MacArthur is the new Walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Misspelling "Stoddert" is a tell.

We live 3 blocks from Stoddert. Just because my phone did a random autocorrect doesn’t mean we are not IB. Feels like to me that your IB gatekeeping is a tell of a different nature- very much in line with the DCUM handwringing over a potential Title I designation for a Ward 3 school. (OMG- my property value!?! Let me hug my Goyard/LV tote tighter and lock my Tesla/Prius doors in front of my BLM yard sign!)


Title I exists because as a nation, we are still collectively failing to meet the educational needs of families from historically under resourced communities. To learn more, here is a primer from an education perspective-

https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-a-title-i-school/


At the same time, Title I funds can benefit all students attending a school that receives the funds. If the school qualifies and is able to pay for more academic tutors, then student test scores improve. In addition, they could hire more teachers using Title I funds so class sizes decrease. Isn’t that the Holy Grail of DCUM-small classes and high test scores?

One of the benefits of DC that there is equity, diversity and choice in the educational programs of the system. If you don’t like something, roll up your sleeves and help be part of creating a positive systemic change so all families in DC can thrive, not just a few families in the “right” neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misspelling "Stoddert" is a tell.

We live 3 blocks from Stoddert. Just because my phone did a random autocorrect doesn’t mean we are not IB. Feels like to me that your IB gatekeeping is a tell of a different nature- very much in line with the DCUM handwringing over a potential Title I designation for a Ward 3 school. (OMG- my property value!?! Let me hug my Goyard/LV tote tighter and lock my Tesla/Prius doors in front of my BLM yard sign!)


Title I exists because as a nation, we are still collectively failing to meet the educational needs of families from historically under resourced communities. To learn more, here is a primer from an education perspective-

https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-a-title-i-school/


At the same time, Title I funds can benefit all students attending a school that receives the funds. If the school qualifies and is able to pay for more academic tutors, then student test scores improve. In addition, they could hire more teachers using Title I funds so class sizes decrease. Isn’t that the Holy Grail of DCUM-small classes and high test scores?

One of the benefits of DC that there is equity, diversity and choice in the educational programs of the system. If you don’t like something, roll up your sleeves and help be part of creating a positive systemic change so all families in DC can thrive, not just a few families in the “right” neighborhood.

<<<Insert clapping emoji here>>>

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misspelling "Stoddert" is a tell.

We live 3 blocks from Stoddert. Just because my phone did a random autocorrect doesn’t mean we are not IB. Feels like to me that your IB gatekeeping is a tell of a different nature- very much in line with the DCUM handwringing over a potential Title I designation for a Ward 3 school. (OMG- my property value!?! Let me hug my Goyard/LV tote tighter and lock my Tesla/Prius doors in front of my BLM yard sign!)


Title I exists because as a nation, we are still collectively failing to meet the educational needs of families from historically under resourced communities. To learn more, here is a primer from an education perspective-

https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-a-title-i-school/


At the same time, Title I funds can benefit all students attending a school that receives the funds. If the school qualifies and is able to pay for more academic tutors, then student test scores improve. In addition, they could hire more teachers using Title I funds so class sizes decrease. Isn’t that the Holy Grail of DCUM-small classes and high test scores?

One of the benefits of DC that there is equity, diversity and choice in the educational programs of the system. If you don’t like something, roll up your sleeves and help be part of creating a positive systemic change so all families in DC can thrive, not just a few families in the “right” neighborhood.

The seriously idealistic might want to roll up their sleeves to vote Bowser out, for as long as she stays in, nothing much can change. The rest of us are left to hope for charter lottery luck or Walls admissions good fortune EotP, the stamina to tolerate Deal chaos and J-R hit and miss academics, or the get up and go to move to the burbs. I won't be surprised if MacArthur evolves into a school on a par with J-R within 10 or 15 years, which is only saying so much.

[Anonymous]

Loving MacArthur — teachers and administrators are amazing. Yes not a big white population but that’s fine. Who cares? I can’t praise the school enough and DC comes from a well regarded private school in DC. The attention we’re getting rivals any private school. And classes are small and teachers care.

[Anonymous]

yeah, not sure why people need to shit on a school that has barely been open a year. kids seem largely learning and resources are coming into our neighborhood. parking will be only a problem once in boundary (ward 3) students become juniors, but that seems like 3-4 years away now. but many drove to JR so this is just shifting traffic around a bit.

[Anonymous]

Yes, kudos to the MacArthur parents that have posted real feedback here, I appreciate it. Lots of other weird stuff in this thread, but those experiences are good to hear.

[Anonymous]

What is weird is claiming that MacA is “the new Walls.”

It’s not even close.

Maybe one day it will be a smaller J-R.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB parent of a current 9th grader at MacArthur chiming in- MacArthur will become a great alternative to Walls and Banneker. We need a high quality DCPS high school where you don’t have to be a sporty, overscheduled, extrovert to be considered successful.

She did not apply to Walls because it wasn’t particularly focused on math and gave off a pressure cooker vibe at the Open House. She got into Banneker and said “not for me” after going to the Open House. She talked to some of the student guides who basically told her that you have to be in tons of extracurriculars and crush your classmates academically to do well at the school.

The teachers at MacArthur seem to genuinely care about teaching and the smaller campus seems suited for quieter personalities. It’s supposedly never getting larger than 850 kids.

We are pleasantly surprised by the cultural and socioeconomic composition of the school. As a multi- ethnic, middle class (sub 200k income) family, we were concerned that it would be a majority White and high income school. Her schedule is Honors Geometry, computer Science, pre-AP Biology, Pre-AP English, Pre-AP History/World Geography, Spanish II, Imaging (Photography), and Fitness/Lifetime Sports (3x a week).

Let’s just give MacArthur time to develop into its own thing- it’s basically in its infancy for goodness sake.

The school is majority black and low income. Title 1.

And? Most schools in DC are.

Give it up, the MacArthur catchment area is obviously overwhelmingly white and UMC. If the school were half as good as claimed on this thread, this wouldn't be the case.

Ahh, the MacArthur basher is back.

It’s so weird to me that people who obviously know nothing about the school spend their time arguing with people who actually have kids at the school.

Basher, who hurt you? Why so sad and desperate?

[Anonymous]

Not the PP you're responding to, but why are you in denial that DCPS is a low-capacity outfit? They could have done the planning and legwork to launch MacArthur to appeal to in-boundary residents from the get-go. My sibling's children go to Dorothy Hamm MS in Arlington, which opened several years ago. I'm told that, from Day 1, the school was almost entirely in-boundary, with 800 out of 1000 spots filled over the summer with students from a heavily UMC catchment area. Figure it out DCPS.

We don't need you here gaslighting and serving as an apologist for DCPS, PP. Why do you lack critical and analytical thinking skills?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the PP you're responding to, but why are you in denial that DCPS is a low-capacity outfit? They could have done the planning and legwork to launch MacArthur to appeal to in-boundary residents from the get-go. My sibling's children go to Dorothy Hamm MS in Arlington, which opened several years ago. I'm told that, from Day 1, the school was almost entirely in-boundary, with 800 out of 1000 spots filled over the summer with students from a heavily UMC catchment area. Figure it out DCPS.

We don't need you here gaslighting and serving as an apologist for DCPS, PP. Why do you lack critical and analytical thinking skills?

The primary goal of MaArthur was not to offload JR. That was really secondary. The primary goal was to have another school WOTP for OOB kids can have access and feed to (siblings). So no need to do anything to attract majority IB parents. IB families will be forced to go there soon enough.

Goal accomplished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the PP you're responding to, but why are you in denial that DCPS is a low-capacity outfit? They could have done the planning and legwork to launch MacArthur to appeal to in-boundary residents from the get-go. My sibling's children go to Dorothy Hamm MS in Arlington, which opened several years ago. I'm told that, from Day 1, the school was almost entirely in-boundary, with 800 out of 1000 spots filled over the summer with students from a heavily UMC catchment area. Figure it out DCPS.

We don't need you here gaslighting and serving as an apologist for DCPS, PP. Why do you lack critical and analytical thinking skills?

Yawn. “I know some people who go to a school in a different state, so that means DCPS is bad.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the PP you're responding to, but why are you in denial that DCPS is a low-capacity outfit? They could have done the planning and legwork to launch MacArthur to appeal to in-boundary residents from the get-go. My sibling's children go to Dorothy Hamm MS in Arlington, which opened several years ago. I'm told that, from Day 1, the school was almost entirely in-boundary, with 800 out of 1000 spots filled over the summer with students from a heavily UMC catchment area. Figure it out DCPS.

We don't need you here gaslighting and serving as an apologist for DCPS, PP. Why do you lack critical and analytical thinking skills?

The primary goal of MaArthur was not to offload JR. That was really secondary. The primary goal was to have another school WOTP for OOB kids can have access and feed to (siblings). So no need to do anything to attract majority IB parents. IB families will be forced to go there soon enough.

Goal accomplished.

Why do grown adults waste their time dreaming up DCPS conspiracy theories?

This is sad.

[Anonymous]

Problem is, the conspiratorial aren't wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the PP you're responding to, but why are you in denial that DCPS is a low-capacity outfit? They could have done the planning and legwork to launch MacArthur to appeal to in-boundary residents from the get-go. My sibling's children go to Dorothy Hamm MS in Arlington, which opened several years ago. I'm told that, from Day 1, the school was almost entirely in-boundary, with 800 out of 1000 spots filled over the summer with students from a heavily UMC catchment area. Figure it out DCPS.

We don't need you here gaslighting and serving as an apologist for DCPS, PP. Why do you lack critical and analytical thinking skills?

The primary goal of MaArthur was not to offload JR. That was really secondary. The primary goal was to have another school WOTP for OOB kids can have access and feed to (siblings). So no need to do anything to attract majority IB parents. IB families will be forced to go there soon enough.

Goal accomplished.

+100. Yup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loving MacArthur — teachers and administrators are amazing. Yes not a big white population but that’s fine. Who cares? I can’t praise the school enough and DC comes from a well regarded private school in DC. The attention we’re getting rivals any private school. And classes are small and teachers care.

Can you talk a bit more about the attention at MacArthur? My kid is at a small private school and is terribly unhappy due to the lack of friendships, so we're curious about MacArthur. He's a smart kid but does need to know that he's being noticed before he's compelled to do his best. And huge benefit of private is that all the teachers know and support him. And DH or I walk in the school doors, they know us, too; that also matters IMO.