already have siblings in the school, who will get in. I understand that TODAY most people who have kids in those areas were able to get in to charters in the past, but the situation has changed and those with kids younger are not getting in. And yes, the housing market it hot NOW, but once people learn that charters are no longer a realistic option, do you think as many families will flock to these neighborhoods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

+1 or pay for private. We applied to private schools and the charter our child currently attends, got in off the waitlist. Our inbound elementary is 90+ % FARMS, we did not even consider it. If we hadn't gotten into the charter, we simply would have considered private school tuition the toll we pay for cheaper housing and short commute.

You know, I always thought that the "XX% FARMs" argument felt a little bit icky. Can you tell me why you do not want your child going to the same school that poor kids go to?

Documented, scientifically proven achievement gap. Which means, while teachers are working double time to get a low SES child up to speed (because that child wasn't taught ABCs and numbers when he/she was 2 or 3) your child is sitting there bored and uninspired. That's no way to inspire a life long love of learning.

Fair enough, I guess. I got free meals in public school and didn't need anyone working double time to get me up to speed. Sure, is anecdotal, but it seems weird to me that someone would not at least consider their in bounds school beyond knowing how many kids get free meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely move rather than sacrifice a single year of my child's schooling by knowingly sending her to a failing school where the dysfunction is entrenched. Elementary years are too few and fleeting to waste a moment on a social experiment.

So basically this means that 90% of the families in Columbia Heights, Petworth, etc. with children age 4 and younger are just going to have to move or invest thousands of dollars in private school? Rather than just working together as a community, with hundreds of families that are in the exact same boat, to improve the school that is right down the block? That is going to be quite an exodus. Who do you think is going to buy all your houses?

There's some truth in this. If a class has 30 students, and 10 or 15 are children of middle class families who are a new development in Wards 1 and 4, that's a game-changer.

What schools should do is have POST-lottery open houses that are really easy for interested parents to get to.

Like 12pm on a Saturday or something really accessible.

So that they can see others in a similar boat who are interested in possibly getting into that DCPS school, so they don't just have to think the worst and act on that because they don't have any information beyond "FARMS percentages" and 3rd grade test scores.

There's logic there, but there's also logic that says that you kind of need to see the school in action, during the week, when there are kids there, to get an accurate feel for how it operates.

[Anonymous]

The achievement gap is most certainly not anecdotal. It's irrefutable.