Anonymous wrote:Yes I think the sibling preference makes a lot of sense for K-5 spots and generally makes sense for charters, citywides, and DCPS OOB. But there are a lot of DCPS schools where IB people who all necessarily have rights as of K are largely or fully shutout of access to the IB PreK without a sibling and I am not sure that one specifically is all that fair.

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Anonymous wrote:I hear a lot about Whittier being a great DCPS in ward 4. What about Takoma? It was on the list a few pages ago which is why I ask.

We don’t have kids old enough yet but can’t wait (not) to do the lottery next year (we live in ward 4 but will be able to do drop off anywhere).

Not anti charter. But we like the idea of a DCPS.

IMO, which may not be worth much , Takoma is a wildcard. We liked the PK program when we visited (teachers seemed relatively engaged and class sizes were small) and the administration seems, for the most part, to know what's going on, especially compared to some of the other schools we visited (I'm looking at you, Brightwood and Barnard). But it didn't seem as organized or to have as strong a community as Whittier (so much school pride) or Height (PTO is super active). We know several families with kids in various grades there who love it and say they would absolutely choose it again... but we also have several friends who didn't have a good experience and transferred out (mostly to charters, but two to other DCPS schools that don't look any better than Takoma on paper) and know one PK3 family that had a terrible experience there pretty much all year and is trying to lottery into basically any other school in our area (or will go private) for PK4. Even that family, however, acknowledges that the families they know in the other PK3 class are super happy and that they probably wouldn't be planning to transfer out of they had ended up in the other PK3 class. So basically, it seems like kids' experiences there are highly variable depending on which teachers they get. I know that's obviously true at any school (some teachers are better than others... duh) but it seems like there may be more extremes amongst the teaching staff at Takoma, like you might get a longterm sub unqualified to teach PK followed by a PK teacher who doesn't respond to any parent emails or phone calls at all, or you might get an awesome PK teacher with tons of experience who sends you updates at least daily. That's why it seems like a wildcard to me.

Thanks for this. I was the one who asked about Takoma. Thank you for taking your time to answer. This is helpful.

Teacher specific seems like a risk had at any school (like you said) but are you thinking there may be more "bad" than good at Takoma than a Whitier or a charter? We have neighbors who love Breakthrough, DCB, etc.

This may not be the thread for that. Was only curious about why Whittier gets more attention than the other DCPS school less than a mile away. Almost feels like both schools would be part of the same overall Brightwood, Manor, Takoma community for all families to play at the playground, etc.

Breakthrough has no MS feeder and many families don’t want Montessori for upper ES so I feel like it doesn’t get as much love. I live in one of the neighborhoods you mentioned and don’t know anyone who goes to Takoma or Brightwood. At the playground we meet Whittier, Breakthrough, LAMB and DCB families.

Well, Breakthrough has Truth, but that's not for everyone. We are in the neighborhood and know a lot of families IB for Takoma that are at Takoma. Plenty at LAMB, DCB, JR feeders, etc as well. We actually know only a few families at Brightwood and Whittier, but that's a sample size of one.

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Anonymous wrote:I hear a lot about Whittier being a great DCPS in ward 4. What about Takoma? It was on the list a few pages ago which is why I ask.

We don’t have kids old enough yet but can’t wait (not) to do the lottery next year (we live in ward 4 but will be able to do drop off anywhere).

Not anti charter. But we like the idea of a DCPS.

IMO, which may not be worth much , Takoma is a wildcard. We liked the PK program when we visited (teachers seemed relatively engaged and class sizes were small) and the administration seems, for the most part, to know what's going on, especially compared to some of the other schools we visited (I'm looking at you, Brightwood and Barnard). But it didn't seem as organized or to have as strong a community as Whittier (so much school pride) or Height (PTO is super active). We know several families with kids in various grades there who love it and say they would absolutely choose it again... but we also have several friends who didn't have a good experience and transferred out (mostly to charters, but two to other DCPS schools that don't look any better than Takoma on paper) and know one PK3 family that had a terrible experience there pretty much all year and is trying to lottery into basically any other school in our area (or will go private) for PK4. Even that family, however, acknowledges that the families they know in the other PK3 class are super happy and that they probably wouldn't be planning to transfer out of they had ended up in the other PK3 class. So basically, it seems like kids' experiences there are highly variable depending on which teachers they get. I know that's obviously true at any school (some teachers are better than others... duh) but it seems like there may be more extremes amongst the teaching staff at Takoma, like you might get a longterm sub unqualified to teach PK followed by a PK teacher who doesn't respond to any parent emails or phone calls at all, or you might get an awesome PK teacher with tons of experience who sends you updates at least daily. That's why it seems like a wildcard to me.

Thanks for this. I was the one who asked about Takoma. Thank you for taking your time to answer. This is helpful.

Teacher specific seems like a risk had at any school (like you said) but are you thinking there may be more "bad" than good at Takoma than a Whitier or a charter? We have neighbors who love Breakthrough, DCB, etc.

This may not be the thread for that. Was only curious about why Whittier gets more attention than the other DCPS school less than a mile away. Almost feels like both schools would be part of the same overall Brightwood, Manor, Takoma community for all families to play at the playground, etc.

Breakthrough has no MS feeder and many families don’t want Montessori for upper ES so I feel like it doesn’t get as much love. I live in one of the neighborhoods you mentioned and don’t know anyone who goes to Takoma or Brightwood. At the playground we meet Whittier, Breakthrough, LAMB and DCB families.

Well, Breakthrough has Truth, but that's not for everyone. We are in the neighborhood and know a lot of families IB for Takoma that are at Takoma. Plenty at LAMB, DCB, JR feeders, etc as well. We actually know only a few families at Brightwood and Whittier, but that's a sample size of one.

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Anonymous wrote:I have given the sibling preference a lot of thought. My view is that it is necessary in situations where a school is citywide (ie SWS, CHML) in order to reduce traffic and create efficiencies. It is not fair for PK lotteries for IB neighborhood schools. Each kid who is IB should have an equal shot regardless of sibling status.

So you want to create another incentive for families to forgo their neighborhood school and opt for a citywide or charter where they do get a sibling guarantee? This would be far worse than the status quo.

It boggles my mind that sibling preference is even a question on this thread. As a parent, having to drop your kids off at multiple schools is a huge inconvenience. (just visit the 100s of comments on the Maury/Miner potential merger, and those schools are only a few blocks apart). Step outside of your own world for a second and see the system as a whole, and there is no question. For the sake of the families, for less cars having to trek across town to different schools, for continuity in school communities, sibling preference should never be a question.

There's a really easy solution for that mind-boggling problem: Parents who don't want to drop kids off at multiple schools can send their kids to their in-bound DCPS schools and then they wouldn't have to worry about that. Oh, would it not be fair that families with many children would then basically have to go to their less-desirable IB schools instead of doing the lottery? It's funny how it's easy for you to presume that's a fine solution for the families that don't get sibling preference so that it doesn't inconvenience yours.

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Anonymous wrote:I hear a lot about Whittier being a great DCPS in ward 4. What about Takoma? It was on the list a few pages ago which is why I ask.

We don’t have kids old enough yet but can’t wait (not) to do the lottery next year (we live in ward 4 but will be able to do drop off anywhere).

Not anti charter. But we like the idea of a DCPS.

IMO, which may not be worth much , Takoma is a wildcard. We liked the PK program when we visited (teachers seemed relatively engaged and class sizes were small) and the administration seems, for the most part, to know what's going on, especially compared to some of the other schools we visited (I'm looking at you, Brightwood and Barnard). But it didn't seem as organized or to have as strong a community as Whittier (so much school pride) or Height (PTO is super active). We know several families with kids in various grades there who love it and say they would absolutely choose it again... but we also have several friends who didn't have a good experience and transferred out (mostly to charters, but two to other DCPS schools that don't look any better than Takoma on paper) and know one PK3 family that had a terrible experience there pretty much all year and is trying to lottery into basically any other school in our area (or will go private) for PK4. Even that family, however, acknowledges that the families they know in the other PK3 class are super happy and that they probably wouldn't be planning to transfer out of they had ended up in the other PK3 class. So basically, it seems like kids' experiences there are highly variable depending on which teachers they get. I know that's obviously true at any school (some teachers are better than others... duh) but it seems like there may be more extremes amongst the teaching staff at Takoma, like you might get a longterm sub unqualified to teach PK followed by a PK teacher who doesn't respond to any parent emails or phone calls at all, or you might get an awesome PK teacher with tons of experience who sends you updates at least daily. That's why it seems like a wildcard to me.

Thanks for this. I was the one who asked about Takoma. Thank you for taking your time to answer. This is helpful.

Teacher specific seems like a risk had at any school (like you said) but are you thinking there may be more "bad" than good at Takoma than a Whitier or a charter? We have neighbors who love Breakthrough, DCB, etc.

This may not be the thread for that. Was only curious about why Whittier gets more attention than the other DCPS school less than a mile away. Almost feels like both schools would be part of the same overall Brightwood, Manor, Takoma community for all families to play at the playground, etc.

Breakthrough has no MS feeder and many families don’t want Montessori for upper ES so I feel like it doesn’t get as much love. I live in one of the neighborhoods you mentioned and don’t know anyone who goes to Takoma or Brightwood. At the playground we meet Whittier, Breakthrough, LAMB and DCB families.

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Anonymous wrote:I hear a lot about Whittier being a great DCPS in ward 4. What about Takoma? It was on the list a few pages ago which is why I ask.

We don’t have kids old enough yet but can’t wait (not) to do the lottery next year (we live in ward 4 but will be able to do drop off anywhere).

Not anti charter. But we like the idea of a DCPS.

IMO, which may not be worth much , Takoma is a wildcard. We liked the PK program when we visited (teachers seemed relatively engaged and class sizes were small) and the administration seems, for the most part, to know what's going on, especially compared to some of the other schools we visited (I'm looking at you, Brightwood and Barnard). But it didn't seem as organized or to have as strong a community as Whittier (so much school pride) or Height (PTO is super active). We know several families with kids in various grades there who love it and say they would absolutely choose it again... but we also have several friends who didn't have a good experience and transferred out (mostly to charters, but two to other DCPS schools that don't look any better than Takoma on paper) and know one PK3 family that had a terrible experience there pretty much all year and is trying to lottery into basically any other school in our area (or will go private) for PK4. Even that family, however, acknowledges that the families they know in the other PK3 class are super happy and that they probably wouldn't be planning to transfer out of they had ended up in the other PK3 class. So basically, it seems like kids' experiences there are highly variable depending on which teachers they get. I know that's obviously true at any school (some teachers are better than others... duh) but it seems like there may be more extremes amongst the teaching staff at Takoma, like you might get a longterm sub unqualified to teach PK followed by a PK teacher who doesn't respond to any parent emails or phone calls at all, or you might get an awesome PK teacher with tons of experience who sends you updates at least daily. That's why it seems like a wildcard to me.

Thanks for this. I was the one who asked about Takoma. Thank you for taking your time to answer. This is helpful.

Teacher specific seems like a risk had at any school (like you said) but are you thinking there may be more "bad" than good at Takoma than a Whitier or a charter? We have neighbors who love Breakthrough, DCB, etc.

This may not be the thread for that. Was only curious about why Whittier gets more attention than the other DCPS school less than a mile away. Almost feels like both schools would be part of the same overall Brightwood, Manor, Takoma community for all families to play at the playground, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Our experience at Takoma has been largely positive. Whittier has longer standing admin but current principal at Takoma seems dedicated to staying. He announced at a recent parent meeting that he will be paying DCPS tuition to send his pre-K kid to Takoma next year. The kindergarten team last year and the first grade team this year are really strong. PTA does organize auction and various events. Not as big or organized as Whittier but I can’t cast any stones as I haven’t had the capacity to volunteer extensively.

Anonymous wrote:Our experience at Takoma has been largely positive. Whittier has longer standing admin but current principal at Takoma seems dedicated to staying. He announced at a recent parent meeting that he will be paying DCPS tuition to send his pre-K kid to Takoma next year. The kindergarten team last year and the first grade team this year are really strong. PTA does organize auction and various events. Not as big or organized as Whittier but I can’t cast any stones as I haven’t had the capacity to volunteer extensively.

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Anonymous wrote:I have given the sibling preference a lot of thought. My view is that it is necessary in situations where a school is citywide (ie SWS, CHML) in order to reduce traffic and create efficiencies. It is not fair for PK lotteries for IB neighborhood schools. Each kid who is IB should have an equal shot regardless of sibling status.

So you want to create another incentive for families to forgo their neighborhood school and opt for a citywide or charter where they do get a sibling guarantee? This would be far worse than the status quo.

It boggles my mind that sibling preference is even a question on this thread. As a parent, having to drop your kids off at multiple schools is a huge inconvenience. (just visit the 100s of comments on the Maury/Miner potential merger, and those schools are only a few blocks apart). Step outside of your own world for a second and see the system as a whole, and there is no question. For the sake of the families, for less cars having to trek across town to different schools, for continuity in school communities, sibling preference should never be a question.

I think there is just one person questioning sibling preference and we are all arguing with her. I have never heard that take in my 20 years in DC.

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Anonymous wrote:I am not looking forward to the results. It seems like winning the lottery is almost impossible. This is a really frustrating and unfortunate. Quality schools should be a human right.

Most people eventually get into their top choice schools for elementary at least. I know the process seems impossible, but it's just the fairest way to distribute a scarce resource. Should the resource be scarce? I mean, no, but it is so this is what we get.

It DC's lottery really the fairest way to distribute a scarce resource? I don't disagree that a lottery of some form may be the fairest method, but I strongly disagree that DC's lottery, as it is currently run with sibling preferences, is actually fair at all. I know families with a bunch of kids like how it operates, but that doesn't make it fair. There is a very good chance that because of the sibling preference, my kid will not get into any of the elementary schools we would like them to attend, even if we lottery for several years. Unless we get exceptionally lucky, our plan is to move when my kid is in kindergarten to be in-bound for one of the schools we want.

Here's our lottery list:

(1) DC Bilingual
(2) Shepherd ES (OOB)
(3) Yu Ying
(4) LAMB
(5) Dorothy Height ES
(6) Breakthrough Montessori
(7) Military Rd.
(8) Whittier ES
(9) Takoma ES

We are extremely unlikely to get into #1-4 because we don't have sibling preference... #5 and below are all fairly likely through either matching or the waitlist process. If we can't get into #1-3 this year, or #1-2 (+ two schools WOTP that start with PK4) in the following two lotteries, we will move.

Idk if this list offers the best examples to show that sibling preference isn’t fair. For example, there are IB kids who don’t get into Shepherd for PK3. And you will likely get into Height, Military Road, or Takoma. FWIW my child attends one of the schools in your top 4, but it took more than one try at the lottery to get a spot.

The sibling preference is generally less of an issue (re: fairness) with DCPS schools, since the in-bound preference takes up most (or all of the seats)... that obviously raises its own fairness issues, but is not really the point of my post. Looking at DC Bilingual's lottery numbers for last year, they offered 72 PK3 slots. 5 went to children of DCB staff... I have no complaint there. It is a logistical nightmare for a teacher to have to get to their own kid to and from a school that they don't teach at while getting to their own school on time. Then, 36 (exactly half of the total available seats!!) went to siblings. Then, 24 went to equitable access, which I also have much less issue with since it is intended to ameliorate the class stratification of schools like DCB (i.e., it addresses a different fairness issue). Which left 7 (yes, less than 10% of the seats) for kids without a preference... i.e., based on their actual lottery number. If you look at Yu Ying and LAMB, you'll see basically the same phenomena.

And yes, it is highly likely that we will get into schools (5) - (8) on our list, which would be completely fine for a few years... but that still means we will need to move out of our neighborhood, which we love, within a few years... and that just sucks. And would we have a much better shot at being able to stay here if we had multiple kids and, thus, multiple lottery entries every year with a guarantee that all of our kids would essentially get the best number of all of the ones that we drew? Yes, we would.

DCPS teachers don't get to send their kids to where they teach and somehow they make it work. I go to work without my child as most other adults. How easy is it to get a job at the school of choice and then quit?

Charter schools have the authority to create these preferences, part of our system of choice. If it is a school that families want to go to, it is an incentive to attract good staff. The convenience of working where your child attends is significant, DCPS teachers I know would like to but because of housing prices they live in PG county or elsewhere so they cannot send their kids to school where they work.