Boundary Focus Groups

[Anonymous]

Anyone attend the sessions yesterday?

[Anonymous]

Found the focus groups interesting. People in wards 3 and 4 have pretty much the same opinion and voiced their preference for strengthening neighborhood schools vociferously.

The DME and 21st Century people seemed reasonable and understanding to the concerns of the attendants. They said everything is on the table, but they seemed to acknowledge that messing with boundary schools at ES and perhaps MS is a no-go. They floated the idea of no boundaries for HS.

[Anonymous]

Anyone else have impressions? Mine is that the only people who would consider messing with the few successful ward 3 elementary schools are the political higher-ups, not anyone whose concern is not primarily political.

Also, there was some acknowledgment that DCPS needs to do a better job with Hardy to alleviate the Deal problem. There is no excuse for why Hardy is not on par with Deal.

[Anonymous]

Any talk about the future of application HS like SWW or Banneker?

[Anonymous]

Our group focused on the need for all schools in the District to be on par with the handful of schools WotP. There is no excuse as to why DCPS can't get their act together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else have impressions? Mine is that the only people who would consider messing with the few successful ward 3 elementary schools are the political higher-ups, not anyone whose concern is not primarily political.

Also, there was some acknowledgment that DCPS needs to do a better job with Hardy to alleviate the Deal problem. There is no excuse for why Hardy is not on par with Deal.

I just posted on the Tommy/Brent thread but I had an idea and if anyone who got in to a focus group agrees please mention it, especially if they are talking about eliminating boundaries for high schools

would it be possible to have separate classes for "advanced learners" - kids who scored advanced on the DCCAS and/or NAEP in EVERY middle school? If you look at the OSSE test breakdown, you could do this in almost every school. You might have to combine a couple of grades for math, but schools do this (BASIS did and I assume high schools do as well) and start with pre algebra or whatever is appropriate (NOT a math person), and if you took the advanced and perhaps the highest proficients you could have an English class in each grade. If kids are disruptive they would have to be shown the door, but the others could all read the same book, discuss it, learn to write 5 paragraph essays, make arguments with quotes supporting them via the text - all things my oldest child did our first year at Washington Latin.

Kaya has thrown up her hands and recommended everyone try to send their kids to charters for MS, but couldn't we have the "advanced learners" (and some might only be English not maths, but maybe they could study the following summer and try to test in to the other program) have separate classes for these two key subjects so everyone of them has a shot at going to Wilson and doing well without having been to Deal, or applying to SWW and doing well on the math portion of the test which I understand is hard, or going to Banneker, or going wherever? The middle schools are key, and it is definitely not just Hardy that is failing in the eyes of Ward 3, but so many OOB parents WANT Hardy because the alternatives are even worse where they are.

There are kids with great potential all across this city, and many have no control over where they go to middle school. But middle school is key, and we are failing. So if you agree in principle - maybe not the right selection criteria, curriculum, whatever, please raise this idea at any focus group you go to.

Thank you very much,
parent of kids at charter and DCPS

[Anonymous]

Sorry forgot to add that I think this would also allow teachers to focus exclusively on kids who are behind, who really need remedial help because of social promotion. If we just admitted that kids in the same school are at very different stages and met them where they are we might be better off

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our group focused on the need for all schools in the District to be on par with the handful of schools WotP. There is no excuse as to why DCPS can't get their act together.

Well, then, let it be done.

There is no excuse?? It's because it's damn near impossible to do. DCPS has many, many problems. But you cannot reasonably count an inability to replicate the outcomes of WOTP ES as one of them when they cannot replicate the inputs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our group focused on the need for all schools in the District to be on par with the handful of schools WotP. There is no excuse as to why DCPS can't get their act together.

Well, then, let it be done.

There is no excuse?? It's because it's damn near impossible to do. DCPS has many, many problems. But you cannot reasonably count an inability to replicate the outcomes of WOTP ES as one of them when they cannot replicate the inputs.

That is exactly the issue - the WOP schools don't have the issues that the rest of the city faces.

Show me an urban school district that was able to implement the kind of change that so many DC stakeholders seem to blithely demand - "JUST FIX IT ALREADY, AND MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY AT ONCE." As if success is simply like following a bread recipe.

[Anonymous]

Those who participated in the groups that already happened, do you have the feeling that DCPS is really listening or just checking a box? It seems like they've already come out saying that diversity is their primary issue. I'm participating in one of the early December ones.

[Anonymous]

I get the feeling they'll do something at the HS level, maybe the MS level, and nothing at the ES level.

They're looking for approval to close down schools as well.

That's my take.

The young people seem to be immune to the political machinations that are probably driving their superiors, so it's hard to gauge given that the sups make the decisions.

[Anonymous]

My quesion will be whether tehre will be more if the ones htey have are exposed as not diverse in the slightest.

[Anonymous]

That would make it the opposite of a fair process.

You want a do-over because not enough of some divined people elected to take ownership over their children's education? Why don't you just tell them what to say, too.

[Anonymous]

Ha that's funny. The DME and the Mayor want this to be as inclusive as possible. Saying "too bad, you didn't come" isn't the way public outreach works. It's not a game to be won by the most organized parents or something. It's a plan for the whole of DC.

[Anonymous]

The process has been and remains open. You cannot tell people to tune in, whether it's for their own good or not.

Most people, myself included, want this to be as inclusive as possible, even at the cost of included people with almost diametrically opposed stances to mine. It's important that people feel they had a chance to steer things, even if the turns taken are not their preferred route. That starts with making the process available to all. It pretty much ends there too.

I'm not saying "Too bad, you didn't come." I'm saying "Too bad, you didn't try to come." There's a massive distinction.

Finally, what makes you assume which parents are left out in the cold? You can probably still sign up to attend a Ward 5, 6, 7, 8 focus group (or, at least you could until recently), but you had about 24 hours to sign up for a Ward 3 focus group.