I live in SF and have a DD in public elementary school. There ARE neighborhood boundaries. Had my DD gone to the neighborhood school she'd have been the only white girl in her class. The lottery system has recently been re-vamped. In the old system, we had seven choices (we got my first choice). Had I not requested any schools, DD would have been put in the neighborhood school. Instead, we leave at 7am to get to school at 7:50.

Now they've scrapped that old lottery system, and certain elementary schools feed into certain middle schools. We live by the SF Bay. Her feeder middle school is by the Pacific Ocean - so basically could not be farther away while still being in the city. She's not going there. I am applying her to other schools that are closer, smaller, and (I think) a better fit academically.

I do know of a lot of people who moved out of the city for school, but also know many people who are happy with the public schools their kids are in.

It's just too different. Change will be incremental not revolutionary.

Maybe one if the stats people can calculate the odds of getting into one of the top 5 charters? The wotp schools are getting closed off since filling up in IB, what does lottery leave eotp with?

Hopefully dcps is not slowly going this route, it feels that way!

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know there pays for private.

Same. Between housing prices and schools, the only people who can make SF work are millionaires.

Everyone I know there pays for private.

PP-let me clarify-two weeks AFTER the school year started. She kept getting the running around that this must be some central office/clerical error. WTF.

NO! I know someone who didn't get into any school in SF she applied too. It was TWO weeks before her daughter could get "assigned" some random school.It was an epic cluster fuck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has been terrible - good in theory, bad in practice. It's great are lucky enough to get into one of your top choice schools. But most people don't, and some have to drive 30-45 mins ONE WAY. And even then, their sibling might not get in a couple of years down the road. The whole lottery system is super stressful for most parents - many families go private or move to the East Bay, etc. if you want another perspective, check out the blog the sf k files.

How exactly is this different from DC?

Agree. While SF might be more extreme, DC feels this way to many parents already. The 30-45 commute and all.

Making parents drive even further than what they've currently selected (either by lottery or by moving in-bounds) is a SURE-FIRE way to cripple the school system. (DC already has the longest average commutes in the country, I've heard.) The "rich enough" will go private and cease advocating on behalf of the education system and the "not rich enough but still highly mobile" will flee.

From what I understand, there are no neighborhood boundaries. Families are assigned to schools by lottery and a complicated formula to make sure schools are integrated racially and socioeconomicallly. I am convinced that the people behind the boundary and student assignment review here in DC would like to get as close as possible to this model as they can without losing middle class families en masse

Anonymous wrote:It has been terrible - good in theory, bad in practice. It's great are lucky enough to get into one of your top choice schools. But most people don't, and some have to drive 30-45 mins ONE WAY. And even then, their sibling might not get in a couple of years down the road. The whole lottery system is super stressful for most parents - many families go private or move to the East Bay, etc. if you want another perspective, check out the blog the sf k files.

How exactly is this different from DC?

Anonymous wrote:It has been terrible - good in theory, bad in practice. It's great are lucky enough to get into one of your top choice schools. But most people don't, and some have to drive 30-45 mins ONE WAY. And even then, their sibling might not get in a couple of years down the road. The whole lottery system is super stressful for most parents - many families go private or move to the East Bay, etc. if you want another perspective, check out the blog the sf k files.

+1. San Francisco is a great model of what not to do. Sadly.

Signed,

Former SF resident

It has been terrible - good in theory, bad in practice. It's great are lucky enough to get into one of your top choice schools. But most people don't, and some have to drive 30-45 mins ONE WAY. And even then, their sibling might not get in a couple of years down the road. The whole lottery system is super stressful for most parents - many families go private or move to the East Bay, etc. if you want another perspective, check out the blog the sf k files.

Does anyone know if it has been successful there? TIA!