What are the odds that MacArthur will open in August '23?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Missed the meeting tonight -- can anyone give a readout?

As others have said, the DCPS team seemed completely unprepared to address questions of most importance to families impacted by this decision. And they have no excuse not to have anticipated these questions since they are the SAME questions that continue to be asked over and over and over again. Grandfathering should have been decided and explained already, an announcement about what type of curriculum would be offered should already be decided, assurances regarding AP offerings should have been given, assurances about how sports and extra curriculars should have been given, answers about transportation should have been shared. Instead, they wanted to spend time telling everyone "not to worry, there will be a thoughtful process about what to name the school." WTF? Who gives a crap about that? Of course, DCPS devotes its energies on the most ridiculous topics. What about college prep and college counseling? What is their plan to ensure that the first four cohorts that enter this school don't have a crummy high school experience? The idea of having a child in a high school comprised of one grade or just two grades with no track record or visibility with universities is very far from appealing for us. We simply refuse to sacrifice our child's only shot at high school to this mess.

Considering how much is slated to be spent on the renovation, one parent asked whether there might be a pool as part of the planning. I kid you not...the DCPS person SCOFFED. The team running this seems very young and inexperienced without any real understanding of what families of truly concerned about. Where are the experienced professionals in all this? DCPS needs to bring in a seasoned pro who has successfully opened a new high school in a city.

This is a great summary. I was at the meeting and the inexperience of the team to appreciate the real issues confronting the students and the parents was glaring. The digression about the multiple curricular options across DCPS high schools was another illustration of their lack of awareness of this whole process. What is even more galling is that DCPS had several months to plan for this transition, but they are still at the ground floor. It wasn't even clear whether bids had been placed for the initial refurbishment and designs approved. Everything was "trust us" but they engendered no confidence that I should do so for my child's sake. I still don't understand the headlong rush, especially now that funding for full scale renovation is postponed for a year.

[Anonymous]

I would be interested in knowing what the MacArthur "yield" would be if, without feeder rights, only at-risk students could join the student body.

(Same for Deal or Wilson too, but I imagine that work has already been done.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the meeting they also said that construction to the addition will be going on while students attend the school. So those first couple of cohorts are looking at attending school in a construction site. They deserve to enter a school that is complete and beautiful. And I also don't put it past DCPS to announce at the last minute that the first couple of years students assigned to this new, yet unnamed school will suddenly be told they are going to a swing space. The students are being put last in all of this. DCPS needs to slow this down and open the school when it is complete and ready to accept four grades with a full staff, class offerings, etc.

Mendelson delaying funding will exacerbate this. Rather than accepting that this HS is going to happen and ensuring the funding is there to get it up and running with the least negative impact on students, he decided to sabotage any possibility of success. He’s terrible.

This is not to absolve DCPS of all of the things others have said about curriculum, grandfathering, etc. I agree with all of that. But this school is happening, and hamstringing funding only hurts students.

[Anonymous]

There were many concerns expressed on the call about transportation and traffic for this new HS. And the planning group keeps talking about a traffic study. But what I don't get is this...what happens if the traffic finds and affirms what many people already think--that traffic will be so bad that putting a HS there would be ill-advised. The school has already been approved and announced. Shouldn't the traffic study and public transportation plans have been pretty much sorted out before making an announcement? An expensive traffic study is pointless if DCPS will just plow ahead and isn't willing to make decisions based on the study's findings. And I'm tired of hearing from the same 1 or 2 people during this meetings who go on and on about the old trolley line. That's great but that's a plan that would be a decade in the making.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There were many concerns expressed on the call about transportation and traffic for this new HS. And the planning group keeps talking about a traffic study. But what I don't get is this...what happens if the traffic finds and affirms what many people already think--that traffic will be so bad that putting a HS there would be ill-advised. The school has already been approved and announced. Shouldn't the traffic study and public transportation plans have been pretty much sorted out before making an announcement? An expensive traffic study is pointless if DCPS will just plow ahead and isn't willing to make decisions based on the study's findings. And I'm tired of hearing from the same 1 or 2 people during this meetings who go on and on about the old trolley line. That's great but that's a plan that would be a decade in the making.

I think the point of the traffic study at this point is to determine what improvements can be made vice determining retrospectively that it's a bad idea or something. Yes, there are some that are dead-set that this location/school is a bad idea no matter what (sounds like you, PP, may be one?), and the traffic study will likely not satisfy this crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were many concerns expressed on the call about transportation and traffic for this new HS. And the planning group keeps talking about a traffic study. But what I don't get is this...what happens if the traffic finds and affirms what many people already think--that traffic will be so bad that putting a HS there would be ill-advised. The school has already been approved and announced. Shouldn't the traffic study and public transportation plans have been pretty much sorted out before making an announcement? An expensive traffic study is pointless if DCPS will just plow ahead and isn't willing to make decisions based on the study's findings. And I'm tired of hearing from the same 1 or 2 people during this meetings who go on and on about the old trolley line. That's great but that's a plan that would be a decade in the making.

I think the point of the traffic study at this point is to determine what improvements can be made vice determining retrospectively that it's a bad idea or something. Yes, there are some that are dead-set that this location/school is a bad idea no matter what (sounds like you, PP, may be one?), and the traffic study will likely not satisfy this crowd.

This is PP. I'm not deadset against it at all. I just want to see some actual work done on this. Rather than saying "they will work with WMATA" at this point, they should be coming to meetings with proof that they've already begun those discussions with maps of proposed bus lines that they can share with estimated timing for arrival and afternoon departure, drop off and pick up points, etc. DCPS didn't mention the shuttle service that someone started a thread on here about (https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1057246.page). Why isn't the DCPS planning team talking about that program as part of mix for this school (perhaps a means for getting the at-risk students to school or for in-bound kids who can't walk there)? Is it because the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be interested in knowing what the MacArthur "yield" would be if, without feeder rights, only at-risk students could join the student body.

(Same for Deal or Wilson too, but I imagine that work has already been done.)

Given how unprepared the team was the presentation, I would guess less than half of the current Hardy 7th grade class will opt-in. I am still confused about DCPS projections for enrollment in any case. Even if the effort was well planned, the inaccessibilty of the site, private school and Walls admissions and natural moves would mean 30% the current 7th graders would not move on to MacArthur. That would mean over 50-75 spots in the lottery. With things the way they are, perhaps they get >100 lottery spots? If such a large fraction is at risk, how would that affect their ambitious statements re. course offerings (AP/IB)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were many concerns expressed on the call about transportation and traffic for this new HS. And the planning group keeps talking about a traffic study. But what I don't get is this...what happens if the traffic finds and affirms what many people already think--that traffic will be so bad that putting a HS there would be ill-advised. The school has already been approved and announced. Shouldn't the traffic study and public transportation plans have been pretty much sorted out before making an announcement? An expensive traffic study is pointless if DCPS will just plow ahead and isn't willing to make decisions based on the study's findings. And I'm tired of hearing from the same 1 or 2 people during this meetings who go on and on about the old trolley line. That's great but that's a plan that would be a decade in the making.

I think the point of the traffic study at this point is to determine what improvements can be made vice determining retrospectively that it's a bad idea or something. Yes, there are some that are dead-set that this location/school is a bad idea no matter what (sounds like you, PP, may be one?), and the traffic study will likely not satisfy this crowd.

Among the Foxhaller community there is a belief that the traffic study is going to be the silver bullet that scuttles the high school. It's pretty clear that's not going to happen. To the original question, if the traffic study comes back and says that traffic is going to suck, that means that traffic is going to suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be interested in knowing what the MacArthur "yield" would be if, without feeder rights, only at-risk students could join the student body.

(Same for Deal or Wilson too, but I imagine that work has already been done.)

Given how unprepared the team was the presentation, I would guess less than half of the current Hardy 7th grade class will opt-in. I am still confused about DCPS projections for enrollment in any case. Even if the effort was well planned, the inaccessibilty of the site, private school and Walls admissions and natural moves would mean 30% the current 7th graders would not move on to MacArthur. That would mean over 50-75 spots in the lottery. With things the way they are, perhaps they get >100 lottery spots? If such a large fraction is at risk, how would that affect their ambitious statements re. course offerings (AP/IB)?

Not all the out of bounds seats are reserved for at risk.

[Anonymous]

During the meeting, it sounded like dcps is determined that the school will start (with one grade!?) fall 2023. They kept saying they’ll have more answers about important questions in August or after the new principal is hired. Not sure what they’ve been doing these last several months. I’m sure in a decade, it will be a great school, but I won’t be sending my Hardy child there to be one of the test case grades. High school is too important to chance it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate that you all are so eager for your kids to join the 40 person AP classes at Wilson. Meanwhile I’m contemplating moving from Ward 3 to Ward 2 to get a smaller school with appropriately sized classes.

You are free to do that but I fear you will be disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During the meeting, it sounded like dcps is determined that the school will start (with one grade!?) fall 2023. They kept saying they’ll have more answers about important questions in August or after the new principal is hired. Not sure what they’ve been doing these last several months. I’m sure in a decade, it will be a great school, but I won’t be sending my Hardy child there to be one of the test case grades. High school is too important to chance it.

Agreed. No way would I send my kid to this new school in the first or second year. I hope I am wrong but I predict it will be a hot mess for the first few years.
My good friend who works at DCPS Central said people at Central are leaving in droves. No one likes the Chancellor or his cronies. They all assume Bowser will be re-elected and it will be more of the same. Anyone who is competent and motivated is looking for a new job. Expertise and competence is not rewarded in DCPS Central.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During the meeting, it sounded like dcps is determined that the school will start (with one grade!?) fall 2023. They kept saying they’ll have more answers about important questions in August or after the new principal is hired. Not sure what they’ve been doing these last several months. I’m sure in a decade, it will be a great school, but I won’t be sending my Hardy child there to be one of the test case grades. High school is too important to chance it.

Agreed. No way would I send my kid to this new school in the first or second year. I hope I am wrong but I predict it will be a hot mess for the first few years.
My good friend who works at DCPS Central said people at Central are leaving in droves. No one likes the Chancellor or his cronies. They all assume Bowser will be re-elected and it will be more of the same. Anyone who is competent and motivated is looking for a new job. Expertise and competence is not rewarded in DCPS Central.

You have to take that with a grain of salt. Many DCPS Central employees are former WTU members and they still have close ties. Bowser and Ferebee don't automatically cave to WTU, for example they reopened schools while WTU was still obstructing reopening. So you have to choose between what's best for the education DCPS students vs. what's the best employment terms for WTU members.

[Anonymous]

The call had pacing items to keep track of - like if they decide the principal by the fall and it sounded like superintendent Martin had the options and plans she thinks would happen for programming but they won’t discuss til then. They don’t seem to care if the traffic is bad but might have some buses or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During the meeting, it sounded like dcps is determined that the school will start (with one grade!?) fall 2023. They kept saying they’ll have more answers about important questions in August or after the new principal is hired. Not sure what they’ve been doing these last several months. I’m sure in a decade, it will be a great school, but I won’t be sending my Hardy child there to be one of the test case grades. High school is too important to chance it.

Agreed. No way would I send my kid to this new school in the first or second year. I hope I am wrong but I predict it will be a hot mess for the first few years.
My good friend who works at DCPS Central said people at Central are leaving in droves. No one likes the Chancellor or his cronies. They all assume Bowser will be re-elected and it will be more of the same. Anyone who is competent and motivated is looking for a new job. Expertise and competence is not rewarded in DCPS Central.

You have to take that with a grain of salt. Many DCPS Central employees are former WTU members and they still have close ties. Bowser and Ferebee don't automatically cave to WTU, for example they reopened schools while WTU was still obstructing reopening. So you have to choose between what's best for the education DCPS students vs. what's the best employment terms for WTU members.

+100 I don't think that saying Central Staff are quitting is quite the indictment that PPP thinks it is. When I finally cleaned out my garage a bunch of bugs who were living there left. That wasn't a bad thing.