Bower's top education aide sends his kids to 100 percent open private school

[Anonymous]

I think it is fine. He probably can make more money elsewhere, someone mentioned Mckinsey- but he is trying to help a crappy system. If I had the money I would send my kid to privatate and so would many of you. I want the best and smartest folks working on education in this city. Not sure if he is- but if he is - I don't care where he sends his kids. In fact he can probably get some good ideas and have a reference of what a well-run school looks like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is fine. He probably can make more money elsewhere, someone mentioned Mckinsey- but he is trying to help a crappy system. If I had the money I would send my kid to privatate and so would many of you. I want the best and smartest folks working on education in this city. Not sure if he is- but if he is - I don't care where he sends his kids. In fact he can probably get some good ideas and have a reference of what a well-run school looks like.

I might - might - agree with you in normal times, but the part I find most outrageous is that DCPS has been closed all year and the Mayor’s office (and presumably this guy) have done very little to push reopen. And yes I’m familiar with the whole WTU saga, all of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is fine. He probably can make more money elsewhere, someone mentioned Mckinsey- but he is trying to help a crappy system. If I had the money I would send my kid to privatate and so would many of you. I want the best and smartest folks working on education in this city. Not sure if he is- but if he is - I don't care where he sends his kids. In fact he can probably get some good ideas and have a reference of what a well-run school looks like.

Hey look -- Paul Kihn's mom has weighed in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is fine. He probably can make more money elsewhere, someone mentioned Mckinsey- but he is trying to help a crappy system. If I had the money I would send my kid to privatate and so would many of you. I want the best and smartest folks working on education in this city. Not sure if he is- but if he is - I don't care where he sends his kids. In fact he can probably get some good ideas and have a reference of what a well-run school looks like.

1) Lots of rich, competent, smart people send their kids to DCPS schools.
2) The kinds of issues DCPS has are not the kinds of issues that pricey private schools have. It's a totally different set of constraints. It's easy to look "well-run" when you have that kind of student body, that kind of money, and that kind of lack of public oversight, regardless of whether you actually are.
3) Taking a pay cut for a public service job does not mean the people you serve are supposed to be so deeply grateful that you would deign to fix our 'crappy system' that we overlook this really pretty major thing. Plus, we know how this often works - the pay cut may be temporary, and you're setting yourself up for a chance at greater compensation down the line.

[Anonymous]

Look what I really wish for Paul Kihn is an acknowledgment that he’s picked the best thing for his kids given his desires for them. And explain what they get there at WIS. And then honestly say why or why not that is available or unavailable in DCPS.

For example, I believe they have both IB and dual language there. I want him to say why it’s better than DCPS on each of those. And then we get an honest statement from him about why we can’t get that in DCPS.

We have a man with great expertise - why does he have to hide it? Clearly not because the Mayor is at political risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn keeps our kids out of the classroom, because it is supposedly unsafe, he sends his own kids to Washington International School, which has been open for months

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dc-public-schools-need-in-person-classes/2021/03/18/5fffdecc-8122-11eb-ac37-4383f7709abe_story.html

Who cares? None of your business stop judging.

You have kids it is your responsibility to educate them period. You don't like DC schools move or work to fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn keeps our kids out of the classroom, because it is supposedly unsafe, he sends his own kids to Washington International School, which has been open for months

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dc-public-schools-need-in-person-classes/2021/03/18/5fffdecc-8122-11eb-ac37-4383f7709abe_story.html

Who cares? None of your business stop judging.

You have kids it is your responsibility to educate them period. You don't like DC schools move or work to fix.

You don't believe that public officials should be held accountable and to certain standards. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

It's bad enough that the head of public schools won't send his kids to those very same schools.

But the *real issue* here is that he won't allow public school kids to attend school, because it is supposedly too dangerous, even though his own children have been going to school EVERY DAY FOR MONTHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn keeps our kids out of the classroom, because it is supposedly unsafe, he sends his own kids to Washington International School, which has been open for months

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dc-public-schools-need-in-person-classes/2021/03/18/5fffdecc-8122-11eb-ac37-4383f7709abe_story.html

Who cares? None of your business stop judging.

You have kids it is your responsibility to educate them period. You don't like DC schools move or work to fix.

You don't believe that public officials should be held accountable and to certain standards. Yikes.

DP. Standards of morality, ethics, and competence -- yes. But sending his kid to private school doesn't contradict any of these. What he does for his family in terms of picking schools is his business. What he does for DCPS is the public's business.

Plenty of qualified people might not have school age kids; would you ding them as well? Or what happens if someone's kid has a special need or some other factor that would be better addressed by a private? Are we going to say someone has to forgo doing what they believe is right for their kid to allow them the honor of trying to work for DCPS? That seems backwards to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn keeps our kids out of the classroom, because it is supposedly unsafe, he sends his own kids to Washington International School, which has been open for months

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dc-public-schools-need-in-person-classes/2021/03/18/5fffdecc-8122-11eb-ac37-4383f7709abe_story.html

Who cares? None of your business stop judging.

You have kids it is your responsibility to educate them period. You don't like DC schools move or work to fix.

You don't believe that public officials should be held accountable and to certain standards. Yikes.

DP. Standards of morality, ethics, and competence -- yes. But sending his kid to private school doesn't contradict any of these. What he does for his family in terms of picking schools is his business. What he does for DCPS is the public's business.

Plenty of qualified people might not have school age kids; would you ding them as well? Or what happens if someone's kid has a special need or some other factor that would be better addressed by a private? Are we going to say someone has to forgo doing what they believe is right for their kid to allow them the honor of trying to work for DCPS? That seems backwards to me.

You don't see any contradiction when Paul Kihn says public schools can't open because of coronavirus, even though his own kids' school never closed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's bad enough that the head of public schools won't send his kids to those very same schools.

But the *real issue* here is that he won't allow public school kids to attend school, because it is supposedly too dangerous, even though his own children have been going to school EVERY DAY FOR MONTHS.

Yeah I don't care that he sends his kids to private school but I do care that he won't open the public schools because they are too dangerous while he sends his kids to private schools. This is made worse by the fact that there are no metrics about why it is too dangerous- obviously its not vaccines since schools have been open since way before vaccines. So what is it? What will get the schools to open to all kids that want a spot?

And clearly he can't take the model of a well-run school and apply it to DCPS because DCPS schools being closed while publics and privates across the country are open is a very badly run system. If his private school said that they would do a lottery for open spots and couldn't promise a spot to everyone for term 4 would he be OK with that? Doubtful- so why is it ok for DCPS? I have seen no explanation of why DCPS is excluding so many kids that want to go back- that does not seem to be a feature of any other school district or any private schools that I have seen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn keeps our kids out of the classroom, because it is supposedly unsafe, he sends his own kids to Washington International School, which has been open for months

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dc-public-schools-need-in-person-classes/2021/03/18/5fffdecc-8122-11eb-ac37-4383f7709abe_story.html

Who cares? None of your business stop judging.

You have kids it is your responsibility to educate them period. You don't like DC schools move or work to fix.

You don't believe that public officials should be held accountable and to certain standards. Yikes.

DP. Standards of morality, ethics, and competence -- yes. But sending his kid to private school doesn't contradict any of these. What he does for his family in terms of picking schools is his business. What he does for DCPS is the public's business.

Plenty of qualified people might not have school age kids; would you ding them as well? Or what happens if someone's kid has a special need or some other factor that would be better addressed by a private? Are we going to say someone has to forgo doing what they believe is right for their kid to allow them the honor of trying to work for DCPS? That seems backwards to me.

You don't see any contradiction when Paul Kihn says public schools can't open because of coronavirus, even though his own kids' school never closed?

I certainly don't it calls into question his morality, ethics, or competence.

There are reasons that it is much harder to safely open a large system like DCPS than it is a small private. You can agree or disagree with that assessment, but it doesn't call into question his integrity, and criticisms about the decision should focus on the merits of the decision not his family circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's bad enough that the head of public schools won't send his kids to those very same schools.

But the *real issue* here is that he won't allow public school kids to attend school, because it is supposedly too dangerous, even though his own children have been going to school EVERY DAY FOR MONTHS.

Yeah I don't care that he sends his kids to private school but I do care that he won't open the public schools because they are too dangerous while he sends his kids to private schools. This is made worse by the fact that there are no metrics about why it is too dangerous- obviously its not vaccines since schools have been open since way before vaccines. So what is it? What will get the schools to open to all kids that want a spot?

And clearly he can't take the model of a well-run school and apply it to DCPS because DCPS schools being closed while publics and privates across the country are open is a very badly run system. If his private school said that they would do a lottery for open spots and couldn't promise a spot to everyone for term 4 would he be OK with that? Doubtful- so why is it ok for DCPS? I have seen no explanation of why DCPS is excluding so many kids that want to go back- that does not seem to be a feature of any other school district or any private schools that I have seen.

Private schools don't have unionized teachers that block reopening. They also tend to have much larger grounds, so they can adapt to socially distancing regs more easily. Our private actually brought in modulars to fit kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, so the guy elects to send his kids to private school. Bowser supports him. She's won the last two elections. What can we do about it, other than try to prevent her from winning again? Nothing. Wealthy people in this city, the types who earn 200K plus, almost always send their kids to private schools. That's the way it's always been, and, presumably, always will be. Move on.

Sorry, WTU troll. Maybe you should move on to another thread -- like one of those where teachers pretend they work on Wednesdays.

Awww, you're precious. "Everyone Who Disagrees With Me Is A Troll!" FOOT STOMP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand this. It’s not like the Bowser admin hasn’t been trying to negotiate with the WTU to get kids back in school.

There should be no negotiations at this point. They go back by x date or they’re fired.

That's not going to happen.