Middle and high school on Capitol Hill

[Anonymous]

Let's all agree to the following: If Jefferson and Eliot-Hine had a program/cohort that parents of academically on-grade level or advanced students were feeling good about the distance and/or neighborhood boundaries would not be a barrier at all. Many already ship their kids from far as far as far southeast to Deal or Hardy or Stuart Hobson or Basis or Latin or private schools for such programs.

But when we are told "you should go to the school you are assigned to--not because it is excellent and the right place for your student, but because it is you NEIGHBORHOOD school". Yet the school isn't even in the neighborhood as we perceive it, then, well, no deal.

[Anonymous]

Couldn't agree more. To my mind, the Jefferson & EH boosters are becoming a drag on the Hill. They preach to the rest of us, trying to shame and guilt us into supporting their cause. They desperately want the city to pour tens of millions into schools that are mostly empty, and very likely to remain that way for years and years, and don't tolerate dissent. Wish they'd go away!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's all agree to the following: If Jefferson and Eliot-Hine had a program/cohort that parents of academically on-grade level or advanced students were feeling good about the distance and/or neighborhood boundaries would not be a barrier at all. Many already ship their kids from far as far as far southeast to Deal or Hardy or Stuart Hobson or Basis or Latin or private schools for such programs.

But when we are told "you should go to the school you are assigned to--not because it is excellent and the right place for your student, but because it is you NEIGHBORHOOD school". Yet the school isn't even in the neighborhood as we perceive it, then, well, no deal.

High schools aren't meant to literally be in your neighborhood. Georgetown isn't in Wilson neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we know - we go on SchoolDigger.com, visit schools, talk to old friends who've moved to MD. We are aware that MoCo is in the grip of a social upheaval. But at least MoCo offers test-in GT at the MS level to a select few, and doesn't seem to fight high SES parents amalgamating around high-performing schools across the board.

What's your backup plan when your kid doesn't meet the test for GT. It amazes me how every high SES parent in DCUM land believes their kids are gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we know - we go on SchoolDigger.com, visit schools, talk to old friends who've moved to MD. We are aware that MoCo is in the grip of a social upheaval. But at least MoCo offers test-in GT at the MS level to a select few, and doesn't seem to fight high SES parents amalgamating around high-performing schools across the board.

What's your backup plan when your kid doesn't meet the test for GT. It amazes me how every high SES parent in DCUM land believes their kids are gifted.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's all agree to the following: If Jefferson and Eliot-Hine had a program/cohort that parents of academically on-grade level or advanced students were feeling good about the distance and/or neighborhood boundaries would not be a barrier at all. Many already ship their kids from far as far as far southeast to Deal or Hardy or Stuart Hobson or Basis or Latin or private schools for such programs.

But when we are told "you should go to the school you are assigned to--not because it is excellent and the right place for your student, but because it is you NEIGHBORHOOD school". Yet the school isn't even in the neighborhood as we perceive it, then, well, no deal.

So if you lived across the street from EH or Jefferson, you'd send your kids there? Didn't think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't agree more. To my mind, the Jefferson & EH boosters are becoming a drag on the Hill. They preach to the rest of us, trying to shame and guilt us into supporting their cause. They desperately want the city to pour tens of millions into schools that are mostly empty, and very likely to remain that way for years and years, and don't tolerate dissent. Wish they'd go away!

So you are one of the people that called the mayor against moving up Jefferson's renovations. Really amazing, would love to hear your line of reasoning there. Some of us can't afford private schools and would like to have the option of staying local for our MS. I wish there was tracking and all of that good stuff too but until the entertain that, can't we at least have a nice school down there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't agree more. To my mind, the Jefferson & EH boosters are becoming a drag on the Hill. They preach to the rest of us, trying to shame and guilt us into supporting their cause. They desperately want the city to pour tens of millions into schools that are mostly empty, and very likely to remain that way for years and years, and don't tolerate dissent. Wish they'd go away!

So you are one of the people that called the mayor against moving up Jefferson's renovations. Really amazing, would love to hear your line of reasoning there. Some of us can't afford private schools and would like to have the option of staying local for our MS. I wish there was tracking and all of that good stuff too but until the entertain that, can't we at least have a nice school down there.

With the Jefferson petition, it seems like a return to the days of whoever makes the most noice gets the money. That's not an approach that prioritizes equity. Why not just let the newly-established priority system (that takes into account need, equity, demand, etc) determine what school gets modernized? And even better, why not ask for more money to go towards modernization so more schools could be updated? As opposed to just asking for your specific, self-interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we know - we go on SchoolDigger.com, visit schools, talk to old friends who've moved to MD. We are aware that MoCo is in the grip of a social upheaval. But at least MoCo offers test-in GT at the MS level to a select few, and doesn't seem to fight high SES parents amalgamating around high-performing schools across the board.

What's your backup plan when your kid doesn't meet the test for GT. It amazes me how every high SES parent in DCUM land believes their kids are gifted.

If we move to MoCo, Arlington or Fairfax, after carefully researching schools and neighborhoods, we'll have a decent comprehensive MS regardless. We may also have a GT test-in program to avail of (since my older one recently tested into a Johns Hopkins CTY camp, for rising 3rd graders, in Alexandria). My back-up plan is to lottery into BASIS or Latin. I will not use Jefferson without a test-in option there as long as their proficiency pass rates are in the teens to twenties from 6th-8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you assuming poor kids have to have scores in the teens? They don't. It's not a law of nature. That is DCPS failure. So when parents don't want to send their kids to that school and they have a choice, they are reacting to the failure of the adults in the building and in central office, not the children. Get it?

DCPS performs better than most urban cities.

Nope, maybe in Africa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't agree more. To my mind, the Jefferson & EH boosters are becoming a drag on the Hill. They preach to the rest of us, trying to shame and guilt us into supporting their cause. They desperately want the city to pour tens of millions into schools that are mostly empty, and very likely to remain that way for years and years, and don't tolerate dissent. Wish they'd go away!

So you are one of the people that called the mayor against moving up Jefferson's renovations. Really amazing, would love to hear your line of reasoning there. Some of us can't afford private schools and would like to have the option of staying local for our MS. I wish there was tracking and all of that good stuff too but until the entertain that, can't we at least have a nice school down there.

With the Jefferson petition, it seems like a return to the days of whoever makes the most noice gets the money. That's not an approach that prioritizes equity. Why not just let the newly-established priority system (that takes into account need, equity, demand, etc) determine what school gets modernized? And even better, why not ask for more money to go towards modernization so more schools could be updated? As opposed to just asking for your specific, self-interest.

So it isn't asking for more money, just to have the renovations moved up one year. DCPS in their wisdom decided to have the kids from VN show up in the middle of the 2 year construction period. So my understanding is there are concerns that their won't be enough room to do what they want swing space wise. Ask the folks at Maury, DGS and DCPS can't plan these things properly.

[Anonymous]

Isn't the government supposed to be of the people by the people and for the people?

If a whole neighborhood is shunning a school, shouldn't the government recognize that as a failure on their part? It's not like we aren't paying enough taxes as it is.

[Anonymous]

DCPS doesn't care a whit about neighborhood schools. They care about capacity management system wide. As a matter of fact, they're fine with any particular by-right school being 0% in-boundary, as Brent had become by the early 2000s. DCPS principals are not evaluated on their ability to attract or retain in-boundary families. Note that DCPS won't buy or build any new elementary schools in Upper NW, although several of the JKLM schools are at close to 200% capacity, following the logic that there are DCPS elementary school buildings in Wards 7 and 8 standing two-thirds empty.

As long as voters aren't canning their city council members over neighborhood school issues, the city government isn't accountable to neighborhood parents shunning schools. If you want to get DCPS' attention, you can vote Allen out, though that's unlikely to do any good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we know - we go on SchoolDigger.com, visit schools, talk to old friends who've moved to MD. We are aware that MoCo is in the grip of a social upheaval. But at least MoCo offers test-in GT at the MS level to a select few, and doesn't seem to fight high SES parents amalgamating around high-performing schools across the board.

What's your backup plan when your kid doesn't meet the test for GT. It amazes me how every high SES parent in DCUM land believes their kids are gifted.

+1

Then they move to the suburbs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you assuming poor kids have to have scores in the teens? They don't. It's not a law of nature. That is DCPS failure. So when parents don't want to send their kids to that school and they have a choice, they are reacting to the failure of the adults in the building and in central office, not the children. Get it?

DCPS performs better than most urban cities.

Nope, maybe in Africa

WTF?! Your first thought of urban schools is in Africa?