Considering pulling kid from Wilson

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building was designed for 1550 students. This trend has been happening for years - educating more students for less money from downtown. All when costs are rising and teacher salaries stagnant. Notice in this article that Bargeman who is now principal after Martin was interim principal in 2015.


https://ggwash.org/view/37747/dcps-plans-to-give-wilson-high-school-less-money-to-serve-more-students

The current permanent building capacity is 1840, last years enrollment was 1872.
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Appendix%20A%20-%20DCPS%20SY2019-20%20Enrollment%20Data.xlsx

Permanent capacity in 2015 was 1700. No space has been added to the school since then as far as I know, and the halls and stairwells are certainly no wider. How did the increase capacity by 140 with no construction?

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Copy%20of%20DCPS%20Enrollment%20and%20Utilization%2003%2004%2016%20Final.pdf

Even if you use 1700, the school is not over enrolled by 700. The school could have opened more classrooms from existing areas without adding more physical space. Are you really saying DC is lying and circumventing DC Fire Code?

Stop exaggerating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building was designed for 1550 students. This trend has been happening for years - educating more students for less money from downtown. All when costs are rising and teacher salaries stagnant. Notice in this article that Bargeman who is now principal after Martin was interim principal in 2015.


https://ggwash.org/view/37747/dcps-plans-to-give-wilson-high-school-less-money-to-serve-more-students

The current permanent building capacity is 1840, last years enrollment was 1872.
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Appendix%20A%20-%20DCPS%20SY2019-20%20Enrollment%20Data.xlsx

Permanent capacity in 2015 was 1700. No space has been added to the school since then as far as I know, and the halls and stairwells are certainly no wider. How did the increase capacity by 140 with no construction?

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Copy%20of%20DCPS%20Enrollment%20and%20Utilization%2003%2004%2016%20Final.pdf

Even if you use 1700, the school is not over enrolled by 700. The school could have opened more classrooms from existing areas without adding more physical space. Are you really saying DC is lying and circumventing DC Fire Code?

Stop exaggerating.

The capacity is DCPS’s number. Not a fire code thing.

[Anonymous]

We left Wilson for private. The school was too big for my student. At home learning for Geometry was a joke as was some computer elective. History, Biology and ELA were very strong, and these teachers were already using technology to support learning before stay at home.

The fights...I've seen the video shenanigans in Fort Reno. Its awful and I pray nobody get seriously injured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building was designed for 1550 students. This trend has been happening for years - educating more students for less money from downtown. All when costs are rising and teacher salaries stagnant. Notice in this article that Bargeman who is now principal after Martin was interim principal in 2015.


https://ggwash.org/view/37747/dcps-plans-to-give-wilson-high-school-less-money-to-serve-more-students

The current permanent building capacity is 1840, last years enrollment was 1872.
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Appendix%20A%20-%20DCPS%20SY2019-20%20Enrollment%20Data.xlsx

Permanent capacity in 2015 was 1700. No space has been added to the school since then as far as I know, and the halls and stairwells are certainly no wider. How did the increase capacity by 140 with no construction?

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Copy%20of%20DCPS%20Enrollment%20and%20Utilization%2003%2004%2016%20Final.pdf

Even if you use 1700, the school is not over enrolled by 700. The school could have opened more classrooms from existing areas without adding more physical space. Are you really saying DC is lying and circumventing DC Fire Code?

Stop exaggerating.

I'm a different poster from the 700 poster. There are media reports from around 2015 that say the school was designed (post-renovation) for 1500 kids, so I looked up DCPS old estimates of capacity. When you bring up fire codes, you're either being disingenuous or you haven't spent any time looking at this data. Trailers and other temporary measures count in "permanent capacity" for DCPS schools. This has nothing to do with fire codes, which would be per structure. I'm sure that the school turned offices and maybe broom closets into classrooms, and they likely removed labs and teacher work areas so that they could cram in more desks. For DCPS, that counts as adding capacity to the building. But, none of that makes the halls wider or the stairways safer. And, as they've "added capacity" and increased enrollment, they've repeatedly cut the per-student budget.

I spent time in the school when my kid attended pre-pandemic, and I found it extremely claustrophobic and borderline dangerous trying to go up and down the stairs. I'm a large adult man (6'2", 220), so I wasn't getting bumped into. If I were a short, 115 pound kid, I'd have been less happy about trying to move through the crowd.

[Anonymous]

^^Look there are some valid (and some crazy) points on this thread, but that's a stretch because it's not even close to 700 kids over capacity. Every American HS ever portrayed by Hollywood looks like just like Deal/Wilson. Heck, my HS 30 years ago was crowded just the same. That was back when I was 115 lbs and *amazingly* I survived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^Look there are some valid (and some crazy) points on this thread, but that's a stretch because it's not even close to 700 kids over capacity. Every American HS ever portrayed by Hollywood looks like just like Deal/Wilson. Heck, my HS 30 years ago was crowded just the same. That was back when I was 115 lbs and *amazingly* I survived.

What are you talking about? This makes no sense. Have you walked through the halls at Wilson and climbed the stairs on the Nebraska Ave side of the building between classes? I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building was designed for 1550 students. This trend has been happening for years - educating more students for less money from downtown. All when costs are rising and teacher salaries stagnant. Notice in this article that Bargeman who is now principal after Martin was interim principal in 2015.


https://ggwash.org/view/37747/dcps-plans-to-give-wilson-high-school-less-money-to-serve-more-students

The current permanent building capacity is 1840, last years enrollment was 1872.
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Appendix%20A%20-%20DCPS%20SY2019-20%20Enrollment%20Data.xlsx

Permanent capacity in 2015 was 1700. No space has been added to the school since then as far as I know, and the halls and stairwells are certainly no wider. How did the increase capacity by 140 with no construction?

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Copy%20of%20DCPS%20Enrollment%20and%20Utilization%2003%2004%2016%20Final.pdf

Even if you use 1700, the school is not over enrolled by 700. The school could have opened more classrooms from existing areas without adding more physical space. Are you really saying DC is lying and circumventing DC Fire Code?

Stop exaggerating.

I'm a different poster from the 700 poster. There are media reports from around 2015 that say the school was designed (post-renovation) for 1500 kids, so I looked up DCPS old estimates of capacity. When you bring up fire codes, you're either being disingenuous or you haven't spent any time looking at this data. Trailers and other temporary measures count in "permanent capacity" for DCPS schools. This has nothing to do with fire codes, which would be per structure. I'm sure that the school turned offices and maybe broom closets into classrooms, and they likely removed labs and teacher work areas so that they could cram in more desks. For DCPS, that counts as adding capacity to the building. But, none of that makes the halls wider or the stairways safer. And, as they've "added capacity" and increased enrollment, they've repeatedly cut the per-student budget.

I spent time in the school when my kid attended pre-pandemic, and I found it extremely claustrophobic and borderline dangerous trying to go up and down the stairs. I'm a large adult man (6'2", 220), so I wasn't getting bumped into. If I were a short, 115 pound kid, I'd have been less happy about trying to move through the crowd.

This is so DRAMATIC. LIKE, have you ever been on the metro?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building was designed for 1550 students. This trend has been happening for years - educating more students for less money from downtown. All when costs are rising and teacher salaries stagnant. Notice in this article that Bargeman who is now principal after Martin was interim principal in 2015.


https://ggwash.org/view/37747/dcps-plans-to-give-wilson-high-school-less-money-to-serve-more-students

The current permanent building capacity is 1840, last years enrollment was 1872.
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Appendix%20A%20-%20DCPS%20SY2019-20%20Enrollment%20Data.xlsx

Permanent capacity in 2015 was 1700. No space has been added to the school since then as far as I know, and the halls and stairwells are certainly no wider. How did the increase capacity by 140 with no construction?

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Copy%20of%20DCPS%20Enrollment%20and%20Utilization%2003%2004%2016%20Final.pdf

Even if you use 1700, the school is not over enrolled by 700. The school could have opened more classrooms from existing areas without adding more physical space. Are you really saying DC is lying and circumventing DC Fire Code?

Stop exaggerating.

I'm a different poster from the 700 poster. There are media reports from around 2015 that say the school was designed (post-renovation) for 1500 kids, so I looked up DCPS old estimates of capacity. When you bring up fire codes, you're either being disingenuous or you haven't spent any time looking at this data. Trailers and other temporary measures count in "permanent capacity" for DCPS schools. This has nothing to do with fire codes, which would be per structure. I'm sure that the school turned offices and maybe broom closets into classrooms, and they likely removed labs and teacher work areas so that they could cram in more desks. For DCPS, that counts as adding capacity to the building. But, none of that makes the halls wider or the stairways safer. And, as they've "added capacity" and increased enrollment, they've repeatedly cut the per-student budget.

I spent time in the school when my kid attended pre-pandemic, and I found it extremely claustrophobic and borderline dangerous trying to go up and down the stairs. I'm a large adult man (6'2", 220), so I wasn't getting bumped into. If I were a short, 115 pound kid, I'd have been less happy about trying to move through the crowd.

This is so DRAMATIC. LIKE, have you ever been on the metro?

Dp: a crowded Metro train should not be the standard for high school capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The building was designed for 1550 students. This trend has been happening for years - educating more students for less money from downtown. All when costs are rising and teacher salaries stagnant. Notice in this article that Bargeman who is now principal after Martin was interim principal in 2015.


https://ggwash.org/view/37747/dcps-plans-to-give-wilson-high-school-less-money-to-serve-more-students

The current permanent building capacity is 1840, last years enrollment was 1872.
https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Appendix%20A%20-%20DCPS%20SY2019-20%20Enrollment%20Data.xlsx

Permanent capacity in 2015 was 1700. No space has been added to the school since then as far as I know, and the halls and stairwells are certainly no wider. How did the increase capacity by 140 with no construction?

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Copy%20of%20DCPS%20Enrollment%20and%20Utilization%2003%2004%2016%20Final.pdf

Even if you use 1700, the school is not over enrolled by 700. The school could have opened more classrooms from existing areas without adding more physical space. Are you really saying DC is lying and circumventing DC Fire Code?

Stop exaggerating.

I'm a different poster from the 700 poster. There are media reports from around 2015 that say the school was designed (post-renovation) for 1500 kids, so I looked up DCPS old estimates of capacity. When you bring up fire codes, you're either being disingenuous or you haven't spent any time looking at this data. Trailers and other temporary measures count in "permanent capacity" for DCPS schools. This has nothing to do with fire codes, which would be per structure. I'm sure that the school turned offices and maybe broom closets into classrooms, and they likely removed labs and teacher work areas so that they could cram in more desks. For DCPS, that counts as adding capacity to the building. But, none of that makes the halls wider or the stairways safer. And, as they've "added capacity" and increased enrollment, they've repeatedly cut the per-student budget.

I spent time in the school when my kid attended pre-pandemic, and I found it extremely claustrophobic and borderline dangerous trying to go up and down the stairs. I'm a large adult man (6'2", 220), so I wasn't getting bumped into. If I were a short, 115 pound kid, I'd have been less happy about trying to move through the crowd.

Can you please a link that shows Wilson was “designed for 1500”? The facts we have today show 1800 which is only 50 or so under last year’s enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^Look there are some valid (and some crazy) points on this thread, but that's a stretch because it's not even close to 700 kids over capacity. Every American HS ever portrayed by Hollywood looks like just like Deal/Wilson. Heck, my HS 30 years ago was crowded just the same. That was back when I was 115 lbs and *amazingly* I survived.

What are you talking about? This makes no sense. Have you walked through the halls at Wilson and climbed the stairs on the Nebraska Ave side of the building between classes? I doubt it.

Yes, yes I have at both schools.

[Anonymous]

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Complete%20List%20of%20Schools%20DCPS%20&%20PCS_Data.pdf

This link says Wilson was at 1713 students and 107% of capacity in 2012. Given these numbers, 100% capacity in 2012 was 1600.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Complete%20List%20of%20Schools%20DCPS%20&%20PCS_Data.pdf

This link says Wilson was at 1713 students and 107% of capacity in 2012. Given these numbers, 100% capacity in 2012 was 1600.

Ok and data that is not 10 years shows different numbers. What point are you making?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Complete%20List%20of%20Schools%20DCPS%20&%20PCS_Data.pdf

This link says Wilson was at 1713 students and 107% of capacity in 2012. Given these numbers, 100% capacity in 2012 was 1600.

Ok and data that is not 10 years shows different numbers. What point are you making?

DP: Someone explained it above. DCPS’s capacity has nothing to do with fire safety, nor is it an architect’s calculation. It is a DCPS-crested number referring to how many desks it thinks it can reasonably cram into the school, including trailers and closets, and DCPS increases this number over time despite no change to the building. The older, less ‘updated’ numbers more closely reflect what an architect or fire marshal would call capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know kids who are having a good year and kids who are having a horrific year.

Kids in a school of 2200 kids will have a WIDE range of experiences.

My kid was in 8th grade at Deal last year and had a horrible year because he had an ELA teacher who just didn't show up for 50% of the calls. Then the teacher would routinely take personal calls during class and would log-off to talk. This
happened all.the.time.
Another team had a history teacher who also rarely if ever showed up. This teacher also took personal calls during class and would routinely leave the class . This teacher was eventually dismissed.
However, 3 of the teams had teachers who always showed up and did a great job. So ask a former 8th grade parent about their virtual Deal experience and you get VASTLY different responses.

Deal really had a problem with teachers not showing up for classes and/or handling their personal business during class during the pandemic. We almost never received any notification of canceled classes, just a series of one no-show after another. It appeared that there was no supervision to ensure the teachers actually taught the classes.

I assume this is different this year now that not virtual?

PP you're responding to here. Yes, it's MUCH better this year. The teachers show up for classes and teach. It's much harder to pull a no-show when you have to report to work in the building. It's not just Deal. We saw atrocious behavior at our Elementary school too. Our kid's PK4 teacher and aide frequently pulled no-shows, and the teacher frequently interrupted class to interact with her college student who was home with her. Come on, surely your college student can be on their own for the 2.5 hours per week that you teach class?

One thing I want to add is that there are some wonderful teachers at Deal who did a great job remotely, and they're also great in person. It's the ones who aren't great who pulled no-shows, took personal calls during class, etc. that really suck. I really relate to what another poster said regarding DCPS is great until it isn't. The leadership doesn't demand good performance, so you can get great teachers who are internally motivated despite the DCPS chaos, or you can get the ones who choose to work at DCPS/Deal because you can get away with so much more than you can in a functioning school district. Things have been steadily declining under the current Deal Principal, and I see no efforts by DCPS to help her improve. It's sad because Deal was arguably one of the best DCPS schools 5+ years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Complete%20List%20of%20Schools%20DCPS%20&%20PCS_Data.pdf

This link says Wilson was at 1713 students and 107% of capacity in 2012. Given these numbers, 100% capacity in 2012 was 1600.

Ok and data that is not 10 years shows different numbers. What point are you making?

DP: Someone explained it above. DCPS’s capacity has nothing to do with fire safety, nor is it an architect’s calculation. It is a DCPS-crested number referring to how many desks it thinks it can reasonably cram into the school, including trailers and closets, and DCPS increases this number over time despite no change to the building. The older, less ‘updated’ numbers more closely reflect what an architect or fire marshal would call capacity.

And how do you know that the 2012 is more accurate than the 2019 version? The current 1800 figure is without trailers btw.