Notice of Petitions to Open New Charters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:digital pioneers seems to be planning to locate in Ward 7, has hired a founding principal, and got some grant funding already:

https://edplusconsulting.com/job/founding-principal/

http://citybridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Digital-Pioneers-Academy-WEB.pdf

This is the founder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mashea-ashton-8b349b23/

whew, that's some serious charter establishment! well, we shall see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far, I'm not seeing that any of these new schools are being targeting to middle class families, who really lack decent options in this city.

oh yes, the poor middle class, always the silent and abused subclass.

but anyway, citizens of the world sounds exactly like the kind of school that would attract the middle class.

[Anonymous]

Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

You do. Two Rivers expanded, DCI is a massive expansion in itself, Mundo added some seats in recent years, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

You do. Two Rivers expanded, DCI is a massive expansion in itself, Mundo added some seats in recent years, etc.

Also LAMB increased its enrollment ceiling, DC Bilingual expanded (taking over part of a closed school) and so has KIPP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

You do. Two Rivers expanded, DCI is a massive expansion in itself, Mundo added some seats in recent years, etc.

I guess I wonder why Citybridge is pushing new charters, as opposed to doing some work to see how successful charters can be expanded. It seems like we already have a lot of diversity in the charter sector and some good successes to build on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

You do. Two Rivers expanded, DCI is a massive expansion in itself, Mundo added some seats in recent years, etc.

I guess I wonder why Citybridge is pushing new charters, as opposed to doing some work to see how successful charters can be expanded. It seems like we already have a lot of diversity in the charter sector and some good successes to build on!

In extensions and Citybridge, they also approved a large grant to start planning a Montessori middle/high

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

DCPrep and KIPP, both Tier 1, have requests to expand before the DCPCSB now. We're in the middle of the public comment period for both. http://www.dcpcsb.org/public-comment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

You do. Two Rivers expanded, DCI is a massive expansion in itself, Mundo added some seats in recent years, etc.

I guess I wonder why Citybridge is pushing new charters, as opposed to doing some work to see how successful charters can be expanded. It seems like we already have a lot of diversity in the charter sector and some good successes to build on!

Because their role is to fund innovation / schools with new models and curriculum. The idea for all of this is that traditional schools -- hello DCPS -- would see what is working and incorporate it into their larger systems. Not to say that's happening, but that's how it's all supposed to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: why don't we see the successful Tier 1 charters being encouraged to expand and open additional schools, as opposed to new charters that are untested and seem to overlap with the models?

It isn't clear that success can be scaled up. Managing 200 extra kids or a.n extra campus adds layers of complication that might break successful systems.

[Anonymous]

Expanding beyond the current building's physical space is a huge undertaking, especially if you want a location that higher-income families are willing to commute to. Current families would not necessarily benefit from the expansion and may want the leadership to focus on improving the school that currently exists. It's hard to get philanthropic funding if you aren't going to focus on low-income kids. And the city thinks that high-income parents will improve their neighborhood schools if they have no other option. So, it just isn't really in the cards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Expanding beyond the current building's physical space is a huge undertaking, especially if you want a location that higher-income families are willing to commute to. Current families would not necessarily benefit from the expansion and may want the leadership to focus on improving the school that currently exists. It's hard to get philanthropic funding if you aren't going to focus on low-income kids. And the city thinks that high-income parents will improve their neighborhood schools if they have no other option. So, it just isn't really in the cards.

Plus you need to be 'serving' large numbers of kids. The locally grown charters are small by design. But funders don't really want to serve 200-300 kids. They want to invest in something that will reach 1000 or more. That's why those dollars go to the chains -- KIPP, Rocketship, DC Prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far, I'm not seeing that any of these new schools are being targeting to middle class families, who really lack decent options in this city.

You are judging this by capsule bios on a link. Stay woke.

When schools state explicitly that they are targeting a FARMS population and will locate in Wards 7/8, I don't think that it is a stretch to say the school is not going to serving middle class residents.

If you look back at the applications for existing charter schools, many state that purpose and target population and location but then ultimately open elsewhere because of where they secure space. Then they end up being less convenient options to the stated target population and (often but not always) more attractive to the families who live nearby. Target doesn't necessarily or exclusively match actual lottery applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Expanding beyond the current building's physical space is a huge undertaking, especially if you want a location that higher-income families are willing to commute to. Current families would not necessarily benefit from the expansion and may want the leadership to focus on improving the school that currently exists. It's hard to get philanthropic funding if you aren't going to focus on low-income kids. And the city thinks that high-income parents will improve their neighborhood schools if they have no other option. So, it just isn't really in the cards.

+1. The good buildings in convenient locations are mostly taken, and would be fantastically expensive if they did become available. Rehabbing a building is a lot to take on financially, while also operating a school elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Some of the applications are up now http://www.dcpcsb.org/report/charter-applications-archive