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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My larger point was combating the idea that these schools are somehow exclusive in some nefarious way.  I was responding to the person who discussed them perpetuating the cycle of poverty.  Other posts have been in a similar vein.  Is there a higher percentage of middle and upper income families at these schools than other charters?  Yes.  [b]But its nothing like the richest DCPS schools, which have FARM rates in the 5-10% range.  And remember, those schools are quite literally exclusive in that if you can't afford to live in their boundary, you can not go there.[/b]  For these charters, you have to fill out a one page form online.  Is there self-selection that tilts the applicant pool to be richer and whiter than the DC child population average?  Absolutely, anyone who didn't admit that is fooling themselves.  But many of these schools purposefully advertise and do sessions in parts of the city where they have fewer students so that they can be an option for kids from all over the city.[/quote]

Starting next year, there will be 40+ non-feeder OOB seats for 6th grade at Deal, and more for 9th at Wilson. How many at DCI?

I don't mean to deny that DCI feeders are less exclusive than Wilson feeders for early ed. But I suspect there's a lot of families who would happily put a ninth or even a sixth grader on a bus or train who don't have the ability to get a 3 year old to a DCI feeder. I think it's going to be pretty hard for DCI to avoid the impression that it's the most exclusive school in town. [/quote]

You do realize how ridiculous your argument still is though, right?  Exclusive means even if you want in, you can't get in, because only ______-type of person can get in.  Charters are actually more equitable because to the degree there are any open spots at all, EVERYONE applying has an equal chance in the initial lottery.  That's about as un-exclusive as it gets.  Once you get in, it's up to you to see if you can make the commute work for a 3 or 4 yr old, just like EVERYONE in DC has to figure out.  I'm at one HRCS and I know several families who go through quite a lot to make the commute work.  It's not easy for them, but they'd rather have the option of doing it than no option at all.

I'm sure there are some families for whom the commute is the deal-breaker, but give us a break and do not try to spin this as a hardship issue for underserved families of 3 and 4 yr olds just to try to prove your (unproven and unsupported) point that some how charters are exclusive.  Once again, even with Deal's alleged 40+ OOB spots and Wilson's more than 40+ spots (I hadn't heard about that but taking that PP to be correct), Deal and Wilson are both geographically and SES-wise far far FAR more exclusive than any other public schools in DC, as are their elementary feeders.  You are still looking absurd if you are trying to argue that DCI gives the impression of the most exclusive school in town.  100% of the people who will go to DCI (excepting Founders kids), if they're coming from feeders, the first child from that family was drawn in a District-wide, open-to-everyone lottery.  Then it's siblings and new lottery folks.  You are still not explaining in any realistic, concrete way what is "exclusive" about a totally by-chance admission system from all over DC.[/quote]

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