Brent rebuild details to know before you accept that lottery spot

[Anonymous]

Former Brent parent, and I would have to believe Norah is working on something behind the scenes. She does not seem like the type to dig in unless it's for good reason (better than a community garden).

Pre-covid, when Brent was supposed to get a new school sooner, there was a lot of discussion around the importance of having a coordinated effort, led by the PTA/LSAT/whoever as opposed to individual parents writing angry emails. Maybe something like that is going on behind the scenes?

[Anonymous]

Coordinated efforts just aren't Norah's strong suit. She has her strengths but often has a tin ear with the PTA and is fond of closed-door agreements.

[Anonymous]

The underlying issue is that DCPS does not have a dedicated swing space (not a trailer village for one school but a fixed swing space that can be used for multiple schools) in Ward 6. And their process for determining and announcing swing spaces without community input is fundamentally flawed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the argument against the space near RFK?

Honestly, they should postpone a year and use the NE swing space that SWS used. I believe JO Wilson is moving into it soon for their renovation, but I think they are further along in the process? That space is nice and a much easier commute across the Hill instead of through the heart of the city.

Also at Brent and from what we’ve been able to tell — there isn’t one?

It’s been confusing and it happened right before spring break, so most people I know are still seeing how it plays out. Nobody is really sure how it happened or why Norah is *so* dug in.

The only thing she’s said so far is that she wants people to swallow it so she can trade for changes she wants to the new building. A community garden is the one thing she said. But clearly this can’t be over a community garden? She warned against burning bridges with DCPS, but to us this is exactly the fight we should be having.

They also claimed, but were rightfully corrected, that there wouldn’t be busses to RFK. Which by DCPS policy just isn’t true.

I have heard that there are conversations with parents at A-B, which is also due for modernization and got a bad space. A-B has already been working with Charles Allen and there may be a way to combine for a new space at RFK.

Brent parent. Hate with a capital H the proposed swing space. But obviously the trade off analysis here isn't over a community garden - the DC budget is a disaster and isn't going to get better in coming years. Have to imagine the relevant trade off here is getting the renovation done next year while it is in the city budget versus the risk of a delayed renovation that gets delayed way longer than one year when additional budget cuts come for 25/26 and the whole renovation project winds up sitting on the chopping block.

Also, to the original poster in this thread, while DCPS did drop the news of the swing site before spring break, my understanding is it was sprung on the principal essentially the same day as on the school community. DCPS being DCPS, I would absolutely believe it.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of nearby elementary schools going through renovations during roughly the same time period - Tyler, Amidon, JO. I would 100% lottery out the year of the renovation. Ludlow, Maury, SWS, Payne, Watkins, Van Ness, a renovated JO Wilson - all preferable to commuting across town (and some have different middle school feeds than Brent too).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the argument against the space near RFK?

Honestly, they should postpone a year and use the NE swing space that SWS used. I believe JO Wilson is moving into it soon for their renovation, but I think they are further along in the process? That space is nice and a much easier commute across the Hill instead of through the heart of the city.

Also at Brent and from what we’ve been able to tell — there isn’t one?

It’s been confusing and it happened right before spring break, so most people I know are still seeing how it plays out. Nobody is really sure how it happened or why Norah is *so* dug in.

The only thing she’s said so far is that she wants people to swallow it so she can trade for changes she wants to the new building. A community garden is the one thing she said. But clearly this can’t be over a community garden? She warned against burning bridges with DCPS, but to us this is exactly the fight we should be having.

They also claimed, but were rightfully corrected, that there wouldn’t be busses to RFK. Which by DCPS policy just isn’t true.

I have heard that there are conversations with parents at A-B, which is also due for modernization and got a bad space. A-B has already been working with Charles Allen and there may be a way to combine for a new space at RFK.

Brent parent. Hate with a capital H the proposed swing space. But obviously the trade off analysis here isn't over a community garden - the DC budget is a disaster and isn't going to get better in coming years. Have to imagine the relevant trade off here is getting the renovation done next year while it is in the city budget versus the risk of a delayed renovation that gets delayed way longer than one year when additional budget cuts come for 25/26 and the whole renovation project winds up sitting on the chopping block.

Also, to the original poster in this thread, while DCPS did drop the news of the swing site before spring break, my understanding is it was sprung on the principal essentially the same day as on the school community. DCPS being DCPS, I would absolutely believe it.

The above is 100 accurate Norah was just as surprised as every parent with that note from DCPS. It's insane that DCPS does not at least give the school PRINCIPAL a heads up so they can prepare.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the Brent community should let Allen know he should fix it or they'll sign the petition en masse? Doesn't affect our family, but that distance is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Above isn't actually a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Above isn't actually a bad idea.

Agree. And this is really an egregiously bad plan. A PP made an interesting point about the specter of budget cuts and the need to get the renovation going -- but there's got to be room here for a different space. It is insane.

[Anonymous]

The problem whatever trade-offs the principal might see as acceptable is that her perspective is unique. It's simply her place if work.

A large chunk of families who would bear the costs of an absurd swing space are not the same families that will benefit from the future improvements.

[Anonymous]

So glad we got out in the nick of time, after 5th grade for two, before the alternate universe crap kicked in. It kicked off with 5th grade being folded into 4th grade this past fall. Will 5th graders need to wear ski wear for outdoor core classes at the swing space, since they've already been cast into the outer darkness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem whatever trade-offs the principal might see as acceptable is that her perspective is unique. It's simply her place if work.

A large chunk of families who would bear the costs of an absurd swing space are not the same families that will benefit from the future improvements.

This is totally right. She’s an administrator who has a career path in the DCPS system.

But for parents, it’s really as simple as having our kids on a bus for an hour, just to spend the day across town…for no clearly stated reason beyond what looks like a half-baked DCPS plan.

Whatever priorities Norah or DCPS have — and the trades she says she’s going to make based on the pain inflicted — just aren’t whatever cost to the kids, families, and broader Brent community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem whatever trade-offs the principal might see as acceptable is that her perspective is unique. It's simply her place if work.

A large chunk of families who would bear the costs of an absurd swing space are not the same families that will benefit from the future improvements.

And this is the biggest challenge that cuts both ways. Depending on what is being asked for (and no it isn’t gardens) could set the school up with a better situation for the next 60 years. But that is hard to take when you won’t see any of the benefits of the renovation and that is a large percentage of the current school body. Current K students would be back for their 4th grade year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem whatever trade-offs the principal might see as acceptable is that her perspective is unique. It's simply her place if work.

A large chunk of families who would bear the costs of an absurd swing space are not the same families that will benefit from the future improvements.

The other issue is that those who will be most impacted aren't even at the school yet, which I guess is why PP made the original post. If you've got a 2yo, you're not really focused on this, but it's going to have an incredibly negative effect on your life and more importantly on your kid's life. But you don't even know it's happening to you.

and if you're 3rd grade at Brent with no younger kids, I suppose you're indifferent?

We're 1st grade and our oldest was done at Brent last year, and that's the thing that's bothering us. So many of the people who are going to suffer don't even know it's coming. And it's going to kill enrollment, which is going to lead to staff cuts, at a school where the PTA already covers some of those costs. it can't take on any more of that burden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem whatever trade-offs the principal might see as acceptable is that her perspective is unique. It's simply her place if work.

A large chunk of families who would bear the costs of an absurd swing space are not the same families that will benefit from the future improvements.

And this is the biggest challenge that cuts both ways. Depending on what is being asked for (and no it isn’t gardens) could set the school up with a better situation for the next 60 years. But that is hard to take when you won’t see any of the benefits of the renovation and that is a large percentage of the current school body. Current K students would be back for their 4th grade year.

I don't get this at all. Seems like it would reflect pretty poorly on DCPS if they would punish the school for not accepting this frankly ridiculous arrangement.