How can DCPS improve *all* its schools when Wilson and feeders raise big PTA money for enrichment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
1. I don't see WHY DCPS needs to achieve "equity", it NEEDS to provide good educational opportunities to ALL students. Already, much more funding goes to schools with higher "at-risk" populations while slashing services at certain ward 3 schools. I don't see that DCPS will achieve any good outcome if NO students have working musical instruments or reagents for Chem lab. Back when I donated to the PTA in my kids' ward 3 school, those were the things I was donating to support.
2. DCPS talks all the time about making sure students have a top education, they just can't walk the walk. They pay fees for APs, which other districts don't, they offer a school day/free SAT. There are free SAT prep classes inside the school schedule for those who choose to go. There's lots of reasons why there's a gap. Parent education, poverty, lead in the piping in old buildings, more qualified teachers opting out of high poverty schools.
3. A school doesn't have to "serve the best students" to excel, it doesn't need to curate the student body. A school can excel by turning a failing student into a functional student, by pushing a mediocre student to proficiency, by identifying the kid with a learning difference and directing that child to the needed support

Absolutely. DCPS does not screen for LD and they don't even use the word dyslexia despite 1-in-5 people having LD not related to intelligence. Parents who can afford it can get private tutoring in addition to supports in schools with highest-performing teachers and principals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dunbar- incredible facility. Nary a Ward 3 kid in sight.

The kicker here is that this renovation, which cost $128,000,000, serves 1/3 fewer kids than Lafayette which cost 40% less.

So so unfair.

If Ellington's new mausoleum was over $200m, why was Dunbar's only 128m?

Someone look into this.

As they should. Ellington is embarrassing.

The point is, WOTP schools are not hoarding construction resources. Find something else to complain about because that isn't it.

So so unfair.

If Ballou gets $160m for a cool new building, why was Dunbar's only 128m?

You Ward 3 parents have no compassion.

[Anonymous]

Wilson's renovation was $115 million and it has the most high school students by far -- more than double of the next largest and triple of most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ward 3 guys - not sure your argument has an effect on the rest of DC that you might want.

There is an important discussion to be had as to Ward 3’s responsibility to the overall improvement of DCPS, e.g. set asides at WOTP schools, city wide lottery etc.

However, some issues are red herrings that get folks agitated but actually are not directly related (or indirectly) to improving the quality of DCPS outside of the high SES schools (not limited to Ward 3 or WOTP). For example- PTA contributions and certain WOTP ES physical facilities.

I don't live in Ward 3, but I fail to see any reason why Ward 3 parents would carry any additional responsibilities that other DC parents wouldn't have. There are plenty of parents outside of Ward 3 who could advocate for all of DCPS. You're one of them. Why don't you do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are in a bubble OP. My kid attends an EoTP title 1 school that offers 5 specials a week starting in PK 3. Including technology and social studies. Class size is 16 with full time aids. Tons of PE, fully staffed library. Lots of extra activities. PTA raises less 10k a year. None of the PTA money pays for these extras.

But those class sizes are required by law - not some "plan" that DCPS came up with. And once they move into K and 1st, those class sizes have the potential to go way up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This fight over what constitutes UMC and rich is not relevant to the point of this thread.

A PP made a statement that the Lafayette was "a palace" because the rich families (all in their 2.5M houses) control the PTA, which apparently controls DCPS facilities management. None of that is true.

No one is claiming that Lafayette kids are poor kids. It is an UMC neighborhood.

What it is not is a neighborhood full of 2.5 Million houses.

And the state of the Lafayette facilities are great after a long wait and extensive renovation that is on par with the renovations of schools happening all over the city.

That is all. Go over the money forum to debate what is UMC and what is rich.

I am not a Lafayette parent or neighbor, but this finger pointing started by an inflammatory post is ridiculous.

This is funny. You do realize that most of us don't make much of a distinction? Once it's over a million, it's so far out of bounds for the vast majority of DC that you're splitting hairs.

The grounds are amazing. Do you really think there are no advantages conferred on a school WOTP which are not received by the poorer schools? And do you really think none of those advantages have anything to do with the parents at said school, whatever mechanism is used?

Barnaby Woods/Hawthorne aren't even in the top 10 most expensive neighborhoods in DC! And that sign you were harping about is circa 1990s technology. You really need to travel around the city more or come clean about whatever weird idiosyncratic hate you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are in a bubble OP. My kid attends an EoTP title 1 school that offers 5 specials a week starting in PK 3. Including technology and social studies. Class size is 16 with full time aids. Tons of PE, fully staffed library. Lots of extra activities. PTA raises less 10k a year. None of the PTA money pays for these extras.

But those class sizes are required by law - not some "plan" that DCPS came up with. And once they move into K and 1st, those class sizes have the potential to go way up.

But they dont because enrollment is so low.