Capitol Hill Middle School and High School situation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jefferson appears to be stuck at around 2% white. Has been for 4 or 5 years now. Not much more to say.

This is what's called a "racist" and "supremacist" post because it implies something about Black students that makes a school "stuck" if (only?) "2%" Whites attend it. The non-racist version of this might be to point out how all students are doing at Jefferson Academy, maybe pointing out that Jefferson Academy has both Black and White, and some Latino, high achieving students. The anti-racist may add that the reason why from among the students who lag behind most are Black is because they predominantly come from elementary schools that sit in subpar neighborhoods, plagued by poor housing conditions, poor healthcare, community trauma through gun violence, high teacher turn-over, spotty and infrequent public transportation, environmental challenges etc. The anti-racist might also stress that the metrics by which we determine who is highly or not highly proficient are themselves racist, favoring inherently higher ratings for White students.

More directly on the topic: Once you understand all of this - statistically - you will also understand that the above statement is, in addition, irrelevant.

it’s racist to deny the truth, which is that most DC schools are failing black students. It’s racist to try to make this all about white parents engaging in perfect anti-racist speech and anti-racist appearing actions, while ignoring institutional failures - especially when they are so severe (school closures!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jefferson appears to be stuck at around 2% white. Has been for 4 or 5 years now. Not much more to say.

This is what's called a "racist" and "supremacist" post because it implies something about Black students that makes a school "stuck" if (only?) "2%" Whites attend it. The non-racist version of this might be to point out how all students are doing at Jefferson Academy, maybe pointing out that Jefferson Academy has both Black and White, and some Latino, high achieving students. The anti-racist may add that the reason why from among the students who lag behind most are Black is because they predominantly come from elementary schools that sit in subpar neighborhoods, plagued by poor housing conditions, poor healthcare, community trauma through gun violence, high teacher turn-over, spotty and infrequent public transportation, environmental challenges etc. The anti-racist might also stress that the metrics by which we determine who is highly or not highly proficient are themselves racist, favoring inherently higher ratings for White students.

More directly on the topic: Once you understand all of this - statistically - you will also understand that the above statement is, in addition, irrelevant.

it’s racist to deny the truth, which is that most DC schools are failing black students. It’s racist to try to make this all about white parents engaging in perfect anti-racist speech and anti-racist appearing actions, while ignoring institutional failures - especially when they are so severe (school closures!)

This "anti-racist" points out that the the poor kids at Jefferson Academy don't benefit from the reality that more than 90% of Brent's six dozen 4th graders do not progress to the designated by-right middle school. If you want this narrative to change, it might help to recognize that your insistent name-calling, finger pointing and demonizing of UMC parents in search of greener pastures than Jefferson is counterproductive. We get it, poor AA families in this city continue to get the short end of the stick on many levels. Nobody's "ignoring institutional failures," not here on Capitol Hill. We'll leave that to suburban parents in lily white neighborhoods. We further understand that our children are unlikely to learn well in a tough middle school where most students lack basic skills yet academic tracking is hardly done. The truth that "none of should deny" is that our politicians don't give a hoot that Jefferson Academy's in-boundary population largely shuns the school, with no end in sight, because they don't need to in order to stay in office.

[Anonymous]

All I have to say on the subject of JA is thank goodness that the BASIS 5th grade WL is much shorter in 2021 than in 2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jefferson appears to be stuck at around 2% white. Has been for 4 or 5 years now. Not much more to say.

This is what's called a "racist" and "supremacist" post because it implies something about Black students that makes a school "stuck" if (only?) "2%" Whites attend it. The non-racist version of this might be to point out how all students are doing at Jefferson Academy, maybe pointing out that Jefferson Academy has both Black and White, and some Latino, high achieving students. The anti-racist may add that the reason why from among the students who lag behind most are Black is because they predominantly come from elementary schools that sit in subpar neighborhoods, plagued by poor housing conditions, poor healthcare, community trauma through gun violence, high teacher turn-over, spotty and infrequent public transportation, environmental challenges etc. The anti-racist might also stress that the metrics by which we determine who is highly or not highly proficient are themselves racist, favoring inherently higher ratings for White students.

More directly on the topic: Once you understand all of this - statistically - you will also understand that the above statement is, in addition, irrelevant.

it’s racist to deny the truth, which is that most DC schools are failing black students. It’s racist to try to make this all about white parents engaging in perfect anti-racist speech and anti-racist appearing actions, while ignoring institutional failures - especially when they are so severe (school closures!)

This "anti-racist" points out that the the poor kids at Jefferson Academy don't benefit from the reality that more than 90% of Brent's six dozen 4th graders do not progress to the designated by-right middle school. If you want this narrative to change, it might help to recognize that your insistent name-calling, finger pointing and demonizing of UMC parents in search of greener pastures than Jefferson is counterproductive. We get it, poor AA families in this city continue to get the short end of the stick on many levels. Nobody's "ignoring institutional failures," not here on Capitol Hill. We'll leave that to suburban parents in lily white neighborhoods. We further understand that our children are unlikely to learn well in a tough middle school where most students lack basic skills yet academic tracking is hardly done. The truth that "none of should deny" is that our politicians don't give a hoot that Jefferson Academy's in-boundary population largely shuns the school, with no end in sight, because they don't need to in order to stay in office.

The hard data does not seem support the oft-repeated claim that UMC kids are unlikely to succeed at a school like Jefferson. Once again, according to the latest PARCC results, 100% of white kids at Jefferson meet or exceed expectations in ELA, and 90.9% of the meet exceeded expectations in math. Of course, not all UMC kids are white, but for the white kids at the Jefferson, there doesn't seem to be a problem.

If anyone has actual evidence that would support the bolded claim above, I have not seen it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jefferson appears to be stuck at around 2% white. Has been for 4 or 5 years now. Not much more to say.

This is what's called a "racist" and "supremacist" post because it implies something about Black students that makes a school "stuck" if (only?) "2%" Whites attend it. The non-racist version of this might be to point out how all students are doing at Jefferson Academy, maybe pointing out that Jefferson Academy has both Black and White, and some Latino, high achieving students. The anti-racist may add that the reason why from among the students who lag behind most are Black is because they predominantly come from elementary schools that sit in subpar neighborhoods, plagued by poor housing conditions, poor healthcare, community trauma through gun violence, high teacher turn-over, spotty and infrequent public transportation, environmental challenges etc. The anti-racist might also stress that the metrics by which we determine who is highly or not highly proficient are themselves racist, favoring inherently higher ratings for White students.

More directly on the topic: Once you understand all of this - statistically - you will also understand that the above statement is, in addition, irrelevant.

it’s racist to deny the truth, which is that most DC schools are failing black students. It’s racist to try to make this all about white parents engaging in perfect anti-racist speech and anti-racist appearing actions, while ignoring institutional failures - especially when they are so severe (school closures!)

This "anti-racist" points out that the the poor kids at Jefferson Academy don't benefit from the reality that more than 90% of Brent's six dozen 4th graders do not progress to the designated by-right middle school. If you want this narrative to change, it might help to recognize that your insistent name-calling, finger pointing and demonizing of UMC parents in search of greener pastures than Jefferson is counterproductive. We get it, poor AA families in this city continue to get the short end of the stick on many levels. Nobody's "ignoring institutional failures," not here on Capitol Hill. We'll leave that to suburban parents in lily white neighborhoods. We further understand that our children are unlikely to learn well in a tough middle school where most students lack basic skills yet academic tracking is hardly done. The truth that "none of should deny" is that our politicians don't give a hoot that Jefferson Academy's in-boundary population largely shuns the school, with no end in sight, because they don't need to in order to stay in office.

The hard data does not seem support the oft-repeated claim that UMC kids are unlikely to succeed at a school like Jefferson. Once again, according to the latest PARCC results, 100% of white kids at Jefferson meet or exceed expectations in ELA, and 90.9% of the meet exceeded expectations in math. Of course, not all UMC kids are white, but for the white kids at the Jefferson, there doesn't seem to be a problem.

If anyone has actual evidence that would support the bolded claim above, I have not seen it.

Being honest, my concern is that in a school with half or majority UMC kids, the instruction they would receive on a daily basis would be more accelerated and more advanced than if they are attending a school with high levels of poverty. I’m not concerned only with them getting good scores on the PARCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All I have to say on the subject of JA is thank goodness that the BASIS 5th grade WL is much shorter in 2021 than in 2020.

Amen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jefferson appears to be stuck at around 2% white. Has been for 4 or 5 years now. Not much more to say.

This is what's called a "racist" and "supremacist" post because it implies something about Black students that makes a school "stuck" if (only?) "2%" Whites attend it. The non-racist version of this might be to point out how all students are doing at Jefferson Academy, maybe pointing out that Jefferson Academy has both Black and White, and some Latino, high achieving students. The anti-racist may add that the reason why from among the students who lag behind most are Black is because they predominantly come from elementary schools that sit in subpar neighborhoods, plagued by poor housing conditions, poor healthcare, community trauma through gun violence, high teacher turn-over, spotty and infrequent public transportation, environmental challenges etc. The anti-racist might also stress that the metrics by which we determine who is highly or not highly proficient are themselves racist, favoring inherently higher ratings for White students.

More directly on the topic: Once you understand all of this - statistically - you will also understand that the above statement is, in addition, irrelevant.

it’s racist to deny the truth, which is that most DC schools are failing black students. It’s racist to try to make this all about white parents engaging in perfect anti-racist speech and anti-racist appearing actions, while ignoring institutional failures - especially when they are so severe (school closures!)

This "anti-racist" points out that the the poor kids at Jefferson Academy don't benefit from the reality that more than 90% of Brent's six dozen 4th graders do not progress to the designated by-right middle school. If you want this narrative to change, it might help to recognize that your insistent name-calling, finger pointing and demonizing of UMC parents in search of greener pastures than Jefferson is counterproductive. We get it, poor AA families in this city continue to get the short end of the stick on many levels. Nobody's "ignoring institutional failures," not here on Capitol Hill. We'll leave that to suburban parents in lily white neighborhoods. We further understand that our children are unlikely to learn well in a tough middle school where most students lack basic skills yet academic tracking is hardly done. The truth that "none of should deny" is that our politicians don't give a hoot that Jefferson Academy's in-boundary population largely shuns the school, with no end in sight, because they don't need to in order to stay in office.

The hard data does not seem support the oft-repeated claim that UMC kids are unlikely to succeed at a school like Jefferson. Once again, according to the latest PARCC results, 100% of white kids at Jefferson meet or exceed expectations in ELA, and 90.9% of the meet exceeded expectations in math. Of course, not all UMC kids are white, but for the white kids at the Jefferson, there doesn't seem to be a problem.

If anyone has actual evidence that would support the bolded claim above, I have not seen it.

Being honest, my concern is that in a school with half or majority UMC kids, the instruction they would receive on a daily basis would be more accelerated and more advanced than if they are attending a school with high levels of poverty. I’m not concerned only with them getting good scores on the PARCC.

Understood. But if UMC kids were receiving inferior instruction at Jefferson (as compared with other schools) then presumably it would be reflected in the PARCC performance of white kids at Jefferson. It’s not.

[Anonymous]

Got it. More than 90% of us leave Brent for BASIS, Latin, private schools, the burbs, homeschool classrooms, and other parts of the country and world because we're irrational at best, fools and iniquitous racists at worst.

Having Jefferson Academy as our by-right middle school is clearly a pearls-before-pigs situation in light of our willful ignorance of the manifold wonders of the program.

After all, what could possibly count more than stellar PARCC scores for a dozen white kids in a school with hundreds of students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jefferson appears to be stuck at around 2% white. Has been for 4 or 5 years now. Not much more to say.

This is what's called a "racist" and "supremacist" post because it implies something about Black students that makes a school "stuck" if (only?) "2%" Whites attend it. The non-racist version of this might be to point out how all students are doing at Jefferson Academy, maybe pointing out that Jefferson Academy has both Black and White, and some Latino, high achieving students. The anti-racist may add that the reason why from among the students who lag behind most are Black is because they predominantly come from elementary schools that sit in subpar neighborhoods, plagued by poor housing conditions, poor healthcare, community trauma through gun violence, high teacher turn-over, spotty and infrequent public transportation, environmental challenges etc. The anti-racist might also stress that the metrics by which we determine who is highly or not highly proficient are themselves racist, favoring inherently higher ratings for White students.

More directly on the topic: Once you understand all of this - statistically - you will also understand that the above statement is, in addition, irrelevant.

it’s racist to deny the truth, which is that most DC schools are failing black students. It’s racist to try to make this all about white parents engaging in perfect anti-racist speech and anti-racist appearing actions, while ignoring institutional failures - especially when they are so severe (school closures!)

This "anti-racist" points out that the the poor kids at Jefferson Academy don't benefit from the reality that more than 90% of Brent's six dozen 4th graders do not progress to the designated by-right middle school. If you want this narrative to change, it might help to recognize that your insistent name-calling, finger pointing and demonizing of UMC parents in search of greener pastures than Jefferson is counterproductive. We get it, poor AA families in this city continue to get the short end of the stick on many levels. Nobody's "ignoring institutional failures," not here on Capitol Hill. We'll leave that to suburban parents in lily white neighborhoods. We further understand that our children are unlikely to learn well in a tough middle school where most students lack basic skills yet academic tracking is hardly done. The truth that "none of should deny" is that our politicians don't give a hoot that Jefferson Academy's in-boundary population largely shuns the school, with no end in sight, because they don't need to in order to stay in office.

The hard data does not seem support the oft-repeated claim that UMC kids are unlikely to succeed at a school like Jefferson. Once again, according to the latest PARCC results, 100% of white kids at Jefferson meet or exceed expectations in ELA, and 90.9% of the meet exceeded expectations in math. Of course, not all UMC kids are white, but for the white kids at the Jefferson, there doesn't seem to be a problem.

If anyone has actual evidence that would support the bolded claim above, I have not seen it.

Being honest, my concern is that in a school with half or majority UMC kids, the instruction they would receive on a daily basis would be more accelerated and more advanced than if they are attending a school with high levels of poverty. I’m not concerned only with them getting good scores on the PARCC.

Understood. But if UMC kids were receiving inferior instruction at Jefferson (as compared with other schools) then presumably it would be reflected in the PARCC performance of white kids at Jefferson. It’s not.

Not all of us UMC parents are so sanguine. My DS has SN and I need a school that has resources to support him, not to ignore him because he does decently academically. Lots of parents want more than that.

[Anonymous]

We live in the Jefferson catchment area. We're Asian-American.

Where are the Asian students at Jefferson? We should send our kid to be one of a handful of Asians in his cohort, or perhaps the only one.

No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in the Jefferson catchment area. We're Asian-American.

Where are the Asian students at Jefferson? We should send our kid to be one of a handful of Asians in his cohort, or perhaps the only one.

No thanks.

So where are you thinking of sending him?

[Anonymous]

Catholic middle school in VA with Asian students, around 10K.

[Anonymous]

Not an uncommon choice. There are plenty of Hill middle school students at St. Ann, St. Agnes and St. Thomas. Parents carpool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got it. More than 90% of us leave Brent for BASIS, Latin, private schools, the burbs, homeschool classrooms, and other parts of the country and world because we're irrational at best, fools and iniquitous racists at worst.

Having Jefferson Academy as our by-right middle school is clearly a pearls-before-pigs situation in light of our willful ignorance of the manifold wonders of the program.

After all, what could possibly count more than stellar PARCC scores for a dozen white kids in a school with hundreds of students?

All I said is that the hard data does not support the proposition that UMC kids are unlikely to succeed at Jefferson. And I fully stand by that.

I did not in any way cast aspersions on those who choose a different path. Frankly, I don't know why you're being so defensive about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got it. More than 90% of us leave Brent for BASIS, Latin, private schools, the burbs, homeschool classrooms, and other parts of the country and world because we're irrational at best, fools and iniquitous racists at worst.

Having Jefferson Academy as our by-right middle school is clearly a pearls-before-pigs situation in light of our willful ignorance of the manifold wonders of the program.

After all, what could possibly count more than stellar PARCC scores for a dozen white kids in a school with hundreds of students?

All I said is that the hard data does not support the proposition that UMC kids are unlikely to succeed at Jefferson. And I fully stand by that.

I did not in any way cast aspersions on those who choose a different path. Frankly, I don't know why you're being so defensive about this.

And you have a very limited definition of what “succeed” means, and also presumtuous to believe that no UMC needs more attention.