The reality is that unless current parents are upfront and dare I say, aggressive about lobbying to keep class sizes down, they will creep up.
At Janney the parents just sat back and let DCPS do their thing--allowing kids to stay once they moved OOB, adding in OOB here and there over time--and now my child is in 3rd grade with 33 kids in her class.
(And my younger child had 27 in kindergarten last year).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So please explain to me how IB families should handle this. There is a reality that more IB families are moving in. Because of this, class sizes are getting bigger. Yes, this means that there will be fewer spots for OOB kids (of any color).

What is your solution? Let in OOB kids in the lottery and have class size of 25+? Is there another way to handle this that I'm not seeing?

Perhaps try not responding with thinly veiled glee at the amazing change" at the school when knowing that oob with sibling families (some of whom are incredibly active in PTA) are on a waiting list. As in this thread:http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/546106.page

Um, where in my post did I talk about an "amazing change"? And I am not gleeful about it, in fact those families with OOB siblings on the wait list are my friends.

I really just wonder what you think the alternative to this situation is? I don't like it either, but it is reality and you act as if there is some other option.

I'm the PP from 13:21 earlier. The OP in the linked post about the PK4 waitlist--which may or may not be you; who knows?--said that there had been an "amazing change at that school." And when you are an OOB family with a younger sibling who's been waitlisted, and there are multiple calls on this site and elsewhere for IB families to demand that the principal not let in any OOB kids for any grade no matter what the class sizes look like, and there are other posters here saying things that sound like very thinly-veiled similar demands for no OOB kids, such as that all kids should walk to school in order to reduce the impact on the environment of not driving cross-town twice daily, then it does far more than sting, as another PP characterized it. It starts to sound ugly and exclusive and racist. It sounds like IB families are saying "Thanks for all your work making Hearst a quality school, folks, but don't let the door hit you on your way out. And we never really wanted you guys to be here in the first place."

And your friends who are waitlisted, of whom I may be one? We feel pretty shitty right now. We can't afford to move in-bounds to Hearst at the moment, nor would we likely have been able to in the past. We thought that getting one kid in was like winning the actual Powerball lottery in terms of not having to spend money we don't have to live in a better school boundary. We don't live in a beautiful huge EOTP house as a different PP said. We live in a crumbling 1908 rowhouse with no backyard that needs a ton of work and which seemed like the best compromise in terms of location and space when we were house-shopping a decade ago. We know it's not a right to have a sibling attend, but we also feel like the rug just got yanked out from under us. We have utterly no idea what we'll do if we don't get off the waitlist And to think that it's actual friends, or people I thought were friends, getting all up at arms about OOB kids and overcrowding that hasn't even happened yet? That also does more than sting.

To answer your question, there is no good option. But Hearst isn't currently overcrowded. The principal doesn't want it to be, IB families don't, current OOB families don't either. Preventing overcrowding doesn't require repeated demands for no OOB kids to be admitted or see-through statements about walkability and the environment or other reasons to restrict Hearst to only IB kids.

As a PP said, it would just be nice if IB families could be gracious and respectful of the fact that current OOB families are reading, and listening, and seeing who talks to whom on the playground, and which kids get invited to which birthday parties, and recognize that it all adds up and sometimes you're saying a lot about who you want at your school without even saying a word.

Anonymous wrote:So please explain to me how IB families should handle this. There is a reality that more IB families are moving in. Because of this, class sizes are getting bigger. Yes, this means that there will be fewer spots for OOB kids (of any color).

What is your solution? Let in OOB kids in the lottery and have class size of 25+? Is there another way to handle this that I'm not seeing?

+1, I'm not sure if people realize that dcps will readily make the school overcrowded unless the school fights back against this. OOB families also do not want large class sizes like Janney of close to 30 kids.

16:49, whether or not you like that kids come from all over the city has nothing to do with whether the principal should try to keep the school from becoming overcrowded. They are separate issues. She should be proactive now, as she is doing. In addition, Deal and Wilson are already crowded.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Understood. Just please know that lots of IB families like the school the way it is now, with a mix both IB and OOB families. Please don't assume that all IB families want the school to be 100% IB. There is a reason some of us chose to live IB for Hearst rather than Janney or Lafayette.

Guess what? Parents don't get to chose the makeup of the school. IB kids have, and will always have priority. And choosing a school because you loved the fact that it had lots of OOB families is just as obnoxious as saying you chose a school because it didn't have many OOB families. Your attitude is really something.

Interesting reaction. What exactly bothers you about this? We liked that the school had kids from all over DC. When we moved in, there weren't many IB families going to the school, which allowed for OOB kids to come in. We viewed this as a nice thing and figured it would stay that way. There's nothing we can do about the changes, but it is not something we were hoping for. How is that obnoxious?

It bothers you that you think an influx of IB kids would somehow affect your child's experience and education in a negative way. And I don't believe you when you say this is about geography. I think that "from all over the city" is a veiled attempt to say "I like my white kid in my white neighborhood to go to school with brown kids. So it's great if the school could keep importing them for me."

Wow, you have a really cynical way of looking at life. I never once said that an influx of IB kids would negatively impact my child's experience. I would like my kid's school to have a diverse population, if that makes me a bad person, so be it.

When looking for a place to live we wanted our kid to be able to walk to school and we toured Hearst and liked it, so we moved here. An added benefit was that it had open spots for OOB kids. That was a positive for us. I'm sorry that this offends you so much.

Have a nice night.

The world cannot be crafted to be a model-UN on your doorstep.

OK thanks for your insight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Current parents, both IB and OOB parents, should tell the principal if they do not want their school to be overcrowded. If they do not, DCPS will make larger than acceptable class sizes in a school built for only two classes per grade.

See: Murch

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So please explain to me how IB families should handle this. There is a reality that more IB families are moving in. Because of this, class sizes are getting bigger. Yes, this means that there will be fewer spots for OOB kids (of any color).

What is your solution? Let in OOB kids in the lottery and have class size of 25+? Is there another way to handle this that I'm not seeing?

Perhaps try not responding with thinly veiled glee at the amazing change" at the school when knowing that oob with sibling families (some of whom are incredibly active in PTA) are on a waiting list. As in this thread:http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/546106.page

It's fully fair to be happy that your neighborhood school is becoming a neighborhood school, with all the good things that entails.

Any OOB parent has to know this is a risk.

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Current parents, both IB and OOB parents, should tell the principal if they do not want their school to be overcrowded. If they do not, DCPS will make larger than acceptable class sizes in a school built for only two classes per grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So please explain to me how IB families should handle this. There is a reality that more IB families are moving in. Because of this, class sizes are getting bigger. Yes, this means that there will be fewer spots for OOB kids (of any color).

What is your solution? Let in OOB kids in the lottery and have class size of 25+? Is there another way to handle this that I'm not seeing?

Perhaps try not responding with thinly veiled glee at the amazing change" at the school when knowing that oob with sibling families (some of whom are incredibly active in PTA) are on a waiting list. As in this thread:http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/546106.page

Um, where in my post did I talk about an "amazing change"? And I am not gleeful about it, in fact those families with OOB siblings on the wait list are my friends.

I really just wonder what you think the alternative to this situation is? I don't like it either, but it is reality and you act as if there is some other option.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Understood. Just please know that lots of IB families like the school the way it is now, with a mix both IB and OOB families. Please don't assume that all IB families want the school to be 100% IB. There is a reason some of us chose to live IB for Hearst rather than Janney or Lafayette.

Guess what? Parents don't get to chose the makeup of the school. IB kids have, and will always have priority. And choosing a school because you loved the fact that it had lots of OOB families is just as obnoxious as saying you chose a school because it didn't have many OOB families. Your attitude is really something.

Interesting reaction. What exactly bothers you about this? We liked that the school had kids from all over DC. When we moved in, there weren't many IB families going to the school, which allowed for OOB kids to come in. We viewed this as a nice thing and figured it would stay that way. There's nothing we can do about the changes, but it is not something we were hoping for. How is that obnoxious?

It bothers you that you think an influx of IB kids would somehow affect your child's experience and education in a negative way. And I don't believe you when you say this is about geography. I think that "from all over the city" is a veiled attempt to say "I like my white kid in my white neighborhood to go to school with brown kids. So it's great if the school could keep importing them for me."

Wow, you have a really cynical way of looking at life. I never once said that an influx of IB kids would negatively impact my child's experience. I would like my kid's school to have a diverse population, if that makes me a bad person, so be it.

When looking for a place to live we wanted our kid to be able to walk to school and we toured Hearst and liked it, so we moved here. An added benefit was that it had open spots for OOB kids. That was a positive for us. I'm sorry that this offends you so much.

Have a nice night.

The world cannot be crafted to be a model-UN on your doorstep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Understood. Just please know that lots of IB families like the school the way it is now, with a mix both IB and OOB families. Please don't assume that all IB families want the school to be 100% IB. There is a reason some of us chose to live IB for Hearst rather than Janney or Lafayette.

Guess what? Parents don't get to chose the makeup of the school. IB kids have, and will always have priority. And choosing a school because you loved the fact that it had lots of OOB families is just as obnoxious as saying you chose a school because it didn't have many OOB families. Your attitude is really something.

Interesting reaction. What exactly bothers you about this? We liked that the school had kids from all over DC. When we moved in, there weren't many IB families going to the school, which allowed for OOB kids to come in. We viewed this as a nice thing and figured it would stay that way. There's nothing we can do about the changes, but it is not something we were hoping for. How is that obnoxious?

It bothers you that you think an influx of IB kids would somehow affect your child's experience and education in a negative way. And I don't believe you when you say this is about geography. I think that "from all over the city" is a veiled attempt to say "I like my white kid in my white neighborhood to go to school with brown kids. So it's great if the school could keep importing them for me."

Wow, you have a really cynical way of looking at life. I never once said that an influx of IB kids would negatively impact my child's experience. I would like my kid's school to have a diverse population, if that makes me a bad person, so be it.

When looking for a place to live we wanted our kid to be able to walk to school and we toured Hearst and liked it, so we moved here. An added benefit was that it had open spots for OOB kids. That was a positive for us. I'm sorry that this offends you so much.

Have a nice night.

Anonymous wrote:So please explain to me how IB families should handle this. There is a reality that more IB families are moving in. Because of this, class sizes are getting bigger. Yes, this means that there will be fewer spots for OOB kids (of any color).

What is your solution? Let in OOB kids in the lottery and have class size of 25+? Is there another way to handle this that I'm not seeing?

Perhaps try not responding with thinly veiled glee at the amazing change" at the school when knowing that oob with sibling families (some of whom are incredibly active in PTA) are on a waiting list. As in this thread:http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/546106.page

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Understood. Just please know that lots of IB families like the school the way it is now, with a mix both IB and OOB families. Please don't assume that all IB families want the school to be 100% IB. There is a reason some of us chose to live IB for Hearst rather than Janney or Lafayette.

Just as there was s narrow window while Dupont and U St were cool, before the national chains moved in, because the gentrifiers drove up the rents, so too is there a narrow window of diversity. When all of your neighbors are like you and think as you do, the wave of homogeneity becomes inevitable.

There are plenty of neighborhoods that I'm sure meet your definition of diverse. Perhaps you might move to one if CP is no longer acceptable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Understood. Just please know that lots of IB families like the school the way it is now, with a mix both IB and OOB families. Please don't assume that all IB families want the school to be 100% IB. There is a reason some of us chose to live IB for Hearst rather than Janney or Lafayette.

Just as there was s narrow window while Dupont and U St were cool, before the national chains moved in, because the gentrifiers drove up the rents, so too is there a narrow window of diversity. When all of your neighbors are like you and think as you do, the wave of homogeneity becomes inevitable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Just be graceful and respectful of the OOB families that are still at Hearst. Pronouncements here or, say at a PTA meeting, that everyone needs to be sure to tell the principal how important it is to not take any OOB students sting a little when you are an OOB family.

Everyone sees the writing on the wall and very soon the OOB student at Hearst will be a thing of the past.

Understood. Just please know that lots of IB families like the school the way it is now, with a mix both IB and OOB families. Please don't assume that all IB families want the school to be 100% IB. There is a reason some of us chose to live IB for Hearst rather than Janney or Lafayette.

Guess what? Parents don't get to chose the makeup of the school. IB kids have, and will always have priority. And choosing a school because you loved the fact that it had lots of OOB families is just as obnoxious as saying you chose a school because it didn't have many OOB families. Your attitude is really something.

Interesting reaction. What exactly bothers you about this? We liked that the school had kids from all over DC. When we moved in, there weren't many IB families going to the school, which allowed for OOB kids to come in. We viewed this as a nice thing and figured it would stay that way. There's nothing we can do about the changes, but it is not something we were hoping for. How is that obnoxious?

It bothers you that you think an influx of IB kids would somehow affect your child's experience and education in a negative way. And I don't believe you when you say this is about geography. I think that "from all over the city" is a veiled attempt to say "I like my white kid in my white neighborhood to go to school with brown kids. So it's great if the school could keep importing them for me."