Constructive ways to decrease Janney class size

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new this year with a K child. I read the emails from the Principal and she seems to feel that co teaching is some kind of magic bullet to fix the problem of large class sizes. I can't say to know the principal well, but I am starting to think that her leaving might be a good thing. If she doesn't think there is a problem - then she isn't going to address it. Perhaps the new principal will consider reducing PK classes. FWIW, my younger is in the lottery for PK this year, so yes, it would suck if we didn't get in - but I think this is the most reasonable and quick solution available to the school. In one of her recent emails she said enrollment next year will be 730, up from 700 this year.

If you think Norah is the problem then you really do not know much about what has turned Janney into the school it is today, which is part of why we have the enrollment problem that we have. Seriously, she has made substantial changes over the years, not all easy but all for the good. She is strategic, understands education and supporting teachers, is an extraordinary navigator of DCPS, and is unbelievably good at hiring outstanding teachers. The school is a different place than it was before she arrived. (I had a K student in one of Norah's first years and a K student last year and the difference is a chasm).

Everyone can go on and on about IB percentages and such, and I do not dispute that having a prepared student body and an engaged community are important, but Norah created an incredibly progressive and inclusive school (I am talking about the kids' experience here, I have no comment on the debates about the parents) that I feel lucky to have had my children benefit from. That is all.

I agree 100%. How is the principal supposed to make additional classrooms or funding come out of thin air in the 11th hour of the summer? The reality is, the school doesn't have space to add another K class. You either have large classes and add co-teachers or you...????? Educate the kids in the parking lot? Light a few AU Park houses on fire and knock off a few kids?

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Yes...you need to educate Janney kids in the parking lot. Just like Murch is doing this year...with the entire 4th grade in portables IN THE PARKING LOT. Get in line for your trailers now.

Janney cannot have trailers. The only available space is over a parking lot and this is prohibited by zoning laws and/or construction norms. Not happening.

It's not "construction norms", because my school has trailers in the parking lot. And I very much doubt it's zoning. Nice try.

[Anonymous]

It's an underground parking lot, I bet that poster is right. The zoning thing could surely be changed, but I could see not putting a trailer on top of underground parking.

[Anonymous]

Well, I guess Janney likes it overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

In summary, constructive ways to decrease class size are to get rid of PreK and not allow families who move OOB to stay.

Next topic.

[Anonymous]

None of these changes will happen.

What will happen as K and 1st reach 30 kids per class next year:

Parents will pay for private school.


1)those who can afford to easily.
2)those who have "special snowflakes" whom the parents are convinced will only reach their destined great potential with smaller student/teacher ratios.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Janney cannot have trailers. The only available space is over a parking lot and this is prohibited by zoning laws and/or construction norms. Not happening.

Definitely not zoning laws. I guess it's possible that the underground parking was constructed in a way that can't support the weight of portables on top.

Supply exceeds demand and the campus is already largely built out. Abstractly, DCPS either has to acquire land for a new neighborhood elementary somewhere north of Janney and west of Lafayette or redo boundaries to the south in a way that radically increases the percentage of Eaton's students that come from surrounding neighborhoods. Otherwise, what will happen is that, eventually, crowding at Janney will drive enough people out that it becomes less of an issue.

[Anonymous]

Oops, demand exceeds supply!

Both Sheridan and (part of) the Lab School occupy former W3 DCPS facilities. I think GDS's L/MS campus might once have been DCPS as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oops, demand exceeds supply!

Both Sheridan and (part of) the Lab School occupy former W3 DCPS facilities. I think GDS's L/MS campus might once have been DCPS as well.

According to tax records, the Sheridan site is owned by Sheridan. But the Lab lower school is still owned by DCPS and is under a five year lease.

I think the GDS site is a former hospital, it's owned by the school.

[Anonymous]

Right, I just mentioned those former campuses because they suggest that Ward 3 is under-schooled at this point. That's the root of the problem. And also a cautionary tale about selling off public land.

[Anonymous]

That said, the GDS campus will soon be on the market, I suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That said, the GDS campus will soon be on the market, I suspect.

Are you talking about the lower school? The upper school just bought there secret Safeway property and will be expanding where it is.

[Anonymous]

Yes, lower school. The objective is to consolidate both schools at the Tenleytown campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, lower school. The objective is to consolidate both schools at the Tenleytown campus.

Correct. The school has confirmed that it is selling the lower campus. I doubt DC would buy it -- the politics are all wrong -- but that site also has a nice athletic field. In addition to being under-schooled WOTP is also under-fielded.

[Anonymous]

How is wotp under schooled?

[Anonymous]

What you really should be concerend with is what is Deal going to look like in 5 years.