Shepherd ES to New North Middle School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ward 4 mother? Ward 4 father? Are you the same people saying the same thing over and over again? please make your neighborhood school better on your own, don't count on Shepherd to make your school better. I will not send my kid to new north or Coolidge and many parents from SES I talked too will not, so trying to change SES feeder hoping that we will all come improve YOUR school is a lost of time.

SP parent

Wilson is not your school by divine right, sorry. Boundaries change all the time. Eventually, SP, an EOTP neighborhood, will be routed to an EOTP school. You might opt out - but that won't change anything...SP is drunk on its own self-importance.

It seems that some city officials, including the mayor, disagree that RCP should be the dividing line, and have felt this way for a while:

“The last thing we want to do is split our city down Rock Creek Park,” said Ward 4 councilmember Muriel Bowser.

https://thewilsonbeacon.com/647/news/school-boundary-changes/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ward 4 mother? Ward 4 father? Are you the same people saying the same thing over and over again? please make your neighborhood school better on your own, don't count on Shepherd to make your school better. I will not send my kid to new north or Coolidge and many parents from SES I talked too will not, so trying to change SES feeder hoping that we will all come improve YOUR school is a lost of time.

SP parent

Wilson is not your school by divine right, sorry. Boundaries change all the time. Eventually, SP, an EOTP neighborhood, will be routed to an EOTP school. You might opt out - but that won't change anything...SP is drunk on its own self-importance.

It seems that some city officials, including the mayor, disagree that RCP should be the dividing line, and have felt this way for a while:

“The last thing we want to do is split our city down Rock Creek Park,” said Ward 4 councilmember Muriel Bowser.

https://thewilsonbeacon.com/647/news/school-boundary-changes/

Oh, and the SP is drunk with its self-important thing made me chuckle. To me, whatever ultimately happens, it seems reasonable that a neighborhood would fight to keep their school zoned for a more attractive option vs. an unproven one. People's hackles go up whenever the spector of boundary changes is mentioned--take a look at the MD schools forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ward 4 mother? Ward 4 father? Are you the same people saying the same thing over and over again? please make your neighborhood school better on your own, don't count on Shepherd to make your school better. I will not send my kid to new north or Coolidge and many parents from SES I talked too will not, so trying to change SES feeder hoping that we will all come improve YOUR school is a lost of time.

SP parent

This. Another SP parent here, and my kids aren't going to New North or Coolidge. I'm not up for a a start up school even in the best case scenario, and Coolidge is a disaster with no chance of turning around by the time we need it. Middle and High schools take eons to turn around, and the horizon is measured in decades, not 5-8 years. It takes a long time to turn around elementary schools, which isn't nearly as difficult. We left our old neighborhood to move IB for Deal and Wilson. For us, it would be charter school (not sure if I want to go that route even if we could get in) or more likely move to the suburbs. If we lose Deal and Wilson then I'll probably just give up on DC for failing my family with schools yet again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is no one else in the Shepherd Elementary boundary concerned that our Ward 4 elected leaders aren't fighting to keep our rights to Deal and Wilson, and are instead focusing on asking the city to improve Ward 4 schools?

You should be worried. This is what happened in Ward 6 where Tommy Wells and then Charles Allen were more interested in boosting Eastern and schools in its feeder pattern than keeping their constituents in-bounds for Wilson. They screwed a bunch of their own voters over to gain support from CHPSO and now years later none of those families send their kids to Eastern either.

Yes! This is the right thing to do. Wilson for Eastern neighbors? Come on. In Ward 4, work for Ward 4 schools and not how best to route smart kids to Tenley.

Signed, a Ward 4 father.

So you think Oyster kids should go to Cardozo and Key kids should go to a new Ward 2 high school right? What about ward 4 families that live closer to Wilson than Coolidge? Yes, you're a ward 4 dad but obviously not a Wilson IB dad. You are being selfish just like anyone else advocating for their self interest. There is no rule that says high schools have to be strict to ward zones.

+1. Wilson/Deal are not that far from Shepherd. I take my young kid to a class there on Saturdays, and I can get there in 12-15 min from my house zoned for Shepherd. I know during the week will be a little longer, but still not that far.

Also, let's not forget that some of Ward 4 is WOTP. Should they also be moved to a high school within their ward?

I must be even closer to you. I get to Deal NOW in the mornings in about 8 minutes (although I am AT the park). It would take me 12-15 minutes to get to Coolidge in rush hour.

15 minutes in traffic rather than 8 is indeed a heavy cross to bear.

Yes that’s 30 minutes out of the way. It’s not going to happen any time soon so this conversation is moot.

I see math is not your strong suit - Wilson has clearly failed you.

You’re an ass. 15 minutes each way the opposite direction of my commute = 30 minutes. Your comprehension skills are lacking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

This is very true. Coolidge is just a non-starter, and if SP boundaries change to New North and Coolidge then we'll see a decrease in IB parents choosing Shepherd too.

On a related note, do you think that if Shepherd improves, then more IB parents would send their kids there and then on to Deal and Wilson? I've heard a lot of negative press about Shepherd from some IB parents who opted out, and am wondering if some parents are just continuing the private school path because they started it in elementary. Kids and parents make friends at the private, they're doing well so why move them, etc. So if the Shepherd experience becomes more attractive, then would they stay the DCPS course to Deal and Wilson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

This is very true. Coolidge is just a non-starter, and if SP boundaries change to New North and Coolidge then we'll see a decrease in IB parents choosing Shepherd too.

On a related note, do you think that if Shepherd improves, then more IB parents would send their kids there and then on to Deal and Wilson? I've heard a lot of negative press about Shepherd from some IB parents who opted out, and am wondering if some parents are just continuing the private school path because they started it in elementary. Kids and parents make friends at the private, they're doing well so why move them, etc. So if the Shepherd experience becomes more attractive, then would they stay the DCPS course to Deal and Wilson?

I have a child in an upper grade at Shepherd. What needs to improve at Shepherd? The neighborhood kids who opt out are doing so for religious reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

This is very true. Coolidge is just a non-starter, and if SP boundaries change to New North and Coolidge then we'll see a decrease in IB parents choosing Shepherd too.

On a related note, do you think that if Shepherd improves, then more IB parents would send their kids there and then on to Deal and Wilson? I've heard a lot of negative press about Shepherd from some IB parents who opted out, and am wondering if some parents are just continuing the private school path because they started it in elementary. Kids and parents make friends at the private, they're doing well so why move them, etc. So if the Shepherd experience becomes more attractive, then would they stay the DCPS course to Deal and Wilson?

How old are their kids? I think many families in the neighborhood with kids in lower grades have been opting in, and the in-boundary numbers in the lower grades--along with IB waitlists for PK3/4--reflect that.

Those I know with kids in lower grades that have opted out are typically at LAMB, YY, or a smattering of other immersion schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is no one else in the Shepherd Elementary boundary concerned that our Ward 4 elected leaders aren't fighting to keep our rights to Deal and Wilson, and are instead focusing on asking the city to improve Ward 4 schools?

You should be worried. This is what happened in Ward 6 where Tommy Wells and then Charles Allen were more interested in boosting Eastern and schools in its feeder pattern than keeping their constituents in-bounds for Wilson. They screwed a bunch of their own voters over to gain support from CHPSO and now years later none of those families send their kids to Eastern either.

Yes! This is the right thing to do. Wilson for Eastern neighbors? Come on. In Ward 4, work for Ward 4 schools and not how best to route smart kids to Tenley.

Signed, a Ward 4 father.

So you think Oyster kids should go to Cardozo and Key kids should go to a new Ward 2 high school right? What about ward 4 families that live closer to Wilson than Coolidge? Yes, you're a ward 4 dad but obviously not a Wilson IB dad. You are being selfish just like anyone else advocating for their self interest. There is no rule that says high schools have to be strict to ward zones.

+1. Wilson/Deal are not that far from Shepherd. I take my young kid to a class there on Saturdays, and I can get there in 12-15 min from my house zoned for Shepherd. I know during the week will be a little longer, but still not that far.

Also, let's not forget that some of Ward 4 is WOTP. Should they also be moved to a high school within their ward?

I must be even closer to you. I get to Deal NOW in the mornings in about 8 minutes (although I am AT the park). It would take me 12-15 minutes to get to Coolidge in rush hour.

15 minutes in traffic rather than 8 is indeed a heavy cross to bear.

Yes that’s 30 minutes out of the way. It’s not going to happen any time soon so this conversation is moot.

You know you sound ridiculous, right?

I see math is not your strong suit - Wilson has clearly failed you.

You’re an ass. 15 minutes each way the opposite direction of my commute = 30 minutes. Your comprehension skills are lacking.

[Anonymous]

Please explain PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

This is very true. Coolidge is just a non-starter, and if SP boundaries change to New North and Coolidge then we'll see a decrease in IB parents choosing Shepherd too.

On a related note, do you think that if Shepherd improves, then more IB parents would send their kids there and then on to Deal and Wilson? I've heard a lot of negative press about Shepherd from some IB parents who opted out, and am wondering if some parents are just continuing the private school path because they started it in elementary. Kids and parents make friends at the private, they're doing well so why move them, etc. So if the Shepherd experience becomes more attractive, then would they stay the DCPS course to Deal and Wilson?

How old are their kids? I think many families in the neighborhood with kids in lower grades have been opting in, and the in-boundary numbers in the lower grades--along with IB waitlists for PK3/4--reflect that.

Those I know with kids in lower grades that have opted out are typically at LAMB, YY, or a smattering of other immersion schools.

I live IB and have a child in an upper grade at SES. First there just aren’t many kids in the neighborhood. Second many of the kids who would be in 4th or 5th go to religious schools. I know of 3 black/AA children this age who attend private. The parents are not anti-SES but rather anti-DCPS. I would like to know what negative things people are saying about the upper grades. I am rather surprised to hear that people bail at the upper grades.

[Anonymous]

The Ward 4 Education Alliance monthly meeting is tonight (featuring Brandon Todd) and discussing New North:

@LaSalle Backus from 6pm to 8pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

This is very true. Coolidge is just a non-starter, and if SP boundaries change to New North and Coolidge then we'll see a decrease in IB parents choosing Shepherd too.

On a related note, do you think that if Shepherd improves, then more IB parents would send their kids there and then on to Deal and Wilson? I've heard a lot of negative press about Shepherd from some IB parents who opted out, and am wondering if some parents are just continuing the private school path because they started it in elementary. Kids and parents make friends at the private, they're doing well so why move them, etc. So if the Shepherd experience becomes more attractive, then would they stay the DCPS course to Deal and Wilson?

How old are their kids? I think many families in the neighborhood with kids in lower grades have been opting in, and the in-boundary numbers in the lower grades--along with IB waitlists for PK3/4--reflect that.

Those I know with kids in lower grades that have opted out are typically at LAMB, YY, or a smattering of other immersion schools.

I live IB and have a child in an upper grade at SES. First there just aren’t many kids in the neighborhood. Second many of the kids who would be in 4th or 5th go to religious schools. I know of 3 black/AA children this age who attend private. The parents are not anti-SES but rather anti-DCPS. I would like to know what negative things people are saying about the upper grades. I am rather surprised to hear that people bail at the upper grades.

PP here and agree with all you said. Which is why I asked the PP who heard negative things about Shepherd how old those kids are. I've heard that many IB families bailed like 10-15 years ago, when there was some instability at the school. But haven't heard anything like this more recently. Lots of families with current elementary students or toddlers seem to have moved to SP with a plan to send their kids to Shepherd. The only notable exception are those that either 1) attend the area synagogues and plan to send their kids to Milton, or 2) those with kids currently at DCI feeders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any Ward 4 councilmembers who doesn't fight to keep Shepherd in Deal/Wilson will lose support in SP, and consequently lose their seat. Way too much political power in SP to cross.

Many parents in SP don't even send their kids to Wilson (they go to JPDS and other privates). Shepherd is a small school, and Todd or anybody else would care more about Lafayette parents, than Shepherd parents. New North needs a strong cohort. SP to New North/Coolidge.


-Ward 4 mother.

You contradict yourself, how can you said that Shepherd is a small school and that New North needs a strong cohort, how is the small SP cohort going to change/influence New North and Coolidge. No SP parent will sent their kids at Coolidge the way the school is right now, have you seen the score?? This is going end with no win, SP will send their kids somewhere else, New North/Coolidge will stay the same or be worst because they didn't have a plan B. Find a better way to improve your neighborhood school, thinking that SP will be the savior of Ward 4 school is a huge failure waiting to happen.

+1. Many SP parents don't opt in for Wilson as it is, choosing private/parochial instead--there's no way they'll opt in for Coolidge any time in the near future.

This is very true. Coolidge is just a non-starter, and if SP boundaries change to New North and Coolidge then we'll see a decrease in IB parents choosing Shepherd too.

On a related note, do you think that if Shepherd improves, then more IB parents would send their kids there and then on to Deal and Wilson? I've heard a lot of negative press about Shepherd from some IB parents who opted out, and am wondering if some parents are just continuing the private school path because they started it in elementary. Kids and parents make friends at the private, they're doing well so why move them, etc. So if the Shepherd experience becomes more attractive, then would they stay the DCPS course to Deal and Wilson?

How old are their kids? I think many families in the neighborhood with kids in lower grades have been opting in, and the in-boundary numbers in the lower grades--along with IB waitlists for PK3/4--reflect that.

Those I know with kids in lower grades that have opted out are typically at LAMB, YY, or a smattering of other immersion schools.

I live IB and have a child in an upper grade at SES. First there just aren’t many kids in the neighborhood. Second many of the kids who would be in 4th or 5th go to religious schools. I know of 3 black/AA children this age who attend private. The parents are not anti-SES but rather anti-DCPS. I would like to know what negative things people are saying about the upper grades. I am rather surprised to hear that people bail at the upper grades.

PP here and agree with all you said. Which is why I asked the PP who heard negative things about Shepherd how old those kids are. I've heard that many IB families bailed like 10-15 years ago, when there was some instability at the school. But haven't heard anything like this more recently. Lots of families with current elementary students or toddlers seem to have moved to SP with a plan to send their kids to Shepherd. The only notable exception are those that either 1) attend the area synagogues and plan to send their kids to Milton, or 2) those with kids currently at DCI feeders.

People should post specific criticisms or not post at all. The suggestion that SES is “improving” seems to be code for becoming more white, which are not very nice.