Ward 2/3 High School proposal in the NW Current

[Anonymous]

Someone who works for Jack Evans' council office has said that the Duke Ellington staying in its present facility is definitely NOT a done deal and that the site is very much a possibility for a future new HS west of Rock Creek Park. All this assumes that a new facility can be built for Ellington in a more central location.

[Anonymous]

The sheer audacity of these high SES Ward 2/3 parents suddenly eyeing Western HS for themselves after Ellington kids and families have spent 40 years there without a renovation just takes my breath away.

The renovation of the building as an arts high school has been planned for years, it will be a beautiful arts facility not only for the Ellington community but for the whole area. Ellington has a great track record of graduating kids on time (virtually 100%) and getting them into college or conservatory (98%). They have put up with a less-than-ideal building for years and years; cramped, dark, basement spaces, old carpeting, so-so studios and practice/rehearsal/performance areas. The renovation is currently scheduled for two years, which means that kids entering now would have at two years in swing space and then return to a newly renovated building for two years. The renovation will enable even better arts programming and equipment for all the departments.

Don't you see how grabbing at the nearest building takes away from the experience of 500 kids from all over the city who are college/conservatory bound, talented achievers? Can't you solve your problem some other way?

And don't propose the imaginary centrally located not-build-yet, no land available new building... that won't happen in time for my kid or any time this decade.

[Anonymous]

^^ 550 kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sheer audacity of these high SES Ward 2/3 parents suddenly eyeing Western HS for themselves after Ellington kids and families have spent 40 years there without a renovation just takes my breath away.

The renovation of the building as an arts high school has been planned for years, it will be a beautiful arts facility not only for the Ellington community but for the whole area. Ellington has a great track record of graduating kids on time (virtually 100%) and getting them into college or conservatory (98%). They have put up with a less-than-ideal building for years and years; cramped, dark, basement spaces, old carpeting, so-so studios and practice/rehearsal/performance areas. The renovation is currently scheduled for two years, which means that kids entering now would have at two years in swing space and then return to a newly renovated building for two years. The renovation will enable even better arts programming and equipment for all the departments.

Don't you see how grabbing at the nearest building takes away from the experience of 500 kids from all over the city who are college/conservatory bound, talented achievers? Can't you solve your problem some other way?

And don't propose the imaginary centrally located not-build-yet, no land available new building... that won't happen in time for my kid or any time this decade.

And, here, is the telling part of your post. But, no, of course you have no self-interest in this topic. Nah, not even a whiff.

As long as your kid has a place to go, to hell with other children...talk about audacity. (At least the Ward 2 people -- of which I am not one -- talk about finding a location for those displaced. You couldn't care less.)

[Anonymous]

PP here: My preferred solution is to keep Hardy feeding Wilson and leave Ellington where it is. This, unfortunately, necessitates other changes in the feeder patterns and OOB "rights" to Wilson. To deny these tradeoffs and continue insisting nothing needs to be done is to deny reality.

[Anonymous]

Will a new HS need all the bells and whistles that are currently planned for Duke's renovation? No. Duke will stay put and their isn't gonna be a new HS built. Boundaries need to be shortened/tightened for Wilson, done.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Will a new HS need all the bells and whistles that are currently planned for Duke's renovation? No. Duke will stay put and their isn't gonna be a new HS built. Boundaries need to be shortened/tightened for Wilson, done.

No. Not done. First, create equal or better alternatives to Wilson which attract, rather than forcibly remove, students from Wilson.

It astonishes me how many fail to see that the "dig a moat around my school and call it a day" approach is self-defeating. It's the strongest argument for choice sets and lotteries that can be made.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will a new HS need all the bells and whistles that are currently planned for Duke's renovation? No. Duke will stay put and their isn't gonna be a new HS built. Boundaries need to be shortened/tightened for Wilson, done.

No. Not done. First, create equal or better alternatives to Wilson which attract, rather than forcibly remove, students from Wilson.

It astonishes me how many fail to see that the "dig a moat around my school and call it a day" approach is self-defeating. It's the strongest argument for choice sets and lotteries that can be made.

I think it's a little more complicated than that, but your point about digging moats is spot-on.

It seems to me (TO ME) that the people most vociferously in favor of tightening boundaries and removing feeders are Ellington folks who stand to lose if Wilson cannot continue taking Hardy et al. The loudest claims to move Ellington seem to come from people who may end up on the chopping block at Wilson should Ellington stay put, including EOTP folks.

This is all probably wrong and based on only a few people, but it's kind of an "I'm going to lay siege to your castle so that mine stays untouched" mentality.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will a new HS need all the bells and whistles that are currently planned for Duke's renovation? No. Duke will stay put and their isn't gonna be a new HS built. Boundaries need to be shortened/tightened for Wilson, done.

No. Not done. First, create equal or better alternatives to Wilson which attract, rather than forcibly remove, students from Wilson.

It astonishes me how many fail to see that the "dig a moat around my school and call it a day" approach is self-defeating. It's the strongest argument for choice sets and lotteries that can be made.

Yes, attract not forcibly remove. To do this DCPS should stop sabotaging SWW and build new magnet schools with quality programming. The city is hungry for quality in their neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but hardy is 87% oob

So? Both Hardy and Shepherd have high OOB attendance. No real difference there.

Hardy sends more AA/Hispanic kids to Wilson than Shepherd.
Shepherd is closer to Roosevelt than to Wilson.

This means that regardless of whether you care about proximity or care about making sure that AA/Hispanic kids can keep going to Wilson (or both), the answer is that Hardy should keep feeding to Wilson.

Hardy is closer to CHEC than Wilson. I think the high school portion of CHEC could be relcated to the Roosevelt building, and the CHEC re-established as a comprehensive middle and high school, drawing in Hardy/oyster-Adams/Francis Stevens and lincoln@CHEC

I'm a little late to the party here, but Hardy is closer to Wilson than to CHEC, unless you can fly. It is 2.7 miles by car and 20 minutes by bus from Hardy to Wilson. 3 miles by car and 40-50 minutes by bus--with a transfer--to CHEC.

This whole conversation would be so much simpler if it were just about proximity, and didn't need to be sensitive to race and SEC perceptions and realities.

[Anonymous]

Someone tell me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the problems with narrowing Wilson's West-East boundary be solved if, first, DCPS starts instituting the programming at Roosevelt and Cardozo that parents want, and second, make sure there are a couple of years of grandfathering and sibling preference so no one, presently, loses access to a school that is "better" right now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will a new HS need all the bells and whistles that are currently planned for Duke's renovation? No. Duke will stay put and their isn't gonna be a new HS built. Boundaries need to be shortened/tightened for Wilson, done.

No. Not done. First, create equal or better alternatives to Wilson which attract, rather than forcibly remove, students from Wilson.

It astonishes me how many fail to see that the "dig a moat around my school and call it a day" approach is self-defeating. It's the strongest argument for choice sets and lotteries that can be made.

Yes, attract not forcibly remove. To do this DCPS should stop sabotaging SWW and build new magnet schools with quality programming. The city is hungry for quality in their neighborhoods.

I agree with PP and Jeff's comments here. We need to stop acting as if Ward 2/3 is the only area needing new options.

Relieving Wilson's overcrowding relies on giving OOB students some place else to go, not creating a different cross-town trip. Leave Ellington alone and maintain Hardy's feed to Wilson. Roosevelt's renovation is already under way and the proposal for new programming is promising.

http://dgs.dc.gov/page/dgs-roosevelt-high-school-modernization-project

It's centrally-located in an area of high population growth and the international focus is fitting to DC. I'm especially encouraged by programmatic planning based on labor market data. It makes sense to create career tracks for high demand, high wage jobs. I, for one, like the idea of "immersion" that goes beyond language. Getting low-income and minority kids thinking and learning beyond DC's borders makes sense. Investment from and partnership with local business, non-profits and academia makes even more sense.

I agree there needs to be a magnet/GT and/or IB component, but it's easier to create an academy within an existing school than start from scratch with a new school on the western edge of town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone tell me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the problems with narrowing Wilson's West-East boundary be solved if, first, DCPS starts instituting the programming at Roosevelt and Cardozo that parents want, and second, make sure there are a couple of years of grandfathering and sibling preference so no one, presently, loses access to a school that is "better" right now?

You are not wrong. And I'm certain this is the plan; they just need improved public relations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone who works for Jack Evans' council office has said that the Duke Ellington staying in its present facility is definitely NOT a done deal and that the site is very much a possibility for a future new HS west of Rock Creek Park. All this assumes that a new facility can be built for Ellington in a more central location.

Jack Evans has been mumbling this for years. When he asked Rhee to do a feasibility study of moving Ellington to Logan the outcry was deafening. Recommending Ellington move to a "more central" location is useless if you don't engage the school community that would be impacted by this decision. Building an arts high school close to a metro station would cost at least double what the current renovation budget is for Ellington.

Since NO ONE has actually approached the Ellington school community, they are moving forward with the renovation plans. The school is moving into swing space this summer. Millions have already been spent. Give it a rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone who works for Jack Evans' council office has said that the Duke Ellington staying in its present facility is definitely NOT a done deal and that the site is very much a possibility for a future new HS west of Rock Creek Park. All this assumes that a new facility can be built for Ellington in a more central location.

Jack Evans has been mumbling this for years. When he asked Rhee to do a feasibility study of moving Ellington to Logan the outcry was deafening. Recommending Ellington move to a "more central" location is useless if you don't engage the school community that would be impacted by this decision. Building an arts high school close to a metro station would cost at least double what the current renovation budget is for Ellington.

Since NO ONE has actually approached the Ellington school community, they are moving forward with the renovation plans. The school is moving into swing space this summer. Millions have already been spent. Give it a rest.

The Rhee era Ellington thing caused an outcry because it was done in secret as a fait accompli. If it had't been discovered and outed by a Post reporter, it would have been another of rhee's coups, like the K-8 educational campuses and all the closed schools.