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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Wouldn't it be truly fair if it was just a lottery and your WL number was your lottery #? Waiting in line, if you can, doesn't make you a better or more "motivated" parent.  Being on an  ipad at 7:58  with a latte and a spreadsheet in your pjs  doesn't make you "savvy".

It was unfair when Oyster did it and it's unfair when charters do it.

Call it a lot if things, but don't call it fair.

Good luck![/quote]

Actually getting up at 4 AM to try and get a spot a great school for your child does make you more motivated.  And life is not always fair. Sometimes you need to take that extra step to get somewhere.  My DH was in line this morning because we got triple digit waitlist numbers everywhere last year.  Our neighborhood school is a mess. There were lots of parents switching off and the aunt of an applicant applying for her niece or nephew.  It is one day out of your life-- if you are truly motivated then you will do all you can to make it work.  Whining about how unfair it is will get you nowhere.[/quote]

I'm one of the people who waiting in line this morning from quite early (before 6:00am).  And I will also be the first person to say that yes, I'm grateful we were able to be there and do this, [b]but I also know MANY single parents or parents with one spouse working/not home and who don't have family or the means to pay someone to watch their kids while they wait in line all night.[/b]  It is one night/morning out of your life... but some parents simply would be VERY hard-presse4d to make this work without leaving their kids unsupervissed which of course is not ok either.

Yes, there's the lottery, and thank heavens for that, but if you have done your research and feel strongly that this is the school you most want your child to go to, there ARE some parents who would not be able to get there this morning (or not by 5:30am anyway).

Hopefully this year there won't be so many siblings that whether you were in person or online or got your application in by 10:00 somehow you will be ok.  But from the tales of Oyster and other high high demand schools in the past, I don't see how anyone can say that a date-time stamped priority waitlist is really fair to all "motivated" parents.

I'm very grateful and don't take it for granted at all that we were able to make it work this morning.[/quote]

It all depends on how much it matters to you.  [b]At worst, your friends could bring their kids with them.

Put it this way:  Would your friends be in that line if their kid's life was on the line?  They would find a way.    [/quote][/b]

I'm going to assume that's a serious statement and just say

1)  I actually don't know any parent who would have multiple kids out all night on a public sidewalk, possibly in the cold or rain, all night to apply at 8:00am.  And young kids, that's toruture for the kids and the parent to the degree it just isn't  doable (or appropriate) for most young kids.  There's nowhere to park your car right where you wait in line, and you can't have your kids in a parked car out of your view all night, so really, you know that many parents with young kids who would have them out all night on line on the sidewalk in Oct in DC?  And

2) Are you seriously comparing a medical emergency to registering your kid in school?  OF COURSE any sane (or half sane) parent would do whatever they had to do to get their kid medical attention regardless of which kids they have to drag out of the house in their PJs in the cold and get on teh bus with etc, but a medical emergency is not the same as registering for school, as serious a decision and impact as school attendance is.[/quote]

Not the PP you quoted but I have to disagree. You do not have to be there all night.  My DH got there at about 5:30 and was in the first 10 people waiting. He was out of there at 8:01 and 36 sec.  That is 2.5 hours and it wasn't raining or freezing. I'm sure it would not be pleasant  but it's not completely out of the realm of possibility to bring your children if you had no other choice and it was really that important to you.  Your kids will not melt having to stay outside for 2.5 hours--first world problem.[/quote]

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