what have Hill parents demanded of middle schools?

[Anonymous]

+1. Wells seems to want to bend into all kind of contortions rather than champion a selective middle school within DCPS. Seems like the group over in Ward 7 and the councilmember there is getting it done. Thank goodness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SH boundary is tiny.

http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/Files/downloads/SCHOOLS/Boundary%20Maps%20-%202009/DCPS-Attendance-Zones-Middle-Schools-September-2009.pdf

+1 -- and it has to be by design. If DCPS wants feeders it can only open so many non-feeder seats by right. Thus SH is only a neighborhood school as much as the feeders are neighborhood schools . . . which is really not so much the case with Wilson, LT and Watkins.

Ok, so I must be confused. I thought if you lived in the cluster boundaries, you could go to SH. Does this mean if I didn't send my kid to Watkins (I sent him to SwS instead) even though I live at an address in the cluster, I don't get in?

That's generally correct, but it depends on where you live. There's a small overlap between Watkins and SH boundaries, but it's not a given. You could also live within proximity, but that' less likely at the SH boundary is almost pretty much a square with SH in the middle. If you live in the overlap, you can attend SH by right (regardless of ES feeder), otherwise you need to feed from Wilson, LT, or Watkins

[Anonymous]

Tone deaf. Wells Demonstrates once again the reasons he is not a serious citywide candidate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think I'm finally understanding the DCPS rationale on CH middle schools. I think they thought that a guaranteed feed from LT and JO Wilson would make neighborhood kids attend those schools to get access to SH. But there are a few problems with the theory - 1) charters; 2) 5-7 years is a long time if you believe the elementary school does not work for your kid; 3) it is relatively easy to get into Watkins for 5th grade; and 3) SH is NOT Deal. It's just not.

You've summed this up very nicely. Given the mobility premium for public education and the changing landscape, having a path from PS to HS is pointless. Unless you're talking about well established school systems like in MoCo or Fairfax, this has little value in DC where the charter landscape and fluidity of enrollment makes long term planning difficult for families and the school systems.

points 1) - 4) are well taken. Deal is > 3X the size of SH. Deal's advanced learners alone outnumber the entire population of SH. It's an entirely different animal. There may well be another NW MS or HS added within the next 5-10 years.

And sure -- getting into Watkins (or Brent) for 5th isn't such a big deal, but if forced to pick between Watkins/SH vs. high performing charter, I know when we're likely to leave DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
One more reason why I'll never vote for Wells. I'm tired of the Brent frenzy on the Hill. Why don't we also do this for SWS (instead of planning to grow to 5th) and, let's see, certain families at Maury and maybe some of the families at Logan. Hell, let's just put all high-SES families outside of the Deal/Wilson boundaries into Latin and BASiS via preference and be done with it! Wouldn't want to have a test-in school, though.

Why not? I'm intrigued by the idea if it's a strong program and genuinely selective and rigorous (ie comparable to academic rigor in top charters or Deal). I'd consider crossing the river for it if necessary too.

[Anonymous]

How realistic is it that they'll change the boundary or feeder at SH? Could they expand the school? (I personally like the idea of smaller MS, Deal is way too big, and many of the schools in the close-in burbs are too big for my tastes as well.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
One more reason why I'll never vote for Wells. I'm tired of the Brent frenzy on the Hill. Why don't we also do this for SWS (instead of planning to grow to 5th) and, let's see, certain families at Maury and maybe some of the families at Logan. Hell, let's just put all high-SES families outside of the Deal/Wilson boundaries into Latin and BASiS via preference and be done with it! Wouldn't want to have a test-in school, though.

Why not? I'm intrigued by the idea if it's a strong program and genuinely selective and rigorous (ie comparable to academic rigor in top charters or Deal). I'd consider crossing the river for it if necessary too.

Pp was being facetious... Go ask Tommy why not.

[Anonymous]

I took the liberty of starting a new topic relating to the Wells proposal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I'm finally understanding the DCPS rationale on CH middle schools. I think they thought that a guaranteed feed from LT and JO Wilson would make neighborhood kids attend those schools to get access to SH. But there are a few problems with the theory - 1) charters; 2) 5-7 years is a long time if you believe the elementary school does not work for your kid; 3) it is relatively easy to get into Watkins for 5th grade; and 3) SH is NOT Deal. It's just not.

You've summed this up very nicely. Given the mobility premium for public education and the changing landscape, having a path from PS to HS is pointless. Unless you're talking about well established school systems like in MoCo or Fairfax, this has little value in DC where the charter landscape and fluidity of enrollment makes long term planning difficult for families and the school systems.

points 1) - 4) are well taken. Deal is > 3X the size of SH. Deal's advanced learners alone outnumber the entire population of SH. It's an entirely different animal. There may well be another NW MS or HS added within the next 5-10 years.

And sure -- getting into Watkins (or Brent) for 5th isn't such a big deal, but if forced to pick between Watkins/SH vs. high performing charter, I know when we're likely to leave DCPS.

Getting into Brent for fifth grade isn't such a big deal is perhaps the understatement of the year. Brent has been unable to fill the class for the past few years with OOB students as there is no groundswell to feed into Jefferson or EH.

[Anonymous]

NOBODY from Brent goes to EH or Jefferson. If they are in 5th at Brent they are going private or elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

How many Brent fifth graders are IB? Any? Fewer than five?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many Brent fifth graders are IB? Any? Fewer than five?

Yes, fewer than 5. But a good half of 4th grade, and 100% of preK 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, 5th grade at Brent is not equivalent to 5th grade at Latin or Basis. Not even comparable as far as the rigor, depth and breadth of the curriculum. I am sure Brent parents would stay for 5th at Brent if the charters started at 6th, but who does that benefit? Seriously? Who benefits from that?

Wells just suggested stopping Brent at 4th in exchange for maintaining PS3 and giving preference to Brent at a couple of charter schools.

Do other CH elementary schools (e.g. Maury) get that deal, too? Otherwise I'm thinking this is political suicide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tone deaf. Wells Demonstrates once again the reasons he is not a serious citywide candidate.

Do we have a link to this new Wells "position" or is it all unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo at this point?

[Anonymous]

See other thread, he posed the question at Catania's hearing.