Boundary working groups and times out

[Anonymous]

Center City Community Meeting #1
Saturday, April 5
Dunbar High School – Cafeteria
101 N St. NW
Information Fair: 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Presentation: 9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Working Group: 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

East End Community Meeting #1
Saturday, April 5
Anacostia High School – Cafeteria
1601 16th St. SE
Information Fair: 3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Presentation: 3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Working Group: 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Upper NW & NE Community Meeting #1
Tuesday, April 8
Coolidge High School – Armory
6315 5th St. NW
Information Fair: 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Presentation: 6:15 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Working Group: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Center City Community Meeting #2
Saturday, April 26
Dunbar High School – Cafeteria
101 N St. NW
Information Fair: 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Presentation: 9:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Working Group: 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

East End Community Meeting #2
Saturday, April 26
Anacostia High School – Cafeteria
1601 16th St. SE
Information Fair: 3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Presentation: 3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Working Group: 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Upper NW & NE Community Meeting #2
Thursday, April 24
Coolidge High School – Armory
6315 5th St. NW
Information Fair: 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Town Hall: 6:15 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Working Group: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Additional May and June meeting dates will be announced soon. Sign up for working groups now via our website at dme.dc.gov/boundaries or phone at 202.478.5738. Childcare and light refreshments will be provided. Interpretation services are also available upon request, by calling 202.478.5738.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I have to say that I have been impressed with the DME so far at that presentations I have gone to. But I have to ask.... The "City Center" and "East End" working groups are on Saturdays at reasonable times in locations that seem pretty central. The ""Upper NW and NE" meeting is on Tuesday at 5:30pm in a incredibly (for me at least) inconvenient location. What gives? Hopefully this isn't an indication that they are about to completely screw Upper NW and NE and they just don't want us to show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have to say that I have been impressed with the DME so far at that presentations I have gone to. But I have to ask.... The "City Center" and "East End" working groups are on Saturdays at reasonable times in locations that seem pretty central. The ""Upper NW and NE" meeting is on Tuesday at 5:30pm in a incredibly (for me at least) inconvenient location. What gives? Hopefully this isn't an indication that they are about to completely screw Upper NW and NE and they just don't want us to show up.

To the contrary, I think it's a staffing thing and they want to through all the consultants and PR folks they can hire at assuaging the Upper NW/NE crowd as you guys are better resourced and readier to file that civil rights lawsuit than the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

I too am concerned about this and hope that a lot of people are able to make it to all of the working group meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I too am concerned about this and hope that a lot of people are able to make it to all of the working group meetings.

You guys are ok with the controlled choice idea?

[Anonymous]

21:52 here. It's hard to say if I'm concerned about controlled choice given how few details (and how many rumors) are out. At this point I'm concerned in general and so am looking forward to ways to let my opinion be heard.

On this specific thing just thought it was odd that the 4 other working group meetings are on Saturdays and the NE/NW ones are during the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have to say that I have been impressed with the DME so far at that presentations I have gone to. But I have to ask.... The "City Center" and "East End" working groups are on Saturdays at reasonable times in locations that seem pretty central. The ""Upper NW and NE" meeting is on Tuesday at 5:30pm in a incredibly (for me at least) inconvenient location. What gives? Hopefully this isn't an indication that they are about to completely screw Upper NW and NE and they just don't want us to show up.

"Intent to screw" was exactly the impression I got at a meeting for Ward 4 parents a couple months ago. It was my first time learning how dire the middle school situation is and my first time seeing and hearing the DME. She came off like the really smart new girl at a school where she knew she wouldn't be liked.

My thought is that no matter what the working group comes up with, many people are going to be very unhappy. The Deputy Mayor could assuage that if she could talk about efforts to improve options in Ward 4. Reopen MacFarland, bring in new talent, new programs--make it hot, even if it's under-enrolled--and people will come.

[Anonymous]

I found the weeknight versus weekend scheduling interesting as well. The NE/NW dates conflict with school meetings and events set months in advance and getting anywhere in the city at 5:30 is a challenge for a parent - due to both traffic and child care issues. I know it is difficult to schedule all these meetings with Spring Break this month. And I give credit to the DME for her very busy schedule of meetings over the last several months. But this set of meetings, IMHO, is the most important because there will finally be something on this table to discuss.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this screams "Ward 3 parents don't show up". Maybe because that's because Ward 3 parents will be thrilled with any of the scenarios. But given all of the angst about Deal and Wilson (I realize that the city's boundaries and student assignment have many more issues than that) I find that hard to believe. More likely it is that some schools are about to get pulled out of the Deal feeder and access to Wilson will be a city-wide lottery.