We are an IB family currently on the waitlist for pre-k and I can tell you the waitlist was at least 35 IB kids when the results were announced. We are still pretty far down on the waitlist and are planning on private preK in the fall. However, I would be happy to also have my younger child attend private preK if it means Janney class sizes for K and above will be smaller. As someone who has to pay preK tuition next year I understand the huge cost savings that Janney preK provides. We are well off but it is still a stretch to pay for private preschool. I would much rather invest that money in my kids college fund! We would never be able to afford private elementary school and for that reason I would rather suck up one more year of private preK tuition for my younger child as well if it means my kids won't have 30 kids in their classes at Janney. I don't think the school will ever eliminate preK but it could certainly reduce the number of classes. Its not as if doing so will result in only some IB students not being able to attend because as it stands now, there are already 30+ IB students who didn't get in initially.

I should include the quote from the report since you seem so adamant to think you are right:

"In 1972, DC became one of the first jurisdictions in the country to offer pre-K in public school settings. The program, operated by the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), focused solely on four-year-olds and was funded through the school-funding formula on a per-pupil basis. Services were free and available citywide on a first-come first-served basis..."

Chapter 3 if that helps you.

PP here -- Funny I grew up in Forest Hills too. Big house, definitely not Head Start eligible and went to Murch prek in 1977. DC was one of the first school district implemented it. Your parents may have decdied it wasn't for you or perhaps you went to a private preschool which is what two of my older siblings did since it wasn't available to them.

Here you go: http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/Pre-K%20for%20All%20DC%20Case%20Study.pdf

WTF? Are you lashing out because you are wrong? Prek in DC started in 1972. It isn't going anywhere. Janney boundaries will change or trailers added before prek is dropped.

Signed -
DCPS preK grad of 1978

Congratulations once again for being a participant in Head Start as it was implemented in the District of Columbia. A program launched in the 1960s and offered exclusively to low-income children:

"Head Start was designed to help break the cycle of poverty, providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs."

Public "Pre-K" for non-impoverished kids was not present in DCPS in the 1970s. I too went to Murch, from 1974-1980. There was no "pre-K" at Murch for me or my neighbors in Forest Hills.

We need a header in the schools forum:

Janney is overcrowded. It will remain overcrowded indefinitely because it's boundaries are never going to change. They will never eliminate PK. Deal with your child being in large classes or move/switch schools. The end.

We tried this, remember? There isn't any good answer except a new school in upper NW, and that is basically impossible. It does seem smart to cut out 3 or even 4 sections of pre-K given the space constraints post-renovation plus the lack of room for trailers, plus the overcrowding in older grades. Or maybe DCPS could rent a separate small facility for a Janney pre-K.

Anonymous wrote:The over crowding at Janney can only be fixed by boundary changes (not just Janney but just about everywhere).

This

Anonymous wrote:This discussion comes up regularly, like clockwork. I suppose the time is here again. It's like those Brent ECE threads which keep coming around and around and around.

Chances of pre-K being eliminated in the near future are zero. Like it or not, but that's how it is.

If the class size is unappealing (as it is to many), your best option is to move - staying and hoping Janney will get rid of pre-K and make other classes smaller is not a bet I'd be willing to take at all.

Ditto. This discussion comes up on here every 3 months.
Nothing is going to change regarding boundaries or number of PK classes.

Your options are 1) move 2) attend Janney as is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The fact of the matter is that if you need free PK, you can get it at another school. No, it won't be Janney, but it shortchanges the children who are there for education (not just daycare) to have gigantic class sizes. Pay for PreK or go get it free at some undesirable school and then come back for real school at K.

If you think ECE is "just daycare" then you really don't understand ECE

I understand ECE. I just don't believe what DCPS provides across the board necessarily counts as ECE.

I'm certain you're quite expert on the 100+ ECE programs throughout DCPS. Give me a break

This is about tax-payers getting bilked, not about your feelings getting hurt. If the promise of Head Start and Free PreK and ECE in DC were being fulfilled, then over 40% of DC school children wouldn't be reading and doing math below grade level. Give ME a break. And then give me my money back.

This has absolutely nothing to do with tax dollars. Universal PK is no panacea but maybe that figure is is even worse without it. When high quality like much of DC PK it provides great advantages over the alternatives for many families. I don't think Janney's or any of upper NW PK should be a high priority, but it absolutely does make a difference.

Are you one of the hysterical fans of the Daily Caller writing screeds on the other threads? Feel free to just go away.

I think you nailed it ... the new proposed GOP platform specifically comes out against PK as a "government intrusion"!

Anonymous wrote:The over crowding at Janney can only be fixed by boundary changes (not just Janney but just about everywhere).

+1, Janney boundaries should be tightened before Pre-K is either reduced or eliminated.

The over crowding at Janney can only be fixed by boundary changes (not just Janney but just about everywhere).

This discussion comes up regularly, like clockwork. I suppose the time is here again. It's like those Brent ECE threads which keep coming around and around and around.

Chances of pre-K being eliminated in the near future are zero. Like it or not, but that's how it is.

If the class size is unappealing (as it is to many), your best option is to move - staying and hoping Janney will get rid of pre-K and make other classes smaller is not a bet I'd be willing to take at all.

Long term Janney parent here again.

When my kids started there there were 400 students, everyone knew everyone and parents were super involved. This fall it will likely be 750+, lower grade parents are far less involved in school wide volunteering (a major concern raised by some in the PTA) and the school is overcrowded and out of room to add more classes.
The new principal is very nice and approachable but doesn't seem to be the mover/shaker that the old one was in terms of standing to DCPS and conversely, getting money out of DCPS.

DPPS is never going to change the boundaries or eliminate PK. The class sizes will just continue to creep up. Those who have issue with this or who can afford private will leave. It happens each year.
Otherwise, life will continue as usual.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2% of Janney students are FARM students.

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Janney+Elementary+School

This has to be the lowest percentage in all of DC, and also one of the lowest in all of the country.

And the are overwhelmingly the OOB students.

2% of 693 students is about 13 kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The fact of the matter is that if you need free PK, you can get it at another school. No, it won't be Janney, but it shortchanges the children who are there for education (not just daycare) to have gigantic class sizes. Pay for PreK or go get it free at some undesirable school and then come back for real school at K.

If you think ECE is "just daycare" then you really don't understand ECE

I understand ECE. I just don't believe what DCPS provides across the board necessarily counts as ECE.

I'm certain you're quite expert on the 100+ ECE programs throughout DCPS. Give me a break

This is about tax-payers getting bilked, not about your feelings getting hurt. If the promise of Head Start and Free PreK and ECE in DC were being fulfilled, then over 40% of DC school children wouldn't be reading and doing math below grade level. Give ME a break. And then give me my money back.

This has absolutely nothing to do with tax dollars. Universal PK is no panacea but maybe that figure is is even worse without it. When high quality like much of DC PK it provides great advantages over the alternatives for many families. I don't think Janney's or any of upper NW PK should be a high priority, but it absolutely does make a difference.

Are you one of the hysterical fans of the Daily Caller writing screeds on the other threads? Feel free to just go away.