Another Brent question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have an academy at Eastern that has an intake process. The IB program is being instilled at Eastern due to the popular demand of Cap Hill residents. So now I am sensing that's not what Cap Hill residents want for their neighborhood. I think we should have stucked with Rhee's suggestion of instituting an African-American studies program at Eastern. I wonder if it is too late to go in that direction?

Eastern isn't relevant for many of us until middle school is sorted out.

[Anonymous]

Eastern isn't relevant for many of us until middle school is sorted out.
Isn't that contrary to DCPS goals? I thought it was DCPS mindset to ready the high schools? This was the wishes and outcomes from many of the city-wide mtgs. At some point we will never catch-up. I think there's stubborness involving both parties.

Really, Eastern is not relevant to many until the middle school is sorted out? Have you found it relevant to reach-out to all of those middle-schools that feed into Eastern, including the charters? May I ask, with this being Eastern's second year what did they not do correctly to make it the best choice for your child[ren]?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Eastern isn't relevant for many of us until middle school is sorted out.
Isn't that contrary to DCPS goals? I thought it was DCPS mindset to ready the high schools? This was the wishes and outcomes from many of the city-wide mtgs. At some point we will never catch-up. I think there's stubborness involving both parties.

Really, Eastern is not relevant to many until the middle school is sorted out? Have you found it relevant to reach-out to all of those middle-schools that feed into Eastern, including the charters? May I ask, with this being Eastern's second year what did they not do correctly to make it the best choice for your child[ren]?

Eastern is almost certainly a lost cause for upper-middle-class families for at least a decade. One could offer one reason or a dozen, same difference. The majority of high-SES Hill families won't touch the school on its current development tragectory. But then few low and medium-SES families are likely to care, along with the DC Council and DCPS.

Charters, privates, the burbs, SWW and Wilson will continue to fill the neighborhood HS void for most Hill families for years to come.

[Anonymous]

20:25, what exactly is the lost cause for Eastern. I am truly lost at that reasoning? We are only in our second year of relaunching, it was an actual planning year before the relaunch year, so who failed whom?

Wouldn't high-SES Hill families see it as a prime opportunity to develop the tragectory at the relaunch stage?

In comparing 9th graders I would beg to differ that Eastern is far-better off than Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:25, what exactly is the lost cause for Eastern. I am truly lost at that reasoning? We are only in our second year of relaunching, it was an actual planning year before the relaunch year, so who failed whom?

Wouldn't high-SES Hill families see it as a prime opportunity to develop the tragectory at the relaunch stage?

In comparing 9th graders I would beg to differ that Eastern is far-better off than Wilson.

How?

[Anonymous]

Our incoming 9th graders had such a wonderful freshmen year at Eastern. The freshmen class alone was only 167 students in comparison to Wilson's that probably had triple that amount. The percentage of students who made honor-roll was quite respectable. I was extremely pleased with the success of our male students at Eastern in academics. You can't ask for any better principal, parents, teachers, faculty, school advocates that have been assembled. I might be over-reaching but I think every challenge that was put forth to our high-school students were met with victories and self-accomplishment.

I can say that what NASA experienced this week with the successful landing on Mars, is pretty much how we feel at Eastern with our successful re-launching efforts.

When I stated "comparing" Wilson to Eastern as it relates to 9th graders was not to say one is better than the others. I just feel we have a better-start-off for our 9th graders than any other comprehensive high-school.

I am not able to give you in-depth data but feel free to go to our website and if you need more reassurance please call the school at 202-698-4500.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everything the previous poster wrote and the poster's earlier comments.

Dr. Janney's plan was to improve the HS's first, then the middle schools. So sad, too bad, he's long gone but you can see there was some wisdom in Janney's approach. ES school parents participated in the CHPSPO Middle Schools project and one recommendation from parents in that MIDDLE SCHOOLS project was to develop a rigorous IB program at Eastern, with strong preparation (a kind of middle school IB program) at E-H.

Now, without a nod in the direction of that nascent IB program, those elementary school parents say Eastern isn't relevant, it's a lost cause, and none of their friends would consider E-H. Not a shocker to read that, but sad.

I most emphatically agree with the previous poster that the 9th graders at Eastern were a wonderful bunch of kids in my every interaction with them this year.

The Garden Club at Eastern's greenhouse (re-opened this year after moldering in disuse for 35 years, even though their were only 9th graders to support the greenhouse Garden Club this year compared with all four classes all those previous years). I know that's a small thing, but it's just one example of ways Eastern kids this year showed themselves to be bright, inquisitive, innovative, industrious, respectful and enjoyable.

I hope all the kids returning to Eastern this year have a great sophomore year under your inspiring principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Now, without a nod in the direction of that nascent IB program, those elementary school parents say Eastern isn't relevant, it's a lost cause, and none of their friends would consider E-H. Not a shocker to read that, but sad.

What nascent IB program at E-H? Is there one or isn't there? If there is, then I'd consider it for my kid in a couple of years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Now, without a nod in the direction of that nascent IB program, those elementary school parents say Eastern isn't relevant, it's a lost cause, and none of their friends would consider E-H. Not a shocker to read that, but sad.

What nascent IB program at E-H? Is there one or isn't there? If there is, then I'd consider it for my kid in a couple of years.

You either incentivize upper-middle-class parents to throw their hats in the ring, or you fail to. It's not sad, it's life on fast gentrifying Capitol Hill.

You know that E-H's overall proficiency rate is 30%, that the school is 85% FARMs, and that DCPS is allergic to test-in middle school programs? How could a quality IB program possibly emerge from that equation in a couple of years?

It's one thing to vow "We're going to do IB Middle Years" another altogether to launch middle school kids on a track that would enable them to complete the full IB diploma in the 12th grade. The full diploma is the sort of advanced program that high school kids who get 700s on all three sections of the SATs, take 7-10 AP classes, and get all 4s and 5s on the tests, normally complete succesfully. This is happening anywhere in DCPS, other than for a very small number of students at SWW, Wilson and Banneker? This will happen at Eastern within the next decade? Show me the money.

[Anonymous]

22:14, Thank you. We do too much, in a good way. Our past school year definitely prepared us to be phenomenal for this school year. This year's freshmen class has the wonderful gift of having superb sophomore class to lead them in the right direction.

I do believe that was a goal of DCPS to have a school that has an environment where EVERYONE is learning at a progressive and productive rate. It's at Eastern, that's for sure.

[Anonymous]

What middle school program actually supports Banneker's IB program? Is it assumed that all children that are introduced to IB in the middle school grades follow through at the high-school level? Just wondering, if the high-school component of IB doesn't effectively begin until 11th and 12th grades, then what does the 6 thru 8 IB grade students do if they don't get re-introduce to it again until their 11-12 grade years.

[Anonymous]

that's all very nice for Eastern students, but the point still stands-- Brent parents cannot get excited about Eastern or commit to Eastern when middle school is so uncertain. Since DCPS can't even make up its mind where Brent kids should go, parents of course have to evaluate both E-H and JEfferson, and then "while we are at it", they may as well also consider all those charter middle schools, too.

The lack of interest of Brent folks in Eastern is by no means a dig at Eastern-- just a side effect of the reality that Brent parents face an immediate middle school problem. Maybe the "problem" is actually beneficial for Brent kids as this short-term-thinking, "take it one year at a time" perspective requires Brent parents to really consider what is the very best middle school for their child rather than just do the easy thing of enrolling in whatever school in "next". Nonetheless, the "problem" makes it impossible to commit to a particular high school, as middle school is such a quandry.

[Anonymous]

FYI: Brent parents asked for the option to feed to either Jefferson it E-H ( after given an unequivocal "no way" to Stuart Hobson ). That dual feed was a dcps/Tommy Wells accomodation to Brent parents who were convinced Jefferson Academy would never work and thought maybe in a decade or so, E H might have some promise given the improving elementary schools in its feeder pattern. It was a desperate move in desperate circumstances holding a slight glimmer of hope for the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Brent parents cannot get excited about Eastern or commit to Eastern when middle school is so uncertain. Since DCPS can't even make up its mind where Brent kids should go, parents of course have to evaluate both E-H and JEfferson, and then "while we are at it", they may as well also consider all those charter middle schools, too.

While I too would love to have the middle schools sorted out, there is absolutely no reason for me not to be excited about at top notch High School around the corner. The parents I know there from when we started at our local ES (not Brent), took their kids to Hardy MS and to a charter MS before returning to Eastern. That'll work for me.

Actually, if there is a "lost cause" then I think the Ward 6 middle school revival is the lost cause. We've tied ourselves in knots - elected and self-appointed representatives included. Until something drastic happens, I think we'll each have to find our way through different public, charter, and private options. And maybe that's actually a good thing because middle school needs are quite possibly the most different for different kids. These are the most difficult years to teach (my MIL is a veteran middle school teacher in the Philly suburbs) and call for individual solutions. The more I think about it, the less I think total vertical alignment between ES, MS, and HS is a useful concept.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI: Brent parents asked for the option to feed to either Jefferson it E-H ( after given an unequivocal "no way" to Stuart Hobson ). That dual feed was a dcps/Tommy Wells accomodation to Brent parents who were convinced Jefferson Academy would never work and thought maybe in a decade or so, E H might have some promise given the improving elementary schools in its feeder pattern. It was a desperate move in desperate circumstances holding a slight glimmer of hope for the future.

Thanks for the clarification!

Whether the "fault" of the dual feed lies with the Brent parents or with DCPS, the result is that high school is just not at all on the radar for Brent parents. As I said before, the result may actually be beneficial in the long run to Brent kids since Brent parents have to really think through the various middle school options rather than just go with the flow-- since there isn't really any particular school to flow to!