Did Walls interview invites go out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the process is not transparent, and there probably should be a test component (or use CAPE scores). What they shouldn’t do is consider the difficultly of the kids” course load. That would be completely unfair and take certain schools out of the running. This isn’t a college application.

I do think you could weight grades in courses as long as 4.0 was the max. So like a B+ in Geometry would at least be worth the same 4.0 as the A in remedial math.

How would you balance that with a kid who goes to a school that doesn’t offer Geometry but gets an A- in 8th grade math? I just don’t think this is fair.

But even if you could figure out a fair weighted system, the manpower that would go into recalculating GPAs is not possible. The turn around for interview invites is pretty tight. Especially given that the person who runs admissions is not an admissions officer like at a private school. They have many other responsibilities and asking them to hand calculate weighted GPAs by class taken is not feasible at all.

A kid getting an A- in DCPS in standard math is not getting better than that in an accelerated class.

You can claim this but can’t prove it. What if they would be getting a B+ in an accelerated class if it were offered- but they don’t have the option. In this case you are rewarding a student who earns a B+ in Geometry just because their school offers it (also to be honest a B+ in Geometry in DCPS in 8th grade isn’t exactly a high flyer eithr).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It all comes down to whether or not you have a teacher who maxes out the recommendation form. When my kid went through this a few years ago at Deal there was one English teacher who didn't max it out for any students on that team and zero kids from that team got in despite many of them having a 4.0 and being school leaders.

It's a deeply flawed process but it's DCPS and that's what they do.

My kid suspected this. He was shocked his friends with 4.0’s in geometry, physics, and who are in national junior honors society, student council, etc, did not get interviews. He suspected it was partially because one of the teachers they all had write their recs is pretty tough on them.

Yes, but don't blame the teachers. People write recs in different ways and I don't think DCPS communicates to teachers that anyone with less than a perfect rating won't move on. Teachers who know this will pass through everyone who is decent. Teachers who don't have in the past dinged even the top kids because this is a very reasonable way to complete a rec (i.e no one is perfect, there is room for improvement, etc).

Honestly if there is one takeaway for me of this process it is that teacher recommendations should not be required. They are a massive burden on teachers and can be arbitrarily unfair if the teacher has a different standard than others or doesn’t understand the game. Grades and essays should be enough - schools that want to assess writing or other skills could do a test, workshop, portfolio or interview.

And their effect is magnified when recs play such a big role in deciding who gets an interview. I think it is absolutely true that many teachers (and parents) don’t understand the impact of these recommendations on students’ chances. Middle school leadership or counselors may have some ability to communicate this to teachers, but there is inherently going to be variation from teacher to teacher, especially without some system for norming these recommendations.

The problem remains that the pool of highly qualified kids is larger than the number of spots available. It’s not simple to come up with a fair admissions process and I can appreciate the value of rec letters as part of an overall application package, but the way the current application process uses them seems flawed.

A big flaw is that recs count for so much. Much more than GPA and it is way overweighted.

I think this is because it gives the school much more leeway in who they want to admit and goal is not the top of the top kids as it should be.

Why is that "as it should be"? Is the school clear that they are taking the very highest academic performers or is it a more nuanced selective process? And, do they include things like interesting, dynamic, hard working? (I actually don't know the answers but guess I'd want my kids to have peers that were good students and also well rounded, well liked people (assuming well liked is related to being a good engaged person)).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It all comes down to whether or not you have a teacher who maxes out the recommendation form. When my kid went through this a few years ago at Deal there was one English teacher who didn't max it out for any students on that team and zero kids from that team got in despite many of them having a 4.0 and being school leaders.

It's a deeply flawed process but it's DCPS and that's what they do.

My kid suspected this. He was shocked his friends with 4.0’s in geometry, physics, and who are in national junior honors society, student council, etc, did not get interviews. He suspected it was partially because one of the teachers they all had write their recs is pretty tough on them.

Yes, but don't blame the teachers. People write recs in different ways and I don't think DCPS communicates to teachers that anyone with less than a perfect rating won't move on. Teachers who know this will pass through everyone who is decent. Teachers who don't have in the past dinged even the top kids because this is a very reasonable way to complete a rec (i.e no one is perfect, there is room for improvement, etc).

Honestly if there is one takeaway for me of this process it is that teacher recommendations should not be required. They are a massive burden on teachers and can be arbitrarily unfair if the teacher has a different standard than others or doesn’t understand the game. Grades and essays should be enough - schools that want to assess writing or other skills could do a test, workshop, portfolio or interview.

And their effect is magnified when recs play such a big role in deciding who gets an interview. I think it is absolutely true that many teachers (and parents) don’t understand the impact of these recommendations on students’ chances. Middle school leadership or counselors may have some ability to communicate this to teachers, but there is inherently going to be variation from teacher to teacher, especially without some system for norming these recommendations.

The problem remains that the pool of highly qualified kids is larger than the number of spots available. It’s not simple to come up with a fair admissions process and I can appreciate the value of rec letters as part of an overall application package, but the way the current application process uses them seems flawed.

A big flaw is that recs count for so much. Much more than GPA and it is way overweighted.

I think this is because it gives the school much more leeway in who they want to admit and goal is not the top of the top kids as it should be.

Why is that "as it should be"? Is the school clear that they are taking the very highest academic performers or is it a more nuanced selective process? And, do they include things like interesting, dynamic, hard working? (I actually don't know the answers but guess I'd want my kids to have peers that were good students and also well rounded, well liked people (assuming well liked is related to being a good engaged person)).

There is plenty of top kids who are interesting, dynamic, and hard working. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Plenty that apply. So you make the cut off an objective test and then you select from there these other criteria’s if you want.

The point is that these top kids who are interesting, dynamic, and hard working are being passed for lower academic performers.

We can’t even have one “magnet” school in this town. Why is that too much to ask? Why does DCPS have to destroy whatever it touches in the name of equity?

[Anonymous]

I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It all comes down to whether or not you have a teacher who maxes out the recommendation form. When my kid went through this a few years ago at Deal there was one English teacher who didn't max it out for any students on that team and zero kids from that team got in despite many of them having a 4.0 and being school leaders.

It's a deeply flawed process but it's DCPS and that's what they do.

My kid suspected this. He was shocked his friends with 4.0’s in geometry, physics, and who are in national junior honors society, student council, etc, did not get interviews. He suspected it was partially because one of the teachers they all had write their recs is pretty tough on them.

Yes, but don't blame the teachers. People write recs in different ways and I don't think DCPS communicates to teachers that anyone with less than a perfect rating won't move on. Teachers who know this will pass through everyone who is decent. Teachers who don't have in the past dinged even the top kids because this is a very reasonable way to complete a rec (i.e no one is perfect, there is room for improvement, etc).

Honestly if there is one takeaway for me of this process it is that teacher recommendations should not be required. They are a massive burden on teachers and can be arbitrarily unfair if the teacher has a different standard than others or doesn’t understand the game. Grades and essays should be enough - schools that want to assess writing or other skills could do a test, workshop, portfolio or interview.

And their effect is magnified when recs play such a big role in deciding who gets an interview. I think it is absolutely true that many teachers (and parents) don’t understand the impact of these recommendations on students’ chances. Middle school leadership or counselors may have some ability to communicate this to teachers, but there is inherently going to be variation from teacher to teacher, especially without some system for norming these recommendations.

The problem remains that the pool of highly qualified kids is larger than the number of spots available. It’s not simple to come up with a fair admissions process and I can appreciate the value of rec letters as part of an overall application package, but the way the current application process uses them seems flawed.

A big flaw is that recs count for so much. Much more than GPA and it is way overweighted.

I think this is because it gives the school much more leeway in who they want to admit and goal is not the top of the top kids as it should be.

Why is that "as it should be"? Is the school clear that they are taking the very highest academic performers or is it a more nuanced selective process? And, do they include things like interesting, dynamic, hard working? (I actually don't know the answers but guess I'd want my kids to have peers that were good students and also well rounded, well liked people (assuming well liked is related to being a good engaged person)).

There is plenty of top kids who are interesting, dynamic, and hard working. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Plenty that apply. So you make the cut off an objective test and then you select from there these other criteria’s if you want.

The point is that these top kids who are interesting, dynamic, and hard working are being passed for lower academic performers.

We can’t even have one “magnet” school in this town. Why is that too much to ask? Why does DCPS have to destroy whatever it touches in the name of equity?

Character matters and it can’t be gauged from test scores, hence the value of the recommendation letters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

Apples and oranges. Except for state schools looking at in-state kids, colleges have no obligation to prospective students.

Colleges also have much more, more thorough, and more comparable information to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Most of the Walls students leave the building for lunch and eat in the surrounding area.
Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Most of the Walls students leave the building for lunch and eat in the surrounding area.
Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Most of the Walls students eat lunch outside of the building in the surrounding area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Most of the Walls students leave the building for lunch and eat in the surrounding area.
Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Most of the Walls students eat lunch outside of the building in the surrounding area.

It's been way too cold to eat lunch outside. There is also no campus so I'm confused as to where they all congregate and sit when the weather is decent. But, it doesn't really matter, so no answer is needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my 4.0 kid didn't get an invite to interview at SWW either (assuming they've all been sent out). He's an introvert, and I assume his recs put him at the top for academic potential and intellectual curiosity but couldn't for leadership, teamwork, etc. Mercifully we are at one of the charters that goes through 12th, and we're not sure he would have even chosen SWW over staying put anyway. It makes decisonmaking easier! Good luck to everyone in this process, and I hope all the kids land somewhere that serves them well.

I’m not sure if that’s the case to be honest (about introversion being the reason for less enthusiastic recs). I’m a PP with a kid with a 4.0 and he’s extroverted and friends with everyone. I would say his kindness and friendliness is much stronger than his academic ability (he has to work hard for those grades, it does not come naturally to him). His teachers have always highlighted what a pleasant, friendly, cooperative kid he is. That said, the teacher who would have given him his strongest recommendation ended up leaving the school and we had no way to contact the teacher, so our recommendations may not have been as strong because we had to scramble last minute to find another recommender. In any event, it seems like there isn’t a lot of rhyme or reason to this process but I’m secretly relieved. My kid and I both thought the SWW building felt like a dungeon - very oppressive and dark. He was having second thoughts after the open house, so it’s for the best for us. Best of luck to everyone who wants to get in!

Most of the Walls students leave the building for lunch and eat in the surrounding area.
Are you sure you went to SWW? It is crowded but I’ve never heard it described as oppressive and dark. There are tons of windows and natural light.

The open house was at night and there were some areas that had no windows at all (like a science classroom and where the kids supposedly have lunch). Maybe that was why. In any event, it does not feel like the typical high school experience I had with a spacious campus, large auditorium, gymnasium, greenery, parking lot, etc.

Most of the Walls students eat lunch outside of the building in the surrounding area.

It's been way too cold to eat lunch outside. There is also no campus so I'm confused as to where they all congregate and sit when the weather is decent. But, it doesn't really matter, so no answer is needed.

They go to western market or to a GW common area. College campuses are full of places to hang out indoors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

Apples and oranges. Except for state schools looking at in-state kids, colleges have no obligation to prospective students.

Colleges also have much more, more thorough, and more comparable information to consider.

Your comment proves my point. Yes colleges have more information about the applicants. But I assure you it isn’t as linear as you’re imagining. 4.0 kids with great recs and test scores get rejected left and right. For every one of those rejections, there is a kid who got accepted who has a lower GPA and didn’t submit test scores. And you won’t think it is fair that your kid got rejected. The point is that once you hit a certain threshold of achievement, getting in is luck. It is luck for Walls and it is luck for college. Don’t kid yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

Apples and oranges. Except for state schools looking at in-state kids, colleges have no obligation to prospective students.

Colleges also have much more, more thorough, and more comparable information to consider.

Your comment proves my point. Yes colleges have more information about the applicants. But I assure you it isn’t as linear as you’re imagining. 4.0 kids with great recs and test scores get rejected left and right. For every one of those rejections, there is a kid who got accepted who has a lower GPA and didn’t submit test scores. And you won’t think it is fair that your kid got rejected. The point is that once you hit a certain threshold of achievement, getting in is luck. It is luck for Walls and it is luck for college. Don’t kid yourself.

I completely believe luck is a huge factor! And I know it seems random - I, too, applied to college once.

But my point is that colleges can do what they want, choosing whatever miscellaneous attributes are they want.

The only schools who owe some logic to applicants are taxpayer-funded schools considering their own taxpayers, like state universities -- or Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

Apples and oranges. Except for state schools looking at in-state kids, colleges have no obligation to prospective students.

Colleges also have much more, more thorough, and more comparable information to consider.

Your comment proves my point. Yes colleges have more information about the applicants. But I assure you it isn’t as linear as you’re imagining. 4.0 kids with great recs and test scores get rejected left and right. For every one of those rejections, there is a kid who got accepted who has a lower GPA and didn’t submit test scores. And you won’t think it is fair that your kid got rejected. The point is that once you hit a certain threshold of achievement, getting in is luck. It is luck for Walls and it is luck for college. Don’t kid yourself.

I completely believe luck is a huge factor! And I know it seems random - I, too, applied to college once.

But my point is that colleges can do what they want, choosing whatever miscellaneous attributes are they want.

The only schools who owe some logic to applicants are taxpayer-funded schools considering their own taxpayers, like state universities -- or Walls.

+1. It’s totally shameful that there is not full transparency in admissions at Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

Apples and oranges. Except for state schools looking at in-state kids, colleges have no obligation to prospective students.

Colleges also have much more, more thorough, and more comparable information to consider.

Your comment proves my point. Yes colleges have more information about the applicants. But I assure you it isn’t as linear as you’re imagining. 4.0 kids with great recs and test scores get rejected left and right. For every one of those rejections, there is a kid who got accepted who has a lower GPA and didn’t submit test scores. And you won’t think it is fair that your kid got rejected. The point is that once you hit a certain threshold of achievement, getting in is luck. It is luck for Walls and it is luck for college. Don’t kid yourself.

I completely believe luck is a huge factor! And I know it seems random - I, too, applied to college once.

But my point is that colleges can do what they want, choosing whatever miscellaneous attributes are they want.

The only schools who owe some logic to applicants are taxpayer-funded schools considering their own taxpayers, like state universities -- or Walls.

+1. It’s totally shameful that there is not full transparency in admissions at Walls.

Also PP here, I say this not because I am looking at Walls for my kid. But it is unacceptable to degrade the academic criteria for entrance. We need at least 1 high school in this town fir the brightest kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid in 8th who applied to Walls and another one in 12th who is applying to college. Those of you who are outraged at the number of “qualified” 8th graders who aren’t getting into Walls need to prepare yourself for college admissions. Your kid will not get into many places you think they “should” have gotten into; and there will be many kids who get into a college that your kid doesn’t get into, despite the other kids being “less qualified.” The bottom line for both Walls and college is there are significantly more “qualified” kids than spot and at some point, it is just luck.

Apples and oranges. Except for state schools looking at in-state kids, colleges have no obligation to prospective students.

Colleges also have much more, more thorough, and more comparable information to consider.

Your comment proves my point. Yes colleges have more information about the applicants. But I assure you it isn’t as linear as you’re imagining. 4.0 kids with great recs and test scores get rejected left and right. For every one of those rejections, there is a kid who got accepted who has a lower GPA and didn’t submit test scores. And you won’t think it is fair that your kid got rejected. The point is that once you hit a certain threshold of achievement, getting in is luck. It is luck for Walls and it is luck for college. Don’t kid yourself.

I completely believe luck is a huge factor! And I know it seems random - I, too, applied to college once.

But my point is that colleges can do what they want, choosing whatever miscellaneous attributes are they want.

The only schools who owe some logic to applicants are taxpayer-funded schools considering their own taxpayers, like state universities -- or Walls.

+1. It’s totally shameful that there is not full transparency in admissions at Walls.

Also PP here, I say this not because I am looking at Walls for my kid. But it is unacceptable to degrade the academic criteria for entrance. We need at least 1 high school in this town fir the brightest kids.

You mean for the brightest kids who want to attend. Or whose parents want them to attend. This school and campus are not for everyone.