Win-win solutions for Brent?

[Anonymous]

Yep, white gentrifiers are taking over Amidon. Who'da thunk.

[Anonymous]

amidon-bowen is 2% white and 99% farms. It has a nice playground and library, but test scores are still super low (44% below basic in math; 33% below basic in reading).

The PTA has a very motivated and energetic leader and there are some cool things going on (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar visiting for one) and some nice teachers, parents, and students. But it is going to be a very very high poverty school with a majority of kids years below grade level for a long time. I live nearby and definitely observe more swearing, shoving, tardiness, and 8am junk food eating/littering than I'd hope for. There would have to be a significant turnaround in school discipline (a lot of what I'm describing happens in view of staff!) to make it an option for me...otherwise even the kids who want to learn will be impeded by the really disruptive ones.

[Anonymous]

I would send a kid to amidon up through K. The tools of the mind program is very good at that school.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone send a link to Mary Cheh's bill that grandfather's siblings if the boundary changes? We have a child that got into Brent PS-3 this year and has a sibling that will be 3 in 2015 so we're concerned they could be split up by the boundary change. It seems like routing Brent PS3 and PS4 to Van Ness but not changing the boundaries might solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone send a link to Mary Cheh's bill that grandfather's siblings if the boundary changes? We have a child that got into Brent PS-3 this year and has a sibling that will be 3 in 2015 so we're concerned they could be split up by the boundary change. It seems like routing Brent PS3 and PS4 to Van Ness but not changing the boundaries might solve the problem.

I'll look for the link over the weekend but you know the bill hasn't been voted on, and may or may not come to a vote before fall 2015.

DCPS wouldn't even need to route Brent PreS4 to VanNess, PreS3 would be enough to create sufficient space for years. As you probably know, Brent rising parents are organizing to challenge possible boundary changes, whatever that's worth (possibly zip!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, white gentrifiers are taking over Amidon. Who'da thunk.

I seriously doubt that is happening.

[Anonymous]

sounds like if you want no boundary changes (which would likely include every parent inbounds) you have to ask for infrastructure or suggest they get rid of PS3. have the rising brent parents come to a consensus on a recommendation or is that still being discussed? what does tommy wells think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:sounds like if you want no boundary changes (which would likely include every parent inbounds) you have to ask for infrastructure or suggest they get rid of PS3. have the rising brent parents come to a consensus on a recommendation or is that still being discussed? what does tommy wells think?

No point in parents making any recommendations this year since DCPS hasn't even announced parameters for boundary changes, or a definite time-frame in which to make them. Kaya is sparring with the DC City Council Committee on ed over a time-frame. Rising parents are simply adding to a list serv, and collecting info about IB demographics, Brent's capacity and the story with neighboring schools.

All IB are welcome to attend a Thurs. night meeting at Brent, 6:45 in the library, with an LSAT member, parent and teacher who has kindly offered to talk about capacity issues, including the history of research and school community discussions about a permanent addition. The meeting has been advertised on MOTH.

Tommy Wells thinks he's going to win the mayoral race, and that's about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, white gentrifiers are taking over Amidon. Who'da thunk.

I seriously doubt that is happening.

There are however many involved black and white parents at Amidon who are helping to make great changes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:sounds like if you want no boundary changes (which would likely include every parent inbounds) you have to ask for infrastructure or suggest they get rid of PS3. have the rising brent parents come to a consensus on a recommendation or is that still being discussed? what does tommy wells think?

No point in parents making any recommendations this year since DCPS hasn't even announced parameters for boundary changes, or a definite time-frame in which to make them. Kaya is sparring with the DC City Council Committee on ed over a time-frame. Rising parents are simply adding to a list serv, and collecting info about IB demographics, Brent's capacity and the story with neighboring schools.

All IB are welcome to attend a Thurs. night meeting at Brent, 6:45 in the library, with an LSAT member, parent and teacher who has kindly offered to talk about capacity issues, including the history of research and school community discussions about a permanent addition. The meeting has been advertised on MOTH.

Tommy Wells thinks he's going to win the mayoral race, and that's about it.

Unintentionally hilarious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Tommy Wells thinks he's going to win the mayoral race, and that's about it.

Unintentionally hilarious!

No, intentionally hilarious.

The boundary limbo is bad news. I know two families who'd like to buy in the Brent District, and have the cash, but don't want to buy a home that gets zoned for Tyler, the Cluster or VanNess. I wish that Wells would focus on this issue. Do it right (leave the pricey little Brent District alone) and get it over with already.

[Anonymous]

I wish folks with Brent as their target would recognize the problems with the school (overcrowding, no green field, no established middle school feed, and it is unclear whether the school actually provides advanced curriculum-- you are treated like a wacko if you ask about it) and instead see the benefits of other schools-- Tyler has Spanish immersion. Cluster has advanced curriculum, fabulous PTA and a viable middle school. Van NEss would be a clean slate with a major renovation budget, a big field, kiddie swimming pool, and a neighborhood with a great mix of families.

Signed,

Brent parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I wish folks with Brent as their target would recognize the problems with the school (overcrowding, no green field, no established middle school feed, and it is unclear whether the school actually provides advanced curriculum-- you are treated like a wacko if you ask about it) and instead see the benefits of other schools-- Tyler has Spanish immersion. Cluster has advanced curriculum, fabulous PTA and a viable middle school. Van NEss would be a clean slate with a major renovation budget, a big field, kiddie swimming pool, and a neighborhood with a great mix of families.

Signed,

Brent parent

As the parent of an IB toddler, I welcome advice from old Brent hands that helps me go in with my eyes open, if we make it.

At the last PTA meeting I heard Principal Young describe how 3rd and 4th graders will be able to loop up a grade (or even 2?) for math for the first time in the fall, and that 5th graders will be able to take 6th grade math, with their own teacher. Doesn't the the chance to loop up constitute an advanced math curriculum for math, at least by DCPS standards? A good many wackos asked for it?

I've heard that Watkins went with advanced pullout groups this year, not sure for which grades - a more robust advanced curriculum? If Stuart-Hobson is indeed viable, why is the student body only 20% IB? Latin and BASIS must be close to 20% Eliot-Hine feed kids by now.

I'd be surprised if VanNess ends up with a green field or an appealing MS feed either, but, hey, we'll take the kiddie pool if we get zoned for it. Lafayette was just allocated 51M to renovate, while VanNess is getting 9 (with 2M needed just to pay for new windows). Wonder what that will buy the Capitol Quarter parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'd be surprised if VanNess ends up with a green field or an appealing MS feed either, but, hey, we'll take the kiddie pool if we get zoned for it. Lafayette was just allocated 51M to renovate, while VanNess is getting 9 (with 2M needed just to pay for new windows). Wonder what that will buy the Capitol Quarter parents.

Van Ness has existing expansive green field (not blacktop), not to mention the Yards Park virtually on its doorstep. The last thing Van Ness needs to worry about is outdoor space. The inside supposedly needs a lot of attention, and the windows are just a start.

[Anonymous]

Brent parent back-- yes, that is the plan for next year. ( or is it . . . "The Plan"-- I kid! I kid!) This year-- I have no idea whether there were advanced classes or not at Brent, or whether my child is in such classes or not. PRevious years it was clearer. I really hope that this academic year was just an outlier. Yes, the plans for next year sound good for math. In previous years they also had advanced options for readers and I wonder if that will return.

My general point is that Brent doesn't have some special sauce all its own. Van Ness has the potential to be better than Brent very quickly. Five years ago I was warned by various "old school" Cap Hill neighbors to not go to Brent because "no one goes there. the only viable public options are Cluster or Two Rivers." And yet, here we are.