School Without Walls Pk-12?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a parent thinks admission into FS elementary means automatic entry in to Walls HS then they did not do their due diligence and research all the details of this still unfolding merger. The correct information is easy to find. All you have to do is Google it. I did. It's even outlined clearly on the DCPS website. (I know, because we are now zoned for the middle school and I looked it up).

I do see where a number of parents will now take a chance on enrolling their kids at Stevens because of the relationship with Walls. The right administration can make a huge difference and if the principal (as he noted) is going to align some of the programs with the high school and allow advanced middle school students to take high school level courses then that's sounds great to me. If Stevens begins to pull in more middle income parents due to the Walls name, then the school will turn a corner and become one of the more sought after schools in the District.

So what if it doesn't feed directly into Walls. If the kids get a great education at Stevens then they should have as good a chance--if not better--than any other DC kid at getting into Walls. Some of these parents are banking on "better" chance which is reasonable to me.

BTW, even though we're zoned for the middle, I'm not necessarily planning to send my 4th grader there. But I am open to it. I'm just going to wait and see how things unfold since I have another year.

NEWSFLASH....ANY school that serves a predominately Free and Reduced lunch population will "turn a corner" when the SES of it's student population is higher/increases through an infusion of middle to high SES students/families . IT'S NOT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GIVE ACCOLADES FOR! There is an undeniable correlation between a student's family situations and income and academic performance. When I see a school that is knocking it out of the park WITH POOR AND TROUBLED KIDS THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER SCHOOLS that's when i'll be impressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think only people who are pissy are the SWW parents. Everyone else seems okay. And with any merger in any industry, it is a mess until all is said and done.

I certainly hope so. Lots of IB families with little kids have started to think they might be able to stick around with the coming changes, but the vindictiveness of the SWW parents is a real turn off. They really seem prepared to destroy FS if it means their school never changes.

I agree. I'm IB with PS3. It's seems super snotty the way folks look down on FS. Sorry, I guess? I had no idea of this mess until we were accepted today and now I'm like oooookay. Where I grew up you just went to school where you meant to.

Why should School Without Walls suffer just because the IB people for FS want to keep their chronically underenrolled school open?

We should automatically accept this because a couple people now are happy? The merger does not have any positives for SWW.

[Anonymous]

The issues about the merger are not personal.
But DCPS is merging 2 campuses that are far apart- not walking distance for classes- and that run 2 completely different programs. One is an IB/OOB school for 3year olds- 8th and the other is an magnet application only school. The list of negatives for SWW goes on and on....in the initial budgets, SWW will lose critical staff- like sharing the principal and an AP- so they can go to FS. How is that a benefit? SWW is being merged with FS, so FS can stay open. There is no other reason for the merger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think only people who are pissy are the SWW parents. Everyone else seems okay. And with any merger in any industry, it is a mess until all is said and done.

I certainly hope so. Lots of IB families with little kids have started to think they might be able to stick around with the coming changes, but the vindictiveness of the SWW parents is a real turn off. They really seem prepared to destroy FS if it means their school never changes.

I agree. I'm IB with PS3. It's seems super snotty the way folks look down on FS. Sorry, I guess? I had no idea of this mess until we were accepted today and now I'm like oooookay. Where I grew up you just went to school where you meant to.

Why should School Without Walls suffer just because the IB people for FS want to keep their chronically underenrolled school open?

We should automatically accept this because a couple people now are happy? The merger does not have any positives for SWW.

Agree 1000%

[Anonymous]

NEWSFLASH....ANY school that serves a predominately Free and Reduced lunch population will "turn a corner" when the SES of it's student population is higher/increases through an infusion of middle to high SES students/families . IT'S NOT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GIVE ACCOLADES FOR! There is an undeniable correlation between a student's family situations and income and academic performance. When I see a school that is knocking it out of the park WITH POOR AND TROUBLED KIDS THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER SCHOOLS that's when i'll be impressed.


My sentiments exactly. FS will improve because it will attract better students and families who are interested in the new offerings: a more challenging curriculum, stronger teachers and better HS feeder options than Cardozo.

This is common sense. It will NOT be because someone performed miracles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a parent thinks admission into FS elementary means automatic entry in to Walls HS then they did not do their due diligence and research all the details of this still unfolding merger. The correct information is easy to find. All you have to do is Google it. I did. It's even outlined clearly on the DCPS website. (I know, because we are now zoned for the middle school and I looked it up).

I do see where a number of parents will now take a chance on enrolling their kids at Stevens because of the relationship with Walls. The right administration can make a huge difference and if the principal (as he noted) is going to align some of the programs with the high school and allow advanced middle school students to take high school level courses then that's sounds great to me. If Stevens begins to pull in more middle income parents due to the Walls name, then the school will turn a corner and become one of the more sought after schools in the District.

So what if it doesn't feed directly into Walls. If the kids get a great education at Stevens then they should have as good a chance--if not better--than any other DC kid at getting into Walls. Some of these parents are banking on "better" chance which is reasonable to me.

BTW, even though we're zoned for the middle, I'm not necessarily planning to send my 4th grader there. But I am open to it. I'm just going to wait and see how things unfold since I have another year.

NEWSFLASH....ANY school that serves a predominately Free and Reduced lunch population will "turn a corner" when the SES of it's student population is higher/increases through an infusion of middle to high SES students/families . IT'S NOT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GIVE ACCOLADES FOR! There is an undeniable correlation between a student's family situations and income and academic performance. When I see a school that is knocking it out of the park WITH POOR AND TROUBLED KIDS THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER SCHOOLS that's when i'll be impressed.

I'm the PP here. I agree that a truly successful school is one that works miracles with poor and troubled kids (eg. DC Prep). That being said, Francis Stevens will turn a corner because it will now--more than likely--attract higher SES families (as you stated). Right now, I don't believe DCPS really has the "freedom" to do what needs to be done to raise the academic level of poor and troubled kids. DCPS teachers and administrators would probably not have the option to use some of the techniques that are being used at DC Prep. Moreover, most higher SES families in DC would not be on board with the type of regimentation and drilling that is being done at DC Prep to achieve the miracles you're witnessing in those test scores (regimentation which for some of those children means the difference between life and death).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think only people who are pissy are the SWW parents. Everyone else seems okay. And with any merger in any industry, it is a mess until all is said and done.

I certainly hope so. Lots of IB families with little kids have started to think they might be able to stick around with the coming changes, but the vindictiveness of the SWW parents is a real turn off. They really seem prepared to destroy FS if it means their school never changes.

I agree. I'm IB with PS3. It's seems super snotty the way folks look down on FS. Sorry, I guess? I had no idea of this mess until we were accepted today and now I'm like oooookay. Where I grew up you just went to school where you meant to.

Why should School Without Walls suffer just because the IB people for FS want to keep their chronically underenrolled school open?

We should automatically accept this because a couple people now are happy? The merger does not have any positives for SWW.

Agree 1000%

You should accept the merger because its been decided! Might as well make the best of it instead of sitting around and being all complain-y and grumpy. Imagine if all the SWW parents decided to spend the time it take for them to complain on helping FS or just doing something more constructive that involves just accepting the merger. Of course, it's gonna suck for SWW kids but what else is one to do?

[Anonymous]

The SWW community wants to protect its school in the merger. That's what they are advocating for- even if the merger is a done deal. Why should it accept that it's going to "suck for SWW kids" but help FS? This merger is a win- lose.

[Anonymous]

I simply don't believe this is going to "suck" for SWW kids. The change will be uncomfortable (as change always is). But since no details have been decided as to how they are going to use the Francis Stevens site for SWW, no dertermination can be made as to how good or bad things will be for Walls kids. The only valid complaint I have heard from the Walls families is that they were not given a voice in this merger.

PS--I am not a FS parent, just a parent of a rising 5th grader, weighing options and watching from a distance to see how this all unfolds.

[Anonymous]

FARM vs. SES Bowl has been moved to SWW.

[Anonymous]

SWW will not be using the FS site for classes next year. A big issue is that SWW gains very little classroom space at FS- 2 or 3 classrooms. This is only enough to send half a grade there, and the campus is too far away for commuting between classes. For obvious reasons, the SWW community does not want to send 50/75 students and staff off site for their HS. This is only one logistic that was not thought out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think only people who are pissy are the SWW parents. Everyone else seems okay. And with any merger in any industry, it is a mess until all is said and done.

I certainly hope so. Lots of IB families with little kids have started to think they might be able to stick around with the coming changes, but the vindictiveness of the SWW parents is a real turn off. They really seem prepared to destroy FS if it means their school never changes.

I agree. I'm IB with PS3. It's seems super snotty the way folks look down on FS. Sorry, I guess? I had no idea of this mess until we were accepted today and now I'm like oooookay. Where I grew up you just went to school where you meant to.

Why should School Without Walls suffer just because the IB people for FS want to keep their chronically underenrolled school open?

We should automatically accept this because a couple people now are happy? The merger does not have any positives for SWW.

Agree 1000%

You should accept the merger because its been decided! Might as well make the best of it instead of sitting around and being all complain-y and grumpy. Imagine if all the SWW parents decided to spend the time it take for them to complain on helping FS or just doing something more constructive that involves just accepting the merger. Of course, it's gonna suck for SWW kids but what else is one to do?

This is DCPS honey, put enough money in the right pockets and there will be no merger

[Anonymous]

Can white people ever be happy? This is draining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a parent thinks admission into FS elementary means automatic entry in to Walls HS then they did not do their due diligence and research all the details of this still unfolding merger. The correct information is easy to find. All you have to do is Google it. I did. It's even outlined clearly on the DCPS website. (I know, because we are now zoned for the middle school and I looked it up).

I do see where a number of parents will now take a chance on enrolling their kids at Stevens because of the relationship with Walls. The right administration can make a huge difference and if the principal (as he noted) is going to align some of the programs with the high school and allow advanced middle school students to take high school level courses then that's sounds great to me. If Stevens begins to pull in more middle income parents due to the Walls name, then the school will turn a corner and become one of the more sought after schools in the District.

So what if it doesn't feed directly into Walls. If the kids get a great education at Stevens then they should have as good a chance--if not better--than any other DC kid at getting into Walls. Some of these parents are banking on "better" chance which is reasonable to me.

BTW, even though we're zoned for the middle, I'm not necessarily planning to send my 4th grader there. But I am open to it. I'm just going to wait and see how things unfold since I have another year.

NEWSFLASH....ANY school that serves a predominately Free and Reduced lunch population will "turn a corner" when the SES of it's student population is higher/increases through an infusion of middle to high SES students/families . IT'S NOT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT TO GIVE ACCOLADES FOR! There is an undeniable correlation between a student's family situations and income and academic performance. When I see a school that is knocking it out of the park WITH POOR AND TROUBLED KIDS THAT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER SCHOOLS that's when i'll be impressed.

I'm the PP here. I agree that a truly successful school is one that works miracles with poor and troubled kids (eg. DC Prep). That being said, Francis Stevens will turn a corner because it will now--more than likely--attract higher SES families (as you stated). Right now, I don't believe DCPS really has the "freedom" to do what needs to be done to raise the academic level of poor and troubled kids. DCPS teachers and administrators would probably not have the option to use some of the techniques that are being used at DC Prep. Moreover, most higher SES families in DC would not be on board with the type of regimentation and drilling that is being done at DC Prep to achieve the miracles you're witnessing in those test scores (regimentation which for some of those children means the difference between life and death).

Of course if middle class kids are expected to do it the parents will complain