Anonymous wrote: ... This would give people the all-day care they need for 3's and 4's without all the stress of trying to pick a philosophy, a language, a feeder program and a commute they could live with forever at such an early age.

Yes, the kids would likely change schools for K, but that has historically been the case when kids transitioned from preschool to kindergarten. And I say this as a Stokes parent who did get lucky in the lottery, but would have liked to keep my daughter home another year without losing our spot.

This is an important point that I have seen is that it is not "all day care" - it is a full day of school. DC is trying to do something to close the performance gap - and because it does not work for you and your snowflake, you want new rules.

Children from low-SES families often begin kindergarten with significantly less linguistic knowledge. DC tried to do something about this and are providing these children (and the rest of the DC residents) the opportunity to have a quality PreS and PreK programs.

I'd like to see two lotteries - one for PS3 and PS4, and then a whole new set for all students at K, with no right to stay through unless you were at your IB school. This would give people the all-day care they need for 3's and 4's without all the stress of trying to pick a philosophy, a language, a feeder program and a commute they could live with forever at such an early age.

Yes, the kids would likely change schools for K, but that has historically been the case when kids transitioned from preschool to kindergarten. And I say this as a Stokes parent who did get lucky in the lottery, but would have liked to keep my daughter home another year without losing our spot.

I am very much not a troll and I agree that there is a lot of entitlement on this thread. First, this is a poor city that had for many years extremely poor citizens. The city designed the free PS and PK as an offshoot of Head Start to provide free early education to kids whose parents can't afford it. It's great that you would prefer to have your child spend time with a nanny or you and only attend preschool part time. Then do that. But it is entitled to demand that the city offer you the free preschool that you want in addition to the free preschool that the city believes the poor children of this city need. Second, the problem that people seem to have really stems from your own decision to live in a neighborhood that does not offer a school that you find acceptable. Living here requires trade offs. If you choose to live in the biggest house you can afford in a transitional neighborhood then you have to play the lottery and take the full day PS and PK. If you want to pick your preschool and still have a guaranteed K then you will have to move to a neighborhood that allows that.

"Troll" here. Thanks PP. I really did not mean to start a fight or anger the op. it's just my personal opinion that all day prek options is a great option that benefits me and I'm thankful for it. I do not complain about it as I see it something very beneficial. I got into a good charter it's opening year (this is my reasoning with open K spots throughout the city). Lately, it seems to be the norm that there are more and more good charters that either open or expand every school year. There are options in the city. If my DC was not ready for all day PS I would explore other options like coop preschool. Because the new charters are opening annually, I would chance it for Kinder as well as other tier 2 schools (even if it meant supplementing) then trying the lottery again at 1st. I don't see how "making a change" would change anything since the overwhelming majority will side with all day, and I can't ever see the charter board forcing schools to set aside spots and money to hold for a few students that didn't want to do PreK.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's sad is that what's best for our kids takes a back seat to not being shut out by waiting. Your DC may not be ready right now, but if you don't apply and take a spot now you may be SOL later. We all lose in this game!

I disagree with using the term "sad". The option for free PK3 and PK4 is very rare in DC. You don't have to participate in the madness if you do not want. K is a good year to enter charters so if you opt to keep your child at home you have that right, but don't call it sad because its a daunting process if you wish to participate. All I see about preschool craziness in lotteries etc baffles me, it's more of an entitlement feeling from other parents rather than looking at it as a great benefit to utilize to offset expensive daycare and prepare our youngsters for Kinder (even of you're destined to a tier 2 option).

A troll has come a'lurkin'! So tired of these pretenders. Everyone knows that if you wait till K, you're likely screwed. Yes, a lot of people are taking advantage of free Pre-K and move on to other options at the K level. More DO NOT. The number of people on waitlists has reached into the hundreds. The economy is down. Translation- people aren't messing around and are sticking with their school from Prek going forward, so long as its not a total mess. Parents wanting an option are not ENTITLED. People trying to push that message are DEMONS FROM TROLL LAND, however!

OMG, thank you virtual stranger. PP from above and I swallowed the nasty troll bait hook, line, and sinker. The fact that I'm sick and nearly in tears about the school situation is bad enough, and then to have someone call me entitled because I want a choice? I'd be glad to just have a few spots at the schools set aside for students whose families did not use the preschool to allow competitive K entry. I think this change will happen gradually, but it seems unlikely before it's too late for my kids.

Thank you for talking me down from the ledge here. I allowed that poster to make me really angry and you are right - she's just baiting me.

I really don't think PP is a troll. Do you know what a troll is? Do you really think that someone could have a different opinion than you?

I would bet that if you took a poll of all parents in DC (not just DCUMland), you would find that the VAST majority are in favor of full day PS & PK.

It sounds like your real problem is that you are not happy with your local DCPS. If you lived virtually anywhere else in the country, you wouldn't have the myriad options available to you to get out of sending your kid to your local school. That's the positive in the DC school choice craziness. The drawback, maybe you might have to send your kid to school a little bit before you would like. It's a tradeoff.

Up until a few years ago, PS wasn't even available here. Can you imagine the outcry if they tried to get rid of it or scale it back?

Anonymous wrote:You're crazy not to apply. As a pp said, it's all about choices, and there's no need to decide now. I was in your shoes 3 years ago - in a perfect world, we'd have continued with DD's fabulous 3-day a week play-based pre-school. But we got lucky at a great charter, and decided to give it a try, especially since the odds of getting in to that (or other) programs as a PK-4 drop considerably, and our IB DCPS really stinks. It was a little tough transition, but she really took to it.

It really does boil down to 2 considerations - are you happy with your IB DCPS, and is there a charter you really, really love for which the entry year is PS-3?

This was exactly my experience. We had already paid the deposit at DD's part time preschool and I decided to try the lottery for a few charters and we got in to one. It's a good long term fit for us so we went for it, knowing we might not have the opportunity again. Our DCPS is not an option for us. My DD has a Nov bday and is the oldest in her class but she did have a few tough weeks transitioning from 10 hours a week to 30 hours a week. Then, about a month in, she turned to me and said, "Please leave Mommy." She is thriving and so am I, having been able take on more work. I definitely questioned the value of a six hour day but between playing, eating, sleeping, bathroom, etc. the day flies by. There have been lots of holidays and in service days which we make the most of. It's been great for our family!

? I don't volunteer. Have a baby at home. DS also has an August birthday - wasn't a problem with full day preK.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS stayed home until prek4. We were only interested in an immersion charter that started at prek4 so did not apply anywhere for 3 yr olds. Applied to private schools and the charter we wanted. Got into charter off waitlist. We love the school so it all worked out. DS did not have any issues going from home to full day preschool as a 4 yr old.

Wanted to add that I would have preferred to keep DS at home until K but it is impossible to get into this charter for K. Last yr, they took no one except siblings so for us sending DS at preK, entry yr, made sense.

Would you be willing to support parents who want to make some kind of a sea change here? Volunteering a lot is fine, but I'm just not ready for school with my kid yet. He is already right up against the birthday cut off as it is (August 29). So basically, I don't want to give up that last year for a full day school, even if I can be there with him some days.

Anonymous wrote:DS stayed home until prek4. We were only interested in an immersion charter that started at prek4 so did not apply anywhere for 3 yr olds. Applied to private schools and the charter we wanted. Got into charter off waitlist. We love the school so it all worked out. DS did not have any issues going from home to full day preschool as a 4 yr old.

Wanted to add that I would have preferred to keep DS at home until K but it is impossible to get into this charter for K. Last yr, they took no one except siblings so for us sending DS at preK, entry yr, made sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's sad is that what's best for our kids takes a back seat to not being shut out by waiting. Your DC may not be ready right now, but if you don't apply and take a spot now you may be SOL later. We all lose in this game!

I disagree with using the term "sad". The option for free PK3 and PK4 is very rare in DC. You don't have to participate in the madness if you do not want. K is a good year to enter charters so if you opt to keep your child at home you have that right, but don't call it sad because its a daunting process if you wish to participate. All I see about preschool craziness in lotteries etc baffles me, it's more of an entitlement feeling from other parents rather than looking at it as a great benefit to utilize to offset expensive daycare and prepare our youngsters for Kinder (even of you're destined to a tier 2 option).

A troll has come a'lurkin'! So tired of these pretenders. Everyone knows that if you wait till K, you're likely screwed. Yes, a lot of people are taking advantage of free Pre-K and move on to other options at the K level. More DO NOT. The number of people on waitlists has reached into the hundreds. The economy is down. Translation- people aren't messing around and are sticking with their school from Prek going forward, so long as its not a total mess. Parents wanting an option are not ENTITLED. People trying to push that message are DEMONS FROM TROLL LAND, however!

OMG, thank you virtual stranger. PP from above and I swallowed the nasty troll bait hook, line, and sinker. The fact that I'm sick and nearly in tears about the school situation is bad enough, and then to have someone call me entitled because I want a choice? I'd be glad to just have a few spots at the schools set aside for students whose families did not use the preschool to allow competitive K entry. I think this change will happen gradually, but it seems unlikely before it's too late for my kids.

Thank you for talking me down from the ledge here. I allowed that poster to make me really angry and you are right - she's just baiting me.

DS stayed home until prek4. We were only interested in an immersion charter that started at prek4 so did not apply anywhere for 3 yr olds. Applied to private schools and the charter we wanted. Got into charter off waitlist. We love the school so it all worked out. DS did not have any issues going from home to full day preschool as a 4 yr old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
... But, I don't want them to have my kids for five days a week, all day. We don't need childcare. Ideally, I want to balance keeping my kids at home when they're little with a lovely program. I'm sure the full day programs work well for many kids; but we do not want that, despite the great programs out there for the families who do want that route. I think there is a growing sector of parents who want greater flexibility from the public and charter system.

So enroll your child in a 1/2 day program - and either send them to private or whatever school you have the option of for K. Many families do this.

If you in bounds school is not what you want - start now to help make it a place you want your child to be or move. Families all across the world are faced with trade-offs. They deal with them. What you are complaining about is something that many families across the country would appreciate. They do not have full day K in Loundon county in 2013. If this is more of the environment you want for your child - I am sure you can find a McMansion there.

Oh be quiet. Just because you don't have what it takes to make a change doesn't mean the rest of us should just like it or lump it as you suggest and it must be REALLY nice to live in a fantasy world where it's always so easy as just "make it a place you want your child to be" (yes, because earnest parenting can DEFINITELY make up for violence at school. It is always possible! or to "move." Yeah, okay. How about this: you do what's best for your kids and don't try to tell me what I can ask for, for mine. You, lady, DO NOT GET IT. Which is really funny considering how you are trying to play the city card and insult people from Loudon or wherever. I live in a small home in the best neighborhood I could afford for my family. I can't afford a McMansion and probably can't afford Loudon county - not that I would want to live there. You, however, are a vile bitch and should really just shut the F up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's sad is that what's best for our kids takes a back seat to not being shut out by waiting. Your DC may not be ready right now, but if you don't apply and take a spot now you may be SOL later. We all lose in this game!

I disagree with using the term "sad". The option for free PK3 and PK4 is very rare in DC. You don't have to participate in the madness if you do not want. K is a good year to enter charters so if you opt to keep your child at home you have that right, but don't call it sad because its a daunting process if you wish to participate. All I see about preschool craziness in lotteries etc baffles me, it's more of an entitlement feeling from other parents rather than looking at it as a great benefit to utilize to offset expensive daycare and prepare our youngsters for Kinder (even of you're destined to a tier 2 option).

Say what? You sound so completely out of touch and I try to be respectful on this site but -- really? Perhaps it is just that you do not fully appreciate what the system means to children whose families do not live within bounds for a decent school. This isn't a matter of looking a "gift horse" (free preschool) in the mouth. This is feeling forced into sending a child to all day every day preschool because if you do not, your child will have a VERY small chance of getting into a workable public or charter school in kindergarten, which is mandatory. So yes, on the surface, DC's free preschool is nice. But it is very clearly geared toward children who need childcare. Those who do not need childcare, or those who believe their kids are better off with their nanny / play based preschool / whatever, still end up going to those preschools. Why? Because of the way the lottery works. If a school has a PS3, that is where the entry points are. If a school has a PK4, that's the entry point. So the slots get filled up by the students who get their toddler sized feet in the door. By the time my kid hits kindergarten, the only spots left are if a kid moves or ends up in a school that is a better fit. That kind of movement is comparatively minuscule when you think of the numbers of children applying. So it's far from feeling entitled. I would happily skip the DC public and charter school preschool. The problem is that by skipping it, I'm basically stuck with my in bounds. Which has had problems with violence (in elementary school) and where the children do not really get recess, and have gym 1x a week (for a half an hour!). I don't want my kids in that environment, so I feel stuck.

How is that entitlement exactly?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's sad is that what's best for our kids takes a back seat to not being shut out by waiting. Your DC may not be ready right now, but if you don't apply and take a spot now you may be SOL later. We all lose in this game!

I disagree with using the term "sad". The option for free PK3 and PK4 is very rare in DC. You don't have to participate in the madness if you do not want. K is a good year to enter charters so if you opt to keep your child at home you have that right, but don't call it sad because its a daunting process if you wish to participate. All I see about preschool craziness in lotteries etc baffles me, it's more of an entitlement feeling from other parents rather than looking at it as a great benefit to utilize to offset expensive daycare and prepare our youngsters for Kinder (even of you're destined to a tier 2 option).

A troll has come a'lurkin'! So tired of these pretenders. Everyone knows that if you wait till K, you're likely screwed. Yes, a lot of people are taking advantage of free Pre-K and move on to other options at the K level. More DO NOT. The number of people on waitlists has reached into the hundreds. The economy is down. Translation- people aren't messing around and are sticking with their school from Prek going forward, so long as its not a total mess. Parents wanting an option are not ENTITLED. People trying to push that message are DEMONS FROM TROLL LAND, however!

so I wound up volunteering in their class a lot. It worked out great for everybody.