Anonymous wrote:

Re Monroe: once you establish that it's your in-boundary ("neighborhood") school, you'll move to the top of the wait list. (No guarantees until K.) You'll then get in as soon as wait lists start to move in August, if not earlier. You definitely should do that, even as you continue to explore other possibilities.

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for the Parks and Rec suggestion - will check that out.

Anonymous wrote:Have you tried West? We are leaving after 4 great years and I cannot say enough good things. We are only leaving because our twins need to be split into two classes. They are entering 2nd grade and both are reading at late 2nd grade level already and doing mid second grade math - fractions, 2 digit subtraction with borrowing.

I don't think I've tried West, or is West the same as West Campus? What's the proper name for the school? Glad to hear you've had a really good experience with them - I'll check them out too.

And to the poster re: Monroe, thanks for that reminder too, we won't rule Monroe out. So I guess I misunderstood what the DC public schools staff person told me - she said that once you establish which school is your "neighborhood school" (does "neighborhood school" = "in boundary school"?), that school is required to have a slot for your child. If we'd be on the waitlist with 60+ people, does that mean the school actually does NOT have to provide a slot for my child? That's what I understood the person in the DC public schools office to tell me, but maybe I heard what I wanted to hear!

Re: Kipp Shaw, that didn't even come up on the radar up to now. I'll check them out tomorrow too.

Thanks all!

Anonymous wrote:Have you tried West? We are leaving after 4 great years and I cannot say enough good things. We are only leaving because our twins need to be split into two classes. They are entering 2nd grade and both are reading at late 2nd grade level already and doing mid second grade math - fractions, 2 digit subtraction with borrowing.

Anonymous wrote:
It is completely understandable. This is a very rational vent. I don't know anything about Bruce Monroe, but keep in mind that many people choose the local schools for just the very early grades and then pull out way before 3rd grade, which is when the tests have historically begun (they are starting in 2nd next year, but that is not relevant to this topic). Hopefully someone else has better information.

But, seriously, try Appletree. For the past several years, they have had actual openings soon after school starts. The chances are extremely good that you will get in. I might also try Butler, as they have a great reputation, are not way too far away, and often have openings due to the low income demographics. You are also in a great spot for next year. You now have a jumpstart on your research, and there are many more openings for pre-k4, so whatever you choose now only has to get you through one year.

Anonymous wrote:
It is completely understandable. This is a very rational vent. I don't know anything about Bruce Monroe, but keep in mind that many people choose the local schools for just the very early grades and then pull out way before 3rd grade, which is when the tests have historically begun (they are starting in 2nd next year, but that is not relevant to this topic). Hopefully someone else has better information.

But, seriously, try Appletree. For the past several years, they have had actual openings soon after school starts. The chances are extremely good that you will get in. I might also try Butler, as they have a great reputation, are not way too far away, and often have openings due to the low income demographics. You are also in a great spot for next year. You now have a jumpstart on your research, and there are many more openings for pre-k4, so whatever you choose now only has to get you through one year.

Anonymous wrote:UPDATE: Wow, so after calling around to a LOT of schools, even though I knew and you've all been telling me, it's really sinking in just HOW IMPOSSIBLE the timing of our move is making this. There's nothing we can do about that, things happened when they happened, but now I'm wondering what our Plan B can be....

Our neighborhood school is Bruce Monroe at Parkside, and looking at what I've seen of their student achievement rates, I seriously ask myself if it's better to not send her to school at all than to go to a school that seems (from the scores anyway) so challenged? No offense to anyone on here that might have a student there (and if there's great stuff we should know about Bruce Monroe, please let me know! I'd love to hear good things!)... but I'm pretty terrified now of what our options will be. We're moving for my job, which is a great opportunity, but because it's so sudden my husband doesn't have a job yet. He's been an incredibly hands on dad to our daughter up to now, but if he has to be a stay-at-home dad for more than a few months I worry they'll both need therapy after that!

We can't afford private daycare with what we're now paying in rent (and definitely can't afford a nanny), so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something will open up miraculously, but I'm also getting crazy anxious.

I've checked out just about every school that's been mentioned in this thread, and I guess our timing (plus the huge demand in DC for PS3 slots) is, well it's nothing you can imagine would be so difficult if none of your DC friends have kids so they couldn't warn you!

Y'all are some strong amazing folks to be able to go through all the uncertainty of the lottery and all... I haven't even done it yet and I'm getting advance anxiety just from this experience now! I truly had no idea what this process would look like, it's so different from where we are now... and of course we have 2 salaries here to work with.

SORRY, just needed to vent. Thanks again for all your help everyone, so so so much appreciated!