Are DCPS Principals' REALLY Responsible for Attracting In-Boundary Parents?

[Anonymous]

Prime example. This past year a set of parents had their 3rd daughter graduate from this high school located on the Hill. They had home-schooled their 3 daughters during their earlier years. So, when it was time to choose a school they went on the usual school-circuit tour. All of the application schools were more worried about the parents filling out the application before engaging the parents. The most diverse-comprehensive school in the city had so many internal issues that it did not deem worthy to pursue. Then the parents took a chance and visited their neighborhood school and the "attraction" to the school through the principal was solidified. So, much that both parents became his/her PTSA President and Vice President respectively. All daughters entered as students and left as valedictorians of their respective classes. They attend Drexel, Rutgers and University of Penn.


When asked why they chose this school? Both parents would emphatically state that it was the attraction of the principal and his commitment to them as parents.

[Anonymous]

All this tells me is that a principal can make a big difference. It does not tell me what is expected of them. This is a HUGE problem if DCPS really does want more parents to attend their assigned schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Prime example. This past year a set of parents had their 3rd daughter graduate from this high school located on the Hill. They had home-schooled their 3 daughters during their earlier years. So, when it was time to choose a school they went on the usual school-circuit tour. All of the application schools were more worried about the parents filling out the application before engaging the parents. The most diverse-comprehensive school in the city had so many internal issues that it did not deem worthy to pursue. Then the parents took a chance and visited their neighborhood school and the "attraction" to the school through the principal was solidified. So, much that both parents became his/her PTSA President and Vice President respectively. All daughters entered as students and left as valedictorians of their respective classes. They attend Drexel, Rutgers and University of Penn.


When asked why they chose this school? Both parents would emphatically state that it was the attraction of the principal and his commitment to them as parents.

Huh? Which school might that be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Prime example. This past year a set of parents had their 3rd daughter graduate from this high school located on the Hill. They had home-schooled their 3 daughters during their earlier years. So, when it was time to choose a school they went on the usual school-circuit tour. All of the application schools were more worried about the parents filling out the application before engaging the parents. The most diverse-comprehensive school in the city had so many internal issues that it did not deem worthy to pursue. Then the parents took a chance and visited their neighborhood school and the "attraction" to the school through the principal was solidified. So, much that both parents became his/her PTSA President and Vice President respectively. All daughters entered as students and left as valedictorians of their respective classes. They attend Drexel, Rutgers and University of Penn.


When asked why they chose this school? Both parents would emphatically state that it was the attraction of the principal and his commitment to them as parents.

This is just about the weirdest message ever.

[Anonymous]

Maybe DCPS wants principals to attract more inboundary families, but apparently the good ones just don't want to:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/young-dc-principal-quits-and-tells-why/2011/06/19/AGfcP6kH_story_2.html#weighIn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe DCPS wants principals to attract more inboundary families, but apparently the good ones just don't want to:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/young-dc-principal-quits-and-tells-why/2011/06/19/AGfcP6kH_story_2.html#weighIn

That was an interesting article, but it sounded to me like the principal just really, really got burned out on teaching, had other options, and was looking for a list of rationalizations to get out of the system--some more relevant than others.

Principal left MoCo for various reasons, and is now leaving DCPS for other reasons...and is opening a cupcake shop in Howard County. It's not like he's going to say "Principaling is too hard, and I've always wanted to be a baker. Plus, fuck inner-city children." Got to make it about the adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you would have to be a principal or instructional superintendent to answer definitively. However, what I do know is the DCPS, from the Chancellor on down, in trying to get more people to attend their in-boundary school. Right now about 50% of DCPS students are out-of-boundary. They are also trying to get people who have opted out of DCPS -- whether for private or charter -- to return. Taken together these two factors put a lot of emphasis on principals to attract in-boundary families.

I do know that the principal at my elementary told me he drives around the neighborhood looking for families he doesn't know and trying to talk them into coming to his school.

Good point. Over 1/3 of public school students attend charters and of the remaining 2/3, half attend OOB. That means only 1/3 of DC public school students actually attend their neighborhood schools. The rest attend "schools of choice."

Now, personally, as a parent with a child in private school, I am obviously very much in favor of school choice. But I also think that should be a decision available to everyone, not just a privileged few. My neighborhood school is not an option and we would never enroll there. A brand new building would not convince me, that's just lipstick on a pig.

The phenomenon appears to be attributable to DC's gentrification faster than the schools can keep up.

I live in one of these "new gentrification" neighborhoods and my IB school has a brand new building. A few parents from my neighborhood (white, upper income) reached out to the principal of the school to set up a meeting to discuss what the plans for the school were etc. We thought - here was a chance to see what the school looked like.

She didn't have time to meet with us - and pushed us off an staff member.

[Anonymous]

A principal not having time to meet with prospective parents??? That is really poor form.

[Anonymous]

@22:11, Weird because it's true? That is the exact same story I have heard about the family at Eastern High School. The parents homeschooled their daughters and when they decided to enroll them into public high school; they visited various DCPS high-schools. After an exhausted and disappointing visit with the application only high schools; which alson included a visit to a diverse comprehensive high-school in northwest. Then again, the parent came away not impressed with the leadership.

They eventually went to Eastern as a last result to determine what high-school would be the right fit for their daughter. The meeting commenced and the parents were overwhelmingly pleased. Consecutively, over three school terms the daughters entered as an underclassman and graduated with honors and valedictorian recognition.

The only difference is that those parents weren't attracted to the OOB schools because of the principals. They remained with their neighborhood school and the attraction was mutual and satisfying for at least 3 years.

Which answers the question of, is the principal responsible for attracting in boundary students? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@22:11, Weird because it's true? That is the exact same story I have heard about the family at Eastern High School. The parents homeschooled their daughters and when they decided to enroll them into public high school; they visited various DCPS high-schools. After an exhausted and disappointing visit with the application only high schools; which alson included a visit to a diverse comprehensive high-school in northwest. Then again, the parent came away not impressed with the leadership.

They eventually went to Eastern as a last result to determine what high-school would be the right fit for their daughter. The meeting commenced and the parents were overwhelmingly pleased. Consecutively, over three school terms the daughters entered as an underclassman and graduated with honors and valedictorian recognition.

The only difference is that those parents weren't attracted to the OOB schools because of the principals. They remained with their neighborhood school and the attraction was mutual and satisfying for at least 3 years.

Which answers the question of, is the principal responsible for attracting in boundary students? Yes.

I am just surprised that when a school has 8 different principals from 2000-2008, including two different principals in some years, that someone would claim that the principal (which one?!?!) would be the reason for attracting students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe DCPS wants principals to attract more inboundary families, but apparently the good ones just don't want to:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/young-dc-principal-quits-and-tells-why/2011/06/19/AGfcP6kH_story_2.html#weighIn

That was an interesting article, but it sounded to me like the principal just really, really got burned out on teaching, had other options, and was looking for a list of rationalizations to get out of the system--some more relevant than others.

Principal left MoCo for various reasons, and is now leaving DCPS for other reasons...and is opening a cupcake shop in Howard County. It's not like he's going to say "Principaling is too hard, and I've always wanted to be a baker. Plus, fuck inner-city children." Got to make it about the adults.

He got burned out alright, but not because of the kids; because of the crazy management system at central office.

If he makes a go of it in cupcakes you can bet other principals will be checking opportunities like that out.

Commitment to children is not called for in the present DCPS -- it's commitment to their warped vision of school reform and willingness to be dropped like a hot potato if you do anything to cross them -- like speak the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you would have to be a principal or instructional superintendent to answer definitively. However, what I do know is the DCPS, from the Chancellor on down, in trying to get more people to attend their in-boundary school. Right now about 50% of DCPS students are out-of-boundary. They are also trying to get people who have opted out of DCPS -- whether for private or charter -- to return. Taken together these two factors put a lot of emphasis on principals to attract in-boundary families.

I do know that the principal at my elementary told me he drives around the neighborhood looking for families he doesn't know and trying to talk them into coming to his school.

I am a charter parent. I will never place my child in our IB school. That would be tantamount to child abuse. At the very least it would rise to the level of Child neglect. Until DCPS recognize the value of children who reside outside of Ward 3, they will be waiting a very long time before they can convince a majority of parents to return. Ha, my IB school used to offer foreign language, but Rhee stripped that and converted the school into a PS to 8, without the necessities required for a middle school.