Independent School Parent Opinions

[Anonymous]

16:30 Of course, but not the same way the parent of a student is a stakeholder. It's like parents of alum returning and throwing their weight around. They're still stakeholders but indirectly.

[Anonymous]

I think we are stakeholders in our community public/charter schools, the way you might be in a neighborhood community garden. You might not use it, but it's nice its there for somebody--and why not stop and talk to the gardeners and throw some seeds in sometime? I actually plan to introduce myself to the principal (won't she be thrilled-ha ha) and attend some PTA meetings/events at the public elementary school in the neighborhood that we are moving to, though I do not have a child attending. I am also active in some area charters. I do feel like I am a stakeholder, and I want the school my house looks out on to be a school I my family is in some way connected to/takes an interest in supporting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
When I talk about offering support I don't mean throw good money after bad--I mean perhaps contribute a small amount directly to the PTA in your neighborhood school. Perhaps go to a school fair, donate extra books to the library, sponsor a kid for tutoring. Contribute to a DC school through donorschoose.org. Just get to know your local school/schools--you will also get to know a community. This is not money or effort the system will 'fritter away'. It is directed money well-spent that is good for your community (and by extension you as well).

Why wouldn't I write a check to my school's scholarship fund instead? That's a community I do belong to, and it offers that student a direct out from DCPS.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the assertion that charters are not taking away from the publics, of course they are. Maybe not with direct dollars, but every student that LEAVES the public (which, statistically the students with better grades and more involved parents) takes those grades and family OUTSIDE of the public school, leaving the DCPS with a bunch of kids with all kinds of needs and not a lot of support. If people REALLY supported DCPS, they would not run for hills to the charters, but instead stay in their decrepit schools and fight like hell. Instead, they go to a charter (CHOICE) and throw stones at those of us who have chosen private (ANOTHER CHOICE). OP, I am not saying this is YOUR message, but this idea of charters being some kind of higher moral choice (more diversity, blah blah blah) is simply not true. Charters ARE stealing from DCPS....more so than privates.

[Anonymous]

By paying taxes into the system and NOT sending a child there I am contributing to DCPS. If I sent my kids there DCPS would have less money to spend on the kids they do have. We have limited resources and put a great deal of time and money into other ways to help the neighborhood (and the schools our kids do attend). Investing in a failed school is not part of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:16:30 Of course, but not the same way the parent of a student is a stakeholder. It's like parents of alum returning and throwing their weight around. They're still stakeholders but indirectly.

Wrong. It's a public school -- not a private school. It's run by the government. As citizens/taxpayers/voters, members of the public are stakeholders and no less so (albeit with somewhat different stakes) than (current) parents. Current parents (as current parents) have one distinctive and usually overwhelming (to them) stake -- what happens in the short-term while their kids are still onsite. There are longer-term and broader stakes that are no less legitimate and, on some issues (eg facilities), should predominate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contribute to a DC school through donorschoose.org.

I think the overhead at Donors Choose is ridiculous. I give through Amazon wish lists, or you can usually give directly to the PTA/HSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, people 'buy in' to Mann or Oyster neighborhoods. Ie, these schools add to your property value even if your child does not attend. From a selfish perspective--makes sense to take an interest in what is going on in your local public, no?

This isn't just a DC issue. I live in Fairfax County and pay for the public schools. Far too much. The politics and crap involved are ridiculous. These school districts are way to big and since "it's for the children" have very little accountability.

[Anonymous]

7:11 Exactly, I don't know why that wasn't clear in my earlier post, where I tried to convey the notion that there are different levels of stakeholders.

[Anonymous]

I live in NE and my DD's are going to private. My support (or lack thereof) for my in-bound DCPS would depend on a neighborhood collective approach to helping the school. I am all for "my brother's keeper" but in the case of DCPS, I have a fundamental problem with a system where out of ~200 schools, only 10-15 are any good. Granted there are many factors that impact how a school performs, it is an assault on decency that DCPS schools like Mann, Oyster, Eaton, Key, etc... are allowed to exist while other children in less privileged environments have to suffer thru low-performing, violent schools.

Parents in the "wealthier" neighborhoods should not be allowed to create a legal caste system.

[Anonymous]

People aren't limitless -- while I acknowledge I may be a stakeholder in public schools, due to time and resource constraints, I cannot be involved in every event, community or organization in which I may have a stake so I, like most people, chose to spend my limited time and resources where I have more of a direct stake. In the event that you are really trying to bring the resources of more stakeholders to help public schools, I would try the various community listserves in DC where you could reach singles & married couples without school aged children and retirees, each who may have more time and resources to devote to schools (and may see themselves having a greater stake). I applaud your goal -- just think if you really want to be successful, this is the wrong forum (and not because people are heartless -- just because life is life.

[Anonymous]

If people REALLY supported DCPS, they would not run for hills to the charters, but instead stay in their decrepit schools and fight like hell. Instead, they go to a charter (CHOICE) and throw stones at those of us who have chosen private (ANOTHER CHOICE). OP, I am not saying this is YOUR message, but this idea of charters being some kind of higher moral choice (more diversity, blah blah blah) is simply not true. Charters ARE stealing from DCPS....more so than privates.

Why do you think that you have the right to judge parents who have moved their children to charters as morally inferior to those who are choosing to send their kids to private school? Do you know any charter school parents? Not all of us can afford to send our kids to private school.

I don't know where you get the idea that charter parents are throwing stones at private school parents.

Why do I have an obligation to put my child in an unsafe environment where her ability to learn will be compromised? Because I can't afford $60,000 a year for private school?

As to the original question - OP - I'm not sure that the public schools want our help. My experience has been that the public schools want us to leave them alone. They might welcome a check, but they won't welcome your involvement. Sad, but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7:11 Exactly, I don't know why that wasn't clear in my earlier post, where I tried to convey the notion that there are different levels of stakeholders.

different kinds -- not levels -- of stakeholders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I have a fundamental problem with a system where out of ~200 schools, only 10-15 are any good. Granted there are many factors that impact how a school performs, it is an assault on decency that DCPS schools like Mann, Oyster, Eaton, Key, etc... are allowed to exist while other children in less privileged environments have to suffer thru low-performing, violent schools.

Parents in the "wealthier" neighborhoods should not be allowed to create a legal caste system.

Yeah, usually people argue that you want more wealthy/privileged families to stay in the public system so that there will be powerful advocates for public schools. In DC, though, it often seems as if the advocacy of such families comes at the expense of other less fortunate schools rather than benefits the entire system. It's a zero-sum game at best and I don't want to play it.

[Anonymous]

The PP who wrote about wealthier neighborhoods creating a "caste" system is way off base. As long as children are assigned to schools by neighborhood, there will be better schools in wealthier neighborhoods. In DC, unlike other places, this is not not because of funding, since funding isn't determined by property tax levels. In fact, schools that serve poorer populations probably get MORE funding. Schools are better where the student body isn't poor. Higher poverty rates are associated, for obvious reasons, with all sorts of problems which show up in the schools. So don't try and demonize parents in Ward 3. Unlike many of their neighbors, they send their kids to the local public school, and get involved with efforts to support the school. Why is this bad? Sure, it's unfortunate that there is income disparity in this city, and I wish ALL kids wente to good schools, but don't make it sound like parents west of the park are trying to create some closed system only for their kids.