interesting DCI and Washington Latin news

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's starting. I knew it would. So now it's totally true- Muriel Bowser = More Bullshit!
I predict Bowser guts the sovereignty and functionality of charters going forward. This is why the city has become a short-term plan for me. Once my youngest finishes pre-k, off to the burbs we go.

The Focus lawsuit is really important here. And if they go too far against the independence of charters Congress will have to get involved. But yes, things are not trending in a good direction from my point of view.

I don't think a lawsuit and Congress can stop a slow gut job. First you take away funding. Then the confidence is eroded and people who don't have time for the bullshit roll out. Once a critical mass of stakeholders vest their interest elsewhere, The More Bullshitter is empowered to further chop things up and destroy. The lawsuit stuff is like taking a ice pick to an iceberg. I take it you're an attorney. I am too. The public has the naïveté to believe that a big bad lawsuit will take care of business. You and both know that's false security at best. There was a big bad lawsuit to stop the closure of DC General. It's been 15 years and DC General went bye bye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's starting. I knew it would. So now it's totally true- Muriel Bowser = More Bullshit!
I predict Bowser guts the sovereignty and functionality of charters going forward. This is why the city has become a short-term plan for me. Once my youngest finishes pre-k, off to the burbs we go.

The Focus lawsuit is really important here. And if they go too far against the independence of charters Congress will have to get involved. But yes, things are not trending in a good direction from my point of view.

I don't think a lawsuit and Congress can stop a slow gut job. First you take away funding. Then the confidence is eroded and people who don't have time for the bullshit roll out. Once a critical mass of stakeholders vest their interest elsewhere, The More Bullshitter is empowered to further chop things up and destroy. The lawsuit stuff is like taking a ice pick to an iceberg. I take it you're an attorney. I am too. The public has the naïveté to believe that a big bad lawsuit will take care of business. You and both know that's false security at best. There was a big bad lawsuit to stop the closure of DC General. It's been 15 years and DC General went bye bye.

Sigh. You are probably right. But I hope not for a lot of reasons.

[Anonymous]

As a charter school family, I feel for the families of these two schools. Where is the Joe Weedon banging down the doors complaining on behalf of the thousands of kids that attend these two schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a charter school family, I feel for the families of these two schools. Where is the Joe Weedon banging down the doors complaining on behalf of the thousands of kids that attend these two schools?

That's the thing - not thousands of kids. At this point DCI has about 400 and WL has about 800. This is retribution for the Focus lawsuit and being close to Catania. The schools probably knew this was a possible outcome. The DCPS boosters will say they can raise private dollars but very few donors want to invest in buildings and infrastructure so that's not a likely solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's starting. I knew it would. So now it's totally true- Muriel Bowser = More Bullshit!
I predict Bowser guts the sovereignty and functionality of charters going forward. This is why the city has become a short-term plan for me. Once my youngest finishes pre-k, off to the burbs we go.

The Focus lawsuit is really important here. And if they go too far against the independence of charters Congress will have to get involved. But yes, things are not trending in a good direction from my point of view.

I don't think a lawsuit and Congress can stop a slow gut job. First you take away funding. Then the confidence is eroded and people who don't have time for the bullshit roll out. Once a critical mass of stakeholders vest their interest elsewhere, The More Bullshitter is empowered to further chop things up and destroy. The lawsuit stuff is like taking a ice pick to an iceberg. I take it you're an attorney. I am too. The public has the naïveté to believe that a big bad lawsuit will take care of business. You and both know that's false security at best. There was a big bad lawsuit to stop the closure of DC General. It's been 15 years and DC General went bye bye.

Sigh. You are probably right. But I hope not for a lot of reasons.

I guess she can't have it both ways then, she guts the charters AND the MS budgets, and funnels copious amounts of $ to her actions couldn't be more biased and her pet projects are clearly the result of her "reed in the wind" insularity. She won't go the way of Fenty, she's solidiying her re-election and chuckling at all of us as she drives through the Catania voting neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a charter school family, I feel for the families of these two schools. Where is the Joe Weedon banging down the doors complaining on behalf of the thousands of kids that attend these two schools?

That's the thing - not thousands of kids. At this point DCI has about 400 and WL has about 800. This is retribution for the Focus lawsuit and being close to Catania. The schools probably knew this was a possible outcome. The DCPS boosters will say they can raise private dollars but very few donors want to invest in buildings and infrastructure so that's not a likely solution.

Are there 1200 in Latin alone?

[Anonymous]

Good thing that street car boondoggle got more money.

[Anonymous]

I completely agree with Bowser on this. Charter schools are either nonprofits or for profit corporations, not government entities. They should not receive funding for capital improvements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with Bowser on this. Charter schools are either nonprofits or for profit corporations, not government entities. They should not receive funding for capital improvements.

FWIW that isn't her argument. That was Grays. She simply blamed it on a $200M budget shortfall but effect is the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with Bowser on this. Charter schools are either nonprofits or for profit corporations, not government entities. They should not receive funding for capital improvements.

That analysis makes no sense
- charter schools are fully regulated and serve a public function. They are public schools, just under a different model
- what is better for DC coffers, and for all taxpayers: to spend $100 million dollars (to rebuild a DCPS school) or $6 million (so that a charter school can pool many other resources efficiently and build its own school)

[Anonymous]

Where is DME Niles on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with Bowser on this. Charter schools are either nonprofits or for profit corporations, not government entities. They should not receive funding for capital improvements.

If that's the case, we can do whatever we want with the rest of the public funding and how we run our programming? It's all or nothing on this concept.

[Anonymous]

another cite for this? washington examiner isn't the best source- likely to exaggerate to inflame

[Anonymous]

Why should Latin get $2M in cap fund direct from the city and not DC Prep? Or my favorite nonprofit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why should Latin get $2M in cap fund direct from the city and not DC Prep? Or my favorite nonprofit?

Yeah...or, for example, DC United?