Ward 6 Middle Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is such a beautiful illustration of what happens when you don't stand up and scream "Yes! I'm thrilled to send my kids in!" in ward 6. And why people are so often SHOCKED when people charter out or move.

There's a pretty big difference between "I wouldn't send my child to a middle school in Ward 6 because I have serious concerns about them" and "hey, let's stick all the poor, dumb, troublemakers from the city war zones (!!) in one school and teach them vocational skills, and all the smart rich kids in another school! Isn't this a fabulous idea!"

I have serious concerns about the middle schools as well, but let's not waste time on idiocy.

Still waiting fur a better proposal, since we're trying to have discourse...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is such a beautiful illustration of what happens when you don't stand up and scream "Yes! I'm thrilled to send my kids in!" in ward 6. And why people are so often SHOCKED when people charter out or move.

There's a pretty big difference between "I wouldn't send my child to a middle school in Ward 6 because I have serious concerns about them" and "hey, let's stick all the poor, dumb, troublemakers from the city war zones (!!) in one school and teach them vocational skills, and all the smart rich kids in another school! Isn't this a fabulous idea!"

I have serious concerns about the middle schools as well, but let's not waste time on idiocy.

And how dues this make me a jerk? Have you hung out in ward 8 lately? Where these kids commute in from? Why don't you take an evening stroll in some of these kids' neighborhoods and take a look at crime stars and come back to us. I'm not blaming them for their situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is such a beautiful illustration of what happens when you don't stand up and scream "Yes! I'm thrilled to send my kids in!" in ward 6. And why people are so often SHOCKED when people charter out or move.

There's a pretty big difference between "I wouldn't send my child to a middle school in Ward 6 because I have serious concerns about them" and "hey, let's stick all the poor, dumb, troublemakers from the city war zones (!!) in one school and teach them vocational skills, and all the smart rich kids in another school! Isn't this a fabulous idea!"

I have serious concerns about the middle schools as well, but let's not waste time on idiocy.

Case in point. Any acknowledgement of what it is keeping ward 6 families from these schools is chalked up to this. Fact: they're poor. Fact: they're black. Never called them dumb or troublemakers, acknowledged their challenges and THIS is what the take-away is. Can you stop that already?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ so, to clarify: because of the 10 kids that can't read at grade-level in my neighborhood, and also don't have a lot of extra resources, we should scrap this discussion? Or, is it palatable to send your kids to the Jefferson "extra needs" school with some sort of additional support/resources? What do you need to feel good about the shift?

why should Jefferson be the "extra needs" school? It has better test scores than Elliot-Hine and equal to Stuart-Hobson, with very high median growth percentiles. If any school is going to focus on remediation, it should be Elliot-Hine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is such a beautiful illustration of what happens when you don't stand up and scream "Yes! I'm thrilled to send my kids in!" in ward 6. And why people are so often SHOCKED when people charter out or move.

There's a pretty big difference between "I wouldn't send my child to a middle school in Ward 6 because I have serious concerns about them" and "hey, let's stick all the poor, dumb, troublemakers from the city war zones (!!) in one school and teach them vocational skills, and all the smart rich kids in another school! Isn't this a fabulous idea!"

I have serious concerns about the middle schools as well, but let's not waste time on idiocy.

Case in point. Any acknowledgement of what it is keeping ward 6 families from these schools is chalked up to this. Fact: they're poor. Fact: they're black. Never called them dumb or troublemakers, acknowledged their challenges and THIS is what the take-away is. Can you stop that already?

You're the one who is suggesting a vocational education program for middle schoolers. But play dumb all you want. This is pointless.

[Anonymous]

Let's keep talking. I don't want it to be pointless. Not for the kids that are suffering in these schools now, and not for my own kids. What's a better way?

[Anonymous]

Consolidate all Ward 6 feeder elementaries into one middle school the size of Deal to create economies of scale and unite political lobbying efforts. Institute an honors program for any kid who is demonstrating advanced academic acheivement --as they appear to have done in other middle schools in other wards-- varied and challenging programs in other disciplines --arts, drama, debate, sports, music, robotics, to engage and support other intelligences and allow these kids ages 11-14 to explore their interests and talents. Wrap around services and robust remedial support for those who need it. Why is this so frigging hard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ so, to clarify: because of the 10 kids that can't read at grade-level in my neighborhood, and also don't have a lot of extra resources, we should scrap this discussion? Or, is it palatable to send your kids to the Jefferson "extra needs" school with some sort of additional support/resources? What do you need to feel good about the shift?

why should Jefferson be the "extra needs" school? It has better test scores than Elliot-Hine and equal to Stuart-Hobson, with very high median growth percentiles. If any school is going to focus on remediation, it should be Elliot-Hine.

Do you mean Eliot-Hine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consolidate all Ward 6 feeder elementaries into one middle school the size of Deal to create economies of scale and unite political lobbying efforts. Institute an honors program for any kid who is demonstrating advanced academic acheivement --as they appear to have done in other middle schools in other wards-- varied and challenging programs in other disciplines --arts, drama, debate, sports, music, robotics, to engage and support other intelligences and allow these kids ages 11-14 to explore their interests and talents. Wrap around services and robust remedial support for those who need it. Why is this so frigging hard?

Why hasn't this been done already? Why would DCPS feed Brent to Jefferson? I think I recall there being some sort of manifesto that Brent parents wrote and at the time, a feed to Jefferson was the desire? Doesn't seem to make much sense now. I heard a rumor that a number of Brent parents were considering a move to Watkins for 5th to get access to SH. Also note most SWS students have rights to both SH and Hine and I can't see loads of them choosing Hine over SH.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Consolidate all Ward 6 feeder elementaries into one middle school the size of Deal to create economies of scale and unite political lobbying efforts. Institute an honors program for any kid who is demonstrating advanced academic acheivement --as they appear to have done in other middle schools in other wards-- varied and challenging programs in other disciplines --arts, drama, debate, sports, music, robotics, to engage and support other intelligences and allow these kids ages 11-14 to explore their interests and talents. Wrap around services and robust remedial support for those who need it. Why is this so frigging hard?[/quote]

This. It's so dumb that this hasn't been done yet.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree. What are the special interests that are keeping this from happening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consolidate all Ward 6 feeder elementaries into one middle school the size of Deal to create economies of scale and unite political lobbying efforts. Institute an honors program for any kid who is demonstrating advanced academic acheivement --as they appear to have done in other middle schools in other wards-- varied and challenging programs in other disciplines --arts, drama, debate, sports, music, robotics, to engage and support other intelligences and allow these kids ages 11-14 to explore their interests and talents. Wrap around services and robust remedial support for those who need it. Why is this so frigging hard?

Why hasn't this been done already? Why would DCPS feed Brent to Jefferson? I think I recall there being some sort of manifesto that Brent parents wrote and at the time, a feed to Jefferson was the desire? Doesn't seem to make much sense now. I heard a rumor that a number of Brent parents were considering a move to Watkins for 5th to get access to SH. Also note most SWS students have rights to both SH and Hine and I can't see loads of them choosing Hine over SH.

Just like at Brent, I don't see the SWS kids going anywhere but Latin, BASIS or private. You can't make anyone go anywhere -- you need to make it attractive, and this is the problem with the discussion with test-in, honors, etc. That of programming is attractive to the high SES families that CHCSPO and DCPS ignore on the Hill, yet want their money, resources and test-score-raising children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Just like at Brent, I don't see the SWS kids going anywhere but Latin, BASIS or private. You can't make anyone go anywhere -- you need to make it attractive, and this is the problem with the discussion with test-in, honors, etc. That of programming is attractive to the high SES families that CHCSPO and DCPS ignore on the Hill, yet want their money, resources and test-score-raising children.

I love the frequency with which this argument appears on DCUM. "going private" costs a lot of money. It ain't as easy as just typing the words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree. What are the special interests that are keeping this from happening?

Having watched this for a while here is my opinion:

1) Stuart Hobson has a nice set up smack in the middle of Capitol Hill and won't give an inch. They have Watkins, LT and JO Wilson feeding as well as lots of interest from high functioning students coming from outside the feeder pattern and outside Ward 6. It works, it has worked for years, they are happy with the 3rd best middle school in the city moniker and with their acceptance rate at test in public high schools as well as private high schools. They have well worn political influence and are connected all through city government. They don't care at all about Eastern High School or a pathway there. Why mess with success? Meantime, the SH school boundary cuts an awkward swath across Capitol Hill--diagonal from the far corner near the McDonald's on PEnnsylvania Ave and 18th to over H street near JO Wilson. But it's a narrow band and slices Tyler and Brent into Jefferson and Payne and Maury into Eliot Hine ( both underenrolled )

2) No politician or city official can touch with a ten foot pole a plan that would appear to help, appease, attract, retain or otherwise benefit the white gentrifiers around Ward 6. Mark my words if this group of middle and upper class families were all african American ( rather than partly ) this would have already been solved. Witness test-in middle school slated for Ward 7 and honors programs in all-african American middle schools in Ward 8. This is the truthful politics of our city and it is an unspoken but powerful force behind Everything that happens or doesn't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consolidate all Ward 6 feeder elementaries into one middle school the size of Deal to create economies of scale and unite political lobbying efforts. Institute an honors program for any kid who is demonstrating advanced academic acheivement --as they appear to have done in other middle schools in other wards-- varied and challenging programs in other disciplines --arts, drama, debate, sports, music, robotics, to engage and support other intelligences and allow these kids ages 11-14 to explore their interests and talents. Wrap around services and robust remedial support for those who need it. Why is this so frigging hard?

Why hasn't this been done already? Why would DCPS feed Brent to Jefferson? I think I recall there being some sort of manifesto that Brent parents wrote and at the time, a feed to Jefferson was the desire? Doesn't seem to make much sense now. I heard a rumor that a number of Brent parents were considering a move to Watkins for 5th to get access to SH. Also note most SWS students have rights to both SH and Hine and I can't see loads of them choosing Hine over SH.

Back in 2010/11 brent parents asked

First for a way to extend their own program through 8th grade to retain students TEMPORaRiLy while co-feeder schools made changes and got supports that would improve the academic achievement of their graduating student: DENIED by DCPS

Second asked for a feed ( permanent even temporary while other local schools made improvements ) to Stuart Hobson. Only about 20-30 students per year expected to come out of Brent for the first few years of this. DENIED by DCPS

Third: after being told they had NO ChOICE but to remain a feeder school for Jefferson, a small group of parents took this on enthusiastically with promises made from DCPS about timelines programs and such at Jefferson. As far as I know, none of that small group has in the end sent their students to Jefferson.