Reply to At-risk lottery preference

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm in favor of it. And I want it in place, and then to have PCSB adopt it as well after a good discussion.  I would then like to see it prioritized. I think there is room to consider whether it belongs ahead of sibling preference.

It appears, at least to me, that the knowledge advantage about the lottery process, expanding class years, and other small edges that exist in an otherwise fair entry process help shut out at-risk families in favor of those who already have access to some of the HRCS and more popular EOTP DCPS elementaries. Think Latin or Mundo Verde. I think that is nice for my family (we have a kid enrolled due to being a younger sibling, almost certainly, at our DCPS) but it is better for the city overall if at-risk kids get those seats first. [/quote]

+1 I'm in favor of it, but only if PCSB's adopt too. Excluding the city-wide DCPS schools, the DCPS neighborhood schools will always have a fairly limited number of seats for OOB enrollees, whether they are high risk or not. It seems like there's more potential for positive change if charter schools have to do it too.

Our own family wouldn't benefit from this change, we are UMC and our oldest is enrolled at a high-performing, highly desired charter school. The sibling preference for our youngest would be nice, but it is not fair to other families.

Honestly, the only thing that seems fair is to invest in the high performing schools, make them larger, add more seats (more classes, more teachers, more funds) and bus kids to them. Why should kids in Ward 5/7/8 be stuck in underperforming schools in a concentrated, high-poverty environment? Studies show low-income kids perform better in an economically integrated environment. Didn't Mayor Bowser campaign on "Alice Deal for all"? How has that turned out? Shouldn't there be a "JKLM" and Alice Deal for all?

I feel like the at risk preference is nibbling at the margins of the problem, but it is better than nothing, so I support it. But I also support more dramatic actions, like busing (so unpopular, I know) or creating more city-wide public schools that have a mix of UMC/high SES and low income students.

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