Deal Expansion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Ward 2/3 parents also have Hardy, a recently renovated in boundary school. That they knew they were zoned for when buying their home.

When we bought are home, we were in-bounds for Deal. Now DCPS is trying to change our elementary school (Eaton) to Hardy. Hardy may be renovated, but Deal (also renovated) is considered to have a superior academic program.

What neighborhood was redistricted? Was this done very quietly -- without a fight or a protest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Ward 2/3 parents also have Hardy, a recently renovated in boundary school. That they knew they were zoned for when buying their home.

When we bought are home, we were in-bounds for Deal. Now DCPS is trying to change our elementary school (Eaton) to Hardy. Hardy may be renovated, but Deal (also renovated) is considered to have a superior academic program.

This is very interesting, because the DCPS profile for Eaton says it is both a Hardy feeder and a Deal feeder. (http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Eaton+Elementary+School)

How does that work in practice?

[Anonymous]

Why does Eaton get a choice when others do not?!!!??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Ward 2/3 parents also have Hardy, a recently renovated in boundary school. That they knew they were zoned for when buying their home.

By that logic no one should ever attempt to improve their neighborhood school. After all, you knew it was lousy when you moved in, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Ward 2/3 parents also have Hardy, a recently renovated in boundary school. That they knew they were zoned for when buying their home.

By that logic no one should ever attempt to improve their neighborhood school. After all, you knew it was lousy when you moved in, right?

But parents zoned for Hardy aren't working to improve their neighborhood school. They are a demanding a new one. Try this: "Hello DC Council, I'm a white person zoned for Shepherd, which has lots of OOB black students, please build me a new in boundary school on the Walter Reed campus. Only $25M!"

[Anonymous]

Wrong. Hardys new principal is a direct result of parents attempt to improve it, and a larger number than usual of ib kids are there this fall.

There are too many threads on this, but the previous principal was dead set against Deal-quality academics, and the ib parents were naturally bothered by this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does Eaton get a choice when others do not?!!!??

Eaton gets a choice because DCPS is slowly getting them used to the idea soon they will be Hardy only. Protests with the proposed change from Deal to Hardy. So the current compromise is a choice. Soon, central office will try to drop Deal again. What's really unfair is that Oyster in bounds, has the choice of Adams or Deal (not Adams only, like most of Ward 5, much of Ward 4 -- one MS choice a PreK to 8 school, and not Adams or Hardy)

[Anonymous]

The current principal does not seem to be the right fit. I guess time will tell, but it does not seem comfortable for anyone involved.

[Anonymous]

which current principal? Hardy or Oyster?

[Anonymous]

I'm still trying to understand why a "riot" should be a logical and natural result of any moves to limit the size of the concentric ring around Deal that defines "inboundary."

It's equally riotous that a tween living 2 blocks away from Deal would be forced into a trailer or makeshift overcrowded classroom so as to let in 75% of the city as a matter of right. Here, Bob, you and Mary can share a chair in this windowless classroom because we we don't want to look racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does Eaton get a choice when others do not?!!!??

Eaton gets a choice because DCPS is slowly getting them used to the idea soon they will be Hardy only. Protests with the proposed change from Deal to Hardy. So the current compromise is a choice. Soon, central office will try to drop Deal again. What's really unfair is that Oyster in bounds, has the choice of Adams or Deal (not Adams only, like most of Ward 5, much of Ward 4 -- one MS choice a PreK to 8 school, and not Adams or Hardy)

Wonder if Chairman Brown's second child will be forced to attend Hardy - or like the older child they will get into Deal . . .

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to understand why a "riot" should be a logical and natural result of any moves to limit the size of the concentric ring around Deal that defines "inboundary."

It's equally riotous that a tween living 2 blocks away from Deal would be forced into a trailer or makeshift overcrowded classroom so as to let in 75% of the city as a matter of right. Here, Bob, you and Mary can share a chair in this windowless classroom because we we don't want to look racist.

You are mixing apples and oranges here. The only way that students from 75% of the city get into Deal is due to being OOB in a feeder school. Changing the zone boundary for Deal won't change that reality at all. So, that's one issue.

The second issue is the potential modification of Deal's boundaries. The Deal boundaries currently include areas with high hispanic and African-American populations. Regardless of the OOB situation, some diversity will remain as long as those areas remain inbounds.

If the boundaries were redrawn to eliminate the high-minority areas, while simultaneously ending the flow of OOB students, it would rightly be seen as an overt effort to remove minority students from Deal.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to understand why a "riot" should be a logical and natural result of any moves to limit the size of the concentric ring around Deal that defines "inboundary."

It's equally riotous that a tween living 2 blocks away from Deal would be forced into a trailer or makeshift overcrowded classroom so as to let in 75% of the city as a matter of right. Here, Bob, you and Mary can share a chair in this windowless classroom because we we don't want to look racist.

You are mixing apples and oranges here. The only way that students from 75% of the city get into Deal is due to being OOB in a feeder school. Changing the zone boundary for Deal won't change that reality at all. So, that's one issue.

The second issue is the potential modification of Deal's boundaries. The Deal boundaries currently include areas with high hispanic and African-American populations. Regardless of the OOB situation, some diversity will remain as long as those areas remain inbounds.

If the boundaries were redrawn to eliminate the high-minority areas, while simultaneously ending the flow of OOB students, it would rightly be seen as an overt effort to remove minority students from Deal.

And I would just add, as it stands now some of the feeder schools can't accept many OOB students because of the increase of in-bounds families.

[Anonymous]

Isn't the solution to improve more middle schools such that everyone isn't trying, either by maintaining jerrymandered boundaries or through OOB slots to get a little piece of Deal?

Of course, as others have written, they tried that with Hardy M.S. and other parents raised a ruckus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wrong. Hardys new principal is a direct result of parents attempt to improve it, and a larger number than usual of ib kids are there this fall.

There are too many threads on this, but the previous principal was dead set against Deal-quality academics, and the ib parents were naturally bothered by this.

Is this true? I was under the impression that the previous principal was actively using the application process in order to screen out OOB students that seemed less talented or serious. I know there have been many threads on this subject, but believe it or not, this is the first assertion that I've read in just this way.

Doesn't it seem like he was either screening for quality applicants or he wasn't?

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, or even bring up bad blood. I'm genuinely confused by what sounds like conflicting accounts.