Can anyone tell me the story of Stuart-Hobson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a mean-spirited and useless thread this has become.

I've been very active in a DCPS Hill ES PTA for a decade now. I stop by DCUM once in a while and can't remember a nastier and more pointless Hill-related "discussion."

So glad we're in a position to go parochial for MS. I'm fed up with the phenomenon of Hill PTA leaders supporting myopic DCPS decisions where making by-right schools work well for all in-boundary comers goes, with endless rounds of bullying, name-calling, shaming and arm-twisting of neighborhood parents in the mix. Parents and school system leaders are still pulling in different directions after all these years, especially on the neighborhood MS improvement front. There lies the mediocrity of most of the outputs, and future outputs. The ugly dynamic is a recipe for terrible inefficiency in the face of increasingly favorable local demographics.

If you're tired of that, I would not recommend a catholic school. Best of luck.

Not the person you're responding to, but who asked you? Many of us who've been on the scene for years and years are fed up. Professional parents still leave the Hill all the time in search of better public schools in the area.

I'd wager that most of the current crop of preschoolers won't be around for 6th grade, let alone 12th. We have a real problem with our by-right Hill middle schools and high school - most parents don't find these programs acceptable and change has been really slow.

Not the poster to whom you are responding, but the person who posted an opinion on a public forum did, you nitwit! Just so we understand your thinking on this, your thoughts on these matters are worthwhile and should be shared (along with your responses to other's posts) but others who post and disagree with you should not or do not have the right to post?

[Anonymous]

I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: You do realize that the principal at Watkins flat out said that the school would be intentionally ignoring the needs of advanced students in favor of closing the achievement gap. This isn’t just pearl clutching.

This might refer to a post I made last year. At a public meeting at Watkins, she said that given the limited resources, there would be times that teachers would be focusing more on kids with the greatest needs. This is of course true at any school, but it's a bigger issue at schools with larger achievement gap. I was pleased she acknowledged reality.

But that DOESN'T mean ignoring any kids. My kids at Watkins are learning and are happy. Yes, to be honest, I do worry about the academic rigor, but so far we've been satisfied with the academics and happy with our kids overall school experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

^^ and I'll add - those OOB seats are only offered because the IB catchment doesn't enroll. The boundaries are set based on demographic data from the Office of Planning (ie Census). Deal feeders have small OOB populations because they're full of IB catchment. Students IB for Janney don't enroll in Yu Ying, Mondo Verde, LAMB or any other flavor of the month charter school like Hill families do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

Not necessarily. Ward 3, with supposedly the 'best' DCPS schools in the city, has more families with school-age kids opting out -- but for private schools. People leave for a host of reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

Watkins isn't the problem. Watkins reflects the community that actuallly enrolls, not the one that bitches about what it should be

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

Not necessarily. Ward 3, with supposedly the 'best' DCPS schools in the city, has more families with school-age kids opting out -- but for private schools. People leave for a host of reasons.

And yet Janney and Lafayette are overcrowded with 700-800 students each

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

Not necessarily. Ward 3, with supposedly the 'best' DCPS schools in the city, has more families with school-age kids opting out -- but for private schools. People leave for a host of reasons.

And yet Janney and Lafayette are overcrowded with 700-800 students each

And Mann, Murch have 20-25% OOB; Eaton has 46% OOB; Hyde has 57% OOB (before they went to swing space)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

+1000. The Hill has JKLM type demographics without JKLM enrollment, coupled with chronic inattention from both DCPS and the Hill community to the underlying issues keeping so many seats empty. In private, some of us at Brent are pleased that the entire K class is IB this year for the first time. It's taken parent leaders a decade to achieve such a warm embrace of Brent IB past the terrific ECE program. A good sign, a JKLM worthy achievement not seen outside Upper NW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

Watkins isn't the problem. Watkins reflects the community that actuallly enrolls, not the one that bitches about what it should be

If Watkins weren't the problem, the student body would have become majority IB years long ago. The state of Watkins is obviously a longstanding problem for the MAJORITY of the parents of 1st-5th graders residing in school's catchment area. Neighborhood schools in name only are all a big problem in this city, as families dash from quadrant to quadrant in search of decent public schools.

As long as DC voters insist on voting in mayors who don't give a darn if neighborhood schools actually serve neighborhoods first and foremost, the grim beat goes on.

Signed
IB Cluster Parent who Sends her Children to a Language Immersion Charter and Wishes We'd Bought in the Maury District when We Could Have Afforded to
(much too busy involved at the charter day to day to find time to bitch about Watkins)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard a cheap shot. No DC Catholic school would satisfy you, you demanding b****. Maybe an explanation would help.

The story of Stuart-Hobson is the story of political concerns trumping academic prerogatives for the last 4 decades. It's not a bad school, but it hasn't served the neighborhood well since the 70s, which isn't good news for any of us in-boundary. No way should more students from Ward 5, 7 and 8 than from Ward 6 still be in that building.

YES THEY SHOULD. Watkins is IMPROVING to 30% IB this year. Even much hyped Brent is only 65% IB. If the IB families don't opt in why should the Ward 5, 7 and 8 families get called out for exercising school choice? They're exercising the same OOB rights exercised by the Ward 6 families choosing charters over IB.

This person is obviously not saying OOB kids shouldn’t get to fill empty seats. She’s saying there is no excuse for empty seats and this point. The Watkins boundary is exploding with school aged children. The fact that they’re not enrolling means Watkins/DCPS is doing something wrong.

Watkins isn't the problem. Watkins reflects the community that actuallly enrolls, not the one that bitches about what it should be

If Watkins weren't the problem, the student body would have become majority IB years long ago. The state of Watkins is obviously a longstanding problem for the MAJORITY of the parents of 1st-5th graders residing in school's catchment area. Neighborhood schools in name only are all a big problem in this city, as families dash from quadrant to quadrant in search of decent public schools.

As long as DC voters insist on voting in mayors who don't give a darn if neighborhood schools actually serve neighborhoods first and foremost, the grim beat goes on.

Signed
IB Cluster Parent who Sends her Children to a Language Immersion Charter and Wishes We'd Bought in the Maury District when We Could Have Afforded to
(much too busy involved at the charter day to day to find time to bitch about Watkins)

+1000 from another IB Cluster Parent who also sends her children to a charter. I would much rather send my child to a neighborhood school, but in speaking to Watkins parents, there were too many negatives.

[Anonymous]

^^if you weren't scared of integration,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^if you weren't scared of integration,

Go away race baiting troll.