What are the odds of them eliminating neighborhood elementary schools in favor of controlled choice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Expanded capacity [evenly distributed] at WOTP schools for all DC residents who want WOTP educations. Also provide school improvements to benefit students whose parents do not request WOTP schools.

If DCPS were interested in expanding wotp capacity then they would try to reclaim the old hardy school on Foxhall rather than try to give it away to Lab almost cost free for the next 50 years. During those discussions Abigail smith suggested expanding wotp capacity was not being considered.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Expanded capacity [evenly distributed] at WOTP schools for all DC residents who want WOTP educations. Also provide school improvements to benefit students whose parents do not request WOTP schools.[/quote]

If DCPS were interested in expanding wotp capacity then they would try to reclaim the old hardy school on Foxhall rather than try to give it away to Lab almost cost free for the next 50 years. During those discussions Abigail smith suggested expanding wotp capacity was not being considered.
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Sounds like they're going for a 1970s Boston busing scandal.

[Anonymous]

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I am not an expert but I don't see why a KIPP style program cannot include enrichment activities. People are too rigid in their thinking. Also I don't really care about museum programs as long as my kid is getting appropriately challenged in class. Too much edu-tainment around here.

It was just an example. Replace museum program with any sought after enrichment activity

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Expanded capacity [evenly distributed] at WOTP schools for all DC residents who want WOTP educations. Also provide school improvements to benefit students whose parents do not request WOTP schools.[/quote]

If DCPS were interested in expanding wotp capacity then they would try to reclaim the old hardy school on Foxhall rather than try to give it away to Lab almost cost free for the next 50 years. During those discussions Abigail smith suggested expanding wotp capacity was not being considered.
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Sounds like they're going for a 1970s Boston busing scandal.[/quote]

The City Council will have to step in to prevent this time bomb from destroying any hope for progress in the city's schools. It would help if the new Mayor cans the whole carnival of executive DCPS stooges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of the families saying that they will leave shows their selfishness and desire to only help their own children, instead of working to support and improve the entire DCPS community. I'd be glad to see you all leave and make room for families who want educational equity for all students.

Did you lottery into the worst school in DC so another child could get a seat at a better school in DC? No? How selfish of you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the families saying that they will leave shows their selfishness and desire to only help their own children, instead of working to support and improve the entire DCPS community. I'd be glad to see you all leave and make room for families who want educational equity for all students.

wrong. we show that we are unwilling to have our lives messed up and our kids' education threatened in the name of an unreasonable (and ineffective) social experiment. and we do not interpret "education equality" as we all get bad schools and we all have to move arund town so we are all equal. and educated families want a good education for their kids, if they cannot get it in DCPS, they will go private or stay in VA and MD.

identify the schools that are doing bad, and the reasons they are doing bad, then work on them. hire the best teachers, add programs, diversify education according to the level of students. if students have issues and need extra help, give it to them. if a child does not know how to ready in 4th grade, get that child extra help so he can learn to read at grade level (you can send the child to Deal and Wilson, but if he does not how to read, he won't go anywhere). this means qual education to me, all kids, no matter what is their backround, get to go to a school with great teachers, good programs, and especially at the elementary level, the extra help they may need to learn how to read and write and math if they are not lucky enough to have a familt that supports them in their learning.

I agree. Why not have after school programs where kids get to play, have a snack, and then help with their homework and extra tutoring to alleviate some of the pressure on families who can't help their kids with their education? It means kids go to school the next day prepared with their homework done and questions answered. I can't imagine any parent would object to DC providing this type of after school program for families at failing schools. DCPS should leave the schools that work alone and focus on the most needy. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The WOTP resources are highly educated families and their kids that reap the benefits of these parents.

How could DCPS export that across the park?

That's exactly what they're trying to do with "controlled choice." They're in for the shock of their lives if they think WOTP families will agree to export their kids out of neighborhood schools.

[Anonymous]

These ideas are too simple and commonsensical for DCPS administrators who are determined to show that one of their big ideas will transform DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The WOTP resources are highly educated families and their kids that reap the benefits of these parents.

How could DCPS export that across the park?

That's exactly what they're trying to do with "controlled choice." They're in for the shock of their lives if they think WOTP families will agree to export their kids out of neighborhood schools.

The DME and her crew have to already know this. The question is why don't they care? Don't they realize that losing already academically successful students (and their highly educated parents) will crush DCPS?

And DCPS will be right back to being crappy all around. Maybe that's what they are going for equally crappy schools for everyone. That would be the result of essentially dismantling the successful schools.

[Anonymous]

No -- ward 3 parents will put up a fuss and win in the end -- and even more important, will feel vindicated that they saved DC and their kids at the same time as they put the DME in her place. Maybe this is what DME and crew know and expect to play out.

Gentrifying parents -- they are another story -- they've allowed themselves to get pushed around so much so far that DCPS sees them ripe for the picking -- and maybe they are right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[quote=Anonymous

identify the schools that are doing bad, and the reasons they are doing bad, then work on them. hire the best teachers, add programs, diversify education according to the level of students. if students have issues and need extra help, give it to them. if a child does not know how to ready in 4th grade, get that child extra help so he can learn to read at grade level (you can send the child to Deal and Wilson, but if he does not how to read, he won't go anywhere). this means qual education to me, all kids, no matter what is their backround, get to go to a school with great teachers, good programs, and especially at the elementary level, the extra help they may need to learn how to read and write and math if they are not lucky enough to have a familt that supports them in their learning.

Quite simplistic prescriptions here. Don't you think that DCPS has been on this road for the past decade? targeting schools, firing principals, firing teachers, hiring new "best" teachers, giving "extra help", add programs (Fountas and Pinnell, ImagineLearning, I-ready, etc.

The reason schools are doing "bad" (sic) is because the majority of the students are low-SES. Have you ever heard of the word gap?

So just get rid of poverty, and presto, you have "good" schools.

[Anonymous]

20:33 - nailed it

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the purpose of the controlled choice sets when the choices are basically the neighborhood schools closest to you. I am fortunate to live in ward 3 and my "choices" are Murch, Janney or Lafayette. What is accomplished by allowing families to lottery in to one of these schools. It does not increase the OOB or EOTP % at those schools. It's not like someone in Ward 8 is getting a WOTP school in his or her "choice set."

Seems like this goal can be achieved with neighborhood schools and OOB set asides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expanded capacity [evenly distributed] at WOTP schools for all DC residents who want WOTP educations. Also provide school improvements to benefit students whose parents do not request WOTP schools.

If DCPS were interested in expanding wotp capacity then they would try to reclaim the old hardy school on Foxhall rather than try to give it away to Lab almost cost free for the next 50 years. During those discussions Abigail smith suggested expanding wotp capacity was not being considered.

And lo and behold: option b presents the possibility for a Ward 2/3 HS for the southern sector of Wilson's boundary. Looking at the language they use to discuss it, it fairly clear that the DME and tech team don't want this, but they've been forced to include it. If this fixes overcrowing at Wilson for the long term and allows EOTP neighbors to continue to attend Wilson...AND it is a school that would fill up almost immediately because it sits on magic Ward 2/3 soil, then isn't this a no brainer?

[Anonymous]

I always thought the Franklin Square property would make a great high school