Breakaway school district

[Anonymous]

Would it be possible for schools in say ward 2,3 and maybe 4 to break away and form their own district away from dcps? Lets face it dcps is not set up to further education in these areas. The dcps structure is set up to be a social safety net system for under privileged kids and this is a bit unfair to other wards.

[Anonymous]

No, that's not how public education works. Do you hate America, or are you just racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would it be possible for schools in say ward 2,3 and maybe 4 to break away and form their own district away from dcps? Lets face it dcps is not set up to further education in these areas. The dcps structure is set up to be a social safety net system for under privileged kids and this is a bit unfair to other wards.

Living in Ward Six makes me feel the same way - that DCPS is set up as a social safety net. It feels like they use middle class families more as social engineering tools than as individual students who should be met on their level.

[Anonymous]

You could go private and call your Ward 2, 3, and 4 schools "academies." Look to Alabama for examples of how it could work. Circa 1955.

[Anonymous]

Ward 4 is mostly African American. They are mostly middle an upper class families and desecrr good school too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ward 4 is mostly African American. They are mostly middle an upper class families and desecrr good school too.

well, poster only said maybe Ward 4. Only if they're really good could they get in. You know, the good ones.

[Anonymous]

I would rather see DCPS incorporated into Momtgomery County school system so the school system could do a better job economically integrating the schools.

[Anonymous]

@ 09:50 Virginia too! Some counties, I believe it was Prince Edward, shut down their whole public school systems rather than integrate. Makes me sad to see that people still want to segregate, unless earn $250K plus.

[Anonymous]

That's what charter schools are for.

[Anonymous]

What? Most charter schools are located in wards other than 2, 3and 4 and for what it's worth, serve a higher percentage of African American students than DCPS. Not sure about the ses comparisons, DCPS possibly still serves a larger percentage of poor kids. Would be interesting to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's what charter schools are for.

The existence of charter schools is designed to give parents who don't feel served within DCPS a means to opt out. That's how OP's question relates to this answer. And that's, among other reasons, why they have no neighborhood preference.
Indeed, if your educational needs can only be satisfied by being in a context of like-minded (e.g. religious, cultural) or like-"looking/speaking" (all boys/girls, from certain walks of life), then that educational need is considered a private need (different from the public need to educate everyone). The private school market then is your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What? Most charter schools are located in wards other than 2, 3and 4 and for what it's worth, serve a higher percentage of African American students than DCPS. Not sure about the ses comparisons, DCPS possibly still serves a larger percentage of poor kids. Would be interesting to know.

Ward 4 is home to some of the city's best-known charters--Cap City, Haynes (high school & early childhood), Washington Latin, Bridges LAMB (one campus). (And coming soon: DCI, Sela.)

[Anonymous]

OP, how would you pay for it? Who would administer it? Don't current boundaries, economic and physical, act as a de facto breakaway district? What about Oyster-Adams which is in wards 1 and 3? Should wards 2-3 and Lafayette side of 4 kids be kicked out of charters since they have their "own" district? Should any families receiving "safety net" support like disability or food stamps (you might be surprised how many) also be screened out?

Public school is a public service. Do you want separate street maintenance too? If you are that outraged at DCPS then go to private school or move. Or volunteer to help those caught in the net.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, how would you pay for it? Who would administer it? Don't current boundaries, economic and physical, act as a de facto breakaway district? What about Oyster-Adams which is in wards 1 and 3? Should wards 2-3 and Lafayette side of 4 kids be kicked out of charters since they have their "own" district? Should any families receiving "safety net" support like disability or food stamps (you might be surprised how many) also be screened out?

Public school is a public service. Do you want separate street maintenance too? If you are that outraged at DCPS then go to private school or move. Or volunteer to help those caught in the net.

One less tax payer to pay for DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Although very inartfully put, the OP raises a serious issue. Unfortunately on this board (and in the DCPS administration), the prevailing opinion seems to be that no non-poor student should be a priority until all poor students' needs are met.