New free shuttle service for students in Wards 7 & 8

[Anonymous]

This is also a program focused on student safety- both from car accidents and attacks.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/it-makes-me-angry-for-dc-students-safe-passage-to-school-can-prove-elusive/2019/07/06/998e09b0-8b8e-11e9-adf3-f70f78c156e8_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/children-hurt-crosswalk-dc-roads/2021/10/06/a68d80d8-26db-11ec-8d53-67cfb452aa60_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

I think it hurts neighborhood schools but I also think that on this topic the horses are gone and the barn door is closed in DC. So if neighborhood schools are bad, and made worse by the charter system that's been in place for a decade+, I don't begrudge parents working as hard as they can within the system to get their kids the best education available to them. If I could turn back time I wouldn't have done the charter thing but I can't.

There's a lady who drives 40 minutes to bring her sons to play at my neighborhood playground on the weekends, because there are always drug dealers and gang members at her neighborhood playground and she doesn't want any of her kids in danger and her older kids having that normalized/being recruited. Do I wish her neighborhood playground was safe and accessible and fun for her kids? Yes. But I don't begrudge her coming to ours; I think she's an amazing mom and I wish she didn't have to go to the trouble.

As someone who lives EOTR, I can attest that there are plenty of playgrounds over here that do not have problems. There are also plenty of parents over here with no qualms about calling the police if there are issues at a playground. While obviously there may be problems at some playgrounds, the idea that you have to drive 40 minutes (i.e. across town) to find a playground without drug dealers is simply untrue and paints a false picture of EOTR.

Not an attack on the PP, and I totally believe that the mom in question does drive across town (I have driven to some nice W3 playgrounds myself). But there certainly are closer "safe" playgrounds.

[Anonymous]

If we’re providing transportation to school can we get the Watkins bus back?

[Anonymous]

This is amazing and long overdue. Simply not enough metro stops, bus routes and bike-able or walk-able schools east of the river. So many parents work jobs that require they work odd schedules (nurses, doctors, teachers, metro bus drivers, fire fighters, cops etc.)

Transportation to and from school is a major headache. OSSE would rather penalize, judge and label parents who don't send their kids to school every single day instead of truly analyzing the barriers to attendance. I hope more school shuttles become available and DC kids can access a real functioning and supportive educational environment like any other normal neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

I think it hurts neighborhood schools but I also think that on this topic the horses are gone and the barn door is closed in DC. So if neighborhood schools are bad, and made worse by the charter system that's been in place for a decade+, I don't begrudge parents working as hard as they can within the system to get their kids the best education available to them. If I could turn back time I wouldn't have done the charter thing but I can't.

There's a lady who drives 40 minutes to bring her sons to play at my neighborhood playground on the weekends, because there are always drug dealers and gang members at her neighborhood playground and she doesn't want any of her kids in danger and her older kids having that normalized/being recruited. Do I wish her neighborhood playground was safe and accessible and fun for her kids? Yes. But I don't begrudge her coming to ours; I think she's an amazing mom and I wish she didn't have to go to the trouble.

As someone who lives EOTR, I can attest that there are plenty of playgrounds over here that do not have problems. There are also plenty of parents over here with no qualms about calling the police if there are issues at a playground. While obviously there may be problems at some playgrounds, the idea that you have to drive 40 minutes (i.e. across town) to find a playground without drug dealers is simply untrue and paints a false picture of EOTR.

Not an attack on the PP, and I totally believe that the mom in question does drive across town (I have driven to some nice W3 playgrounds myself). But there certainly are closer "safe" playgrounds.

We're in Ward 4, but I think her concern was specifically about the basketball courts. Ours has basketball, tennis, separate big kids and little kids sections, and a splash pad. Her kids were 4 mos - 16 y/o the first time we met, so I think the scope of amenities played in to her choice. But I certainly didn't mean to imply that everything EOTR is unsafe. Trying to make the point that public schools like public parks are a public good and resource hoarding in the form of trying to shame people for not "investing in their community" when they choose to use an existing resource that they feel meets their needs is pointless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

But charter schools actually are not actually producing better outcomes for these students. So what is the point on wasting public funds to transport them to a school that isn’t going to make everything all good?

Why are charter schools viewed as good? This is a falsehood. The only good thing about charters is the varieties of programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

But charter schools actually are not actually producing better outcomes for these students. So what is the point on wasting public funds to transport them to a school that isn’t going to make everything all good?

Why are charter schools viewed as good? This is a falsehood. The only good thing about charters is the varieties of programming.

Citation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

But charter schools actually are not actually producing better outcomes for these students. So what is the point on wasting public funds to transport them to a school that isn’t going to make everything all good?

Why are charter schools viewed as good? This is a falsehood. The only good thing about charters is the varieties of programming.

Citation

Seriously. It’s obvious PP doesn’t live in ward 7 and 8 and has no clue how bad the schools are. Many charters are producing better outcomes for these kids. Data shows that the highest concentration of kids going to OOB schools are in ward 7 and 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

I love this white savior here.

It’s not just that black people and brown people are supposed to survive in a climate of racial prejudice, it’s also our job to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and improve failing schools as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

But charter schools actually are not actually producing better outcomes for these students. So what is the point on wasting public funds to transport them to a school that isn’t going to make everything all good?

Why are charter schools viewed as good? This is a falsehood. The only good thing about charters is the varieties of programming.

Citation

Seriously. It’s obvious PP doesn’t live in ward 7 and 8 and has no clue how bad the schools are. Many charters are producing better outcomes for these kids. Data shows that the highest concentration of kids going to OOB schools are in ward 7 and 8.

My kids attend a charter who has thrown up multiple roadblocks to prevent a bus for those who live in far away. The loudest opposition for a bus has been lower middle class white families whose home values skyrocketed. You should hear their shrill voices as they show concern for our children, and suggest that we “invest in our schools”. Because that’s also our job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

But charter schools actually are not actually producing better outcomes for these students. So what is the point on wasting public funds to transport them to a school that isn’t going to make everything all good?

Why are charter schools viewed as good? This is a falsehood. The only good thing about charters is the varieties of programming.

Citation

Seriously. It’s obvious PP doesn’t live in ward 7 and 8 and has no clue how bad the schools are. Many charters are producing better outcomes for these kids. Data shows that the highest concentration of kids going to OOB schools are in ward 7 and 8.

My kids attend a charter who has thrown up multiple roadblocks to prevent a bus for those who live in far away. The loudest opposition for a bus has been lower middle class white families whose home values skyrocketed. You should hear their shrill voices as they show concern for our children, and suggest that we “invest in our schools”. Because that’s also our job.

Lower middle class white families? Curious who these families are ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds promising. Hopefully, it can be expanded to drop off students EOTR to schools in other wards.

https://www.dcschoolconnect.com/

Question - is this supporting public schools, or not supporting public schools? Like, if you say the above are you infavor or charters and voucher access as well? Just curious, though I think overall any trasnportation linking wards is a good.

Charter schools are public schools. Why would the city not support them?

Many people support public and oppose charters (both public). That's fact. And their argument is that the focus should be on "strengthening public schools" (not charters). They also tout the neighborhood connections of pubic schools versus the geographic dynamism of charters in making their arguments. So to provide shuttles to move children away from their neighborhood public school.would seem to undermine them also.

[Anonymous]

Sorry public, not pubic. Good grief!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel conflicted about this. I guess it boils down to whether you think school choice is good or whether it hurt neighborhood schools. The easier it is to go to a "better" school across town the less incentive their is to invest in your community. I know I wouldn't send my kids to many of the schools in Wards 7 & 8 so I don't blame those families for looking for other options. But how will those schools improve and attract more families if everyone bails. Its complicated.

So it's ok for middle class WOTR families who can easily get to lots of good charters to attend them, but not ok for EOTR families? They are forced to 'invest in their community" (which, btw, doesn't happen. People who have no choice will attend the crappy schools, people who do will move or private.)

My only point is that I hope anyone who supports these shuttles doesn't (at the same time) badmouth charters. Doesn't seem like you fall into that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds promising. Hopefully, it can be expanded to drop off students EOTR to schools in other wards.

https://www.dcschoolconnect.com/

Question - is this supporting public schools, or not supporting public schools? Like, if you say the above are you infavor or charters and voucher access as well? Just curious, though I think overall any trasnportation linking wards is a good.

Charter schools are public schools. Why would the city not support them?

Many people support public and oppose charters (both public). That's fact. And their argument is that the focus should be on "strengthening public schools" (not charters). They also tout the neighborhood connections of pubic schools versus the geographic dynamism of charters in making their arguments. So to provide shuttles to move children away from their neighborhood public school.would seem to undermine them also.

That is such a patronizing argument. No one ever judges the mom in Chevy chase from driving across the park and attending an immersion charter. There are no patronizing people saying “she needs to support her community”. No, somehow people who live in communities with poor schools have an additional obligation to support their local schools and “create neighborhood connections”.