Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Boundary review doesn't solve anything if we take as given grandfathering. I agree with you if DCPS hadn't announced a commitment to maintain the "rights" for all students currently enrolled. Without grandfathering, boundary changes could solve the immediate problem. As it is, with grandfathering the immediate problem will remain.
Personally, I don't think DCPS should corner itself into maintaining grandfathering.
But, to all those who oppose this addition and say boundary changes should solve the problem, know that boundary changes ONLY solve the problem if DCPS abandons grandfathering. Are you prepared to abandon grandfathering? That means your OOB kid at Hearst may not be able to maintain his slot and his feeder "rights." You may not want to cut your nose to spite your face.
Not sure why you used Hearst in your example, but it was either a "throw out," or you are simply unaware of the school's current status.
At this point, nobody at Hearst (which had it's main building renovated this summer and is days away from breaking ground on a great expansion) is concerned about what's going on at Janney. Hearst families-- who quietly flew under the Ward 3 radar for years in a building that had not been touched in 8 decades-- are over the moon about our own renovation, which when completed will be a beautiful campus located on some of the best green space in the city. Since we do have a large and highly active OOBs population (overwhelmingly from Wards 4 & 1), the boundary changes and issue of grandfathering are of concern to our community, but not as it relates to Janney or any other Ward 3 school. Hearst has always been an open and welcoming community, but the reality is that most JKLMM families have never had an interest in our little school...and that's okay. Their misperceptions and the fact that Hearst's boundaries are ridiculously small are the reason why we are not overcrowded and consider ourselves the best kept secret.
You can question how Janney was able to get additional funding after their renovations were completed and as other schools were still waiting, but you can't hate them for pushing for more space. They are overcrowded and they did what any active community would do...fight for their kids. Janney families worked hard to get the best facility for their children in the same way we at Hearst worked for ours. Hearst families IBs and OOBs fought for our renovations, even as some on this board discounted us. (Yes it is possible to have a racially diverse student population from every ward in the city and still have an incredibly committed, caring and active community).
If your school is in line for a renovation, know that it's a very frustrating process, but that if you have an active and vocal community, you can get it done. We need to support each other and learn from each others experiences. Not begrudge one another. That's counter productive.
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