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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real “virulent” community opposition comes from a failed failed ANC candidate, who doesn’t even live in the community but rather in SW, and a handful of his friends who seem obsessed with a vendetta against Maret.

Tell that to the thousands of people who signed the petition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real “virulent” community opposition comes from a failed failed ANC candidate, who doesn’t even live in the community but rather in SW, and a handful of his friends who seem obsessed with a vendetta against Maret.

Tell that to the thousands of people who signed the petition.

Which contained anodyne, non-controversial statement like “public parks should be for the public.” Get a grip, Jack! You lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Muriel Bowser has announced that $25 million will be committed in Dc taxpayer funds to renovate Jelleff rec center. Plus DC taxpayers paid $15 million for the land for Jelleff more than a decade ago. So exactly how does Maret get away with paying just $95k/year that so many public schools and comunity groups need and can’t access during the most active parts of the day?

https://georgetowner.com/articles/2019/12/23/top-2019-news-in-georgetown-evans-jelleff-bikes-scooters/

Because Bowser is in cahoots with property developers, and Maret has lots of those in its community (eg, both Abdos and Youngentob of EYA were all at the hearing).

It’s pathetic that with all the real estate developer parents in the Maret community, none of them has been able to arrange for Maret to find a non-public field it can afford.

[Anonymous]

Not a Maret parent, but I would say that most parents who I know in Upper Northwest feel quire positively toward Maret. Maret has a reputation for being a nice, balanced academic environment. It is generally known that Maret spent a lot of money improving Jelleff for everyone and folks have no problem with Maret getting a reasonable benefit for its investment. Hardy was already facing an uphill battle in Upper NW to be taken seriously. People vaguely think that it has moved a bit although not far enough from the time a decade or more ago when “old Hardy” decidedly did not want to be “gentrified “ by more upper middle class families from Northwest. The campaign against Hardy has reopened old suspicions that the Hardy community is still a hostile, resentful place. It also hasn’t helped the school that some (hopefully few) loud “boosters” found it necessary to highlight how Hardy’s facilities are so lacking. People knew that the school wouldn’t be in Deal’s league academically for a while, if ever. It clearly can’t be in Deal’s league athletically, either.

[Anonymous]

And yet Ellington field goes unused. How many years did Ellington renovation last? I guess no one could use the field during that time because...?

I have seen the Field School using that field between 3-5 pm. It’s seems there are option all over the place for Hardy ...if the administration at Hardy thought it was a priority.

How many middle schools in DC have a full size field for their athletic teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a Maret parent, but I would say that most parents who I know in Upper Northwest feel quire positively toward Maret. Maret has a reputation for being a nice, balanced academic environment. It is generally known that Maret spent a lot of money improving Jelleff for everyone and folks have no problem with Maret getting a reasonable benefit for its investment. Hardy was already facing an uphill battle in Upper NW to be taken seriously. People vaguely think that it has moved a bit although not far enough from the time a decade or more ago when “old Hardy” decidedly did not want to be “gentrified “ by more upper middle class families from Northwest. The campaign against Hardy has reopened old suspicions that the Hardy community is still a hostile, resentful place. It also hasn’t helped the school that some (hopefully few) loud “boosters” found it necessary to highlight how Hardy’s facilities are so lacking. People knew that the school wouldn’t be in Deal’s league academically for a while, if ever. It clearly can’t be in Deal’s league athletically, either.

You don’t know the facts. Your opinions are based on Maret PR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And yet Ellington field goes unused. How many years did Ellington renovation last? I guess no one could use the field during that time because...?

I have seen the Field School using that field between 3-5 pm. It’s seems there are option all over the place for Hardy ...if the administration at Hardy thought it was a priority.

How many middle schools in DC have a full size field for their athletic teams?

Dealing with Ellington does not make Maret’s deal less corrupt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Maret parent, but I would say that most parents who I know in Upper Northwest feel quire positively toward Maret. Maret has a reputation for being a nice, balanced academic environment. It is generally known that Maret spent a lot of money improving Jelleff for everyone and folks have no problem with Maret getting a reasonable benefit for its investment. Hardy was already facing an uphill battle in Upper NW to be taken seriously. People vaguely think that it has moved a bit although not far enough from the time a decade or more ago when “old Hardy” decidedly did not want to be “gentrified “ by more upper middle class families from Northwest. The campaign against Hardy has reopened old suspicions that the Hardy community is still a hostile, resentful place. It also hasn’t helped the school that some (hopefully few) loud “boosters” found it necessary to highlight how Hardy’s facilities are so lacking. People knew that the school wouldn’t be in Deal’s league academically for a while, if ever. It clearly can’t be in Deal’s league athletically, either.

You don’t know the facts. Your opinions are based on Maret PR.

+1. Many, many NW parents are disgusted by Maret’s actions and recognize that DC doesn’t need the $95,000/year from Maret for a park that DC is spending $50 million on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real “virulent” community opposition comes from a failed failed ANC candidate, who doesn’t even live in the community but rather in SW, and a handful of his friends who seem obsessed with a vendetta against Maret.

Tell that to the thousands of people who signed the petition.

Which contained anodyne, non-controversial statement like “public parks should be for the public.” Get a grip, Jack! You lost.

Wait, “public parks should be for the public” IS anodyne and non-controversial. Are you being sarcastic, or do you really think that is a controversial statement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet Ellington field goes unused. How many years did Ellington renovation last? I guess no one could use the field during that time because...?

I have seen the Field School using that field between 3-5 pm. It’s seems there are option all over the place for Hardy ...if the administration at Hardy thought it was a priority.

How many middle schools in DC have a full size field for their athletic teams?

Dealing with Ellington does not make Maret’s deal less corrupt.

The less than impressive administrative staffs of both Hardy and Ellington trying to sort out use of the field conjures up images of teenagers fumbling around in the dark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a Maret parent, but I would say that most parents who I know in Upper Northwest feel quire positively toward Maret. Maret has a reputation for being a nice, balanced academic environment. It is generally known that Maret spent a lot of money improving Jelleff for everyone and folks have no problem with Maret getting a reasonable benefit for its investment. Hardy was already facing an uphill battle in Upper NW to be taken seriously. People vaguely think that it has moved a bit although not far enough from the time a decade or more ago when “old Hardy” decidedly did not want to be “gentrified “ by more upper middle class families from Northwest. The campaign against Hardy has reopened old suspicions that the Hardy community is still a hostile, resentful place. It also hasn’t helped the school that some (hopefully few) loud “boosters” found it necessary to highlight how Hardy’s facilities are so lacking. People knew that the school wouldn’t be in Deal’s league academically for a while, if ever. It clearly can’t be in Deal’s league athletically, either.

Maret got a reasonable benefit, they got the ten years they agreed to.

What really irks me is the line of reasoning that we should be giving away valuable public real estate to private schools because they're "nice people." And that public school shouldn't get resources because they are "not nice people."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Maret parent, but I would say that most parents who I know in Upper Northwest feel quire positively toward Maret. Maret has a reputation for being a nice, balanced academic environment. It is generally known that Maret spent a lot of money improving Jelleff for everyone and folks have no problem with Maret getting a reasonable benefit for its investment. Hardy was already facing an uphill battle in Upper NW to be taken seriously. People vaguely think that it has moved a bit although not far enough from the time a decade or more ago when “old Hardy” decidedly did not want to be “gentrified “ by more upper middle class families from Northwest. The campaign against Hardy has reopened old suspicions that the Hardy community is still a hostile, resentful place. It also hasn’t helped the school that some (hopefully few) loud “boosters” found it necessary to highlight how Hardy’s facilities are so lacking. People knew that the school wouldn’t be in Deal’s league academically for a while, if ever. It clearly can’t be in Deal’s league athletically, either.

Maret got a reasonable benefit, they got the ten years they agreed to.

What really irks me is the line of reasoning that we should be giving away valuable public real estate to private schools because they're "nice people." And that public school shouldn't get resources because they are "not nice people."

This. Maret is not doing anything to dispel their reputation of being privileged and uncaring by throwing dirt at the Hardy community, particularly because so many public schools and community groups are interested in using Jelleff. Maret just needs to get a more competent board and administrators and get a private field to rent or buy like a better quality private school would do.

[Anonymous]

Hardy seems to be the school that seems out of touch here. They basically can use the Ellington field at nearly any time, but they turn up their noses because it isn’t exactly Jelleff (which Maret paid to improve). But Hardy looks fussy and silly because Ellington seems just fine for various Georgetown University teams that use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy seems to be the school that seems out of touch here. They basically can use the Ellington field at nearly any time, but they turn up their noses because it isn’t exactly Jelleff (which Maret paid to improve). But Hardy looks fussy and silly because Ellington seems just fine for various Georgetown University teams that use it.

1) Many more schools than Hardy want to use Jelleff. Including Eaton, Hyde-Addison, Mann, and Stoddert plus community groups like the Boys and Girls Club of Washington who has kids in a basement because they can't use Jelleff field. Numerous people have explained that, but because Maret doesn't have a way to defend its actions, it likes to pretend the rest of the DC community doesn't exist.
2) Hardy can't use the Ellington field nearly any time-their use is restricted. Numerous people have explained that, but because Maret doesn't have a way to defend its actions, it likes to make stuff up.


Why is Maret paying just $95,000/year for a facility that DC is putting $50,000,000 into? Why does it not have the funds to buy or lease a private market rate field despite taking in $45,000 in tuition per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy seems to be the school that seems out of touch here. They basically can use the Ellington field at nearly any time, but they turn up their noses because it isn’t exactly Jelleff (which Maret paid to improve). But Hardy looks fussy and silly because Ellington seems just fine for various Georgetown University teams that use it.

Your presumption seems to be that Jelleff and Ellington are equivalent. Let's ask Maret if they're willing to switch and see how that goes.