Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 03:02     Subject: considering relocating for work, is lottery still an option?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Can you afford to live in DC proper for the free preK? We make 130 and that will go to 200 when I go back to work and we live in a nice suburb with no universal preK and spending 30k a year on Montessori. We can't afford DC housing prices to be frank with you.


WTF is "DC proper?"


It's an expression that means within the city limits of DC, as opposed to living in Maryland or Virginia but telling people you live in 'Washington.'


You know that D.C. isnt a city in MD or VA right? It's a totally separate thing. If you live in MD or VA and tell people you live in Washington you're just lying.


Im overseas at the moment and was asked this a few weeks ago. "We are from D.C. too! Where in DC do you live? Maryland or Virginia? We reside in Silver Spring!"

I had to bite my tongue from saying anything snarky.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2017 14:52     Subject: considering relocating for work, is lottery still an option?
OP has not specified where they're coming from, which is why a wish to live in DC seems relatively uninformed. I say this as someone whose suburban friends are always on-edge about visiting us in our neighborhood (Bloomingdale) and constantly tell us our kid is getting a sub-par education (we are OOB at a desirable DCPS that is EOTP).

If OP is not prepared for the urban experience (i.e., exposure to property crime, random gunfire), and explaining homeless panhandlers to your kids, then I'm not sure DC is the place for them.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2017 14:43     Subject: considering relocating for work, is lottery still an option?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, you can get on the waitlists now at myschooldc, but you will have to prove residency when you enroll. If you feel like you can move fast and sign a lease when a spot on a waitlist pops up, that's a good thing. You won't be able to claim you live in-bounds for a school until you have an address that you list.


The first thing you need to consider is how far you are willing to commute each day between home, school, and work. I would suggest getting on the waitlists now for any schools that are close enough to your job that you'd be willing to send your kid there. You are probably not going to get into the more popular PK programs but that is ok. All the teachers are licensed and all the schools are fine for little kids. The test scores of 3rd-5th graders should not be your primary concern when deciding on a place for your 3yo, especially when your pickings are limited.

I will put in a plug for my in-bound school, Amidon-Bowen. Families of various races/incomes/education levels seem happy with the early grades. There is an involved PTA and the principal seems friendly. It has a nice playground and library, too, and the art teacher is a gem. There is plenty of rental housing in the neighborhood and it is close to the metro. I don't know how long the wait-list is now for in-bound students but it is probably shorter than many DCPS schools and charters. Appletree Southwest is also nearby and because it only serves PK students, there are few people with sibling priority and it tends to go through the waitlist quickly.

The schools that have space at this point are not going to have good test scores. Many but not all are far from metro. Most are in Wards 7 and 8 and will have high poverty levels.

Look into Sela and Walker Jones. Savoy is close to the Anacostia metro. There are several schools in Anacostia that have a lot of PK classrooms and may have space now.

If you enroll someplace you can still stay on the waitlists for the schools you ranked higher. So there really isn't any harm in listing a ton of schools.


What do you think about Amidon-Bowen for 1st or 2nd grade?


I don't have a kid in those grades so can't say, but it faces the same challenges of any Title I school with the twist that it's in an area that is already pretty economically diverse and more gentrification is coming. The housing stock is less friendly than some neighborhoods to older kids and bigger families, but there are townhouses and many seem to be changing hands from seniors to younger people with kids. There are a lot of little kids in the neighborhood and relatively few charter schools close by (especially with Eagle Academy closing its Ward 6 campus). So all the ingredients are there for larger and more diverse enrollment. The principal and teachers seem nice. The PTA is active and seems to be doing better than some other schools in reflecting the interests not just of rich white parents of 3 year olds (who deserve a say too of course, just not all the say). Some of the older kids who go there seem really sweet, based on their behavior at the playground, library, community garden, etc. And some have really atrocious behavior. The school is not Brent or Janney. It probably won't ever be. But a lot of people seem to be doing good things there.
Anonymous
Post 06/30/2017 08:54     Subject: considering relocating for work, is lottery still an option?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are you looking to rent or buy? You could consider renting near a Title I school and being in-boundary, you would be high on the list for any spots that open up. That should hold you through K or until you figure out where you actually want to move.


Definitely renting for now. I would still not be guaranteed a spot at my IB school though, right?


Not until K. Some don't offer very much preschool, some have room for all, it just depends.

You might like Bloomingdale/Eckington. Langley and Seaton are fine through K, very kid-friendly neighborhood, and short commute to downtown. You could see how you do in the PK4 lottery for charters and then move or not, depending.
.


Thank you very much for the helpful and more importantly *specific* advice. I'm feeling very overwhelmed by all of the logistics.


OP - if the job is a great opportunity for you, then you should take it. But 'free' PK3 and PK4 is not no-cost.

Coming into the lottery cycle late, there are slots available but they may be far from where you decide to live or work.

The school day is short, compared to a work day or day care -- generally 8:45-3:00. Anything outside of this will require you paying for a babysitter, or using whatever aftercare is available at your school. Depending on teh school this can be very affordable (the Title 1 schools with large numbers of economically disadvantaged families) or very pricey.

Look at the DCPS SY calendar. https://dcps.dc.gov/publication/2017-2018-traditional-calendar There are lots of days off sprinkled through the school year, and the school-based after care isn't often available on these days, not to mention winter, spring and summer vacation. Run the numbers for these days you will need child care, and you may find that staying in full-time day care is a better deal.

Anonymous
Post 06/30/2017 08:38     Subject: considering relocating for work, is lottery still an option?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Are you looking to rent or buy? You could consider renting near a Title I school and being in-boundary, you would be high on the list for any spots that open up. That should hold you through K or until you figure out where you actually want to move.


Definitely renting for now. I would still not be guaranteed a spot at my IB school though, right?


Not until K. Some don't offer very much preschool, some have room for all, it just depends.

You might like Bloomingdale/Eckington. Langley and Seaton are fine through K, very kid-friendly neighborhood, and short commute to downtown. You could see how you do in the PK4 lottery for charters and then move or not, depending.
.


Thank you very much for the helpful and more importantly *specific* advice. I'm feeling very overwhelmed by all of the logistics.