Elementary School IB Program

[Anonymous]

Not the pp, but agree that the children have no less potential than any others, but are disadvantaged by their environment and a school system that has segregated them into a failing school.

That said, I wouldn't count on the demographics of the school changing much in the near future. The redevelopment effort affects only a small part of a huge area of public housing, and some of the new units will also be public housing (with some more expensive units mixed in). The political powers that be in Alexandria are committed to keeping their power base right where it is (even if it is occupying prime real estate next to a metro station). The redevelopment that has happened was only allowed because the Housing Authority was desperate for cash to rehab some units that had been declared uninhabitable.

I looked at the school carefully before making the decision to send my dc to private, but, at least at the time, it was clear that the school system had no intention of doing anything serious (money, redistricting) to turn the school around. I was at a meeting where the then-new superintendent was asked what he proposed to do to attract private school kids back to the public school, and he basically said private school is a good option for some people, and he didn't see any need to try to compete. I didn't see any way to interpret this statement other than as an implicit (or explicit?) endorsement of the defacto segregation that has occurred in the neighborhood along economic lines. There are the very well-to-do, who like the neighborhood and can afford private school (or will make a fuss and get their kid moved to a better performing public school), there are the public housing residents who don't have any choice, and pretty much everyone else with kids moves out of the neighborhood. They are now talking about a new building for J-H, but this seems to be a result of the school Administration's desire to use the site of the school (two blocks from the King Street metro) for new administrative offices. Whatever the motive, maybe the new building will help, but the construction will take years (thanks to the Old Town architectural review board), and isn't itself going to turn the school's academic performance around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the pp, but agree that the children have no less potential than any others, but are disadvantaged by their environment and a school system that has segregated them into a failing school. That said, I wouldn't count on the demographics of the school changing much in the near future. The redevelopment effort affects only a small part of a huge area of public housing, and some of the new units will also be public housing (with some more expensive units mixed in). The political powers that be in Alexandria are committed to keeping their power base right where it is (even if it is occupying prime real estate next to a metro station). The redevelopment that has happened was only allowed because the Housing Authority was desperate for cash to rehab some units that had been declared uninhabitable.

I looked at the school carefully before making the decision to send my dc to private, but, at least at the time, it was clear that the school system had no intention of doing anything serious (money, redistricting) to turn the school around. I was at a meeting where the then-new superintendent was asked what he proposed to do to attract private school kids back to the public school, and he basically said private school is a good option for some people, and he didn't see any need to try to compete. I didn't see any way to interpret this statement other than as an implicit (or explicit?) endorsement of the defacto segregation that has occurred in the neighborhood along economic lines. There are the very well-to-do, who like the neighborhood and can afford private school (or will make a fuss and get their kid moved to a better performing public school), there are the public housing residents who don't have any choice, and pretty much everyone else with kids moves out of the neighborhood. They are now talking about a new building for J-H, but this seems to be a result of the school Administration's desire to use the site of the school (two blocks from the King Street metro) for new administrative offices. Whatever the motive, maybe the new building will help, but the construction will take years (thanks to the Old Town architectural review board), and isn't itself going to turn the school's academic performance around.

Please explain. How has the school system "segregated them into a failing school"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I am shocked that PP said, "better quality of students," to describe students who are clearly struggling academically. Wait... I really shouldn't be, this is DCUM. It seems that the schools are failing the children, but we make comments like that one about the children. *smh*

OP, we're not all like that...

In any event, the demographics of JH may change given the push to decentralized subsidized housing in the City. JH would be the only IB elementary in the City. So, how the IB program will play out, remains to be seen and will likely have to be watched for a few years.

PP - First, I apologize for any confusion with the "better quality of student" quote. I would have been more correct in saying "students with a greater statistical likelihood for academic success." I was simply acknowledging the reality that students who are from less affluent households do not always have the same opportunities or support as their more affluent counterparts.

Also, I have attended several community meetings related to affordable housing in Alexandria and I have found that many of the citizen of Alexandria are opposed to affordable housing in their neighborhood. I have heard citizens espouse views saying that it would increase crime and drag down "their" neighborhood schools. I think these "NIMBY" views are distasteful and shameful.

Still, the Jefferson Houston School district was drawn to include most of the of the city's Section 8 housing and attempts to redraw these lines have historically been bitterly contested. The redistricting discussion is often about "will this lower the quality of my school," not what can be done to improve all schools. Several years ago Lyles-Crouch was also considered a bad school. Now I hear people say it is the best in the city.

I think the IB program has great deal of potential for Jefferson-Houston and I believe that the school can improve.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to point out that JH is not the only Alexandria elementary with an IB program. Mount Vernon Community School is also approved for an IB program and is starting to implement it this year.