Latin Cooper - Capitol Hill families?

[Anonymous]

Latin has its own BS. Talk to parents who spent years lobbying for challenging math for advanced students. Parents of the most advanced math students used to band together to hire math tutors under the radar, with admins stubbornly insisting that the math taught was plenty hard enough, parents simply refused to believe it.

For the longest time, Latin wouldn't let kids take AP Calc before senior year. Then it was junior year. Finally, 15 years in, it's sophomore year.

Latin wouldn't teach Spanish for a decade, even to kids coming in with advanced Spanish from Lamb, Tyler etc. More lobbying on the part of parents, and finally change.

[Anonymous]

I'm not concerned about the warehouse. I'm concerned about the threat of the move across the river for high school, and not because I fear Anacostia. Across the river isn't on the way to anywhere most Ward 5 + 6 families with preteens and teens want to go on weekdays. That commute would be a big pain, not just to get kids to campus, but to attend school events, parent meetings and the like.

I need an OK middle school to stay in the District and my IB school is a mess. Arguably, I should have at least one halfway acceptable 5th-12th grade option for my tax dollars...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Latin has its own BS. Talk to parents who spent years lobbying for challenging math for advanced students. Parents of the most advanced math students used to band together to hire math tutors under the radar, with admins stubbornly insisting that the math taught was plenty hard enough, parents simply refused to believe it.

For the longest time, Latin wouldn't let kids take AP Calc before senior year. Then it was junior year. Finally, 15 years in, it's sophomore year.

Latin wouldn't teach Spanish for a decade, even to kids coming in with advanced Spanish from Lamb, Tyler etc. More lobbying on the part of parents, and finally change.

I hope they didn't give up Chinese, French or Arabic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not concerned about the warehouse. I'm concerned about the threat of the move across the river for high school, and not because I fear Anacostia. Across the river isn't on the way to anywhere most Ward 5 + 6 families with preteens and teens want to go on weekdays. That commute would be a big pain, not just to get kids to campus, but to attend school events, parent meetings and the like.

I need an OK middle school to stay in the District and my IB school is a mess. Arguably, I should have at least one halfway acceptable 5th-12th grade option for my tax dollars...

It's interesting you say this. The goal of the original Latin was "a school for all wards" and the stated desire was a central location. While they did not quote achieve that to many family's disappointment, they did secure a building in pretty good transport lines and added in the buses. I can completely see why you don't like a move across the river. While the desire to increase seats for across the river is great, the location being there seems to contradict the original mission somewhat. I personally think adhering to a goal of central location and robust transport makes the most sense .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not concerned about the warehouse. I'm concerned about the threat of the move across the river for high school, and not because I fear Anacostia. Across the river isn't on the way to anywhere most Ward 5 + 6 families with preteens and teens want to go on weekdays. That commute would be a big pain, not just to get kids to campus, but to attend school events, parent meetings and the like.

I need an OK middle school to stay in the District and my IB school is a mess. Arguably, I should have at least one halfway acceptable 5th-12th grade option for my tax dollars...

This is so deeply ignorant. There are areas with more highly concentrated poverty and greater needs, but there are also BEAUTIFUL and SAFE area of both Wards 7 and 8 east of river (Hillcrest, Historic Anacostia, Fort Dupont, Kenilworth to name a few). My family bikes to some of these from Ward 6 and drives to others without any real safety concerns.

I have no idea there Latin II should or will end up, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people live in a total bubble. There's been plenty of street crime around Cap Hill, Brookland, H St., Kingman Park, Trinidad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not concerned about the warehouse. I'm concerned about the threat of the move across the river for high school, and not because I fear Anacostia. Across the river isn't on the way to anywhere most Ward 5 + 6 families with preteens and teens want to go on weekdays. That commute would be a big pain, not just to get kids to campus, but to attend school events, parent meetings and the like.

I need an OK middle school to stay in the District and my IB school is a mess. Arguably, I should have at least one halfway acceptable 5th-12th grade option for my tax dollars...

This is so deeply ignorant. There are areas with more highly concentrated poverty and greater needs, but there are also BEAUTIFUL and SAFE area of both Wards 7 and 8 east of river (Hillcrest, Historic Anacostia, Fort Dupont, Kenilworth to name a few). My family bikes to some of these from Ward 6 and drives to others without any real safety concerns.

I have no idea there Latin II should or will end up, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people live in a total bubble. There's been plenty of street crime around Cap Hill, Brookland, H St., Kingman Park, Trinidad.

The PP mentioned accessibility, not crime or beauty

[Anonymous]

<< Latin wouldn't teach Spanish for a decade, even to kids coming in with advanced Spanish from Lamb, Tyler etc. More lobbying on the part of parents, and finally change. >>

I am a current Latin parent and haven't heard about this. Does this poster just not know what's going on? Or is Spanish going to be offered and, if so, for which grade/s?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not concerned about the warehouse. I'm concerned about the threat of the move across the river for high school, and not because I fear Anacostia. Across the river isn't on the way to anywhere most Ward 5 + 6 families with preteens and teens want to go on weekdays. That commute would be a big pain, not just to get kids to campus, but to attend school events, parent meetings and the like.

I need an OK middle school to stay in the District and my IB school is a mess. Arguably, I should have at least one halfway acceptable 5th-12th grade option for my tax dollars...

This is so deeply ignorant. There are areas with more highly concentrated poverty and greater needs, but there are also BEAUTIFUL and SAFE area of both Wards 7 and 8 east of river (Hillcrest, Historic Anacostia, Fort Dupont, Kenilworth to name a few). My family bikes to some of these from Ward 6 and drives to others without any real safety concerns.

I have no idea there Latin II should or will end up, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people live in a total bubble. There's been plenty of street crime around Cap Hill, Brookland, H St., Kingman Park, Trinidad.

The PP mentioned accessibility, not crime or beauty

Crossing river at Benning Road, Penn Ave and 11th Street are all FAR more accessible from the eastern DC quadrants than Brightwood, Michigan Park or Ft Totten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Latin has its own BS. Talk to parents who spent years lobbying for challenging math for advanced students. Parents of the most advanced math students used to band together to hire math tutors under the radar, with admins stubbornly insisting that the math taught was plenty hard enough, parents simply refused to believe it.

For the longest time, Latin wouldn't let kids take AP Calc before senior year. Then it was junior year. Finally, 15 years in, it's sophomore year.

Latin wouldn't teach Spanish for a decade, even to kids coming in with advanced Spanish from Lamb, Tyler etc. More lobbying on the part of parents, and finally change.

These seem like niche problems, to be honest. But i can sense how upsetting it was to not have advanced math, early AP Calc or language suited to your immersion student.

[Anonymous]

Cont.. can I ask why you chose Latin knowing those things that were very important to your family were not ( yet ) part of the program.

Did you imagine the admin could/would change the scope and sequence of the math program and their languages as soon as you requested it?

Were you more upset that the admin didn’t agree with your priorities or that it took so long to pressure/lobby them into it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin has its own BS. Talk to parents who spent years lobbying for challenging math for advanced students. Parents of the most advanced math students used to band together to hire math tutors under the radar, with admins stubbornly insisting that the math taught was plenty hard enough, parents simply refused to believe it.

For the longest time, Latin wouldn't let kids take AP Calc before senior year. Then it was junior year. Finally, 15 years in, it's sophomore year.

Latin wouldn't teach Spanish for a decade, even to kids coming in with advanced Spanish from Lamb, Tyler etc. More lobbying on the part of parents, and finally change.

These seem like niche problems, to be honest. But i can sense how upsetting it was to not have advanced math, early AP Calc or language suited to your immersion student.

The Spanish thing is weird. Who doesn't teach Spanish?

I don't think kids should be taking calculus before senior year unless they're extreme outliers. But if you have kids who are proficient in the prerequisites, it's a weird hill to die on to not let them take a class you offer.

[Anonymous]

The Greeks and Roman didn't know calculus or speak Spanish. Neither should be part of classical education, especially not in a warehouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Greeks and Roman didn't know calculus or speak Spanish. Neither should be part of classical education, especially not in a warehouse.

“As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers.”

—Plato

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Latin has its own BS. Talk to parents who spent years lobbying for challenging math for advanced students. Parents of the most advanced math students used to band together to hire math tutors under the radar, with admins stubbornly insisting that the math taught was plenty hard enough, parents simply refused to believe it.

For the longest time, Latin wouldn't let kids take AP Calc before senior year. Then it was junior year. Finally, 15 years in, it's sophomore year.

Latin wouldn't teach Spanish for a decade, even to kids coming in with advanced Spanish from Lamb, Tyler etc. More lobbying on the part of parents, and finally change.

This. It took a long time to get basics like above and parents had to lobby and fight for it. It didn’t happen anytime soon when the original Latin campus started at all. It took a very long time for Latin to even get any buy in from many middle and UMC families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not concerned about the warehouse. I'm concerned about the threat of the move across the river for high school, and not because I fear Anacostia. Across the river isn't on the way to anywhere most Ward 5 + 6 families with preteens and teens want to go on weekdays. That commute would be a big pain, not just to get kids to campus, but to attend school events, parent meetings and the like.

I need an OK middle school to stay in the District and my IB school is a mess. Arguably, I should have at least one halfway acceptable 5th-12th grade option for my tax dollars...

This is so deeply ignorant. There are areas with more highly concentrated poverty and greater needs, but there are also BEAUTIFUL and SAFE area of both Wards 7 and 8 east of river (Hillcrest, Historic Anacostia, Fort Dupont, Kenilworth to name a few). My family bikes to some of these from Ward 6 and drives to others without any real safety concerns.

I have no idea there Latin II should or will end up, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people live in a total bubble. There's been plenty of street crime around Cap Hill, Brookland, H St., Kingman Park, Trinidad.

I have a relative that actually lives in Historical Anacostia and you just are clueless. He had his house broken in twice, almost jumped on the street, drugs dealing and gangs all times of the day. I could go on and on. The crime there is real. The stats are real that ward 7 and 8 are the highest crime ward in the city. It’s a different world there.

Just because you bike there, you think you know. There is no way I would send my kid to any school in ward 7 and 8 let alone let him take public transportation there on his own.