Hyde-Addison

[Anonymous]

this thread how grown tedious. there is nothing new to say. just repeating the same stuff again and again and again. Unless DCPS announces that the Hyde renovation is off or postponed the decision to swing at Meyer is final according to John Davis's recent letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OOB parents choose the extra commute. IB parents should have a reasonable expectation that they can attend a neighborhood school when they purchase or rent a home in that neighborhood.

If you bought a home on Capitol Hill for the school, and then DCPS told you a two year renovation would send your kids to Tenleytown every day (after assuring you for two years that children would remain on campus for the renovation), you would be upset. H-A parents have a right to be upset, and certainly have a right to challenge the decision.

Your property and income tax dollars go to DCPS, not your local IB school. And while you are guaranteed a IB slot -- which already gives you a lot of privilege, since your IB school is so highly sought after --you are not guaranteed special privileges in the overall system based on your address. Inconveniences happen in DCPS and not just to you. Not a catastrophe unless you turn it into one.

NP here: It became "highly sought after" because of where it is.

No doubt you are an OOB parent who was lucky enough to get the truly "special privilege" of attending out of bounds. Now you want the school to come closer to you without paying up for it. You, too, would be irked if you liked your IB school and it moved a 20 minutes (30 min at rush hour) away from you.

You have a strange idea of OOB as if moving the school would automatically make it more convenient for all OOB families. You do realize, don't you, that the 30s busline makes H-A accessible to a lot of families in SE who will have a lot harder time getting to Meyer Elementary? It's not as if moving the school for renovations suddenly makes OOB families' lives easier. Think about that for a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Different poster here. I understand you're upset and in your situation I might feel some of that myself. But this is how DCPS has been handling renovations. There's nothing capricious about it. It's not like they're subjecting H-A to something that other school populations haven't endured. My kid was at Hardy when it was renovated. Some families chose to send their kids elsewhere because they didn't want to travel to the swingspace (Hamilton). Other families chose to suck it up and go there. It was certainly less convenient for us because even though we were OOB it was not near my husband's office and there wasn't a bus that went directly by the school that my kid could take. I get that it bothers you and it sucks. But you're acting a bit too victimized as if DCPS were meting out a punishment to the H-A families that they didn't give to families at other schools.

What has upset a lot of H-A families is not simply that the decision is Meyer, but rather the manner in which the decision has been made and the near total absence of information on logistics of the swing in the wake of that decision. To name but one of the many sources of frustration, DCPS laid down a set of criteria for selecting a swing-space and then seemingly abandoned said criteria when doing so ran counter to political pressure (read: the Burleith letting writing campaign). What information they have sent out explaining their decision has been evasive to the point of being nonsensical. So, yes, it has been capricious or at least seemingly so.

Whether or not other communities have endured the same sort of mess surrounding swings is not something I can speak to. However, given the complexity of the cross-town swing into a in-need-of-renovation HS facility that is now being proposed, the inherent exposure of elementary school age children to various environmental risks, and the total incompetence displayed by DCPS thus far, many parents have lost confidence that the swing to Meyer will work out without seriously damaging the quality of instruction and the safety of the children. As the slogan says, the impression many get is that DCPS is simply "winging it". Why anyone would be simply "suck up" such poor quality performance from their elected officials when their children's futures are at stake is beyond me. Perhaps if others hadn't before, we wouldn't be having to deal with it now . . .

[Anonymous]

Again, to you H-A families on here who are saying they won't accept a plan of swinging to Meyer, what is your next move? Will you not re-enroll next year? Do you start your own letter campaign that requests that the renovation plan be abandoned? Are you going to propose your own swing locations? Again, since Davis announced the decision in his letter last week (or was it the week before?) what's your next move?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Different poster here. I understand you're upset and in your situation I might feel some of that myself. But this is how DCPS has been handling renovations. There's nothing capricious about it. It's not like they're subjecting H-A to something that other school populations haven't endured. My kid was at Hardy when it was renovated. Some families chose to send their kids elsewhere because they didn't want to travel to the swingspace (Hamilton). Other families chose to suck it up and go there. It was certainly less convenient for us because even though we were OOB it was not near my husband's office and there wasn't a bus that went directly by the school that my kid could take. I get that it bothers you and it sucks. But you're acting a bit too victimized as if DCPS were meting out a punishment to the H-A families that they didn't give to families at other schools.

What has upset a lot of H-A families is not simply that the decision is Meyer, but rather the manner in which the decision has been made and the near total absence of information on logistics of the swing in the wake of that decision. To name but one of the many sources of frustration, DCPS laid down a set of criteria for selecting a swing-space and then seemingly abandoned said criteria when doing so ran counter to political pressure (read: the Burleith letting writing campaign). What information they have sent out explaining their decision has been evasive to the point of being nonsensical. So, yes, it has been capricious or at least seemingly so.

Whether or not other communities have endured the same sort of mess surrounding swings is not something I can speak to. However, given the complexity of the cross-town swing into a in-need-of-renovation HS facility that is now being proposed, the inherent exposure of elementary school age children to various environmental risks, and the total incompetence displayed by DCPS thus far, many parents have lost confidence that the swing to Meyer will work out without seriously damaging the quality of instruction and the safety of the children. As the slogan says, the impression many get is that DCPS is simply "winging it". Why anyone would be simply "suck up" such poor quality performance from their elected officials when their children's futures are at stake is beyond me. Perhaps if others hadn't before, we wouldn't be having to deal with it now . . .

You had me up till the last line but now that I know you're blaming your problem on people like me....well, forget it. Could you somehow disentangle your good argument (DCPS winging it and not communicating well and not being transparent) from your sense of victimization (which somehow I'm now responsible for)? You'd get more people on your side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Different poster here. I understand you're upset and in your situation I might feel some of that myself. But this is how DCPS has been handling renovations. There's nothing capricious about it. It's not like they're subjecting H-A to something that other school populations haven't endured. My kid was at Hardy when it was renovated. Some families chose to send their kids elsewhere because they didn't want to travel to the swingspace (Hamilton). Other families chose to suck it up and go there. It was certainly less convenient for us because even though we were OOB it was not near my husband's office and there wasn't a bus that went directly by the school that my kid could take. I get that it bothers you and it sucks. But you're acting a bit too victimized as if DCPS were meting out a punishment to the H-A families that they didn't give to families at other schools.

What has upset a lot of H-A families is not simply that the decision is Meyer, but rather the manner in which the decision has been made and the near total absence of information on logistics of the swing in the wake of that decision. To name but one of the many sources of frustration, DCPS laid down a set of criteria for selecting a swing-space and then seemingly abandoned said criteria when doing so ran counter to political pressure (read: the Burleith letting writing campaign). What information they have sent out explaining their decision has been evasive to the point of being nonsensical. So, yes, it has been capricious or at least seemingly so.

Whether or not other communities have endured the same sort of mess surrounding swings is not something I can speak to. However, given the complexity of the cross-town swing into a in-need-of-renovation HS facility that is now being proposed, the inherent exposure of elementary school age children to various environmental risks, and the total incompetence displayed by DCPS thus far, many parents have lost confidence that the swing to Meyer will work out without seriously damaging the quality of instruction and the safety of the children. As the slogan says, the impression many get is that DCPS is simply "winging it". Why anyone would be simply "suck up" such poor quality performance from their elected officials when their children's futures are at stake is beyond me. Perhaps if others hadn't before, we wouldn't be having to deal with it now . . .

The decision has to be made. Then the logistics get worked out. Your principal and the SIT team will have major input into this and you have a ton of time compared to other school communities who, for various reasons, were working on swing space plans in May for the following fall. And those plans have all been pretty solid.

HA parents need to exhale. At least you're finding this out in enough time to submit private school applications / ready your houses to sell if you're really that upset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: You had me up till the last line but now that I know you're blaming your problem on people like me....well, forget it. Could you somehow disentangle your good argument (DCPS winging it and not communicating well and not being transparent) from your sense of victimization (which somehow I'm now responsible for)? You'd get more people on your side.

I wasn't laying the blame at the feet of you or anyone else particularly. Indeed, as I noted, the decision-making process for H-A may not be par for the course of how DCPS operates. The point is merely that unless we have no problems with this kind of behavior and being on the receiving end of it, not only should it be not acceptable to H-A parents, but it should also not be acceptable to Hardy parents or anyone else invested in DC public schools. Only once they know that will they lift their game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The decision has to be made. Then the logistics get worked out.

The decision was made back in the spring. From then until now, there has been next to no information - for parents or teachers - on how this is all supposed to work out. On that basis, many parents have already opted out, which is to the detriment of the school community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Different poster here. I understand you're upset and in your situation I might feel some of that myself. But this is how DCPS has been handling renovations. There's nothing capricious about it. It's not like they're subjecting H-A to something that other school populations haven't endured. My kid was at Hardy when it was renovated. Some families chose to send their kids elsewhere because they didn't want to travel to the swingspace (Hamilton). Other families chose to suck it up and go there. It was certainly less convenient for us because even though we were OOB it was not near my husband's office and there wasn't a bus that went directly by the school that my kid could take. I get that it bothers you and it sucks. But you're acting a bit too victimized as if DCPS were meting out a punishment to the H-A families that they didn't give to families at other schools.

What has upset a lot of H-A families is not simply that the decision is Meyer, but rather the manner in which the decision has been made and the near total absence of information on logistics of the swing in the wake of that decision. To name but one of the many sources of frustration, DCPS laid down a set of criteria for selecting a swing-space and then seemingly abandoned said criteria when doing so ran counter to political pressure (read: the Burleith letting writing campaign). What information they have sent out explaining their decision has been evasive to the point of being nonsensical. So, yes, it has been capricious or at least seemingly so.

Whether or not other communities have endured the same sort of mess surrounding swings is not something I can speak to. However, given the complexity of the cross-town swing into a in-need-of-renovation HS facility that is now being proposed, the inherent exposure of elementary school age children to various environmental risks, and the total incompetence displayed by DCPS thus far, many parents have lost confidence that the swing to Meyer will work out without seriously damaging the quality of instruction and the safety of the children. As the slogan says, the impression many get is that DCPS is simply "winging it". Why anyone would be simply "suck up" such poor quality performance from their elected officials when their children's futures are at stake is beyond me. Perhaps if others hadn't before, we wouldn't be having to deal with it now . . .

Ouch. That was very rude. Do you remember last spring, weeks before the end of the school year Murch still didn't have a swing space and Lafayette was thrown on the table? No discussion, no proposal for any swing space before this and they dropped it like a bomb on both communities. H-A is actually having an easy go of it. Before your statement I was interested in seeing options. Now I am all for Meyer and happy to voice my approval to our elected officials. You have months to plan and prep your kids -- much more than other schools got.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: The decision has to be made. Then the logistics get worked out.

The decision was made back in the spring. From then until now, there has been next to no information - for parents or teachers - on how this is all supposed to work out. On that basis, many parents have already opted out, which is to the detriment of the school community.

Or not. Plenty of willing families will take those spots and happily move back to H-A in two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ouch. That was very rude. Do you remember last spring, weeks before the end of the school year Murch still didn't have a swing space and Lafayette was thrown on the table? No discussion, no proposal for any swing space before this and they dropped it like a bomb on both communities. H-A is actually having an easy go of it. Before your statement I was interested in seeing options. Now I am all for Meyer and happy to voice my approval to our elected officials. You have months to plan and prep your kids -- much more than other schools got.

Earlier in the thread, you will notice more than a handful of suggestions that the H-A community simply needs to "suck up" the decision and move on because - and I'm paraphrasing - H-A isn't a private school, this is what DCPS does, and so on. Worse that, the discussion at times devolved in inter-community squabbling and attacks on the sensibilities of the respective parents, which I'm sure the folks at DCPS couldn't be happier to see as it certainly helps keep the attention off their performance. What is being said, thus, is not that others haven't gone to their trenches against similar decisions in the past, but that such efforts have evidently been too isolated to make a lasting impact. Unless parents across the city unite against these horrendous decision-making processes, we'll be subjected to more of it as long as we remain a part of the school system. Turn this into a zero-sum battle between communities helps no one associated with the school system in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Or not. Plenty of willing families will take those spots and happily move back to H-A in two years.

. . . to a school that is a shell of what it was before. Said school may well be better than other options, but certainly not what it could have been had DCPS handled this better,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Or not. Plenty of willing families will take those spots and happily move back to H-A in two years.

. . . to a school that is a shell of what it was before. Said school may well be better than other options, but certainly not what it could have been had DCPS handled this better,

Oh good Lord. Let's stop with the dramatics. Decimated. A shell of what it was. Enough. When in the hell with one H-A poster say what their plan is since Meyer IS the plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh good Lord. Let's stop with the dramatics. Decimated. A shell of what it was. Enough. When in the hell with one H-A poster say what their plan is since Meyer IS the plan?

All of the parents I've talked to plan to chase lottery slots at other schools or, if they can, go private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh good Lord. Let's stop with the dramatics. Decimated. A shell of what it was. Enough. When in the hell with one H-A poster say what their plan is since Meyer IS the plan?

All of the parents I've talked to plan to chase lottery slots at other schools or, if they can, go private.

Well, my well-educated, high-earning household will likely rank Hyde-Addison higher for an OOB spot in an upper grade if it's at Meyer. And our kid is not likely to hurt your precious PARCC scores or classroom decorum. We'll be plenty involved at whatever school we get in to. But if that's what you mean by a shell of a school, bring it on.