Empowering Males High School

[Anonymous]

I was kind of excited to see that DCPS has decided to turn focus to skills rather than college prep at some of the lowest performing schools. This was traditionally worked and could be a game changer with DCPS especially with the demise of NCLB and hoping CCSS.

[Anonymous]

Glad DCPS dropped the "color only" segregated school language. They would have been sued and they finally figured it out! Sad that DCPS fails so poorly with the at risk children in the Middle Schools, that is the time to dig in; middle schoolers who can't read or do simple math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they can get some of the troublemaking boys out of other high schools, it will benefit the girls. Banneker and SWW are predominantly female, anyway.

But if that's the goal then the entire premise is bogus because this is supposed to be college prep, meaning the boys with the best grades, most promise, etc. The boys that SHOULD go to EMHS should be the "best and the brightest" which means you're pulling them out of the "regular" high schools and leaving just the trouble makers with the girls. Disastrous.

+1. Now because of the set asides mores seats will be open at Wilson to the worst of the worst. Disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:new school culture is a meaningful thing. they have a good model to follow in Chicago, i believe.

New school culture and uniforms should be done at Wilson. Agree, the girls need one too. And I am SO glad as a DC taxpayer they took 'color' out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:new school culture is a meaningful thing. they have a good model to follow in Chicago, i believe.

New school culture and uniforms should be done at Wilson. Agree, the girls need one too. And I am SO glad as a DC taxpayer they took 'color' out.

The girls have Banneker - which is 75% female already.

[Anonymous]

I think the concept is good but also think an empowering name should go with the school. Maybe one students would choose for themselves? Maybe a true role model they connect with?

[Anonymous]

Maybe the plan is for it to fail, proving that there are some things a traditional public school just can't do very effectively.

Then it will be turned into a charter, and while its value to the students won't change, it will be considered a success because its teachers won't be unionized and the owners will be private entrepreneurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the plan is for it to fail, proving that there are some things a traditional public school just can't do very effectively.

Then it will be turned into a charter, and while its value to the students won't change, it will be considered a success because its teachers won't be unionized and the owners will be private entrepreneurs.

Get over yourself! Stop making everything about this absurd charter vs public, or hating on teachers paradigm, through which you apparently see the entire world.

[Anonymous]

This school will not be a test in school and none of the co-ed schools, even those that are majority girl, are its equivalent. This was shortsighted and ignores the many girls in DC who are struggling. I predict it will be sued and then fail and people will blame the lawsuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the plan is for it to fail, proving that there are some things a traditional public school just can't do very effectively.

Then it will be turned into a charter, and while its value to the students won't change, it will be considered a success because its teachers won't be unionized and the owners will be private entrepreneurs.

Get over yourself! Stop making everything about this absurd charter vs public, or hating on teachers paradigm, through which you apparently see the entire world.

Yes, all people with this point of view should "get over themselves" and give free reign to charter supporters and union busters. It's only fair.

[Anonymous]

I am a little dismayed by PPs saying it will leave the less serious male students to disrupt the rest of the DC schools. I see nothing wrong with a school serving boys in a very low income income area who want a serious education. As people have pointed out, DCPS appears to have done far better with low SES girls who want to achieve. I can see this school as an attempt to improve the results for similarly minded boys.

While it could be the case that this school is actually motivated more by cronyism etc. But that is a separate issue.

[Anonymous]

MCPS used to run a program for at risk youth who were behind academically and I recall that they had the option to earn college credit during it. So I think this one could offer both remedial and college prep courses as needed. Sometimes students do not need remediation in all subjects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received this. The phase "of color" seems to have mysteriously vanished. I'm the mother of two boys, but I gotta repeat what was said on this board when this idea was first floated...what about the girls? Why aren't they opening up a college prep school at the same time for just girls? I'll be curious to see how this all plays out. Also repeating something that's been said before...starting this at the high school level is just too darn late. By then, many of these boys are YEARS behind...not a semester or two. How can this school possibly be college prep?

DCPS Stakeholder,

In the DCPS Today newsletter distributed earlier today, Chancellor Henderson provided an update around exciting new programs coming to DCPS next year. One of these updates is that a new Empowering Males High School (EMHS) will open East of the River in Fall 2016. The EMHS, an all-male, college preparatory high school to be located at the former Ron Brown Middle School in Ward 7, will expand academic opportunities for young men in DC and ensure they graduate ready for college and career.

In the attached letter we have shared additional information about the school and the new school leadership– text from the letter can also be found below. Thank you and please pass this along to your respective networks!

Office of Family and Public Engagement
District of Columbia Public Schools
1200 First Street, NE (12th floor)
Washington, DC 20002
T: (202) 719 – 6613
C: (202) 997 – 9887

How exciting!!!!!

A new and improved way to waste a hundred million dollars in some shiny building to give away jobs to political allies!

No. Graduation rates in DC are 60%. For boys of color, it's 38%. If you are trying to increase the graduation rate, where else would you focus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a little dismayed by PPs saying it will leave the less serious male students to disrupt the rest of the DC schools. I see nothing wrong with a school serving boys in a very low income income area who want a serious education. As people have pointed out, DCPS appears to have done far better with low SES girls who want to achieve. I can see this school as an attempt to improve the results for similarly minded boys.

While it could be the case that this school is actually motivated more by cronyism etc. But that is a separate issue.

It's not true that DCPS does far better with low income girls. The most recent PARCC scores shine an even brighter light on this point. DCPS is failing to make a difference for a lot of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a little dismayed by PPs saying it will leave the less serious male students to disrupt the rest of the DC schools. I see nothing wrong with a school serving boys in a very low income income area who want a serious education. As people have pointed out, DCPS appears to have done far better with low SES girls who want to achieve. I can see this school as an attempt to improve the results for similarly minded boys.

While it could be the case that this school is actually motivated more by cronyism etc. But that is a separate issue.

It's not true that DCPS does far better with low income girls. The most recent PARCC scores shine an even brighter light on this point. DCPS is failing to make a difference for a lot of students.

This is the PP and I was basing the assertion on Banneker being 75% female. For low SES as a whole girls may not being doing much better than boys and as a group the outcomes are unacceptably poor, but in terms of providing a place for low SES kids who are serious about school (admittedly and sadly a quite low percentage of the students), DCPS seems to be serving girls better.