DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

One thing we can conclude is that even the top of the class at Hardy, if their parents are thinking of private school for high school, had better think of some other school that Maret. Hardy will be a scarlet letter with the Maret admissions director.

Hardy parents are unlikely to want to expose their children to Maret Values.

Right? Maret STILL doesn’t get what a PR disaster this is. One thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Maret isn’t the only school out there with sweetheart deals in DC. Just the only one willing to egg on bad impressions on this very easily searchable website! Google Maret right now — after their own website, a bunch of articles about their “special access” to a public field pop up. Terrible, terrible impressions for anyone looking for private school.

Exactly. Everyone is wondering what is wrong with Maret’s finances such that they prefer a shady low cost deal that gets them raked through the coals rather than a market priced field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

One thing we can conclude is that even the top of the class at Hardy, if their parents are thinking of private school for high school, had better think of some other school that Maret. Hardy will be a scarlet letter with the Maret admissions director.

Hardy parents are unlikely to want to expose their children to Maret Values.

Right? Maret STILL doesn’t get what a PR disaster this is. One thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Maret isn’t the only school out there with sweetheart deals in DC. Just the only one willing to egg on bad impressions on this very easily searchable website! Google Maret right now — after their own website, a bunch of articles about their “special access” to a public field pop up. Terrible, terrible impressions for anyone looking for private school.

Exactly. Everyone is wondering what is wrong with Maret’s finances such that they prefer a shady low cost deal that gets them raked through the coals rather than a market priced field.

So it’s pretty clear that there is one individual, or several, whose mission is not to advance the interests of Hardy students or some group of supposedly poor kids locked in the Jelleff basement during sports season, but rather to cause Maret harm out of some personal animus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

Why not ask the Maret Board of Trustees what values their kids are learning? Because I see tons of language on their website about diversity and equity and they're not living their values.
https://www.maret.org/about-us/leadership
Ian Cameron, President
Leigh Comas, Vice President
Travis Allen ’93, Treasurer
Michael Kirshbaum ’94, Secretary
Mai Abdo
Alan Adler ’92
Esma Akin
David Burton
Steve Farina
Suzanne George
David Hall
Daniel Hartman
Margaret Johnson
Marc S. Lampkin
Tom Monahan
Vadim Nikitine
Lex Sant
Larry Siegel
Shooter Starr ’99, Alumni Council Representative
Ted Stettinius
Colin Stretch
Marjo Talbott
Aakash Thakkar
Tricia Primrose Wallace
Victoria Wassmer
Rachel Moore Weller
Sylvia White
Laily Zia, Parents Association Representative

Does Hardy have a parent advisory council? Let’s publish its member names.

No, it's a public school.

Right, not even an ADVISORY board. And we know at DCPS, it’s all about the administrators and the bureaucrats. The fact that the school administrator is called “Principal Pride” or “Principal Jones” as of s/he was like a medical doctor. The views of the parents don’t count for shit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

One thing we can conclude is that even the top of the class at Hardy, if their parents are thinking of private school for high school, had better think of some other school that Maret. Hardy will be a scarlet letter with the Maret admissions director.

Hardy parents are unlikely to want to expose their children to Maret Values.

Right? Maret STILL doesn’t get what a PR disaster this is. One thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Maret isn’t the only school out there with sweetheart deals in DC. Just the only one willing to egg on bad impressions on this very easily searchable website! Google Maret right now — after their own website, a bunch of articles about their “special access” to a public field pop up. Terrible, terrible impressions for anyone looking for private school.

Exactly. Everyone is wondering what is wrong with Maret’s finances such that they prefer a shady low cost deal that gets them raked through the coals rather than a market priced field.

So it’s pretty clear that there is one individual, or several, whose mission is not to advance the interests of Hardy students or some group of supposedly poor kids locked in the Jelleff basement during sports season, but rather to cause Maret harm out of some personal animus.

And how have you reached this conclusion against evidence to the contrary? Perhaps you could visit their website or even drop by Jelleff? It might do you some good to get out for a bit and see the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

Why not ask the Maret Board of Trustees what values their kids are learning? Because I see tons of language on their website about diversity and equity and they're not living their values.
https://www.maret.org/about-us/leadership
Ian Cameron, President
Leigh Comas, Vice President
Travis Allen ’93, Treasurer
Michael Kirshbaum ’94, Secretary
Mai Abdo
Alan Adler ’92
Esma Akin
David Burton
Steve Farina
Suzanne George
David Hall
Daniel Hartman
Margaret Johnson
Marc S. Lampkin
Tom Monahan
Vadim Nikitine
Lex Sant
Larry Siegel
Shooter Starr ’99, Alumni Council Representative
Ted Stettinius
Colin Stretch
Marjo Talbott
Aakash Thakkar
Tricia Primrose Wallace
Victoria Wassmer
Rachel Moore Weller
Sylvia White
Laily Zia, Parents Association Representative

Does Hardy have a parent advisory council? Let’s publish its member names.

No, it's a public school.

Right, not even an ADVISORY board. And we know at DCPS, it’s all about the administrators and the bureaucrats. The fact that the school administrator is called “Principal Pride” or “Principal Jones” as of s/he was like a medical doctor. The views of the parents don’t count for shit.

Relevance to the issue of Maret not sharing? Any relevance? Pls do try to focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

One thing we can conclude is that even the top of the class at Hardy, if their parents are thinking of private school for high school, had better think of some other school that Maret. Hardy will be a scarlet letter with the Maret admissions director.

Hardy parents are unlikely to want to expose their children to Maret Values.

Right? Maret STILL doesn’t get what a PR disaster this is. One thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Maret isn’t the only school out there with sweetheart deals in DC. Just the only one willing to egg on bad impressions on this very easily searchable website! Google Maret right now — after their own website, a bunch of articles about their “special access” to a public field pop up. Terrible, terrible impressions for anyone looking for private school.

Exactly. Everyone is wondering what is wrong with Maret’s finances such that they prefer a shady low cost deal that gets them raked through the coals rather than a market priced field.

So it’s pretty clear that there is one individual, or several, whose mission is not to advance the interests of Hardy students or some group of supposedly poor kids locked in the Jelleff basement during sports season, but rather to cause Maret harm out of some personal animus.

And how have you reached this conclusion against evidence to the contrary? Perhaps you could visit their website or even drop by Jelleff? It might do you some good to get out for a bit and see the real world.

+1. I don’t care two figs about Maret. But Maret’s actions in taking public resources that should be public are deplorable. Not sure why the Maret PR person is trying to personalize this fight. We would criticize any public school that acted like Maret. But only Maret is behaving poorly in this scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

One thing we can conclude is that even the top of the class at Hardy, if their parents are thinking of private school for high school, had better think of some other school that Maret. Hardy will be a scarlet letter with the Maret admissions director.

Hardy parents are unlikely to want to expose their children to Maret Values.

Right? Maret STILL doesn’t get what a PR disaster this is. One thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Maret isn’t the only school out there with sweetheart deals in DC. Just the only one willing to egg on bad impressions on this very easily searchable website! Google Maret right now — after their own website, a bunch of articles about their “special access” to a public field pop up. Terrible, terrible impressions for anyone looking for private school.

Exactly. Everyone is wondering what is wrong with Maret’s finances such that they prefer a shady low cost deal that gets them raked through the coals rather than a market priced field.

So it’s pretty clear that there is one individual, or several, whose mission is not to advance the interests of Hardy students or some group of supposedly poor kids locked in the Jelleff basement during sports season, but rather to cause Maret harm out of some personal animus.

And how have you reached this conclusion against evidence to the contrary? Perhaps you could visit their website or even drop by Jelleff? It might do you some good to get out for a bit and see the real world.

+1. I don’t care two figs about Maret. But Maret’s actions in taking public resources that should be public are deplorable. Not sure why the Maret PR person is trying to personalize this fight. We would criticize any public school that acted like Maret. But only Maret is behaving poorly in this scenario.

The above poster is living proof of the Deadspin article on Maret and Jelleff. “Private school that pocketed rec center is tired of being criticized by non-rich people.”
https://deadspin.com/private-school-that-pocketed-public-rec-center-is-tired-1839260457

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret takes the field five days per week after school for the prime after school hours during the prime fall and spring athletic seasons - because, as their leadership says, the Maret students really need to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner and homework. These are the hours the BGCGW members are in the after-school program so those kids don’t get any access to the field. This occurs even if Maret doesn’t use the field. It sits empty on those afternoons. So this is a de facto monopoly of the entire space during the only time that others could use it and Maret refuses to share the space despite there being ten other interested parties. Maret doesn’t want to share even it is not using the space. What terrible example are they setting for their students? What sorts of values are the kids there learning?

One thing we can conclude is that even the top of the class at Hardy, if their parents are thinking of private school for high school, had better think of some other school that Maret. Hardy will be a scarlet letter with the Maret admissions director.

Hardy parents are unlikely to want to expose their children to Maret Values.

Right? Maret STILL doesn’t get what a PR disaster this is. One thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Maret isn’t the only school out there with sweetheart deals in DC. Just the only one willing to egg on bad impressions on this very easily searchable website! Google Maret right now — after their own website, a bunch of articles about their “special access” to a public field pop up. Terrible, terrible impressions for anyone looking for private school.

Exactly. Everyone is wondering what is wrong with Maret’s finances such that they prefer a shady low cost deal that gets them raked through the coals rather than a market priced field.

So it’s pretty clear that there is one individual, or several, whose mission is not to advance the interests of Hardy students or some group of supposedly poor kids locked in the Jelleff basement during sports season, but rather to cause Maret harm out of some personal animus.

And how have you reached this conclusion against evidence to the contrary? Perhaps you could visit their website or even drop by Jelleff? It might do you some good to get out for a bit and see the real world.

+1. I don’t care two figs about Maret. But Maret’s actions in taking public resources that should be public are deplorable. Not sure why the Maret PR person is trying to personalize this fight. We would criticize any public school that acted like Maret. But only Maret is behaving poorly in this scenario.

The above poster is living proof of the Deadspin article on Maret and Jelleff. “Private school that pocketed rec center is tired of being criticized by non-rich people.”
https://deadspin.com/private-school-that-pocketed-public-rec-center-is-tired-1839260457

I love this bit from that article:

“No one ever explained why public school students couldn’t use the public field across the street from us,” a former Hardy Middle School student told the council, according to the Post’s story. “To allow a private school five days a week at the prime time is the epitome of private-school privilege.”

That testimony surely hurt the feelings of Ian Cameron, head of the school’s board of trustees. Cameron, a father of Maret students, told the hearing about how since news of the sweetheart deal broke, he’s endured accusations that the elite private school only got preferential treatment because of the money and clout of the parents who send their kids there.

“They accused our children of being the, quote, ‘Children of the powerful,’” Cameron whined.

Cameron’s wife, Susan Rice, the former National Security Advisor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the Obama administration, was unable to testify at the hearing. As Cameron was singing the rich man’s blues, Rice was speaking at a gathering sponsored by Fortune magazine called, ahem, The Most Powerful Women Summit.

[Anonymous]

Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

You really are fixated on Hardy. Or is it just a way to distract people from the fact that Maret refuses to share a scare resource? Why does Maret do that? Why don’t you want to talk about that? It makes you uncomfortable, right? Knowing how little it takes for Maret to abandon any values it purports to have and teach its students? Only $95k/yr. No wonder you’re embarrassed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

Too bad Maret can't act like a decent private school and puts its parking lot underground like Sidwell did, to make room for a proper athletic field for the good of its students (and the broader DC community who would like its public park back). Why is Maret so incompetent at planning for infrastructure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

You really are fixated on Hardy. Or is it just a way to distract people from the fact that Maret refuses to share a scare resource? Why does Maret do that? Why don’t you want to talk about that? It makes you uncomfortable, right? Knowing how little it takes for Maret to abandon any values it purports to have and teach its students? Only $95k/yr. No wonder you’re embarrassed.

Yup, for the price that the average Maret family pays Maret to have 2 kids attend Maret, Maret gets a field that was purchased for $15 million more than a decade ago. Corrupt cheapskates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

Too bad Maret can't act like a decent private school and puts its parking lot underground like Sidwell did, to make room for a proper athletic field for the good of its students (and the broader DC community who would like its public park back). Why is Maret so incompetent at planning for infrastructure?

Because if you bothered to check, you would see that Maret’s parking area is about 50 feet wide at most, pushed up against the Swiss embassy compound. Even if the parking were underground, you’d see that a second field wouldn’t fit. Indeed, if you overlay a regular sized field over the entire front lawn and driveway of Maret, it wouldn’t fit (putting aside slope and historic protections that would preclude a field there even if there were space). The bottom line is that even if Maret wished to put its parking underground, there is no room on the campus for a second field.

By contrast, a nearly Jelleff-sized field would fit snugly on a north-south orientation covering the present area of the Hardy court and its mini field. It would of course require moving the court to the area where the parking lot is. Or, if the staff insisted on free parking over kids’ sports needs, the court could be sacrificed to maintain the staff privileges. It is noteworthy that the staff parking lot is wider and about as long as the present Hardy mini-field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

Too bad Maret can't act like a decent private school and puts its parking lot underground like Sidwell did, to make room for a proper athletic field for the good of its students (and the broader DC community who would like its public park back). Why is Maret so incompetent at planning for infrastructure?

Because if you bothered to check, you would see that Maret’s parking area is about 50 feet wide at most, pushed up against the Swiss embassy compound. Even if the parking were underground, you’d see that a second field wouldn’t fit. Indeed, if you overlay a regular sized field over the entire front lawn and driveway of Maret, it wouldn’t fit (putting aside slope and historic protections that would preclude a field there even if there were space). The bottom line is that even if Maret wished to put its parking underground, there is no room on the campus for a second field.

By contrast, a nearly Jelleff-sized field would fit snugly on a north-south orientation covering the present area of the Hardy court and its mini field. It would of course require moving the court to the area where the parking lot is. Or, if the staff insisted on free parking over kids’ sports needs, the court could be sacrificed to maintain the staff privileges. It is noteworthy that the staff parking lot is wider and about as long as the present Hardy mini-field.

So if Maret’s facilities are insufficient why doesn’t it move? GDS has. Sidwell has. Only Maret wants to stay in its same place while expecting DC taxpayers to pay for its students (nearly half of whom aren’t even DC residents) to play on a big field while many other public schools can’t have the same because Maret won’t share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too bad the Hardy student didn't ask why DCPS doesn't make Ellington field available to Hardy ASAP. Then he might ask his principal and staff why they won't give up their free parking lot so that Hardy's existing kiddie field can be expanded to a proper, on campus field facility.

Too bad Maret can't act like a decent private school and puts its parking lot underground like Sidwell did, to make room for a proper athletic field for the good of its students (and the broader DC community who would like its public park back). Why is Maret so incompetent at planning for infrastructure?

Because if you bothered to check, you would see that Maret’s parking area is about 50 feet wide at most, pushed up against the Swiss embassy compound. Even if the parking were underground, you’d see that a second field wouldn’t fit. Indeed, if you overlay a regular sized field over the entire front lawn and driveway of Maret, it wouldn’t fit (putting aside slope and historic protections that would preclude a field there even if there were space). The bottom line is that even if Maret wished to put its parking underground, there is no room on the campus for a second field.

By contrast, a nearly Jelleff-sized field would fit snugly on a north-south orientation covering the present area of the Hardy court and its mini field. It would of course require moving the court to the area where the parking lot is. Or, if the staff insisted on free parking over kids’ sports needs, the court could be sacrificed to maintain the staff privileges. It is noteworthy that the staff parking lot is wider and about as long as the present Hardy mini-field.

So if Maret’s facilities are insufficient why doesn’t it move? GDS has. Sidwell has. Only Maret wants to stay in its same place while expecting DC taxpayers to pay for its students (nearly half of whom aren’t even DC residents) to play on a big field while many other public schools can’t have the same because Maret won’t share.

I’m sure that if you know of a bigger campus available in Northwest you will let Ms. Talbott know.

As for DC resident students, as you note more than half of Maret students live on the District. But given non-District residents who falsely claim DC residency to attend Hardy or Ellington (as well as official non-DC resident tuition payers at the latter), what’s your point ? One is reminded of the old people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones admonition. At least DC taxpayers aren’t paying to educate nonresident students - or any student for that matter — at Maret. DC taxpayers are paying to operate Hardy, Ellington and any number of schools where students mostly from MD are fraudulently (or in a few cases, transparently) enrolled.