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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Paul Kihn needs to explain why privates are open and dcps is not, period. including how his actions relate to his words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Paul Kihn needs to explain why privates are open and dcps is not, period. including how his actions relate to his words.

I agree he should explain why DCPS is closed and privates are open. But I would expect him to answer these questions regardless of whether his kid attended a private, his kid attended DCPS, or he had no kids.

I don't think he has any greater responsibility or burden because he has a kid at a private.

[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.

If those "certain standards" require them to.pull their children, who are happily settled in their schools, out of those schools because their parent changed jobs to assuage your bitterness and jealousy, then no.

[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.

If those "certain standards" require them to.pull their children, who are happily settled in their schools, out of those schools because their parent changed jobs to assuage your bitterness and jealousy, then no.

I think the main issue here is why is this guy closing public schools when he clearly doesnt believe that's necessary judging by what he does with his own kids.

[Anonymous]

I do love the irony of the deputy mayor for education (along with teachers) being the biggest opponents of allowing children to get a decent education. It's like if doctors forced all the hospitals to close.

[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.

If those "certain standards" require them to.pull their children, who are happily settled in their schools, out of those schools because their parent changed jobs to assuage your bitterness and jealousy, then no.

He’s in politics and, for better or worse, this kind of issue is fair game. Just like Ted Cruz got bit by the Cancun thing.
I think the main issue here is why is this guy closing public schools when he clearly doesnt believe that's necessary judging by what he does with his own kids.

[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.

If those "certain standards" require them to.pull their children, who are happily settled in their schools, out of those schools because their parent changed jobs to assuage your bitterness and jealousy, then no.

Yeah, the bigger problem is that he was offered the job in the first place without conditional approval based on his kids being enrolled in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

1) This guy is not an elected official.

2) He does not make decisions about whether nor not specific health regulations apply to schools outside of DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) This guy is not an elected official.

2) He does not make decisions about whether nor not specific health regulations apply to schools outside of DCPS.

He is in a high profile public job paid for by DC taxpayers and is directly responsible for the policies within the jurisdiction of the taxpayers he serves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Paul Kihn needs to explain why privates are open and dcps is not, period. including how his actions relate to his words.

No, he doesn’t. Not as long as Ed policy is under Mayoral control and the mayor doesn’t demand this of him. Of course she will not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) This guy is not an elected official.

2) He does not make decisions about whether nor not specific health regulations apply to schools outside of DCPS.

He is in a high profile public job paid for by DC taxpayers and is directly responsible for the policies within the jurisdiction of the taxpayers he serves.

How is he responsible for the health regulations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) This guy is not an elected official.

2) He does not make decisions about whether nor not specific health regulations apply to schools outside of DCPS.

He is in a high profile public job paid for by DC taxpayers and is directly responsible for the policies within the jurisdiction of the taxpayers he serves.

How is he responsible for the health regulations?

He argues publicly that it's not safe to reopen schools, without disclosing that his kids are in school.

[Anonymous]

Can the DC council not call for a hearing on schools? Get these officials in the public record?

That is more important than worrying about any one official.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the DC council not call for a hearing on schools? Get these officials in the public record?

That is more important than worrying about any one official.

This case closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the DC council not call for a hearing on schools? Get these officials in the public record?

That is more important than worrying about any one official.

No, they are oversight and will call hearings on schools, spin their wheels and defer DC to the mayor. That's been ok when the WTU has been counting on them but employment of this person is "Good for thee, not for me." At the highest level, to reiterate, we should be holding our elected officials to meet certain standards. Why can we have a DC residency requirement when a salary threshold is met but not a requirement to enroll your kids in DCPS? I'm sure his residence is in DC because it's a condition of employment, when should it be different when you are the highest paid public education official that you not enroll your kids in the very school district you represent professionally?