DC privates educating suburban kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really would you honestly prefer a 'strip mall' in the same location as a school because it brings tax dollars?

Well, actually I think the choice is between an institution that makes lots of money educating kids from DC and MD, versus an institution that makes slightly less money, pays taxes, and educates kids from DC and MD.

You make it sound as though the city's revenues are somehow a trivial thing. I'm not sure how you think roads get built, and public schools get their windows replaced, but generally it's via tax dollars. We're already do enough charity to our suburban neighbors by bearing the majority of the region's poverty.



Anything that distributes the burden more equitably is worth looking into.

Oh, so your position is based purely on DC’s tax revenue, and not sour grapes that your little precious didn’t get into Sidwell, and therefore won’t be having sleepovers at the White House. Gotcha.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing you hate poor people and minorities, since you're convinced that we're ruining the DC schools. Well for your information, we've been the base of DC for years and most of us won't be leaving DC anytime soon. Why don't you get back to your Klan meeting.

Anonymous wrote:

Eye opening stats. We all know that Montgomery and Fairfax Counties have great publics. But I wonder how DC's public rank against publics in other high crime areas? Who has better publics between DC and PG? Or perhaps DC and Baltimore City?

Good questions.

In fact DC's public schools rank very poorly against publics with exclusively poor, minority demographics. But as the JKLM fetishists on DCUM will point out, the schools that aren't crippled by overwhelming poverty actually do quite well. At least a half dozen schools have flipped from the former category to the latter category on Capitol Hill in the last half-decade alone.

There's no question that DC has some bad public schools, lots of them--or that there are a lot of murders, there are. The solution to all of DC problems are already well underway--a demographic shift that drives a hefty portion of the some 30% of DC residents with a HHI of <$15k out to MD and VA.

[Anonymous]

From what I've read over the years, DC public schools are worse than PG County's but better than Baltimore City's.

Anonymous wrote:Eye opening stats. We all know that Montgomery and Fairfax Counties have great publics. But I wonder how DC's public rank against publics in other high crime areas? Who has better publics between DC and PG? Or perhaps DC and Baltimore City?

Anonymous wrote:You poor dear. There were 143 murders in DC in 2009. While that might be "low" by your standards, DC still has a much higher number of murders than say Montgomery County (12) or Fairfax County (14). PG County beats DC as well with 100 homicides for 2009. So based on your ridiculous post about the "low crime" in DC, I think you have been huffing glue behind the 7-11...

http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/cwp/view,a,1239,q,561242,mpdcNav_GID,1523,mpdcNav,|.asp

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:D.C. has high crime, poor public schools and constant traffic congestion. While it has some nice museums, I wouldn't want to raise my precious children there.

I guess we suburbanites are in an enviable position, aren't we? We have great public schools, yet we keep on snapping up your private school spots too. I can see that you're bitter, but you really should get over it. Go do yoga or something...

I always find these sorts of posts entertaining. It's like folks are still stuck in 1985. Crime is at a 50 year low, and rarely touches middle-class residents; in fact, my relatives in Montgomery County seem to fear crime as much or more than my neighbors on Capitol Hill. I wouldn't know about "traffic congestion", since the only time I experience it is on one of my occasional trips out to the suburbs. I guess that would be of particular concern to you, as a suburbanite, since all those folks stuck in the gridlock have MD and DC license plates. In contrast, my commute consists of a 15 minute bike ride to work. Either that or a 20 min bus ride--door to door.

And as far as public schools go, having grown up in Montgomery County, and with relatives who still live there, I've seen what the growth of suburban poverty has done to MCPS. I think it's great that you've obviously found one of the good public school options--for the time being. But with big state budget cuts, and the well-documented demographic shift that's been taking place and acellerating, make no mistake, the suburbs are on the way down. Hold on to those private school spots--you're going to need them!

Bottom line: I don't want my kid growing up in a cul-de-sac, their sole intellectual stimulation huffing glue out behind the 7-11.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eye opening stats. We all know that Montgomery and Fairfax Counties have great publics. But I wonder how DC's public rank against publics in other high crime areas? Who has better publics between DC and PG? Or perhaps DC and Baltimore City?

Anonymous wrote:You poor dear. There were 143 murders in DC in 2009. While that might be "low" by your standards, DC still has a much higher number of murders than say Montgomery County (12) or Fairfax County (14). PG County beats DC as well with 100 homicides for 2009. So based on your ridiculous post about the "low crime" in DC, I think you have been huffing glue behind the 7-11...

http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/cwp/view,a,1239,q,561242,mpdcNav_GID,1523,mpdcNav,|.asp

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:D.C. has high crime, poor public schools and constant traffic congestion. While it has some nice museums, I wouldn't want to raise my precious children there.

I guess we suburbanites are in an enviable position, aren't we? We have great public schools, yet we keep on snapping up your private school spots too. I can see that you're bitter, but you really should get over it. Go do yoga or something...

I always find these sorts of posts entertaining. It's like folks are still stuck in 1985. Crime is at a 50 year low, and rarely touches middle-class residents; in fact, my relatives in Montgomery County seem to fear crime as much or more than my neighbors on Capitol Hill. I wouldn't know about "traffic congestion", since the only time I experience it is on one of my occasional trips out to the suburbs. I guess that would be of particular concern to you, as a suburbanite, since all those folks stuck in the gridlock have MD and DC license plates. In contrast, my commute consists of a 15 minute bike ride to work. Either that or a 20 min bus ride--door to door.

And as far as public schools go, having grown up in Montgomery County, and with relatives who still live there, I've seen what the growth of suburban poverty has done to MCPS. I think it's great that you've obviously found one of the good public school options--for the time being. But with big state budget cuts, and the well-documented demographic shift that's been taking place and acellerating, make no mistake, the suburbs are on the way down. Hold on to those private school spots--you're going to need them!

Bottom line: I don't want my kid growing up in a cul-de-sac, their sole intellectual stimulation huffing glue out behind the 7-11.

We know FFX and MoCo USED to have great publics, but MoCo's been going downhill for years. FFX is even starting to crumble around the edges. All of this is moot of course in that no-one in DC wants preferential treatment for DC residents at DC privates. We'd just like the burb families to be less tacky and actually pay their way for once in a blue moon. As for moving Sidwell or any other private to the burbs, who cares? Not that it's even an option but just to play the game? More parkland and facilities inside the city, some of which will be taxable. Win win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really would you honestly prefer a 'strip mall' in the same location as a school because it brings tax dollars?

Well, actually I think the choice is between an institution that makes lots of money educating kids from DC and MD, versus an institution that makes slightly less money, pays taxes, and educates kids from DC and MD.

You make it sound as though the city's revenues are somehow a trivial thing. I'm not sure how you think roads get built, and public schools get their windows replaced, but generally it's via tax dollars. We're already do enough charity to our suburban neighbors by bearing the majority of the region's poverty.



Anything that distributes the burden more equitably is worth looking into.

Oh, so your position is based purely on DC’s tax revenue, and not sour grapes that your little precious didn’t get into Sidwell, and therefore won’t be having sleepovers at the White House. Gotcha.

I thought her point was that she got into Sidwell but would rather not have to share the space with cookie cutter burb kids.

[Anonymous]

If this is true it's pretty funny. Sudwell's lower school isn't even in DC.

[Anonymous]

The burgeoning Sharks vs. Jets rivalry has inspired me (with apologies to West Side Story and 'I Like to be in America'):

I like to live in Bethesda, and
That doesn't make me an also ran.
Shall I still raise a St albans man?
To quote Obama-- yes I can!

Why would you live in Bethesda, now?
Put out to pasture just like a cow!
At DC publics you may sneer
But Beltway traffic's what I most fear!

Suburban lifestyle's where it's at!
(Driving your mini-van getting fat!)

True sophisticates live in DC!
(Then pin your school hopes on Michelle Rhee!)

ALL:
We love to post on DCUM
Vilify most on DCUM!
Civility's toast on DCUM
We'd rather roast on DCUM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing you hate poor people and minorities, since you're convinced that we're ruining the DC schools. Well for your information, we've been the base of DC for years and most of us won't be leaving DC anytime soon. Why don't you get back to your Klan meeting.

You guess wrong. It has nothing to do with minorities and everything to do with profound entrenched concentrated poverty. Black or white, if your school is 90+ percent subsidized lunch, it's also a sure bet in DC that 70% of it's students are reading at below grade level. Doesn't matter if it's WV or DC or an Indian reservation. Now maybe it's a government plot, or maybe Fact wears a white hood, but don't blame the messenger.

There's a reason for the mass exodus of the black middle class from DC over the last fourth years, and it ain't cause they were a bunch of racists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The burgeoning Sharks vs. Jets rivalry has inspired me (with apologies to West Side Story and 'I Like to be in America'):

I like to live in Bethesda, and
That doesn't make me an also ran.
Shall I still raise a St albans man?
To quote Obama-- yes I can!

Why would you live in Bethesda, now?
Put out to pasture just like a cow!
At DC publics you may sneer
But Beltway traffic's what I most fear!

Suburban lifestyle's where it's at!
(Driving your mini-van getting fat!)

True sophisticates live in DC!
(Then pin your school hopes on Michelle Rhee!)

ALL:
We love to post on DCUM
Vilify most on DCUM!
Civility's toast on DCUM
We'd rather roast on DCUM!

This is the best post - LET'S PUT THIS NONSENSE TO REST!!!!

[Anonymous]

Wow! I can't believe that you're gleefully talking about "exterminating" poor people, Blacks and Hispanics from DC like they are roaches or something. You are unbelievably cold, heartless and hateful. Didn't you get the memo? Jim Crow is over.

Anonymous wrote:

Eye opening stats. We all know that Montgomery and Fairfax Counties have great publics. But I wonder how DC's public rank against publics in other high crime areas? Who has better publics between DC and PG? Or perhaps DC and Baltimore City?

Good questions.

In fact DC's public schools rank very poorly against publics with exclusively poor, minority demographics. But as the JKLM fetishists on DCUM will point out, the schools that aren't crippled by overwhelming poverty actually do quite well. At least a half dozen schools have flipped from the former category to the latter category on Capitol Hill in the last half-decade alone.

There's no question that DC has some bad public schools, lots of them--or that there are a lot of murders, there are. The solution to all of DC problems are already well underway--a demographic shift that drives a hefty portion of the some 30% of DC residents with a HHI of <$15k out to MD and VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow! I can't believe that you're gleefully talking about "exterminating" poor people, Blacks and Hispanics from DC like they are roaches or something. You are unbelievably cold, heartless and hateful. Didn't you get the memo? Jim Crow is over.

Couple of things: first, I'm not calling for the "extermination of Blacks and Hispanics", nor did I think my tone was particularly gleeful. I was just describing the dynamic that's currently operating, and that will continue to operate to give the District the same demographic profile as the rest of the region. There's nothing about cities in particular that makes them the natural property of the poor--the situation in the last half of the 20th century was a historical anomaly. The future of DC will be more like Paris than Detroit.

Secondly, and I'm guessing you were just venting, but a minor historical point: Jim Crow is usually defined as a "legal segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly 'separate but equal' status for black Americans." This is different from "the failure to provide bottomless subsidies so that poor folks can have a DC address."

Your equating a marginal down-tick in the total percentage of folks living in DC who are entirely dependent of taxpayer subsidies--and a corresponding marginal up-tick in the same demographic in the suburbs--with Jim Crow is as ridiculous as comparing it to the Holocaust. Such childish hyperbole doesn't help you make your point, it just detracts from it.

[Anonymous]

To the PP who said: "We'd just like the burb families to be less tacky and actually pay their way for once in a blue moon."

Take a look at the donor page in your school publications. Put a "MD" or a "VA" next to each family you recognize as being a "tacky burb family." Then do the math. Schools are admitting suburban families in part because they want to cast a wide net -- to admit the top student from each school. But they're admitting them in part because they ARE paying their way (and ours) through very significant donations.

DC residents do not tend to make capital or annual gifts at the same level as suburban families. Ask your development officer. If s/he knows you well enough, you won't get a diplomatic answer but the truth.

[Anonymous]

This thread is crazy...who started it anyway? There are so many crazy assertions on both sides. For the pp -- how in the world would you know who is making which donations and where they live? Many really wealthy donors are anonymous.

[Anonymous]

I think the underlying sentiment is that some people are just tired of suburbanites freeriding on the city. Stay in your suburbs.

[Anonymous]

I'm 15:13 -- I live in the heart of DC pp. I get the gyst of the thread. I just think it's senseless because no one is going to change anyone's mind.