Thank you for the notes. I’m so sad to hear that it was only attended by a dozen people. But now I know how it important it is for me to get involved. We just bought in SP/CV for the schools (but don’t have kids there yet). I hope that other parents step up to fight this as well. |
Thanks for posting the community meeting notes. I thought it was a good meeting. It was refreshing that someone else has heard the racism coming from Ward 3. It is very appalling. Sadly, nobody in elected positions will take a stand unless there is a large number of parents who do. |
Mr. Alexander, it would be better if you were truthful regarding your motives. I was wondering why you labeled the quote from the non-Shepherd parent who wanted us kicked out of the Deal/Wilson feeder as "A Valid Counterpoint" and why your article was so biased. It all makes more sense now that I've read the pp's post. Also, it's fair game to quote elected officials at these informal meetings, but you should get permission from private citizens. At the very least, let everyone know that you plan to write and publish an article so private citizens can provide you with permission to quote them if they desire. Otherwise you don't to avoid interfering with the community's ability to speak freely. |
+100, i found it totally irresponsible to quote people (private citizen) who were talking not knowing they were being recorded. You should have disclosed that you were recording the meeting! And if I remember correctly one of your kid still attend Deal. It is time you come clean about your motive because your article was really biased. Maybe you should have followed you best judgement not to post it? |
NP. He is a blogger. Mr. Alexander covers all sorts of public meetings on his blog related to schools, traffic, ANC activities. And furthermore, he has first amendment rights. Anyone who is speaking in a public meeting should be aware that what they are saying is, in effect, on the record. If the Washington Post or City Paper been in attendance, they too could have, and likely would have, quoted this woman as well. This was not a closed-door, private meeting with an expectation of privacy but rather an open, community-wide session, with elected officials in attendance. Finally, any time spent attacking him is time you could more productively spend lobbying the city employees and elected officials who have some say in this process. |
Mr. Alexander, what educational organization do you own and what does it do? |
I don't know him, but with google he seems to be active in a parent run STEM club. http://www.nwsadc.com/
I am not sure why he can't think rerouting SP to NN is a good idea because he participates in a STEM club. I am not sure if his children went to Wilson he can't think rerouting SP to NN is a good idea. School boundaries change all the time. It's perfectly legitimate to think SP/CV etc. should be routed to actual Ward 4 schools. Ideally, each Ward would have a quality middle school/high school path and there would be multiple test-in city-wide MS/HS paths. Similarly, Ward 2 feeders should be routed to Ward 2 MS/HS. Ward 1 to Ward 1., etc. |
Pretty sure he founded the Saturday STEM club, which was initially (perhaps still) housed at Shepherd. The goal was to help students from lower performing elementary schools get up to speed / gain exposure to technology (he posted on it here, as well as on neighborhood listservs back when it started (use the DCUM search function). Regardless of where his kids go/went to school, he has actually tried to do more for students in Ward 4 than many others. |
A) It was a meeting OPEN to the PUBLIC B) He is a citizen journalist C) I was at the meeting and his reporting is accurate D) You're a jerk |
By that thinking Lafayette should go too. |
The article says a couple dozen, not a dozen. Also, there was less than 1 week notice for a meeting held in the middle of winter break where most families are out of town. |
Yes but what would it take to make New North a good middle school? Is that feasible? I’m just not willing to roll the dice on my kids education which is why bought in SP/CV. |
*why we* |
You are the same Takoma person who keeps attending these meetings and asking the same question over and over again. Of course his reporting is correct in your opinion, he selectively choose what to put there to support your cause. Whatever happens you are not going to get what you want, you can forget about the strong SES cohort you keep talking about, many SES parents will not send their kids to New North or Coolidge, so keep dreaming. As of Mr Alexander, he stated before in this thread that he had no position, which was inaccurate if you see his reporting and his previous posts on the subject. It is good he got called out. He tries to make it sound like he is objective but he is not, it sounds like he has something to hide otherwise he will be more open about where he stand! With that say I am off this thread, I will let the same two people continue posting! |
Yes, they should, and also Bancroft should feed into MacFarland. |