Mayor Plans to Underfund Charter Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want my kids to go to a school where disruptive kids and parents who don’t care can be kept or kicked out. That’s about it. If it’s a charter, that’s fine.

Ok, great. But then don't come over here whining that the city doesn't allocate as much money to your charter that you selected specifically because they don't have to educate the "disruptive kids" or deal with "families that don't care." In quotes because it's way more complex than that, but I get you don't care, you just want schools segregated by income levels.

KIPP serves more at risk kids than your W6 DCPS school does. Can I assume you're cool with them getting more money than your neighborhood schools? I'll wait...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want my kids to go to a school where disruptive kids and parents who don’t care can be kept or kicked out. That’s about it. If it’s a charter, that’s fine.

Ok, great. But then don't come over here whining that the city doesn't allocate as much money to your charter that you selected specifically because they don't have to educate the "disruptive kids" or deal with "families that don't care." In quotes because it's way more complex than that, but I get you don't care, you just want schools segregated by income levels.

KIPP serves more at risk kids than your W6 DCPS school does. Can I assume you're cool with them getting more money than your neighborhood schools? I'll wait...

And WAYYYYYYY more than your W3 schools do!

[Anonymous]

This tension is one reason I don't like having charters. Yes, it creates "competition," but for education, I think it would be better if we were all pulling in the same direction. There are already so many differing needs among students. Charter vs public is just one more thing to argue about when slicing the pie.

[Anonymous]

Everything is going to be underfunded for about a decade into the future. It's going to be grim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This tension is one reason I don't like having charters. Yes, it creates "competition," but for education, I think it would be better if we were all pulling in the same direction. There are already so many differing needs among students. Charter vs public is just one more thing to argue about when slicing the pie.

Easy to say if you're zoned for one of the best schools in the city rather than one of the worst. Charters mean people are willing to buy all over, not just in Upper Caucasia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want my kids to go to a school where disruptive kids and parents who don’t care can be kept or kicked out. That’s about it. If it’s a charter, that’s fine.

Ok, great. But then don't come over here whining that the city doesn't allocate as much money to your charter that you selected specifically because they don't have to educate the "disruptive kids" or deal with "families that don't care." In quotes because it's way more complex than that, but I get you don't care, you just want schools segregated by income levels.

Are you always this sanctimonious?

First, DC schools are lavishly funded compared to pretty much anywhere else in the country. The idea that DCPS is hard up is laughable.

Second, DCPS spends about $30,000 per kid versus about $17,000 per kid in charters. Do you really think there's a 75 percent difference in their student bodies?

Third, have you heard of Jackson-Reed or Deal or Janney? They're some of the most desirable schools in the city and the way we decide which kids get to attend them is we basically say "can your parents afford one of the $2 million houses nearby?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This tension is one reason I don't like having charters. Yes, it creates "competition," but for education, I think it would be better if we were all pulling in the same direction. There are already so many differing needs among students. Charter vs public is just one more thing to argue about when slicing the pie.

We can’t pull in the same direction when a good chunk of the kids are being warehoused until they can be shipped to an…. Involuntary residential facility.

[Anonymous]

0% of students at Ballou met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

0% of students at Anacostia met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

Charters may not be perfect, but it's clear that they are needed and should be funded fairly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:0% of students at Ballou met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

0% of students at Anacostia met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

Charters may not be perfect, but it's clear that they are needed and should be funded fairly.

They are very needed. When you have seen up close how some DCPS schools are not even pretending to try and prepare some of these kids to be fully functional members of society (through low expectations, social promotion -- when you have seen an illiterate kid just keep getting promoted up) you will be very thankful for charters like KIPP and DC Prep, which parents have told me were "life saving" schools for their college-bound, low-income kids.

And at the other end, yes, schools like BASIS and Latin (and maybe DCI) are serving a very important need for upper income families who are not in bound for Hardy or Deal, because those kids desperately need to be challenged in order to be able to compete with their peers around the country when they go to college and beyond.

5 years ago when I was a young parent of young children, I probably would have enjoyed a juicy anti charter conversation. Now that's I've seen both ends up close, I can absolutely see the benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:0% of students at Ballou met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

0% of students at Anacostia met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

Charters may not be perfect, but it's clear that they are needed and should be funded fairly.

They are very needed. When you have seen up close how some DCPS schools are not even pretending to try and prepare some of these kids to be fully functional members of society (through low expectations, social promotion -- when you have seen an illiterate kid just keep getting promoted up) you will be very thankful for charters like KIPP and DC Prep, which parents have told me were "life saving" schools for their college-bound, low-income kids.

And at the other end, yes, schools like BASIS and Latin (and maybe DCI) are serving a very important need for upper income families who are not in bound for Hardy or Deal, because those kids desperately need to be challenged in order to be able to compete with their peers around the country when they go to college and beyond.

5 years ago when I was a young parent of young children, I probably would have enjoyed a juicy anti charter conversation. Now that's I've seen both ends up close, I can absolutely see the benefits.

The much more difficult and complex conversation is the 'yes and ...'. Agreed that for parents right now, having choices can be a great thing. But there are still kids in those schools with 0% proficient rates who should not be ignored/forgotten. So just focusing on the success of the kids who 'got out' is only half of the conversation. I know the city is trying to do things to draw enrollment (and therefore funds) back to some of the under enrolled DCPS schools like these CTE programs https://dcpscte.org/schools/ - but that is not going to address the kids who are years behind academically.

I think the city needs to start in elementary school and drastically change how they instruct kids who are significantly behind - not by retaining them because there is a lot of research about how being significantly older than your peers is not good. But having a remediation/intensive track to get kids caught up, the they can re-enter grade level courses when proficient. Until we have kids entering middle and high school on or near grade level, it is going to seem like an impossible task to get kids to where they need to be to graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:0% of students at Ballou met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

0% of students at Anacostia met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

Charters may not be perfect, but it's clear that they are needed and should be funded fairly.

They are very needed. When you have seen up close how some DCPS schools are not even pretending to try and prepare some of these kids to be fully functional members of society (through low expectations, social promotion -- when you have seen an illiterate kid just keep getting promoted up) you will be very thankful for charters like KIPP and DC Prep, which parents have told me were "life saving" schools for their college-bound, low-income kids.

And at the other end, yes, schools like BASIS and Latin (and maybe DCI) are serving a very important need for upper income families who are not in bound for Hardy or Deal, because those kids desperately need to be challenged in order to be able to compete with their peers around the country when they go to college and beyond.

5 years ago when I was a young parent of young children, I probably would have enjoyed a juicy anti charter conversation. Now that's I've seen both ends up close, I can absolutely see the benefits.

The much more difficult and complex conversation is the 'yes and ...'. Agreed that for parents right now, having choices can be a great thing. But there are still kids in those schools with 0% proficient rates who should not be ignored/forgotten. So just focusing on the success of the kids who 'got out' is only half of the conversation. I know the city is trying to do things to draw enrollment (and therefore funds) back to some of the under enrolled DCPS schools like these CTE programs https://dcpscte.org/schools/ - but that is not going to address the kids who are years behind academically.

I think the city needs to start in elementary school and drastically change how they instruct kids who are significantly behind - not by retaining them because there is a lot of research about how being significantly older than your peers is not good. But having a remediation/intensive track to get kids caught up, the they can re-enter grade level courses when proficient. Until we have kids entering middle and high school on or near grade level, it is going to seem like an impossible task to get kids to where they need to be to graduate.

Those kids in the 0% schools need to be given a chance; but they should also be held accountable, and we should be more realistic about how their lives are going to work out earlier. This means separating out the kids with potential.

[Anonymous]

DC is on track to lose tons of tax income with federal workers fired and moving. It is inevitable that schools will be impacted. Wake up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like the gist is that the WTU organized and got themselves a contracted increase.

Charter system advocates consider non-unionization a feature, not a bug, so their lack of organization and not getting pay increases should be considered part of their model of operations. If staff costs are the primary expense in DCPS and PCS and PCS aren't unionized, why should you expect parity?

WTU negotiates and somehow they are supposed to translate that into a gimme for PCS teachers they didn't work for?

+1 And charters have a greater ability to partner with business and seek patrons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want my kids to go to a school where disruptive kids and parents who don’t care can be kept or kicked out. That’s about it. If it’s a charter, that’s fine.

Ok, great. But then don't come over here whining that the city doesn't allocate as much money to your charter that you selected specifically because they don't have to educate the "disruptive kids" or deal with "families that don't care." In quotes because it's way more complex than that, but I get you don't care, you just want schools segregated by income levels.

Are you always this sanctimonious?

First, DC schools are lavishly funded compared to pretty much anywhere else in the country. The idea that DCPS is hard up is laughable.

Second, DCPS spends about $30,000 per kid versus about $17,000 per kid in charters. Do you really think there's a 75 percent difference in their student bodies?

Third, have you heard of Jackson-Reed or Deal or Janney? They're some of the most desirable schools in the city and the way we decide which kids get to attend them is we basically say "can your parents afford one of the $2 million houses nearby?"

It's the official policy of the DC government to shortchange the education of children whose parents choose charters because that's a way for our elected leaders to curry favor with the teachers union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:0% of students at Ballou met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

0% of students at Anacostia met or exceeded expectations on the state assessment in math.

Charters may not be perfect, but it's clear that they are needed and should be funded fairly.

Charter high schools can’t fix this. By high school, with these stats, it’s clear the learning stopped by the end of elementary school. So unless new charter high schools are focusing only on remedial classes..
What’s worse is that kids at ballout still get diplomas