i think all schools are going to be open, in person, for all grades this fall. the world is going to look very different once lots of people are vaccinated. sorry teachers.

there needs to be the will on the part of the city's leadership to demand that schools be open. if everyone continues to kowtow to the WTU schools will NEVER open. Seriously.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there will be PK3 in the fall. Coronavirus rates in DC are already dropping like a rock. By the time a lot of people are vaccinated, the number of people with coronavirus in DC will be tiny.

+1

The positivity rate right now in DC is 2.8 percent. That's very, very low. Schools in other parts of the country have been open for months with rates several times ours.

Anonymous wrote:I think you'll be lucky to have PS3 at all this fall for anyone besides at-risk children.

Who are you referring to with "you'll"? And why "you'll" instead of "we'll"?

Are you the parent of a preK-aged child?

Apparently, a few charters have started IPL for preK students. Can parents confirm whether their charters/schools have started IPL or hybrid for preK? Thanks!

Yes, there will be PK3 in the fall. Coronavirus rates in DC are already dropping like a rock. By the time a lot of people are vaccinated, the number of people with coronavirus in DC will be tiny.

people need to be focused on Charters if you want PS3 or PK4. AppleTree is going to have a blockbuster lottery, I'm guessing.

I think you'll be lucky to have PS3 at all this fall for anyone besides at-risk children.

Anonymous wrote:It is insane that we dont have pre-K3 right now fully in person. Young children are the most coronavirus-resistant people on the planet, and they are the least likely to get anything out of zoom calls with teachers.

This has nothing to do with kids well being or science. Wrangling a bunch of small children in person is a hassle. Why would teachers want to do that?

Anonymous wrote:Our charter has had IP PK3 1/2 day since the Fall. We expect that this is the worst-case scenario, and they have said that they are committed full-time IP PK3 in the Fall. We will have an au pair in case school is not yet full-time.

Could you tell us which charter it is? Will be useful for our preK lottery list if the commute is doable. Thanks!

Our charter has had IP PK3 1/2 day since the Fall. We expect that this is the worst-case scenario, and they have said that they are committed full-time IP PK3 in the Fall. We will have an au pair in case school is not yet full-time.

OK. To answer the question of the thread. No. There will not be PS3 in the fall. And if there is, it will likely be a program not hosted on school campuses and it will be strictly targeted to at risk children. That's what I think. You might see more Rec center programs. Get childcare lined up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC either needs to declare that PK is a required grade or cut it altogether. If PK is such a priority then the District can make that official. Otherwise, tell parents to figure out PS3 and PK for themselves, like generations have done before them. Kindergarten used to be half-day! You decide to have children, you need to have a plan, and a back-up plan. If you want public education to be your only plan, get ready to be a tireless advocate.

You sound like a voter from the reddest of states.

Free preK is one of the things that makes DC a great, progressive place to live. The whole point of preK is to help reduce achievement gap and give children & their working parents a huge benefit many otherwise would not be able to afford.

But go ahead and ask the city to cut off PK & tell parents to "figure it out", such a great idea!

Great, fine! Then demand that preK be a required grade so that it will be available to you. Counting on something that's not required is foolhardy. It's not just about prioritizing required grades it's about space. If distancing protocols are still in place this fall, kindergarten (a required grade!) will likely need to take that PK physical space so that they can accommodate all the kindergarteners who are REQUIRED to be enrolled in school. Is this really so hard to understand? No one knows what the fall has instore. Wilson HS has already announced it will be continuing its 4x4 schedule which is essentially acknowledging they anticipate the possibility of continued virtual learning.

Guys, can we please stop debating whether or not DC should let PK kids into the building on this thread? This thread was specifically started for PK parents to discuss options and whether or not there will be full time learning in the fall. Parents of older kids debating this on an anonymous message board is not going to affect how DC handles PK. The lottery/ entry process for PK is different than for K and up BECAUSE there are no guaranteed spots available (so PK parents do not have the option of defaulting to their inbound if they pick a charter that does not do well with accommodating PK kids). Hence the thread that was started to discuss PK, because every time it is brought up on other threads parents of older kids start complaining that PK exists.

Anonymous wrote:DC has one of the lowest shares of its students in the classroom in the country. The problem isn't coronavirus. The problem is WTU.

https://cai.burbio.com/school-opening-tracker/

+1 and it's not just WTU, it's also spineless leadership from the mayor and chancellor and the messed up situation where the council has no power and the mayor calls all the shots when it comes to school. What's sadly hilarious is my daughter who is a 9th grader at Wilson goes for "in-person" learning for ONE class, ONE day a week. And the teacher is simulcasting so she's not even getting "face-to-face" instruction. The teacher sits behind her computer screen while the kids in the classroom do the same. AND my child is somehow counted as "in-person". So, the pitiful DC stats reported in your link are wildly exaggerated to begin with. So it's worse than you even think.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC either needs to declare that PK is a required grade or cut it altogether. If PK is such a priority then the District can make that official. Otherwise, tell parents to figure out PS3 and PK for themselves, like generations have done before them. Kindergarten used to be half-day! You decide to have children, you need to have a plan, and a back-up plan. If you want public education to be your only plan, get ready to be a tireless advocate.

You sound like a voter from the reddest of states.

Free preK is one of the things that makes DC a great, progressive place to live. The whole point of preK is to help reduce achievement gap and give children & their working parents a huge benefit many otherwise would not be able to afford.

But go ahead and ask the city to cut off PK & tell parents to "figure it out", such a great idea!

Great, fine! Then demand that preK be a required grade so that it will be available to you. Counting on something that's not required is foolhardy. It's not just about prioritizing required grades it's about space. If distancing protocols are still in place this fall, kindergarten (a required grade!) will likely need to take that PK physical space so that they can accommodate all the kindergarteners who are REQUIRED to be enrolled in school. Is this really so hard to understand? No one knows what the fall has instore. Wilson HS has already announced it will be continuing its 4x4 schedule which is essentially acknowledging they anticipate the possibility of continued virtual learning.

DC has one of the lowest shares of its students in the classroom in the country. The problem isn't coronavirus. The problem is WTU.

https://cai.burbio.com/school-opening-tracker/