What happens with the kids who are not in school? Do DCPS track them down? I can't imagine that parents can keep them at home (unless it's homeschooling).

Anonymous wrote:this may be anecdotal, but i don't know anyone in DC with a preS/preK kid not enrolled somewhere. DC has gotten this right, IMO.

It's anecdotal - I know two people in DC with preS kids not enrolled in school right now. One by choice and one because she didn't find an "acceptable" school location.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technically it is universal. There are empty seats right now. Chances are though, you don't want your child at the schools that have a slot.

No, you are wrong. "Technically" would mean that the pre-K children have the same rights as a Kindergarten.

I agree..goal met! There are open slots available throughout various wards for PS and PK. Whether or not you want to send your child to the available school(s) is another issue!

this may be anecdotal, but i don't know anyone in DC with a preS/preK kid not enrolled somewhere. DC has gotten this right, IMO.

Anonymous wrote:The pre-k expansion law was passed when Gray was a council chair. A role I wish he still had. He was key in pushing ahead charter and other reforms much more than Fenty IMO, contrary to popular belief.

Why statehood? Because there's no point in having laws on the books for our own children if we can't control our own tax dollars to pay for them.

Many people do confuse universal pre-k with no more DCPS lottery. That was never the intention.

Informative. Thank you.

The pre-k expansion law was passed when Gray was a council chair. A role I wish he still had. He was key in pushing ahead charter and other reforms much more than Fenty IMO, contrary to popular belief.

Why statehood? Because there's no point in having laws on the books for our own children if we can't control our own tax dollars to pay for them.

Many people do confuse universal pre-k with no more DCPS lottery. That was never the intention.

Dorrie wrote:
Jeff, do you have documentation of Gray saying that it was accomplished?

There are lots of sources, but this was the first one I found:

http://georgetown.patch.com/articles/mayor-gray-addresses-district-wide-and-community-level-concerns-at-anc2e-meeting

On education the mayor touted the District's pre-K program and said he intends to roll out a plan for infant and toddler care services before year's end. "We are the only city in America that has universal pre-k services," said Gray.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technically it is universal. There are empty seats right now. Chances are though, you don't want your child at the schools that have a slot.

No, you are wrong. "Technically" would mean that the pre-K children have the same rights as a Kindergarten.

You are mixing up mandatory with universal. What Jeff said in the pp is right. Goal met!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technically it is universal. There are empty seats right now. Chances are though, you don't want your child at the schools that have a slot.

No, you are wrong. "Technically" would mean that the pre-K children have the same rights as a Kindergarten.

According to the legislation, you are actually incorrect. As defined by law, "universal pre-k" in DC means free pre-k slots for all 3 and 4-year-olds. Those slots don't necessarily have to be in DCPS schools. Gray considers this goal to have been accomplished. So, as far as he is concerned, we have universal pre-k now.

Anonymous wrote:Technically it is universal. There are empty seats right now. Chances are though, you don't want your child at the schools that have a slot.

Or if you do, you'll want to pull them out as soon as they hit K, and definitely by 1st.

Anonymous wrote:Technically it is universal. There are empty seats right now. Chances are though, you don't want your child at the schools that have a slot.

No, you are wrong. "Technically" would mean that the pre-K children have the same rights as a Kindergarten.

Technically it is universal. There are empty seats right now. Chances are though, you don't want your child at the schools that have a slot.

My guess is OBS: Overshadowed by Scandal. Has this mayor done anything other than respond to various scandals?

I did not vote for him but was willing to give him a chance. Can't see that any of the things that I DID like in his campaign platform, including universal preK, have moved one inch toward implementation.

Be patient. Gray's working on DC statehoold first.

DC Mayor Gray campaigned that he would make Pre-K universal. Does anyone know what the status of this is?