Secret report shows ‘special’ treatment for public officials in D.C. school lottery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Grosso calls for a review of all 4 years of lottery data

Link: http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Review-All-Four-Years-of-DC-School-Lottery-Councilmember-Says-423045494.html

Well, assuming all of the data and relevant emails will be made available, the next step would be to subpoena Kaya Henderson about what she did. As long as she doesn't lie, she's not going to be in any legal jeopardy. As for her future employment prospects, probably not so great.

Grosso loves Kaya and would never do anything that would put her in bad spot. Plus he was in charge of oversight during these years so could potentially reflect badly on him. This is just window dressing for us dumb voters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Grosso calls for a review of all 4 years of lottery data

Link: http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Review-All-Four-Years-of-DC-School-Lottery-Councilmember-Says-423045494.html

Well, assuming all of the data and relevant emails will be made available, the next step would be to subpoena Kaya Henderson about what she did. As long as she doesn't lie, she's not going to be in any legal jeopardy. As for her future employment prospects, probably not so great.

Grosso loves Kaya and would never do anything that would put her in bad spot. Plus he was in charge of oversight during these years so could potentially reflect badly on him. This is just window dressing for us dumb voters

Also, isn't the issue that they are going AROUND the lottery for these placements? What will lottery data show?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Grosso calls for a review of all 4 years of lottery data

Link: http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Review-All-Four-Years-of-DC-School-Lottery-Councilmember-Says-423045494.html

Well, assuming all of the data and relevant emails will be made available, the next step would be to subpoena Kaya Henderson about what she did. As long as she doesn't lie, she's not going to be in any legal jeopardy. As for her future employment prospects, probably not so great.

Grosso loves Kaya and would never do anything that would put her in bad spot. Plus he was in charge of oversight during these years so could potentially reflect badly on him. This is just window dressing for us dumb voters

Also, isn't the issue that they are going AROUND the lottery for these placements? What will lottery data show?

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Could those of you trying to take this thread off-topic by going on and on about the stupid Brent situation and where it sits in proximity to, give it a rest? The poor mother who made the request and already has her plateful dealing with the deaf child was told no. Happy? Now let's focus on the fat bureaucrats who selfishly took advantage

Really???!!! Cause deaf kids are such a burden? I bet you are one of those people who probably give your gay friends permission or absolution, like they need your approval. Ignorant fool.

So, it was the mom who is Deaf, not the kid. The mom wanted her child with other children of Deaf adults so she could sign at school, and for a sense of community. It seems like an eminently reasonable request to me. Also, someone else can weigh in on this, but my understanding is that Brent actually does have some sort of specialized program for D/deaf and hard of hearing kids, since my friend's child was placed their OOB for hearing loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Grosso calls for a review of all 4 years of lottery data

Link: http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Review-All-Four-Years-of-DC-School-Lottery-Councilmember-Says-423045494.html

Well, assuming all of the data and relevant emails will be made available, the next step would be to subpoena Kaya Henderson about what she did. As long as she doesn't lie, she's not going to be in any legal jeopardy. As for her future employment prospects, probably not so great.

Grosso loves Kaya and would never do anything that would put her in bad spot. Plus he was in charge of oversight during these years so could potentially reflect badly on him. This is just window dressing for us dumb voters

+1 Yup. Lottery data will not show anything as these are discretionary spots. Grosso will say x thousand kids were fairly matched in the lottery process, and these 7 cases were aberrations.

[Anonymous]

The whole thing disgusts me. Such corrupt jerks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:David Grosso calls for a review of all 4 years of lottery data

Link: http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Review-All-Four-Years-of-DC-School-Lottery-Councilmember-Says-423045494.html

Well, assuming all of the data and relevant emails will be made available, the next step would be to subpoena Kaya Henderson about what she did. As long as she doesn't lie, she's not going to be in any legal jeopardy. As for her future employment prospects, probably not so great.

Grosso loves Kaya and would never do anything that would put her in bad spot. Plus he was in charge of oversight during these years so could potentially reflect badly on him. This is just window dressing for us dumb voters

+1 Yup. Lottery data will not show anything as these are discretionary spots. Grosso will say x thousand kids were fairly matched in the lottery process, and these 7 cases were aberrations.

7X4=almost 30. and that is if 7 is representative and not a low outlier. All those kids need to be out at the end of the year. Their parents can afford to move IB. It might be they can only apply this to government officials (so kaya's friend and Fenty is off the hook). But at least we can eliminate this as a perk of office! Maybe this will be the beginning of the end of cronyism in DC - but only if there are immediate consequences. I feel much more strongly about this than about residency cheaters, which happens by those who make less than 100,000 a year and don't have the same economic (though inconvenient) options these people have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Could those of you trying to take this thread off-topic by going on and on about the stupid Brent situation and where it sits in proximity to, give it a rest? The poor mother who made the request and already has her plateful dealing with the deaf child was told no. Happy? Now let's focus on the fat bureaucrats who selfishly took advantage

Really???!!! Cause deaf kids are such a burden? I bet you are one of those people who probably give your gay friends permission or absolution, like they need your approval. Ignorant fool.

So, it was the mom who is Deaf, not the kid. The mom wanted her child with other children of Deaf adults so she could sign at school, and for a sense of community. It seems like an eminently reasonable request to me. Also, someone else can weigh in on this, but my understanding is that Brent actually does have some sort of specialized program for D/deaf and hard of hearing kids, since my friend's child was placed their OOB for hearing loss.

I have never seen anything about a special program at Brent for sign language except this article, which mentions a Brent teacher (who is still there) using a bit of ASL for students to request bathroom passes and the like: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/15/AR2009101501373.html

There may be CODAs there and from googling, some of their PTA meetings appear to have ASL interpretation (so do JO Wilson's). But the special program for Deaf/hard of hearing kids in DCPS is at Payne. Given that the child whose mom requested placement seems to be hearing, she wouldn't have been placed in the self-contained class. But to have signing teachers and kids (and probably some parents), Payne would have made sense. I don't fault the mom for asking for Brent or Ross but also don't think it's obvious that the request should have been granted...we don't have all the details. We can still think that Snowden and Young's cases were wrong.

All of this makes me wonder if I could have gotten my kid out of a school situation that was a bad fit had I asked for a transfer (I am not a DC official and certainly don't have the stature of any of the people who got them!). It truly didn't occur to me that this was an option and now I feel like a rube.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe people are giving the citizen requesters grief. They had the right to ask as discretion was a valid option. The denials reflect lack of political connection in geting the request approved. All of the requests granted were connected and all of the denials were not.

I don't really care if the request is reasonable or not, but I do resent the political calculations between Henderson and Beers about whether or not to grant.

Yeah acting like Adrian Fenty (one of the "citizens") was treated the same way you or I was is completely ludicrous. This was his second special placement in a WOTP school, and he's dating a mega-billionaire!!!! Not to get all ad hominem but honestly you should be embarrassed for making this argument

false equivalency -- I'm talking about the deaf parents with no juice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Could those of you trying to take this thread off-topic by going on and on about the stupid Brent situation and where it sits in proximity to, give it a rest? The poor mother who made the request and already has her plateful dealing with the deaf child was told no. Happy? Now let's focus on the fat bureaucrats who selfishly took advantage

Really???!!! Cause deaf kids are such a burden? I bet you are one of those people who probably give your gay friends permission or absolution, like they need your approval. Ignorant fool.

So, it was the mom who is Deaf, not the kid. The mom wanted her child with other children of Deaf adults so she could sign at school, and for a sense of community. It seems like an eminently reasonable request to me. Also, someone else can weigh in on this, but my understanding is that Brent actually does have some sort of specialized program for D/deaf and hard of hearing kids, since my friend's child was placed their OOB for hearing loss.

I have never seen anything about a special program at Brent for sign language except this article, which mentions a Brent teacher (who is still there) using a bit of ASL for students to request bathroom passes and the like: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/15/AR2009101501373.html

There may be CODAs there and from googling, some of their PTA meetings appear to have ASL interpretation (so do JO Wilson's). But the special program for Deaf/hard of hearing kids in DCPS is at Payne. Given that the child whose mom requested placement seems to be hearing, she wouldn't have been placed in the self-contained class. But to have signing teachers and kids (and probably some parents), Payne would have made sense. I don't fault the mom for asking for Brent or Ross but also don't think it's obvious that the request should have been granted...we don't have all the details. We can still think that Snowden and Young's cases were wrong.

All of this makes me wonder if I could have gotten my kid out of a school situation that was a bad fit had I asked for a transfer (I am not a DC official and certainly don't have the stature of any of the people who got them!). It truly didn't occur to me that this was an option and now I feel like a rube.

The point is that Kaya may have made the reasonable call in this situation based on the request and justification presented to her. The child is not deaf, the parent is. Neither Brent nor Ross has any unique programs for students of deaf parents. Mom did not ask for a placement at Payne - the school with specific ASL program. The parent's request just reads like she is trying to get into one of two highly in-demand schools. This doesn't excuse Kaya saying yes to other better connected parents...

[Anonymous]

Mayor's chief of staff claims Bowser apologized and took action.
Post reporter asks okay, well what specifically is she apologizing for?
Chief of staff goes silent

https://mobile.twitter.com/PeteJamison/status/865680625872773120

[Anonymous]

Welcome to DC you flyover country folks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mayor's chief of staff claims Bowser apologized and took action.
Post reporter asks okay, well what specifically is she apologizing for?
Chief of staff goes silent

https://mobile.twitter.com/PeteJamison/status/865680625872773120

That Kojo "set her up!" Stand tall, Muriel!

[Anonymous]

According to the WP, Bowser did NOT apologize:

"The fallout from findings that a former schools chancellor misused her authority to place children of top city officials in coveted schools seemed clear. From city hall, where council members were inundated with calls last week, to neighborhood email groups, where parents fumed, there was outrage that well-connected people had stepped ahead of everyone else in the city’s notoriously competitive school lottery.

But the mayor doesn’t see it that way."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/after-favoritism-revealed-in-school-lottery-dc-parents-wait-on-apology/2017/05/21/8876c2da-3c25-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.0783d5fe86d5

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the WP, Bowser did NOT apologize:

"The fallout from findings that a former schools chancellor misused her authority to place children of top city officials in coveted schools seemed clear. From city hall, where council members were inundated with calls last week, to neighborhood email groups, where parents fumed, there was outrage that well-connected people had stepped ahead of everyone else in the city’s notoriously competitive school lottery.

But the mayor doesn’t see it that way."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/after-favoritism-revealed-in-school-lottery-dc-parents-wait-on-apology/2017/05/21/8876c2da-3c25-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.0783d5fe86d5

From the article:

"[Rashad] Young, who had been the city administrator in Alexandria, Va., before Bowser announced his hire in late 2014, had not yet moved into the District when he entered the lottery in spring of 2015.

He won seats for his two sons at Murch Elementary School, a high-performing school in Northwest, but did not enroll by the May 1 deadline. The chancellor arranged for Young to claim the seats months later, after Young and his family moved to a $1.2 million house outside the Murch school zone and east of Rock Creek Park."

1.2M house, $297K annual salary, AND Murch ... hey Kaya, are you SURE that DC government officials are under-compensated???