Mayor Bowser to Make Education Policy and Personnel Announcement - Boundary Decision?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:@2213: Clearly, Jeff, you are defensive about this issue, perhaps justifiably for someone who has a history of sticking up for civil rights, but perhaps you're a bit rattled because you just won a nice political battle fueled by privilege? But here, you went off the rails with the racist allegation. Crestwood used power politics to get what it wanted, and brought 16th Street Heights (a slightly different neighborhood than yours) along with it. You'd rather accuse critics of racism than admit you got yours. Buck up and be fine with a little inconsistency in your world-view, its the way the world works.

I have no problem admitting that Bowser did Crestwood a favor and I'm happy she did. But I've already had one son contribute to Deal's overcrowding problem and another in a Deal feeder who would be contributing regardless of today's announcement. Today's changes mean nothing to me personally.

Your statement that Crestwood's "demographic is not the same as west of Connecticut Ave" is troubling, however. If you are not referring to race, than perhaps you could explain exactly what you meant?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@2213: Clearly, Jeff, you are defensive about this issue, perhaps justifiably for someone who has a history of sticking up for civil rights, but perhaps you're a bit rattled because you just won a nice political battle fueled by privilege? But here, you went off the rails with the racist allegation. Crestwood used power politics to get what it wanted, and brought 16th Street Heights (a slightly different neighborhood than yours) along with it. You'd rather accuse critics of racism than admit you got yours. Buck up and be fine with a little inconsistency in your world-view, its the way the world works.

I have no problem admitting that Bowser did Crestwood a favor and I'm happy she did. But I've already had one son contribute to Deal's overcrowding problem and another in a Deal feeder who would be contributing regardless of today's announcement. Today's changes mean nothing to me personally.

Your statement that Crestwood's "demographic is not the same as west of Connecticut Ave" is troubling, however. If you are not referring to race, than perhaps you could explain exactly what you meant?

Because there have been many, many past discussions here -- I'm sure you will recall if you put your mind at peace for a bit -- where we all have had a lot of fun with Crestwood for seeking to be an extension of Tenleytown. Underground tunnel through Connecticut Ave and whatnot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@2213: Clearly, Jeff, you are defensive about this issue, perhaps justifiably for someone who has a history of sticking up for civil rights, but perhaps you're a bit rattled because you just won a nice political battle fueled by privilege? But here, you went off the rails with the racist allegation. Crestwood used power politics to get what it wanted, and brought 16th Street Heights (a slightly different neighborhood than yours) along with it. You'd rather accuse critics of racism than admit you got yours. Buck up and be fine with a little inconsistency in your world-view, its the way the world works.

Funny, the actual outcome is very much in line with what 16th Street Heights people have been pushing for - maybe even exactly what we asked for. Crestwood folks in general chose not to sign onto this request because they wanted something different and frankly, more ridiculous, like being reassigned to a WOTP elementary. (I know, I know that wasn't Jeff advocating for it...)

But sure, we got pulled along with them. Keep telling yourself that.

PS. You're welcome, Crestwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@21:09: more than you think, if DCI can put together numbers competitive with BASIS and Latin.

Everyone seems to believe Deal will continue to be the gold standard in DCPS, but overcrowding has been a very significant issue there the past few years. It's the main negative parents discuss with respect to Deal, whereas the "jail" part of "yale or jail" has always been a problem for high-SESers vis-vis Wilson, and Bowser's decision will not help that problem, either.

Oh boy, you have to watch out for the slum-dwellers of Crestwood and 16th Street Heights.

Jeff, as much as the Crestwooders like to believe it, your demographic is not the same as west of Connecticut Ave. Nevertheless, the hope was you guys would create enough stink to make one or more Unicorns a reality; but now, the 'wooders are just exacerbating the overcrowding problem.

What part about 2017-2018 opening do you not understand? If you'd like to advocate for a sooner opening, I'd be happy to pick up your genuine support.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@2213: Clearly, Jeff, you are defensive about this issue, perhaps justifiably for someone who has a history of sticking up for civil rights, but perhaps you're a bit rattled because you just won a nice political battle fueled by privilege? But here, you went off the rails with the racist allegation. Crestwood used power politics to get what it wanted, and brought 16th Street Heights (a slightly different neighborhood than yours) along with it. You'd rather accuse critics of racism than admit you got yours. Buck up and be fine with a little inconsistency in your world-view, its the way the world works.

Funny, the actual outcome is very much in line with what 16th Street Heights people have been pushing for - maybe even exactly what we asked for. Crestwood folks in general chose not to sign onto this request because they wanted something different and frankly, more ridiculous, like being reassigned to a WOTP elementary. (I know, I know that wasn't Jeff advocating for it...)

But sure, we got pulled along with them. Keep telling yourself that.

PS. You're welcome, Crestwood.

Yes, exactly. The solution we got was the 16th Street Heights solution (though, I should say that it is similar to the solution that I had been advocating all along). It's ironic that all throughout this discussion, Crestwood has been accused of being a rich neighborhood only looking out for itself. Now, we are apparently too poor. People should make up their minds.

[Anonymous]

I'm opposed to the special favor Mayor Bowser did for Crestwood and 16th Street Heights, essentially erasing what the long discussed plan did, but to suggest those areas are poor is just stupid trolling. Many million dollar homes in those areas.

[Anonymous]

The point is that it was political pandering. Will there be a real article in the Post questioning this policy? Are the parents of Deal and Wilson going to just sit back and watch the schools become more overcrowded??

[Anonymous]

807 again. A big part of the problem with the special favor mayor Bowser did them is that Crestwood and 16th represent the highest SES cohort that would attend MacFarland and Roosevelt, so she really eliminated that group from those schools. Not saying those schools cannot function without the high SES cohort, but that group at any school generally supplies a lot of extra support. Also, the high SES kids usually boost the school's scores, which encourages other families to join. But now MacFarland will have to try to grow without that support.

[Anonymous]

First if the Post wrote stories about all the political pandering that went on here (or in any area) there would be an entire section, a thick one to, devoted to it.

Second, Deal and Wilson are already over crowded and will be for years to come. Even if you take out the Crestwood and 16th St. kids the schools will still be overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First if the Post wrote stories about all the political pandering that went on here (or in any area) there would be an entire section, a thick one to, devoted to it.

Second, Deal and Wilson are already over crowded and will be for years to come. Even if you take out the Crestwood and 16th St. kids the schools will still be overcrowded.

It still matters, this argument they would be overcrowded anyway makes no sense! Adding 40 kids PER YEAR to an overcrowded school is a lot. Take that out to 2022 and of course it makes a difference.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:The point is that it was political pandering. Will there be a real article in the Post questioning this policy? Are the parents of Deal and Wilson going to just sit back and watch the schools become more overcrowded??

I don't think anyone has denies that Mayor Bowser has done a favor for her constituents. If you remember, during the DME process Bowser was the Ward 4 Council Member. Crestwood and 16th Street Heights are in Ward 4. Surely you are not suggesting that we should not prevail upon our elected official? The difference between "pandering" and "constituent service" in this case is pretty gray. Other neighborhoods were able to have their concerns addressed at other stages of the process. Should the Post be writing about that as well?

Also, I was a pretty vocal supporter of Bowser's opponent. One of my main criticisms of her was that she didn't seem to stand for anything. However, I believe that this issue of the park not being a boundary is something that she felt strongly about. I wouldn't discount her own principles having an important role in these changes.

[Anonymous]

If Bowser ever wants to relieve overcrowding at Deal and Wilson then she has to cut the feeder system.

[Anonymous]

Jeff is nailing it on the head here. I literally get sick to my stomach when I hear WOTP Deal parents refer to my EOTP Deal kid as Jail or Yale or claim we have a a HUGE a demographics difference. Okay, your $1.2M is so much better than my $1.1M house. Did you know that Brookland houses are going for >$1M now? Yall have to accept the fact that rich folks are not just clamoring to go WOTP anymore. Times have changed. There are many families that live in Petworth that match the SES of your families now (to the PP that claims only high SES families that live EOTP are in Crestwood). So like Jeff said, what exactly did you mean when you say there are HUGE demographic differences between WOTP Deal and Shepherd, Crestwood, Colonial Village? Let's not forget a lot of the real big money WOTP is not even IB for Deal.

[Anonymous]

If people are "not clamoring" to come wotp, why did Bowser just "tweak" the grandfathering?

I live wotp not in a million dollar house (nor anywhere close to that), so bragging about your million dollar house does not give me much sympathy for you.

[Anonymous]

Culturally, there is a huge difference between 16th Street Heights and Tenleytown. Asserting the competitiveness of EOTP housing values is so...crude.