Washington Informer article: "School Lottery Season Starts Amid Questions about Enrollment and Equity"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I think people need to really realize here is that the death of schools East of the Anacostia is about the charter sector eating DCPS' lunch over there. My take is that parents aren't seeing their children succeed in DCPS and want an alternative, which means the charter sector over there.

The unkind reality is that children of poor people who can't give extra to their kids, don't read to them, experience trauma, have little education themselves, etc., are going to have poor educational outcomes. I don't fault people for wanting better for their kids even if - because education is JUST NOT a game-changer for poorly-performing students - they are not likely to do better just because of these schools.

At some point, I really hope there are game-changing educational possibilities for poor and disadvantaged children, actually, I want it generations ago, but it appears we can only change the future. However, if there was truly such a thing, DCPS would do it too! DCPS totally would! Even a bureaucracy in America would eventually do what works.

But instead because no one can fix kids' outcomes, they say "well, let's go to a different service provider who promises better things!" And then the different outcomes are not one-to-one matched to the same kids. The mirage of different outcomes we perceive is really about sorting those who are more likely to succeed away from those who are less likely to. And it sucks. And it leads to crap like this - normal schools with minimal budgets able to do little to support kids who need A LOT because they can't get enough butts in seats.

Our effort to "offer alternatives" that don't do better has led predictably to the starvation of normal DCPS, from Sousa to Anacostia.

Why are you assuming that everyone in Wards 7 and 8 are full of trauma/have parents who can’t give them extras, etc.?

To me, the article seems to indicate that there are many families in those Wards who are just the same as W3 families— if their kids were in Janney, they’d be scoring 5s just like your kid. The problem is that the DCPS schools around them aren’t offering the programs/support/instruction Janney does, and that’s the result of historic disinvestment, not because of the families. So naturally, these families have to travel long distances to get the schooling your kid gets to walk to in 5 min.

How can DCPS address this problem??

They can fund the extra support staff, for one. Many W3 schools pay for extra staff through PTA donations.

The myths abound. A few NW schools pay for extra staff. And why? Because the class sizes are larger.

The main missing program they mention is bilingual, which is available at none of the upper NW schools.

Another program missing in 7 & 8 is IB, which exists only at Eastern HS. None of the upper NW schools have IB except Deal MS.

What is the point of doing IB in MS only? Where does the IB program feed if you want an IB certificate at the end of HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I think people need to really realize here is that the death of schools East of the Anacostia is about the charter sector eating DCPS' lunch over there. My take is that parents aren't seeing their children succeed in DCPS and want an alternative, which means the charter sector over there.

The unkind reality is that children of poor people who can't give extra to their kids, don't read to them, experience trauma, have little education themselves, etc., are going to have poor educational outcomes. I don't fault people for wanting better for their kids even if - because education is JUST NOT a game-changer for poorly-performing students - they are not likely to do better just because of these schools.

At some point, I really hope there are game-changing educational possibilities for poor and disadvantaged children, actually, I want it generations ago, but it appears we can only change the future. However, if there was truly such a thing, DCPS would do it too! DCPS totally would! Even a bureaucracy in America would eventually do what works.

But instead because no one can fix kids' outcomes, they say "well, let's go to a different service provider who promises better things!" And then the different outcomes are not one-to-one matched to the same kids. The mirage of different outcomes we perceive is really about sorting those who are more likely to succeed away from those who are less likely to. And it sucks. And it leads to crap like this - normal schools with minimal budgets able to do little to support kids who need A LOT because they can't get enough butts in seats.

Our effort to "offer alternatives" that don't do better has led predictably to the starvation of normal DCPS, from Sousa to Anacostia.

Why are you assuming that everyone in Wards 7 and 8 are full of trauma/have parents who can’t give them extras, etc.?

To me, the article seems to indicate that there are many families in those Wards who are just the same as W3 families— if their kids were in Janney, they’d be scoring 5s just like your kid. The problem is that the DCPS schools around them aren’t offering the programs/support/instruction Janney does, and that’s the result of historic disinvestment, not because of the families. So naturally, these families have to travel long distances to get the schooling your kid gets to walk to in 5 min.

How can DCPS address this problem??

They can fund the extra support staff, for one. Many W3 schools pay for extra staff through PTA donations.

The myths abound. A few NW schools pay for extra staff. And why? Because the class sizes are larger.

The main missing program they mention is bilingual, which is available at none of the upper NW schools.

Another program missing in 7 & 8 is IB, which exists only at Eastern HS. None of the upper NW schools have IB except Deal MS.

What is the point of doing IB in MS only? Where does the IB program feed if you want an IB certificate at the end of HS?

Banneker and DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No I’m saying that charters are well meaning and poor kids are uneducable. Any time anyone tries to explain why the children of poor people consistently fail at education, they say it’s impossible to fix, that the kids need to be surrounded by massive support in order to mitigate a lifetime of trauma. I agree. The resources? Not coming. They just aren’t. The charters aren’t offering massive trauma reduction. They are just another set of schools.

So what do you get? Uneducated kids and a second system to do it that ALSO doesn’t solve their education problems. And then schools with too few kids to get any money. Hence they close.

The tragedy im getting at is that NO ONE has found the way to teach the traumatized intergenerational poor to become good standardized test takers, which is what this board cares about, right? Those PARCC 5s?

So why try with two school systems instead of one?

And if you want to say BASIS or KIPP, tell me what you think would happen if we took the Sousa or Anacostia HS student body and just sent them there. They wouldn’t turn out much better. This sucks! Why do we have charters if the outcomes are the same? We’re just offering a pressure valve that lets parent anger flow around the problem that these kids are growing up to be dummies. Another generation that can’t get into the mainstream economy and make first world incomes.

Is there anybody that can prepare the traumatized poor for college, real college not UDC for janitorial or haircare, without basically stealing them from their families and turning them individually into brainwashed suburbanites? I haven’t seen it. And it really sucks.

Wrong. There are charters that help kids do better like KIPP with the same SES students that are at Sousa and Anacostia. The data is out there.

These charters are not crimpled by the damn inefficient bureaucracy that is DCPS. They also place more demands on students than the low expectations of DCPS. They also don’t tolerate the behavior crap that happens in DCPS and have consequences for such misbehavior.

There were no charters back in the day 25-30 years ago and DCPS was the lowest and worst performing school district in the country. Charters offers some families who care options and a way out. Charters have absolutely improved the overall educational landscape in this city and have kept more families here who otherwise would move.

I suggest you talk to the old timers who were here before charters became a thing.

You are acting like SES is the only relevant factor to compare KIPP to Sousa etc. Even if SES is the same the student bodies are not. To get into KIPP you need a family to know enough and care enough to get into the lottery. The bar isn’t high but is there. Then you need to conform to KIPP’s behavior rules or be expelled/counseled out. Sousa needs to welcome new students the whole year if they recently enter the district, get pushed out of their previous school etc. This can be very disruptive. After the year starts KIPP is not required to accept anyone else to minimize disruption. This can help a charter seem like they actually do a better job of educating when they simply are getting a slightly easier population to educate. This then leaves an even harder population to educate at the by right DCPS.

Well whose fault is that? It’s DCPS’s fault. DCPS could institute & enforce a more rigorous behavioral policy and send kids who don’t want to study to alternative schools. DCPS could identify gifted kids or even just average kids with potential and put them on tracks or in G&T programs. Every sincle school EOTR no matter how “bad” has a small nucleus of kids getting 3s and 4s on PARCC, even a few 5s. DCPS could focus on cultivating and uplifting them, but steadfastly refuses. The only thing DCPS offers to prepare and support talented, disadvantaged kids is Banneker, and that probably comes too late for many. And of course DCPS would not permit a Banneker to be founded today. Result - unknown numbers of talented kids in W7 and 8 go without the educations they deserve unless their parents can get them to a charter or move to PG Co (which has a TAG program).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I think people need to really realize here is that the death of schools East of the Anacostia is about the charter sector eating DCPS' lunch over there. My take is that parents aren't seeing their children succeed in DCPS and want an alternative, which means the charter sector over there.

The unkind reality is that children of poor people who can't give extra to their kids, don't read to them, experience trauma, have little education themselves, etc., are going to have poor educational outcomes. I don't fault people for wanting better for their kids even if - because education is JUST NOT a game-changer for poorly-performing students - they are not likely to do better just because of these schools.

At some point, I really hope there are game-changing educational possibilities for poor and disadvantaged children, actually, I want it generations ago, but it appears we can only change the future. However, if there was truly such a thing, DCPS would do it too! DCPS totally would! Even a bureaucracy in America would eventually do what works.

But instead because no one can fix kids' outcomes, they say "well, let's go to a different service provider who promises better things!" And then the different outcomes are not one-to-one matched to the same kids. The mirage of different outcomes we perceive is really about sorting those who are more likely to succeed away from those who are less likely to. And it sucks. And it leads to crap like this - normal schools with minimal budgets able to do little to support kids who need A LOT because they can't get enough butts in seats.

Our effort to "offer alternatives" that don't do better has led predictably to the starvation of normal DCPS, from Sousa to Anacostia.

Why are you assuming that everyone in Wards 7 and 8 are full of trauma/have parents who can’t give them extras, etc.?

To me, the article seems to indicate that there are many families in those Wards who are just the same as W3 families— if their kids were in Janney, they’d be scoring 5s just like your kid. The problem is that the DCPS schools around them aren’t offering the programs/support/instruction Janney does, and that’s the result of historic disinvestment, not because of the families. So naturally, these families have to travel long distances to get the schooling your kid gets to walk to in 5 min.

How can DCPS address this problem??

DCPS addresses this program by clearly signaling to ambitious W7 and 8 families that they should move to PG County, which has a TAG program. This is basically the history of PG County since the 60s when there was middle-class flight out of DC. https://www.washingtoninformer.com/prince-georges-place-in-the-black-migration/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I think people need to really realize here is that the death of schools East of the Anacostia is about the charter sector eating DCPS' lunch over there. My take is that parents aren't seeing their children succeed in DCPS and want an alternative, which means the charter sector over there.

The unkind reality is that children of poor people who can't give extra to their kids, don't read to them, experience trauma, have little education themselves, etc., are going to have poor educational outcomes. I don't fault people for wanting better for their kids even if - because education is JUST NOT a game-changer for poorly-performing students - they are not likely to do better just because of these schools.

At some point, I really hope there are game-changing educational possibilities for poor and disadvantaged children, actually, I want it generations ago, but it appears we can only change the future. However, if there was truly such a thing, DCPS would do it too! DCPS totally would! Even a bureaucracy in America would eventually do what works.

But instead because no one can fix kids' outcomes, they say "well, let's go to a different service provider who promises better things!" And then the different outcomes are not one-to-one matched to the same kids. The mirage of different outcomes we perceive is really about sorting those who are more likely to succeed away from those who are less likely to. And it sucks. And it leads to crap like this - normal schools with minimal budgets able to do little to support kids who need A LOT because they can't get enough butts in seats.

Our effort to "offer alternatives" that don't do better has led predictably to the starvation of normal DCPS, from Sousa to Anacostia.

Why are you assuming that everyone in Wards 7 and 8 are full of trauma/have parents who can’t give them extras, etc.?

To me, the article seems to indicate that there are many families in those Wards who are just the same as W3 families— if their kids were in Janney, they’d be scoring 5s just like your kid. The problem is that the DCPS schools around them aren’t offering the programs/support/instruction Janney does, and that’s the result of historic disinvestment, not because of the families. So naturally, these families have to travel long distances to get the schooling your kid gets to walk to in 5 min.

How can DCPS address this problem??

They can fund the extra support staff, for one. Many W3 schools pay for extra staff through PTA donations.

The myths abound. A few NW schools pay for extra staff. And why? Because the class sizes are larger.

The main missing program they mention is bilingual, which is available at none of the upper NW schools.

Another program missing in 7 & 8 is IB, which exists only at Eastern HS. None of the upper NW schools have IB except Deal MS.

What is the point of doing IB in MS only? Where does the IB program feed if you want an IB certificate at the end of HS?

Deal feeds to JR, which does not have IB. So the vast majority of Deal students have no opportunity to get an IB diploma. I guess someone at Deal thinks it's a nice educational approach?

Anyway, the point is that IB is no more available in Ward 3 than Wards 7 and 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No I’m saying that charters are well meaning and poor kids are uneducable. Any time anyone tries to explain why the children of poor people consistently fail at education, they say it’s impossible to fix, that the kids need to be surrounded by massive support in order to mitigate a lifetime of trauma. I agree. The resources? Not coming. They just aren’t. The charters aren’t offering massive trauma reduction. They are just another set of schools.

So what do you get? Uneducated kids and a second system to do it that ALSO doesn’t solve their education problems. And then schools with too few kids to get any money. Hence they close.

The tragedy im getting at is that NO ONE has found the way to teach the traumatized intergenerational poor to become good standardized test takers, which is what this board cares about, right? Those PARCC 5s?

So why try with two school systems instead of one?

And if you want to say BASIS or KIPP, tell me what you think would happen if we took the Sousa or Anacostia HS student body and just sent them there. They wouldn’t turn out much better. This sucks! Why do we have charters if the outcomes are the same? We’re just offering a pressure valve that lets parent anger flow around the problem that these kids are growing up to be dummies. Another generation that can’t get into the mainstream economy and make first world incomes.

Is there anybody that can prepare the traumatized poor for college, real college not UDC for janitorial or haircare, without basically stealing them from their families and turning them individually into brainwashed suburbanites? I haven’t seen it. And it really sucks.

In the OSSE school report cards, there are metrics included for college. Specifically, 42% of DCPS economically disadvantaged graduates enroll in college within 6 months after graduation. For KIPP, it's 62%. That 20% difference represents real students who got more of a chance. The charters aren't perfect but suggesting that there aren't benefits simply isn't accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UDC's early college program at Anacostia HS is an associates in engineering, not haircare. I'm happy to give you a tour of their hydroponics lab and show you the electric car the students built with mentorship of UDC grad students.

Can I seriously take you up on that with elementary school kids who’d love to see this? Is there an open house soon?

Save the date for Rooting DC, the District's urban agriculture conference, on March 9, at AnaHS. It will include tours of the hydroponics lab, plus an expo of community partners with lots of resources on gardening and urban farms.

And then the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix happens alongside Truck Touch on June 1 at the RFK parking lots. It's a lot of fun to watch!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

What's the plan for getting students to where they need to be math-wise? It's a two-year program so you'd have to do Calc 1 as a junior. Are any students coming in proficient in both Algebra and Geometry so that they can do Algebra 2 and then Precalculus in 9th and 10th grade, or is the plan to double up or do summer math? Is the goal to be attractive to student who previously would have gone to a different high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

What's the plan for getting students to where they need to be math-wise? It's a two-year program so you'd have to do Calc 1 as a junior. Are any students coming in proficient in both Algebra and Geometry so that they can do Algebra 2 and then Precalculus in 9th and 10th grade, or is the plan to double up or do summer math? Is the goal to be attractive to student who previously would have gone to a different high school?

Yes. UDC is working with Kramer and Sousa Middles to prepare students to enter 9th grade ready to go. Students will attend summer classes (and be paid so they aren't losing the economic opportunity of summer employment). UDC also has dedicated funding for additional professional development for math teachers at all three schools. There are a few students already at Anacostia with the necessary math background. The hope is that talented kids in the neighborhood can access programs like this without having to travel across the city.

Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Xf010DS1o

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

dp - Ok, then "modern G&T" is worthless. For G&T to matter, it would have to start long before high school, particularly a high school with overall poor scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

What's the plan for getting students to where they need to be math-wise? It's a two-year program so you'd have to do Calc 1 as a junior. Are any students coming in proficient in both Algebra and Geometry so that they can do Algebra 2 and then Precalculus in 9th and 10th grade, or is the plan to double up or do summer math? Is the goal to be attractive to student who previously would have gone to a different high school?

Yes. UDC is working with Kramer and Sousa Middles to prepare students to enter 9th grade ready to go. Students will attend summer classes (and be paid so they aren't losing the economic opportunity of summer employment). UDC also has dedicated funding for additional professional development for math teachers at all three schools. There are a few students already at Anacostia with the necessary math background. The hope is that talented kids in the neighborhood can access programs like this without having to travel across the city.

Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Xf010DS1o

Sousa had 2 students total last year testing proficient in math on the PARCC. Kramer had 0. That's total across 6th-8th grade. Where are the students now at Anacostia with the necessary math background coming from, or are they just looking at coursework and not proficiency? Is UDC committing to basically separate tutoring for kids who are at grade level throughout middle school, or is the plan to track kids who are below grade level to try to get them significantly above grade level?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

What's the plan for getting students to where they need to be math-wise? It's a two-year program so you'd have to do Calc 1 as a junior. Are any students coming in proficient in both Algebra and Geometry so that they can do Algebra 2 and then Precalculus in 9th and 10th grade, or is the plan to double up or do summer math? Is the goal to be attractive to student who previously would have gone to a different high school?

Yes. UDC is working with Kramer and Sousa Middles to prepare students to enter 9th grade ready to go. Students will attend summer classes (and be paid so they aren't losing the economic opportunity of summer employment). UDC also has dedicated funding for additional professional development for math teachers at all three schools. There are a few students already at Anacostia with the necessary math background. The hope is that talented kids in the neighborhood can access programs like this without having to travel across the city.

Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Xf010DS1o

How does this make sense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

What's the plan for getting students to where they need to be math-wise? It's a two-year program so you'd have to do Calc 1 as a junior. Are any students coming in proficient in both Algebra and Geometry so that they can do Algebra 2 and then Precalculus in 9th and 10th grade, or is the plan to double up or do summer math? Is the goal to be attractive to student who previously would have gone to a different high school?

Yes. UDC is working with Kramer and Sousa Middles to prepare students to enter 9th grade ready to go. Students will attend summer classes (and be paid so they aren't losing the economic opportunity of summer employment). UDC also has dedicated funding for additional professional development for math teachers at all three schools. There are a few students already at Anacostia with the necessary math background. The hope is that talented kids in the neighborhood can access programs like this without having to travel across the city.

Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Xf010DS1o

How does this make sense?

There are kids who are proficient or advanced in math who are zoned for Sousa or Kramer. They're the ones attending BASIS, Deal, and Hardy. If you publicize an actual G&T program, like with scores for admission and a commitment to differentiation across the academic subjects, you will get some of those kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can kids get an associates in engineering if they can’t get a 2 on the PARCC? What does that degree possibly mean?

Sounds like a trash degree.

You sound lovely. 🙄 This is what a modern G&T program looks like lady.

How many of the high school students have completed that degree? Have any? That's more math than the most advanced students at BASIS are doing.

It's in the early launch stage, so nobody has completed it yet.

What's the plan for getting students to where they need to be math-wise? It's a two-year program so you'd have to do Calc 1 as a junior. Are any students coming in proficient in both Algebra and Geometry so that they can do Algebra 2 and then Precalculus in 9th and 10th grade, or is the plan to double up or do summer math? Is the goal to be attractive to student who previously would have gone to a different high school?

Yes. UDC is working with Kramer and Sousa Middles to prepare students to enter 9th grade ready to go. Students will attend summer classes (and be paid so they aren't losing the economic opportunity of summer employment). UDC also has dedicated funding for additional professional development for math teachers at all three schools. There are a few students already at Anacostia with the necessary math background. The hope is that talented kids in the neighborhood can access programs like this without having to travel across the city.

Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Xf010DS1o

How does this make sense?

There are kids who are proficient or advanced in math who are zoned for Sousa or Kramer. They're the ones attending BASIS, Deal, and Hardy. If you publicize an actual G&T program, like with scores for admission and a commitment to differentiation across the academic subjects, you will get some of those kids.

No, you won't.