DCPS Enrollment Policy Commission

[Anonymous]

My child came home with a note regarding the upcoming review of DCPS enrollment policies. It seems that the chancellor has appointed a commission to recommend changes to these policies, including changes to attendance boundaries and student transfer rights. The commission has a web site: http://www.enrollmentpolicy.org/

This will be the first comprehensive review of these policies since the 1970s, and the commission will make its recommendations to the chancellor in December, after holding five public hearings throughout the city, the first of which will be held this Thursday, September 25, at Sousa Middle School from 6 - 8:30 pm. The changes proposed by the commission are slated to take effect in January and will govern enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year.

Does anyone have any insight into the motivation for appointing the commission and the changes that are likely to be proposed?

[Anonymous]

Been doing research into this.....checking out the website....I'll be attending the first meeting to see where this is going. I have a son who will be starting next year and we're located in a less desirable attendance zone in Ward 7. I'm hoping that the new enrollment policy changes will level the playing field and give those dedicated parents in lesser performing (i.e. more discipinary problem) areas a chance to tap into some the educational greatness this city has to offer in the more affluent areas. Perhaps some of the Ward 3 parents can enroll their kids in Ward 7 as an exchange and add some diversity.

[Anonymous]

Uh, why would a parent move their child from a high-performing school to a low-performing one voluntarily?

[Anonymous]

17:23, I am all for kids in areas where the schools suck to have some choice, but why in the world should ANYONE go a low performing school???? I hope you are kidding...

[Anonymous]

OP-thanks for posting! Don't have any insight, but would welcome any thoughts on this. Especially on pre-school/pre-K policies and sibling prefernces. Both topics of previous threads.

To all- Please post updates and your thoughts on any meetings you attend. Parents' thoughts greatly appreciated for those considering or new-to DCPS.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if these meetings are coming out of the latest school figures that show an 8% drop in DCPS school enrollees this year...Maybe they want to make some changes to try to attract more families to the system?

Personally, I think it is good that the system is shrinking because it will make it more manageable for Rhee to transform. If she is able to improve the smaller number of schools with smaller student pop. then more families might come back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if these meetings are coming out of the latest school figures that show an 8% drop in DCPS school enrollees this year...Maybe they want to make some changes to try to attract more families to the system?

Personally, I think it is good that the system is shrinking because it will make it more manageable for Rhee to transform. If she is able to improve the smaller number of schools with smaller student pop. then more families might come back.

I'm guessing redistricting plans were in the works well before the enrollment figures came out. It's likely part of Rhee's larger effort to overhaul the system, especially in light of the transition of some schools to K-8; I imagine that alone throws off the current districting map. I've also heard that she wants to create more magnets, which would also impact enrollment across the city.

Her M.O. seems to be to do a lot of behind-the-scenes planning, then announce an initiative and quick timetable for meetings and final decision. That seemed to be how she moved on the school closings last year. (I say this not in critique -- I appreciate that she's action-oriented -- although I think many people find this approach off-putting and discouraging of public input. It's certainly different than the way DCPS -- like most large, entrenched bureaucracies -- has operated historically.)

[Anonymous]

This evening, I received a recorded message from the principal of our DCPS school saying these meetings were cancelled and we would receive a letter in backpacks tomorrow. Did anyone else get such a message?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I got it too, but not from our principal . . .from someone in the chancellor's office.

[Anonymous]

Personally I think the 8% drop was caused more by improved counting practises and had nothing to the actual number of children going to DCPS. The individual schools get more money whenn they show more children attend.

[Anonymous]

or kids going to charter schools
or a reduction in paperless students, similar to that in Prince William county

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This evening, I received a recorded message from the principal of our DCPS school saying these meetings were cancelled and we would receive a letter in backpacks tomorrow. Did anyone else get such a message?

Did the letter go home today? What did it say?