WaPo takes deep dive into DCPS residency fraud

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grosso has weighed in. Don't expect anything resembling a crackdown anytime soon.

https://twitter.com/maustermuhle/status/986340225440940037

Ugh.

Translation:
We know there is fraud, but it's hard and takes work to ferret out and honestly, we don't really care very much.

More like, if we ferret out the fraud we'd have to admit that

a) DC school population is NOT growing
b) we'd have to close schools
c) charter operators would be able to lease the schools and siphon more students away from DCPS

[Anonymous]

I work in DCPS central office and the article in the Post doesn't even slightly touch on the number of DCPS officials committing/committed enrollment fraud. Also, it highlights mainly teachers instead of high level DC officials. Enrollment fraud is rampant among DC government officials from all agencies. If you're friends with the chancellor or mayor, the rules no longer apply.

What's most interesting is former Leckie principal Atasha James. Her son CURRENTLY attends Schools Without Walls as a junior. An application school that requires you to test in and get on a waiting list. Many students in DC meet the requirements to get in but never secure a slot. Atasha James was close to Kaya, and Principal Trogisch was expected to obey the chancellor. When principals get on the chancellor’s bad side the school, and ultimately the students and teachers, lose out.

I'm sure much more will be exposed soon on this issue alone. It's a relief to see that some things are becoming known in hopes of accountability. I commend the hard work of journalists working relentlessly to inform the public so that this may happen. Right now, the work of journalists and the collective action of citizens is the only hope we have. It's the only true form of ed reform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been waiting for the Atasha James thing to come out.

That's actually not the reason she was put on admin leave nor did she resign despite what her husband said in the article. But this story sounds better than the truth.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the AG's office has got some work to do. Make them pay back the money!! Scammers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in DCPS central office and the article in the Post doesn't even slightly touch on the number of DCPS officials committing/committed enrollment fraud. Also, it highlights mainly teachers instead of high level DC officials. Enrollment fraud is rampant among DC government officials from all agencies. If you're friends with the chancellor or mayor, the rules no longer apply.

What's most interesting is former Leckie principal Atasha James. Her son CURRENTLY attends Schools Without Walls as a junior. An application school that requires you to test in and get on a waiting list. Many students in DC meet the requirements to get in but never secure a slot. Atasha James was close to Kaya, and Principal Trogisch was expected to obey the chancellor. When principals get on the chancellor’s bad side the school, and ultimately the students and teachers, lose out.

I'm sure much more will be exposed soon on this issue alone. It's a relief to see that some things are becoming known in hopes of accountability. I commend the hard work of journalists working relentlessly to inform the public so that this may happen. Right now, the work of journalists and the collective action of citizens is the only hope we have. It's the only true form of ed reform.

Is James' son at least paying tuition? Or even signed up to pay tuition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in DCPS central office and the article in the Post doesn't even slightly touch on the number of DCPS officials committing/committed enrollment fraud. Also, it highlights mainly teachers instead of high level DC officials. Enrollment fraud is rampant among DC government officials from all agencies. If you're friends with the chancellor or mayor, the rules no longer apply.

What's most interesting is former Leckie principal Atasha James. Her son CURRENTLY attends Schools Without Walls as a junior. An application school that requires you to test in and get on a waiting list. Many students in DC meet the requirements to get in but never secure a slot. Atasha James was close to Kaya, and Principal Trogisch was expected to obey the chancellor. When principals get on the chancellor’s bad side the school, and ultimately the students and teachers, lose out.

I'm sure much more will be exposed soon on this issue alone. It's a relief to see that some things are becoming known in hopes of accountability. I commend the hard work of journalists working relentlessly to inform the public so that this may happen. Right now, the work of journalists and the collective action of citizens is the only hope we have. It's the only true form of ed reform.

Is James' son at least paying tuition? Or even signed up to pay tuition?

No. Their home is in MD. They have some SWDC address that they claim Atasha lives at and that her husband lives at their MD home. It's not their permanent address. If you talk to her son about it he gets all shady and nervous about it because he has to cover for his parents. Poor kid.
I'm sure the wapo folks will unfold more of the story. This is only one example of many.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in DCPS central office and the article in the Post doesn't even slightly touch on the number of DCPS officials committing/committed enrollment fraud. Also, it highlights mainly teachers instead of high level DC officials. Enrollment fraud is rampant among DC government officials from all agencies. If you're friends with the chancellor or mayor, the rules no longer apply.

What's most interesting is former Leckie principal Atasha James. Her son CURRENTLY attends Schools Without Walls as a junior. An application school that requires you to test in and get on a waiting list. Many students in DC meet the requirements to get in but never secure a slot. Atasha James was close to Kaya, and Principal Trogisch was expected to obey the chancellor. When principals get on the chancellor’s bad side the school, and ultimately the students and teachers, lose out.

I'm sure much more will be exposed soon on this issue alone. It's a relief to see that some things are becoming known in hopes of accountability. I commend the hard work of journalists working relentlessly to inform the public so that this may happen. Right now, the work of journalists and the collective action of citizens is the only hope we have. It's the only true form of ed reform.

Is James' son at least paying tuition? Or even signed up to pay tuition?

No. Their home is in MD. They have some SWDC address that they claim Atasha lives at and that her husband lives at their MD home. It's not their permanent address. If you talk to her son about it he gets all shady and nervous about it because he has to cover for his parents. Poor kid.
I'm sure the wapo folks will unfold more of the story. This is only one example of many.

Any parent who's kid didn't get into Walls should be furious about this because this is certainly not the only instance of a nonresident taking a spot at the school.

[Anonymous]

*whose

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a DC resident with multiple children in DCPS. The vitriol on this thread is disturbing. The lack of empathy for the non-resident children who are enrolled by their parents through no fault of their own, and the consequences for these children of publicly shaming their parents. The demonization of non-resident parents, who, with regard to PG County in particular, were pushed out or priced out of DC.

I’m not suggesting that gentrifiers or white people should feel guilty, but hoping they would have some sensitivity to the complicated racial history and dynamics linking PG and DC.

Plus, the suggestion that tax returns/government benefits paperwork should be a singular means of proving residence shows serious a lack of understanding of and bias against poor communities.Too bad the energy isn’t channeled into legitimate advocacy for underserved families in DC instead of advocating for a witch hunt.

Oh, stuff it. The earnest concern and dismay of your post is ridiculous. Where is your empathy for the "underserved families in DC" who are materially and adversely impacted by residency fraud? Every non-resident child who is educated in DC (and who doesn't pay tuition) is diverting resources from DC children. And your lamentations could just as easily be "channeled into legitimate advocacy for underserved families in DC."

It is not the job of DCPS to provide a remedy or soft landing spot for every one of society's ills. We already (and appropriately!) ask schools to feed DC students, provide them counseling services, act as surrogate parents to DC kids. And we should do that! We should not take on that responsibility for Maryland kids as well. This is another in a long live of instances where DC becomes the primary social services provider in the region, at tremendous cost to city residents. If it's important to offer free Preschool and pre-K, the suburban jurisdictions should offer their own programs. Yes, I have empathy for the poor housekeeper who needs to bring her kids into DC to preschool. I have none for the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent who brings her grandkids in, or other DCPS/OSSE employees who knowingly facilitate residency fraud. But make no mistake, it's all fraud, and it should be investigated and terminated. Fine, don't sue the housekeeper for tuition; definitely sue (and fire) each and every DCPS/OSSE employee who is responsible.

But, let me ask you - you decry the "vitriol" of this thread. What is your proposal? Do nothing? Just continue to plod along as we are, with one investigator and no motivation at all to actually enforce the rights of DC residents not to have their tax dollars misappropriated by non-residents?

This. The vast majority of children in DC are underprivileged and their parents need pk3/pk4 and the opportunity to get their children into a good school. Residency cheaters from out of state steal that spot. And they do it so that they can have a much nicer house with a nice yard outside the city. They are criminals.

There is no shortage of prek3/4 spots on the east side of the Anacostia.

https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/portrait-universal-pre-kindergarten-dc

Because they have space doesn't mean the school is free. Taking a spot means taking $$$ from DC residents and students.

This was more a response to those who say that it is taken resources from poor children. I meant to post it in response to another post. I think it is middle class MD/VA people taking resources from middle class DC folk.

They are taking resources from EVERYONE.

Not only that we are wasting time and resources because we don't even know how many kids even live in DC. Building school up, closing them down all for what - what are we even planning for, we don't know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is DCPS so quick to coddle fraudsters who live in PG County or wherever?

They have needed the numbers to prove that DCPS has the highest enrollment, except they can't say that anymore as we all now know why! Another fraud perpetuated by the Kaya clan about DCPS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Top priority should be schools where even IB kids are waitlisted for pk3/pk4. And schools that are "overcrowded" such that the kids that attend the school are negatively affected (including their feeders).

Those schools should undergo an immediate audit.

Once that is done, DCPS needs to conduct regular audits at other schools and change their residency verification program.

Time to clean up shop.

+1000 and a check of any immediate relatives of DC employees, nieces and nephews!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in DCPS central office and the article in the Post doesn't even slightly touch on the number of DCPS officials committing/committed enrollment fraud. Also, it highlights mainly teachers instead of high level DC officials. Enrollment fraud is rampant among DC government officials from all agencies. If you're friends with the chancellor or mayor, the rules no longer apply.

What's most interesting is former Leckie principal Atasha James. Her son CURRENTLY attends Schools Without Walls as a junior. An application school that requires you to test in and get on a waiting list. Many students in DC meet the requirements to get in but never secure a slot. Atasha James was close to Kaya, and Principal Trogisch was expected to obey the chancellor. When principals get on the chancellor’s bad side the school, and ultimately the students and teachers, lose out.

I'm sure much more will be exposed soon on this issue alone. It's a relief to see that some things are becoming known in hopes of accountability. I commend the hard work of journalists working relentlessly to inform the public so that this may happen. Right now, the work of journalists and the collective action of citizens is the only hope we have. It's the only true form of ed reform.

this is all really shocking, and depressing

[Anonymous]

This is why I tend to laugh when people talk about statehood, like another poster mentioned. Sorry but I don't want to give entitled cheaters more power. Why would anyone want more scandals and corruption?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grosso has weighed in. Don't expect anything resembling a crackdown anytime soon.

https://twitter.com/maustermuhle/status/986340225440940037

Ugh.

Translation:
We know there is fraud, but it's hard and takes work to ferret out and honestly, we don't really care very much.

You know what else makes residency verification challenging? Only having one inspector, when comparable districts have 120.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I tend to laugh when people talk about statehood, like another poster mentioned. Sorry but I don't want to give entitled cheaters more power. Why would anyone want more scandals and corruption?

Statehood makes sense because I think it would allow for better accountability and would force local politicians to appeal to a broader base. It's also just the right thing to do.