Could someone attempt to explain why seeking out firsthand information and advice in connection with making a decision concerning you child's education is being ungrateful? OP has until May 1 to make a decision and is acting like a responsible parent who has options open to him/her. Only a fool would not ask questions after hearing about negative experiences.

What an ungrateful OP. you are being offered free, high quality preschool at your neighborhood school, and you turn up your nose why? Shame.

Nothing I have heard about the principle gives me pause at all. Her job is to serve her students and staff and it sounds like she is doing a great job. Will definitely be putting LT high on my lottery list when the time comes!

We're IB for LT and our child is in the PS3 class. We really like what we've seen, our daughter loves school, the parent community is wonderful, and we've made many new friends as a result. We did not play the lottery for PK. We plan to stay for the long haul. From what I've seen, the Principal is welcoming to all families and really encourages parents to get involved. School has lots of resources and is mere blocks from our home. Yes, talk to current parents for a more accurate take.

Sorry, perception is important, and she has made it clear by means of words and actions that attracting the growing population of high SES IB families is not her priority. I would argue that this is shortsighted and detrimental to the school and students overall. The fact she openly refuses to take action with respect to a single PG resident, thus making her complicit in defrauding DC taxpayers, is nothing short of astonishing. At minimum, an engaged teacher knows which of her students are being driven back and forth to Maryland every day, and an engaged principal could randomly monitor arrivals simply by stepping out of her school and greeting students from time to time. If her ethical compass permits her to turn a blind eye to this type of cheating, one might wonder what else she might be willing to give a pass on, and why she would be willing to be viewed as complicit in an apparent conspiracy to violate DC law, whether that be for one student or thirty students.

The main issue seems to be that this school is in an area that has rapidly gentrified. That means house prices have gone through the roof, and perhaps that eats away at money that could be used towards private school or staying home with the kids. Maybe there are multiple kids, so he or she only wants to make this decision once. It seems to me the OP is actually looking for a school to have a long term relationship with, and thinks this is not the one.

For those who do enroll in this school, it is unclear how long they will remain, since "staying through Kindergarden" being touted as an achievement is not at all impressive. What are those parents going to do after Kindergarten? So what if you have "an amazing community" that lasts for all of three years (PK3, PK4, K). Where does your amazing community go after that?

Anonymous wrote:Let's envision the scenario if the underlying circumstances were somewhat different -- I.e., aloof white principal who engaged in no outreach to the surrounding neighborhood that is predominantly low-SES AA, made clear that she was not interested in policing attendance by high-SES white families who actually reside in MoCo, and is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as being hostile to IB families. How long would It take before her contract was non-renewed despite an indication that test scores might be on the upswing?

Nice try, but this is DC. Did you say rising test scores? You did? Then your answer is a long time. There are much bigger fish to fry if your main complaints are "outreach" and MD attendance.

The MD attendance issue is also such a red herring to me, although one of the absolute favorite DCUM gripes. First, from a lottery perspective, it really doesn't impact any IB student. At most, it marginally decreases an OOB kid's chances of getting in. Second, how many kids do we really think live in MD? LT has 300 kids. Does any one believe it could possibly be more than 5-10%? And then what is your solution? How are you going to identify them? Audit the entire school? Random checks? At what cost?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is kissing up to say hello to white strangers with little kids in tow when you pass them in the halls of your PUBLIC school bought and paid for by those same white stranger's tax dollars.

OK, there are two problems with this:

1) I'm a white LT parent, and the principal has never been anything but courteous to me. I'm not saying she's the warmest person on the planet, but she's certainly never been rude.

2) If you're coming in with the attitude that your affluence (= tax dollars) entitles you to greater deference than a parent who is lower income (& might not pay taxes, or not as much), then I dn't blame the principal. I'd wouldn't have time for you, either.

Point (1) is consistent with our indirect interactions with her regarding the sports fields. She isn't hostile or wholly unreasonable but also doesn't really seem to understand that it would benefit her to be seen as supportive of the larger community. Tone deaf is a description that comes to mind. And it is not a question of kowtowing to rich white people. It is an issue of understanding that how you deliver the message is just as important as the message itself.

At the same time, I wouldn't describe her as an outlier. We have direct experience with two other principals on the Hill and both, while nice, lacked the people skills you would ideally have in a principal.

Let's envision the scenario if the underlying circumstances were somewhat different -- I.e., aloof white principal who engaged in no outreach to the surrounding neighborhood that is predominantly low-SES AA, made clear that she was not interested in policing attendance by high-SES white families who actually reside in MoCo, and is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as being hostile to IB families. How long would It take before her contract was non-renewed despite an indication that test scores might be on the upswing?

NP. There is no doubt that

1) The principal is not warm and fuzzy.

2) There are a growing number of IB parents who are very, very happy with the school and the quality of education their kids are getting there.

These things can both be true at the same time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is kissing up to say hello to white strangers with little kids in tow when you pass them in the halls of your PUBLIC school bought and paid for by those same white stranger's tax dollars.

OK, there are two problems with this:

1) I'm a white LT parent, and the principal has never been anything but courteous to me. I'm not saying she's the warmest person on the planet, but she's certainly never been rude.

2) If you're coming in with the attitude that your affluence (= tax dollars) entitles you to greater deference than a parent who is lower income (& might not pay taxes, or not as much), then I dn't blame the principal. I'd wouldn't have time for you, either.

1) -- i was a potential white parent and she avoided the heck out of me. Rude? Slightly. Surprising? Very.

2) -- i am not affluent, not just by DCUM standards, but I am a DC tax payer and this isn't about the SES of the other parents. This is about the fact that she is a paid PUBLIC employee who avoids parts of the public, namely me and my school-aged child.

^ugh, typos. I don't blame the principal. I wouldn't ...

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is kissing up to say hello to white strangers with little kids in tow when you pass them in the halls of your PUBLIC school bought and paid for by those same white stranger's tax dollars.

OK, there are two problems with this:

1) I'm a white LT parent, and the principal has never been anything but courteous to me. I'm not saying she's the warmest person on the planet, but she's certainly never been rude.

2) If you're coming in with the attitude that your affluence (= tax dollars) entitles you to greater deference than a parent who is lower income (& might not pay taxes, or not as much), then I dn't blame the principal. I'd wouldn't have time for you, either.

Not giving off a vibe tsntamount to open hostility is not the same as kissing up.

I don't think it is kissing up to say hello to white strangers with little kids in tow when you pass them in the halls of your PUBLIC school bought and paid for by those same white stranger's tax dollars.