Proposal is up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My IB schools will be MacFarland and Roosevelt...I could be crazy and could ultimately be worn down by the bueacracy, but I'm actually kind of excited at the prospect of those as new schools. I really, really, really hope that DCPS builds programs there that would attract the high-SES families who are moving into Petworth and 16 Street Heights. My kids are still young enough that MacFarland and Roosevelt could be renovated and reopened as attractive programs. Unfortunately, I'm not thrilled with the plan that Roosevelt will have a world language focus, since our IB elementary school doesn't offer much of anything beyond having a teaching assistant who is Spanish speaking and the limited "world language" requirement set in place by DCPS last year. Wish/hope there will be a shift to STEM or simply a strong commitment to creating lots of advanced classes.

It's just an international focus, not international language. It's still meant to be a comprehensive, neighborhood high school with opt-in specialized programming, including language instruction.

I'm excited about it, too. But it needs a strong middle school to feed it.

You should join the Ward 4 Education Alliance where parents are working to put together a proposal for programmatic offering at the new MacFarland. I know many, if not most of the parents still have kids in the very early grades, with hopes that it will be up and running within the next five years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A SINGLE, HIGH-PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOL LIKE DEAL, as opposed to three lackluster options, all of which lead to Eastern. Indeed, a sizable chunk of the Brent district will be losing IB status for Wilson, along with the historic Van Ness, Amidon and Bowen districts.

Are any of the MS big enough to hold all of the students?

Eliot-hine's enrollment is less than 300, only 23 percent of whom are IB, with a capacity of more than 750. Less than 40 percent utilization. I think the numbers are similar for Jefferson. Unfortunately, DCPS continues to make most of its capital investments in SH, which benefits relatively few Hill families.

Stuart Hobson has 71 in-bounds students
Eliot Hine has 61 in-bounds students
Jefferson has 111 in-bounds students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A SINGLE, HIGH-PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOL LIKE DEAL, as opposed to three lackluster options, all of which lead to Eastern. Indeed, a sizable chunk of the Brent district will be losing IB status for Wilson, along with the historic Van Ness, Amidon and Bowen districts.

Are any of the MS big enough to hold all of the students?

Eliot-hine's enrollment is less than 300, only 23 percent of whom are IB, with a capacity of more than 750. Less than 40 percent utilization. I think the numbers are similar for Jefferson. Unfortunately, DCPS continues to make most of its capital investments in SH, which benefits relatively few Hill families.

Stuart Hobson has 71 in-bounds students
Eliot Hine has 61 in-bounds students
Jefferson has 111 in-bounds students

Stuart Hoson's current boundary is very small though. But your point is well taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too bad I have to walk out the door now. So far, so good on the maps though. Cap Hill is a big winner with Eastern.

Deal's gerrymandering to capture Mt. Pleasant is odd ball.

Save some observations for me!!!

Deal's always had Mt. Pleasant. Why would that be odd ball?

Odd by it's shape on the map.

That's Crestwood that was neatly cut out of Deal and Wilson boundaries. Biggest loser under this proposal (w/ 16th St H).

Well we knew this was going to be proposed eventually, but the promise of a new MacFarland is not comforting without some additional commitment from DCPS. I think there are enough parents to make it work, but we need a lot from DCPS too.
Jeff, did that list of ideas for how to make MacFarland and Jefferson ever go anywhere?

Being that they can contine at Deal for immediate future, it's hard to say they are losers. Who know what will happen will MacFarland opens?

Crestwood is losing because anyone looking to purchase a home there will not have the security of knowing that Deal and Wilson will ALWAYS be the schools by right. This will affect home values.

I didn't see 'preserving home values' on the list of DME priorities.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know the percentage of Crestwood families who actually send their children to Deal. It is my perception that most send their children to privates and maybe some charters. It also seems that those who do attend DCPS would be more likely to attend Shepherd than West. Might this be why Crestwood was given the boot as opposed to MP?

I don't have rough numbers but my guess based only on anecdotal evidence and experience is that the percentage is not radically different between Crestwood and Mt. Pleasant -- though I expect Mt. Pleasant has significantly more kids. But, Crestwood got booted because Crestwood's elementary schools -- Powell and West -- unlike Bancroft and Shepherd, are not Deal feeders. Also, the Advisory Committee hopes to establish high-performing programs at MacFarland and Roosevelt. Crestwood's 16th St. boundary is only 2 or 3 (depending how you count) blocks from 13th Street where Roosevelt is located (MacFarland is just behind it in the same block). I can see the sense in the proposal, but the problem is the transition. If MacFarland and Roosevelt can be brought up close to Deal/Wilson levels, everyone wins. That's a big "if". DCPS can ease a lot of minds by dispatching several Brinks trucks full of cash aimed at creating top notch programs at those schools. But, nobody expects that to happen.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know the percentage of Crestwood families who actually send their children to Deal. It is my perception that most send their children to privates and maybe some charters. It also seems that those who do attend DCPS would be more likely to attend Shepherd than West. Might this be why Crestwood was given the boot as opposed to MP?

I don't have rough numbers but my guess based only on anecdotal evidence and experience is that the percentage is not radically different between Crestwood and Mt. Pleasant -- though I expect Mt. Pleasant has significantly more kids. But, Crestwood got booted because Crestwood's elementary schools -- Powell and West -- unlike Bancroft and Shepherd, are not Deal feeders. Also, the Advisory Committee hopes to establish high-performing programs at MacFarland and Roosevelt. Crestwood's 16th St. boundary is only 2 or 3 (depending how you count) blocks from 13th Street where Roosevelt is located (MacFarland is just behind it in the same block). I can see the sense in the proposal, but the problem is the transition. If MacFarland and Roosevelt can be brought up close to Deal/Wilson levels, everyone wins. That's a big "if". DCPS can ease a lot of minds by dispatching several Brinks trucks full of cash aimed at creating top notch programs at those schools. But, nobody expects that to happen.

I doubt that we can marshal the same resources that DC budget can, but we can do what we can. Why not move now to start "Friends of" groups for MacFarland, and the new Ward 4, 7, and Center City middle schools (and others if I have forgotten places) to start to build resources for their kick-off. Done over several years they could give the school a little more breathing room as it struggles in the first few years of opening, and if successful at raising funds, would reassure parents that the community is investing. Quite a number of folks on this site have expressed interest in helping schools across the city. This could be their chance. (In fact, I am one of those parents.)

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know the percentage of Crestwood families who actually send their children to Deal. It is my perception that most send their children to privates and maybe some charters. It also seems that those who do attend DCPS would be more likely to attend Shepherd than West. Might this be why Crestwood was given the boot as opposed to MP?

I don't have rough numbers but my guess based only on anecdotal evidence and experience is that the percentage is not radically different between Crestwood and Mt. Pleasant -- though I expect Mt. Pleasant has significantly more kids. But, Crestwood got booted because Crestwood's elementary schools -- Powell and West -- unlike Bancroft and Shepherd, are not Deal feeders. Also, the Advisory Committee hopes to establish high-performing programs at MacFarland and Roosevelt. Crestwood's 16th St. boundary is only 2 or 3 (depending how you count) blocks from 13th Street where Roosevelt is located (MacFarland is just behind it in the same block). I can see the sense in the proposal, but the problem is the transition. If MacFarland and Roosevelt can be brought up close to Deal/Wilson levels, everyone wins. That's a big "if". DCPS can ease a lot of minds by dispatching several Brinks trucks full of cash aimed at creating top notch programs at those schools. But, nobody expects that to happen.

I doubt that we can marshal the same resources that DC budget can, but we can do what we can. Why not move now to start "Friends of" groups for MacFarland, and the new Ward 4, 7, and Center City middle schools (and others if I have forgotten places) to start to build resources for their kick-off. Done over several years they could give the school a little more breathing room as it struggles in the first few years of opening, and if successful at raising funds, would reassure parents that the community is investing. Quite a number of folks on this site have expressed interest in helping schools across the city. This could be their chance. (In fact, I am one of those parents.)

That sounds like work. I'd much rather gripe on DCUM. Actually, it's a fantastic idea. I will suggest it to my neighbors.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know the percentage of Crestwood families who actually send their children to Deal. It is my perception that most send their children to privates and maybe some charters. It also seems that those who do attend DCPS would be more likely to attend Shepherd than West. Might this be why Crestwood was given the boot as opposed to MP?

I don't have rough numbers but my guess based only on anecdotal evidence and experience is that the percentage is not radically different between Crestwood and Mt. Pleasant -- though I expect Mt. Pleasant has significantly more kids. But, Crestwood got booted because Crestwood's elementary schools -- Powell and West -- unlike Bancroft and Shepherd, are not Deal feeders. Also, the Advisory Committee hopes to establish high-performing programs at MacFarland and Roosevelt. Crestwood's 16th St. boundary is only 2 or 3 (depending how you count) blocks from 13th Street where Roosevelt is located (MacFarland is just behind it in the same block). I can see the sense in the proposal, but the problem is the transition. If MacFarland and Roosevelt can be brought up close to Deal/Wilson levels, everyone wins. That's a big "if". DCPS can ease a lot of minds by dispatching several Brinks trucks full of cash aimed at creating top notch programs at those schools. But, nobody expects that to happen.

I doubt that we can marshal the same resources that DC budget can, but we can do what we can. Why not move now to start "Friends of" groups for MacFarland, and the new Ward 4, 7, and Center City middle schools (and others if I have forgotten places) to start to build resources for their kick-off. Done over several years they could give the school a little more breathing room as it struggles in the first few years of opening, and if successful at raising funds, would reassure parents that the community is investing. Quite a number of folks on this site have expressed interest in helping schools across the city. This could be their chance. (In fact, I am one of those parents.)

That sounds like work. I'd much rather gripe on DCUM. Actually, it's a fantastic idea. I will suggest it to my neighbors.

So DC parents should be the ones to fund the better quality schools? Let's just totally let DCPS off the hook! Since DME and DCPS do not work together then all these changes can be made and, as usual, NO ONE will have responsibility over the end result and they'll say, "well why didn't the parents do more. "

Nope, the city needs to step up if you want our kids to feed to these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The changing of Eastern feeder pattern is not highly controversial. It just makes more sense in some form by making Jefferson exclusively Eastern and taking the neighborhood of Kelly Miller students out of the mix. Now the questions still remains, how can DCPS ignore one of the largest middle schools of them all and that is Friendship MS. We constantly say that we are all one school system but the majority of Eastern eligible feeder students attend the second largest middle school in comparison to Deal. Friendship MS is located in Ward 6 neighborhood close to Eastern but many of those kids are shuffled off to Friendship HS in Ward 7. I will say it on this post too, where do the students from Browne Educational go to school when all is seemingly neighborhood generated...Spingarn is no longer available.


History note: Eastern used to have the following feeder schools:
Eliot
Browne
Sousa
Jefferson
Hine
Evans
Kelly Miller
Roper (Ron Brown)
Fletcher-Johnson
Stuart-Hobson
Woodson Jr

So the inventory of feeder schools have dwindled down from 11 to 3 but Eastern is still projected to be the second largest high-school next year.

Oh who bloody cares. I'll be surprised if a single kid from my child's DCPS Hill early childhood program (which is almost entirely high SES for PreK3, PreK4 and K, and white) ended up at Eastern (which is almost entirely low SES and AA). You'd need a generation to turn things around at this rate, not a mere decade.

It didn't take a generation for that to happen at Deal. Why not join up with your neighbors and make it happen sooner?

I still have trouble understanding exactly what the Hill families are looking for.

Imagine that Janney, Murch and the other Deal feeders each fed to a separate, underenrolled middle school along with elementary schools that were still struggling to graduate a majority of students who are on grade level academically.

Deal would not happen under those circumstances.

That is the way it is purposefully set up by DCPS on Capitol Hill, but in an even smaller geographic area than the Deal feeder system.

It is insanity not to concentrate these elementary schools to feed into a comprehensive Capitol Hill Middle School with enough per pupil funding to serve all ends of the academic spectrum. Then into Eastern that is poised and ready with an IB Diplomae program already as well as some great vocational programs.

Why can't someone with a brain see the potential of all these schools feeding to one middle school rather than three that then end up serving all out of zone students?

[Anonymous]

^^I kind of agree. After all, the plans for McFarland are so sketchy. I would not be willing to give my time to organizing and fundraising for a future school with no concrete plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The changing of Eastern feeder pattern is not highly controversial. It just makes more sense in some form by making Jefferson exclusively Eastern and taking the neighborhood of Kelly Miller students out of the mix. Now the questions still remains, how can DCPS ignore one of the largest middle schools of them all and that is Friendship MS. We constantly say that we are all one school system but the majority of Eastern eligible feeder students attend the second largest middle school in comparison to Deal. Friendship MS is located in Ward 6 neighborhood close to Eastern but many of those kids are shuffled off to Friendship HS in Ward 7. I will say it on this post too, where do the students from Browne Educational go to school when all is seemingly neighborhood generated...Spingarn is no longer available.


History note: Eastern used to have the following feeder schools:
Eliot
Browne
Sousa
Jefferson
Hine
Evans
Kelly Miller
Roper (Ron Brown)
Fletcher-Johnson
Stuart-Hobson
Woodson Jr

So the inventory of feeder schools have dwindled down from 11 to 3 but Eastern is still projected to be the second largest high-school next year.

Oh who bloody cares. I'll be surprised if a single kid from my child's DCPS Hill early childhood program (which is almost entirely high SES for PreK3, PreK4 and K, and white) ended up at Eastern (which is almost entirely low SES and AA). You'd need a generation to turn things around at this rate, not a mere decade.

It didn't take a generation for that to happen at Deal. Why not join up with your neighbors and make it happen sooner?

I still have trouble understanding exactly what the Hill families are looking for.

Imagine that Janney, Murch and the other Deal feeders each fed to a separate, underenrolled middle school along with elementary schools that were still struggling to graduate a majority of students who are on grade level academically.

Deal would not happen under those circumstances.

That is the way it is purposefully set up by DCPS on Capitol Hill, but in an even smaller geographic area than the Deal feeder system.

It is insanity not to concentrate these elementary schools to feed into a comprehensive Capitol Hill Middle School with enough per pupil funding to serve all ends of the academic spectrum. Then into Eastern that is poised and ready with an IB Diplomae program already as well as some great vocational programs.

Why can't someone with a brain see the potential of all these schools feeding to one middle school rather than three that then end up serving all out of zone students?

I am a ward 3 parent and I have to agree that continuing the unsuccessful middle schools feeder patterns on CH is the most boneheaded plan ever. I have never understood what the politics are that prohibit affirmatively bringing successful children together to create another Deal-like middle school. Who objects to this? Who thinks the current plan is working?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IB schools will be MacFarland and Roosevelt...I could be crazy and could ultimately be worn down by the bueacracy, but I'm actually kind of excited at the prospect of those as new schools. I really, really, really hope that DCPS builds programs there that would attract the high-SES families who are moving into Petworth and 16 Street Heights. My kids are still young enough that MacFarland and Roosevelt could be renovated and reopened as attractive programs. Unfortunately, I'm not thrilled with the plan that Roosevelt will have a world language focus, since our IB elementary school doesn't offer much of anything beyond having a teaching assistant who is Spanish speaking and the limited "world language" requirement set in place by DCPS last year. Wish/hope there will be a shift to STEM or simply a strong commitment to creating lots of advanced classes.

It's just an international focus, not international language. It's still meant to be a comprehensive, neighborhood high school with opt-in specialized programming, including language instruction.

I'm excited about it, too. But it needs a strong middle school to feed it.

You should join the Ward 4 Education Alliance where parents are working to put together a proposal for programmatic offering at the new MacFarland. I know many, if not most of the parents still have kids in the very early grades, with hopes that it will be up and running within the next five years.

Thanks, PP! I will definitely get involved. What does "international focus" mean?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:^^I kind of agree. After all, the plans for McFarland are so sketchy. I would not be willing to give my time to organizing and fundraising for a future school with no concrete plans.

The Ward 4 Education Alliance - http://ward4ed.org - is working to help develop plans. Obviously, at the moment, DME and DCPS are not on the same page. The first step is to get them together. Like the poster above, I find the opportunity to help build two high-performing schools to be exciting. But, today is not the day to get pulled out of Deal and Wilson (and, luckily, that is not happening). We are very early in the process. DCPS has not even agreed to reopen MacFarland, let alone found funding for it. We need to be given more assurance about the short term and during that short term, a lot has to happen to give us confidence in the medium term. But, assuming that happens, the long term could be pretty good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IB schools will be MacFarland and Roosevelt...I could be crazy and could ultimately be worn down by the bueacracy, but I'm actually kind of excited at the prospect of those as new schools. I really, really, really hope that DCPS builds programs there that would attract the high-SES families who are moving into Petworth and 16 Street Heights. My kids are still young enough that MacFarland and Roosevelt could be renovated and reopened as attractive programs. Unfortunately, I'm not thrilled with the plan that Roosevelt will have a world language focus, since our IB elementary school doesn't offer much of anything beyond having a teaching assistant who is Spanish speaking and the limited "world language" requirement set in place by DCPS last year. Wish/hope there will be a shift to STEM or simply a strong commitment to creating lots of advanced classes.

It's just an international focus, not international language. It's still meant to be a comprehensive, neighborhood high school with opt-in specialized programming, including language instruction.

I'm excited about it, too. But it needs a strong middle school to feed it.

You should join the Ward 4 Education Alliance where parents are working to put together a proposal for programmatic offering at the new MacFarland. I know many, if not most of the parents still have kids in the very early grades, with hopes that it will be up and running within the next five years.

Thanks, PP! I will definitely get involved. What does "international focus" mean?

It means they put the word "International" in front of everything to make it sound like a much better program, when in fact it's the same old, same old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^I kind of agree. After all, the plans for McFarland are so sketchy. I would not be willing to give my time to organizing and fundraising for a future school with no concrete plans.

Well, let's let them do their research, study and planning for McFarland...isn't that precisely what the $7million is going to be for? And it's important to inform the process NOW. While the DME is not DCPS, I have to say that one thing I learned in this DME process is that vocal parents are listened to. Is everyone getting what they wanted? No. But are the crazy proposals off the table? Yes. Are positive steps being taken like stating that there need to be new stand alone middle schools and the Education Campuses need to go away? Yep. And I honestly think a lot of that is because of parent and stakeholder input. The people who sit on the advisory committee are smart. Sure. But I think it's feedback from people who are living it everyday that can really help guide the planning process.