Ward 6 Middle Schools

[Anonymous]

^ And pray tell, PP, where will you be sending your DC. Let me guess, if you're truly a Ward 6 parent, you're the parent of a 4-year old at Peabody...

Come back in 5 years and tell us you'd happily send DC into Hine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough, if that "unifying" effect means that kids in the neighborhood actually ATTEND their neighborhood MS, then you're right.

They'll be fighting each other for seats at SH in 2 years, when Latin and Basis dry out as options and when the best plan proffered for EH/Jefferson is "make it work." Then what?

The best I can do is suggest we make one middle school for most of Ward 6. Let the experts sort out the details.

In short, three middle schools have about 2,200 seats, with 1,100 students in those. How do we ask for more resources (modernization/programming) with that kind of utilization? How do we get people pointed in the same direction and ask them to jump in the same direction? How do we offer the sense of community people want on day one?

The answer CHPSPO and others offer is essentially warmed over status quo. Nothing radical, just throw more resources and "communicate" better about the options.

Anonymous wrote:

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is a person with a 4 year old. I think this is a person who has already had a kid go through watkins and maybe stuart hobson and is very proud of their fortitude and liberal attitude in doing so. Note: the cluster school was set up exactly for this reason--to consolidate the middle class families in one place through 8th grade with one small group. Now anyone who is not in the cluster who suggests such a thing is elitist and racist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is a person with a 4 year old. I think this is a person who has already had a kid go through watkins and maybe stuart hobson and is very proud of their fortitude and liberal attitude in doing so. Note: the cluster school was set up exactly for this reason--to consolidate the middle class families in one place through 8th grade with one small group. Now anyone who is not in the cluster who suggests such a thing is elitist and racist

Just the people who say racist things!!! Trying to find a solution doesn't make you a racist. But couching racist arguments and undertones within a proposed solution doesn't make you not a racist. See how that works?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough, if that "unifying" effect means that kids in the neighborhood actually ATTEND their neighborhood MS, then you're right.

They'll be fighting each other for seats at SH in 2 years, when Latin and Basis dry out as options and when the best plan proffered for EH/Jefferson is "make it work." Then what?

The best I can do is suggest we make one middle school for most of Ward 6. Let the experts sort out the details.

In short, three middle schools have about 2,200 seats, with 1,100 students in those. How do we ask for more resources (modernization/programming) with that kind of utilization? How do we get people pointed in the same direction and ask them to jump in the same direction? How do we offer the sense of community people want on day one?

The answer CHPSPO and others offer is essentially warmed over status quo. Nothing radical, just throw more resources and "communicate" better about the options.

Anonymous wrote:

So -- to sum up the conversation to date: test-in won't fly with current admin/political control, the current "wing and a prayer" isn't going to work, for whatever reason (probably numerous and multi-faceted) the hill ESes won't be assigned a singular MS that would lead to a natural critical mass (probably well down the road anyway.) What does this leave us? My take is that the critical mass is the key to what is required to make the jump. No one wants to go it alone, but the mass won't be there for today's 3rd and 4th graders. It just won't.

I've heard the idea proffered that there be another "program inside" like Montessori at Watkins, or SWS at Peabody, but that seems about as palatable as test-in when you realize the demographic split that will result (and not what I want my kids seeing/learning anyway.)

Is there some other type of programming that could attract the group, and make them want to stay? A reason to "stick together" that wouldn't equate to all of the kids splitting off demographically when the bell rings at the same time? IB is -meh- to me, really not impressed by it. BUT if there was some sort of really interesting STEM/robotics/immersion offering could that do it? Or, is there a way to do a test-in with a huge at-risk set-aside? Like say, 50%? There's got to be another way that hasn't been offered up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is a person with a 4 year old. I think this is a person who has already had a kid go through watkins and maybe stuart hobson and is very proud of their fortitude and liberal attitude in doing so. Note: the cluster school was set up exactly for this reason--to consolidate the middle class families in one place through 8th grade with one small group. Now anyone who is not in the cluster who suggests such a thing is elitist and racist

Just the people who say racist things!!! Trying to find a solution doesn't make you a racist. But couching racist arguments and undertones within a proposed solution doesn't make you not a racist. See how that works?

How were racist undertones put into a proposed solution?

The racist undertones that pp perceived were in a guess about why a solution HASN'T been reached. not going to say it again, but posters have trouble with something that begins with an s......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is a person with a 4 year old. I think this is a person who has already had a kid go through watkins and maybe stuart hobson and is very proud of their fortitude and liberal attitude in doing so. Note: the cluster school was set up exactly for this reason--to consolidate the middle class families in one place through 8th grade with one small group. Now anyone who is not in the cluster who suggests such a thing is elitist and racist

Just the people who say racist things!!! Trying to find a solution doesn't make you a racist. But couching racist arguments and undertones within a proposed solution doesn't make you not a racist. See how that works?

How were racist undertones put into a proposed solution?

The racist undertones that pp perceived were in a guess about why a solution HASN'T been reached. not going to say it again, but posters have trouble with something that begins with an s......

Yeah, can we all just ignore her now? she's doing nothing for us and only getting her "I'm a better urban liberal than you jerks" rocks off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to mention the fact that Seaton and Walker Jones are never even mentioned in any conversations because th cluster doesn't even realize they are in Ward 6

WTF? Why should the Cluster give two shits about this? Even dominating CHPSPO, neither school is remotely near Capitol Hill. There may be much accuse cluster folks of in terms blindly protecting our narrow interests, but this is just stupid.

Why? Because they constantly and consistently speak for ALL of ward 6 as if they are THE voice. And they are not. They are just a bunch of uptight white ladies who are afraid to leave capital hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ummm... Yes. Fully enrolled, fully funded neighborhood middle school/s in Ward 6 then articulating with a fully enrolled and fully funded Eastern High School is of benefit to the city as a whole as well as all the kid's in those schools from all over the city

So, DCPS is going to go from three MS in the Hill to two, with one of those mostly SES, which would be kind blatantly segregating by SES (a political hot buttion, esp if it is as the expense of OOB students from W7 and W8) mostly so Eastern can be more fully utilized? Assuming all the kids from the "good" Hill MS go on to Eastern, even though Eastern will still be fed by the "bad" MS as well?

If I were DCPS (or a pol with influence) I am not sure I would take the heat for major change with such an uncertain upside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yeah, can we all just ignore her now? she's doing nothing for us and only getting her "I'm a better urban liberal than you jerks" rocks off.

By all means proceed. P.S. Only on Fox News is the word "liberal" a bad thing. I'm quite proud of my liberalism. I own it - here, at work, with my friends, at public hearings. Can't say I've ever heard or seen any one of these thoughts expressed in public at a meeting. Maybe I just missed it? (I know your answer, btw, the liberal PC police won't let you say it). I leave you all where I joined you: own your shit. Liberal out!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough, if that "unifying" effect means that kids in the neighborhood actually ATTEND their neighborhood MS, then you're right.

They'll be fighting each other for seats at SH in 2 years, when Latin and Basis dry out as options and when the best plan proffered for EH/Jefferson is "make it work." Then what?

The best I can do is suggest we make one middle school for most of Ward 6. Let the experts sort out the details.

In short, three middle schools have about 2,200 seats, with 1,100 students in those. How do we ask for more resources (modernization/programming) with that kind of utilization? How do we get people pointed in the same direction and ask them to jump in the same direction? How do we offer the sense of community people want on day one?

The answer CHPSPO and others offer is essentially warmed over status quo. Nothing radical, just throw more resources and "communicate" better about the options.

Anonymous wrote:

So -- to sum up the conversation to date: test-in won't fly with current admin/political control, the current "wing and a prayer" isn't going to work, for whatever reason (probably numerous and multi-faceted) the hill ESes won't be assigned a singular MS that would lead to a natural critical mass (probably well down the road anyway.) What does this leave us? My take is that the critical mass is the key to what is required to make the jump. No one wants to go it alone, but the mass won't be there for today's 3rd and 4th graders. It just won't.

I've heard the idea proffered that there be another "program inside" like Montessori at Watkins, or SWS at Peabody, but that seems about as palatable as test-in when you realize the demographic split that will result (and not what I want my kids seeing/learning anyway.)

Is there some other type of programming that could attract the group, and make them want to stay? A reason to "stick together" that wouldn't equate to all of the kids splitting off demographically when the bell rings at the same time? IB is -meh- to me, really not impressed by it. BUT if there was some sort of really interesting STEM/robotics/immersion offering could that do it? Or, is there a way to do a test-in with a huge at-risk set-aside? Like say, 50%? There's got to be another way that hasn't been offered up.

How about a SWW-type approach? A legitimate expeditionary type of programming? Would that keep people around?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yeah, can we all just ignore her now? she's doing nothing for us and only getting her "I'm a better urban liberal than you jerks" rocks off.

By all means proceed. P.S. Only on Fox News is the word "liberal" a bad thing. I'm quite proud of my liberalism. I own it - here, at work, with my friends, at public hearings. Can't say I've ever heard or seen any one of these thoughts expressed in public at a meeting. Maybe I just missed it? (I know your answer, btw, the liberal PC police won't let you say it). I leave you all where I joined you: own your shit. Liberal out!!!

Guffaw! $20 you're reading this right now and you won't be able to help yourself... oh God, you want to weigh in again so bad about something that doesn't even impact you and tell us all how racist and jerky we're being. URgh! If you could only type something again about how superior you are! But you said you wouldn't and now, how can you possible jump on here again and accuse us of being truly awful humans. ...painful for you.

[Anonymous]

^^^folks, these ideas have all been hashed out and rejected Funding is limited. severely. The answer can't be new programs or schools. It has to be some tweaking of feeder patterns and shoring up programs already in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^folks, these ideas have all been hashed out and rejected Funding is limited. severely. The answer can't be new programs or schools. It has to be some tweaking of feeder patterns and shoring up programs already in place.

No other way to source funding? Or re-route?

[Anonymous]

Or, is it the lack of a Principal that will fight for it? I've heard time and again how the new Brookland Principal - a transfer from Janney - will be able to get whatever it takes to "make them come." Is it the inability to position something in Ward 6 as anything other than a High-SES/Caucasian benefit? I know some parents at Hine, and they rightfully feel, "crowded" by the new folks "offering assistance." Could THEY pitch it better?