Why are DC schools the pits?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All told, there are hundreds of high SES parents staying for Ward 6 DCPS middle schools, particularly Hobson, along with Walls, Banneker, McKinley and Ellington (all DCPS programs). You're painting with too broad a brush, PP above.

PP said white and asian. There are not many of those at Banneker or McKinkey. SH and DE might have a little more but 10-15% is not a lot either.

Walls always had more white kids but that is getting less with the change in admissions and priorities of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

[Anonymous]

Also the overwhelming UMC black families are not sending their kids to SH or EH either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All told, there are hundreds of high SES parents staying for Ward 6 DCPS middle schools, particularly Hobson, along with Walls, Banneker, McKinley and Ellington (all DCPS programs). You're painting with too broad a brush, PP above.

PP said white and asian. There are not many of those at Banneker or McKinkey. SH and DE might have a little more but 10-15% is not a lot either.

Walls always had more white kids but that is getting less with the change in admissions and priorities of the city.

Stuart-Hobson had at least 20% white + Asian enrollment last year (it's actually very slightly higher as there are some mixed race white + Asian kids that this number doesn't count), which is a figure that has been rising steadily since it dropped during COVID. The at risk number has also dropped each year. EH, while behind SH overall in these figures, actually has a higher rate of change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

You do realize that the at risk families are not the only poor families at the school right? Just because they don’t make the lowest cut with at risk doesnt mean they are not poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I don't know for sure but I don't think DC schools are worse than other city school systems - it is really hard to run a great school system in a city.

This New Yorker strongly disagrees. Growing up in NYC, I had a pathway to first-rate public high schools for the brightest and hardest working MS students, although I came from a low SES immigrant background. I qualified for GT classes in ES, as did my two children. For MS, I tested into Hunter (6th-12th grade) with significant help from Prep for Prep (non-profit) and free a city test prep program.

When we moved to DC, EotP, when my children were in the upper ES grades, we weren't impressed to discover that DCPS offers no formal GT programs at either the ES or MS levels. We also weren't impressed by the charter lotteries after we were shut out of all viable and remotely appealing options. We headed to a parochial MS although we're not Christian. If my eldest doesn't crack Walls this winter, we will move to Arlington or MoCo for HS. One of us was DOGE'd this year and we can't afford private HS right now.

I'm not convinced that all DC schools are the pits, but they're clearly not that great. The obsession with equity vs. rigor and a push for the most capable doesn't inspire.

I grew up in a rural school district with only one high school and no private options beyond a single Catholic K-8 school, and I agree with this.

One of the benefits of a district with only one HS was that academically high achieving kids couldn't fall through the cracks. My elementary had a good G&T program but not all of them did. However as kids were funneled into one of two middle schools and then the lone high school, the academically successful kids were funneled together, and our high school had very decent AP and honors tracks for not just math and English but also science, history/geography, and foreign languages. Even if you lived in the poorest part of the school district, you would be offered those tracks starting in 6th grade. There was also a local college and the HS offered dual enrollment for students who wanted/needed it. So despite being rural and having a small population, I think the district met the needs of high achieving students pretty well.

It's been almost shocking to have a child in DCPS and realize how hard I have to work as a parent to ensure my academically advanced kid is actually challenged and receiving appropriate instruction. We are looking at suburban districts for middle and high school because our private options are very limited by finances and location, and I worry about relying on the lottery and application HSs when it's very apparent that demand far outstrips availability of academically challenging schools.

The goal seems to be Mediocrity for All, when a better approach would be to offer both academic magnet schools to those who need them, as well as votech schools and remedial schools aimed to bring kids who are struggling up to HS graduate level and improve job prospects. The current system doesn't really serve anyone. Academically inclined students are stifled, and remedial students are advanced through the grades without adequate foundations and will be essentially abandoned to a job market that doesn't want them upon graduation, if they make it that far. It just seems deluded.

I'm quoting this last paragraph because it's a good summary of my concerns with DCPS's approach as well. All in the name of equity.

Academic magnet schools are politically impossible in places like DC. The city is run by far left progressives and the last thing they want is a TJ-like school that's dominated by Asians and Whites. They think that looks terrible.

I'm not convinced that far Left progressive rule is the crux of the problem. The peculiar voting demographics of the District are more to blame. Most Black adults, mainly a low SES group, vote in municipal elections while many high SES voters, whites, Asians and others are too transient and young to bother. Also, the history of academic tracking along racial lines all the way to the 80s frightens City Council members and DCPS leaders from backing ed programs catering to UMC voters. Things are changing slowly, particularly in the charter sector (BASIS going strong 14 years after opening, DCI on the rise, Latin 2 mobbed with middle school applicants) but not nearly fast enough for many UMC families of all races.

This post is sounding incredibly racist. Most black adults in DC are not a “low SES group”. Put your white hood away before you speak on a community you have never interacted with. You do realize that there are many middle and upper income black adults residing in DC? Trump has encouraged you racist and ignorant people to become really comfortable spouting off flawed conservative talking points online that you will never say in real life.

Not PP: I don’t know the voting demographics, blocks or segments.

I do think the state of DCPS is a result of voting.

There is a lot of resentment of the wealthy. There is also a belief that the wealthy value top schools. People don’t want to help the wealthy, who can also put their kids in privates.

Public schools could be designed to push bright students from all over the city into top G&T programs, but voters don’t think this way.

First of all public school is a right and benefit. It's not "helping" rich people to educate their kids it's doing the bare minimum.

Secondly, we shouldn't be clamoring for G&T programs specifically. We should be advocating for academically rigorous programs appropriate to the educational needs of the school aged population in DC. This is a moving target and we should demand DCPS catch up and meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. Our schools are becoming more diverse in every possible way.

I didn’t say public school should help rich people educate their kids or that G&T helped. I said that these beliefs existed. Apparently I was right, because you believe them.

I came from a poor background, graduated at the top of my class, went to a great college, which jumpstarted my career. No one understands that poor kids need G&T more than rich kids.

+1. FARMS kid here placed in G & T. The kids losing out the most in DC are the poor, smart kids. Families with resources supplement a lot but poor families can’t do this.

DCPS as a whole is not educating the smart kids and are not meeting their needs, no matter the race or SES.

Banneker is a poor substitution and this can be seen in their mediocre stats. By high school, it’s too late to catch up.

The poor, smart brown and black kids.

This is not new and will not change anytime soon.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

You do realize that the at risk families are not the only poor families at the school right? Just because they don’t make the lowest cut with at risk doesnt mean they are not poor.

Yes, in fact I do. Do you? The overwhelming majority of students at these schools are not living in poverty as it’s defined by income level.

[Anonymous]

I went to public schools and can’t remember what I learned. I was not a great student either because I knew none of it really mattered at the end of the day and preferred to work after school, enjoy life, and coast by in school. I loved college. As an adult, I love life as well and am my own boss, make my own hours, content with everything. All this to say, I’m shocked people whose kids will be fine in the grand scheme of things spend so much time worrying about high school (note- I said the kids who will be fine which is the kids who have resources and parents who support them). Some of y’all need to understand what real problems are in life because this ain’t it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

You do realize that the at risk families are not the only poor families at the school right? Just because they don’t make the lowest cut with at risk doesnt mean they are not poor.

Yes, in fact I do. Do you? The overwhelming majority of students at these schools are not living in poverty as it’s defined by income level.

Why are you moving the goalpost? You said poor. not poverty. Sounds like you don’t know because it is defined as earning 80% below the area median income for DC.

THAT is a lot more families. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

You do realize that the at risk families are not the only poor families at the school right? Just because they don’t make the lowest cut with at risk doesnt mean they are not poor.

Yes, in fact I do. Do you? The overwhelming majority of students at these schools are not living in poverty as it’s defined by income level.

Why are you moving the goalpost? You said poor. not poverty. Sounds like you don’t know because it is defined as earning 80% below the area median income for DC.

THAT is a lot more families. Period.

I'm a different poster, but being poor is living in poverty. They are synonyms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also the overwhelming UMC black families are not sending their kids to SH or EH either.

Yes - UMC black families are particularly at risk in predominately black low SES environments. It’s not an option for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

You do realize that the at risk families are not the only poor families at the school right? Just because they don’t make the lowest cut with at risk doesnt mean they are not poor.

Yes, in fact I do. Do you? The overwhelming majority of students at these schools are not living in poverty as it’s defined by income level.

Why are you moving the goalpost? You said poor. not poverty. Sounds like you don’t know because it is defined as earning 80% below the area median income for DC.

THAT is a lot more families. Period.

I'm a different poster, but being poor is living in poverty. They are synonyms.

No they are not. Link below is a good example.

Poverty lacks housing, food, etc… as defined by at risk which includes homeless and families in shelters.

Poor has housing, food, clothing as necessities but cannot anfford anything else such as healthcare, etc…. This is low incline individuals and families in DC.

https://abusonadustyroad.com/difference-between-poverty-and-living-poor/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While it was once true that parents moved out of the city when they had kids, that has been changing. First they stayed for ECE (which only started less than 20 years ago) then until middle school and now more white, Latino and Asian students are attending high school. The number of black high school students has stayed steady.

The city isn’t sure if it wants to be more diverse / gentrified but it’s coming.

Sure more white and Asian students are staying for middle and high school but it is because of the charters EOTP, not DCPS The DCPS EOTP schools here are overwhelming poor and black.

As to Latinos, those that are educated and fluent in English are also staying but they are concentrated in the spanish immersion charters and why at risk is much lower than DCPS. The ESL, poor immigrants, on the other hand are concentrated in the DCPS bilingual schools this high at risk.

I don't think this is correct, at least in Ward 6, where there are substantially more UMC ES kids staying in DCPS ESes and so even an equivalent percentage of kids staying for MS and HS will lead to more UMC kids being in the system. We are also seeing the evidence of that at SH and EH as of late, in addition to in the crazy demand for MS charters.

Yes, SH and EH are overwhelmingly poor and black. Just because a handful more white families who struck out might send their kid does not make it substantially more UMC.

I would agree with you though that demand has gotten crazy for charters though and more families are being shut out.

SH is 29% at-risk and EH is 45%. Neither is overwhelmingly poor though EH is much poorer than SH.

You do realize that the at risk families are not the only poor families at the school right? Just because they don’t make the lowest cut with at risk doesnt mean they are not poor.

Yes, in fact I do. Do you? The overwhelming majority of students at these schools are not living in poverty as it’s defined by income level.

Why are you moving the goalpost? You said poor. not poverty. Sounds like you don’t know because it is defined as earning 80% below the area median income for DC.

THAT is a lot more families. Period.

I'm a different poster, but being poor is living in poverty. They are synonyms.

No they are not. Link below is a good example.

Poverty lacks housing, food, etc… as defined by at risk which includes homeless and families in shelters.

Poor has housing, food, clothing as necessities but cannot anfford anything else such as healthcare, etc…. This is low incline individuals and families in DC.

https://abusonadustyroad.com/difference-between-poverty-and-living-poor/

typo income