Middle School Crystal Ball - Look forward to 2015/16 School year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here we go again with this arrogance of no middle-school(s) could possibly be ready by 2015. It's a crystal ball look and not a concrete look. So, what if I am the Eastern salad booster...have I been wrong about Eastern? You're probably already high Clarice? There's no need to share my weed with you because your paranoia has already set in.

You are wrong about Eastern -- it is on the Priority restructuring list. It could be completely cleaned out and handed over to a charter in a blink of an eye. And none of us 10-20 year-living-on-the-Hill so-called gentrifiers (just because we are white) will shed one tear when this happens. We are already so beaten down by the brainless boosterism of DCPS, even though it is our children's test scores barely keeping many teachers from being fired. We want to have our children in neighborhood schools, but the neighborhood schools often forget that they have to teach ALL of children, even the smart ones who are on grade level. The middle schools are the beginning of the problem of too many dropouts from DCPS high schools, and quite a few functionally illiterate graduates.

[Anonymous]

I am just now wading into the middle school pool as my DC is in 4th this year. The DC "school dance" is insane. However, what I have found is that that does not mean that there aren't good schools here and that your child can't get a solid education. In DC, I have witnessed great schools (seriously) and great teachers who are challenged by the fact that they have to serve a large number of kids who come from varied income levels, environments and who have a wide range of learning ability. That's why the test scores are so up and down because every class, every year at most schools are like a cracker jack box--you just don't know what you're going to get. The schools in DC who have the most homogeneous populations (eg. WOP), don't have this issue and their test scores and school environment are subsequently more constant.

All of us here want our kid to get the best educational experience possible (hopefully without coming out of pocket). So, we look at the scores and student demographics (ie. race & class--some because they want diversity and others because they don't), and we try to figure out which school best fits our vision. Then we all place our chips on the same 5-10 schools only to roll "snake eyes" on every one.

I fully understand those of you who have already jumped for privates. Unless you land at one of the great schools (and achieving this often means being open to yanking your kid out of their current school late Sept/Oct), the DC "school dance" can make your head explode.

That being said, DC is changing and doing so very quickly, so I am acutally optimistic about my daughter's choices over the next few years. While DC's public/charter system continues to frustrate most of us, it also continues to improve and the range of viable options continue to expand. 2015/16 WILL be better than this year, in the same way that things today are much better than they were in the 2009/10 school year.

Since DC is a big city, there will always be educational challenges (as there are in most major metros) because it has to serve a wide range of cultures and classes. Test scores will invariably struggle against our surburban counterparts because of this. But that doesn't mean that we won't and don't have great schools. Many schools are still evolving but you can see more good stuff coming. My middle school crystal ball looks pretty good right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Deal kid are getting a light dose of Mandarin, heavy on the culture. The idea that they will be fluent is a joke. Not unlike the ideal that there are lots of desirable middle schools in DCPS.

The post about Mandarin relates to the Oyster-Adams version, which is run differently, and taught to kids who are already bilingual (English/Spanish)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fully understand those of you who have already jumped for privates. Unless you land at one of the great schools (and achieving this often means being open to yanking your kid out of their current school late Sept/Oct), the DC "school dance" can make your head explode.

I know that PP affirms that so in different words but I wanted to point out that this assertion of his/her is already no longer true. If you've followed this forum, you'll know that Latin, Basis, DC Prep, and Cap City all went through their entire waitlists and have spare spots in 5th grade this year. There is absolutely no reason to throw a panic and yank children out at 4th grade to participate in the "school dance". For at least a couple more years, we can now actually sit back and relax while applying for 6th grade everywhere. Now, will it look that way still in 2015, that's a different story but I think things will look up more generally at that point, not only more spots but more quality spots, public and charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully understand those of you who have already jumped for privates. Unless you land at one of the great schools (and achieving this often means being open to yanking your kid out of their current school late Sept/Oct), the DC "school dance" can make your head explode.

I know that PP affirms that so in different words but I wanted to point out that this assertion of his/her is already no longer true. If you've followed this forum, you'll know that Latin, Basis, DC Prep, and Cap City all went through their entire waitlists and have spare spots in 5th grade this year. There is absolutely no reason to throw a panic and yank children out at 4th grade to participate in the "school dance". For at least a couple more years, we can now actually sit back and relax while applying for 6th grade everywhere. Now, will it look that way still in 2015, that's a different story but I think things will look up more generally at that point, not only more spots but more quality spots, public and charter.

I'm the PP, and as noted, I am just now wading into middle school options. The "school dance" to find a "sweet spot" is still very real on the elementary level. And yes, on the elementary school level you may have to pull your child out after school has started if you really want to get to your first choice school (or one that feeds into say...Deal). I'm glad to hear your experience suggest that this is no longer the case for middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully understand those of you who have already jumped for privates. Unless you land at one of the great schools (and achieving this often means being open to yanking your kid out of their current school late Sept/Oct), the DC "school dance" can make your head explode.

I know that PP affirms that so in different words but I wanted to point out that this assertion of his/her is already no longer true. If you've followed this forum, you'll know that Latin, Basis, DC Prep, and Cap City all went through their entire waitlists and have spare spots in 5th grade this year. There is absolutely no reason to throw a panic and yank children out at 4th grade to participate in the "school dance". For at least a couple more years, we can now actually sit back and relax while applying for 6th grade everywhere. Now, will it look that way still in 2015, that's a different story but I think things will look up more generally at that point, not only more spots but more quality spots, public and charter.

I would not assume these charters will be easy to get into in 6th grade. To be safe ( and to not waste a year in DCPS ), you still need to start there in 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

12:02, why in the hell would they close Eastern after they have vested so much into relaunching the school. Where in the hell have you been for the past two-years, living in fog? As for the priority listing, if you are using that as a barometer, then you are HIGH CLARICE. Crap, they left Cardozo off the list and they are deemed a dropout factory. What do you mean ALL children, white person? You are tired of DCPS boosterism, then get to stepping to the area that peaks your fancy. Oh!! we would love to see a chartering authority take over Eastern as you have noticed the high-schools that are charter-school sanctioned are heavily African-American populated. Salad-booster this fact, sweetie, there's not enough white people in the neighborhood to make a difference. To use your data, you might lived in the neighborhood for 10-20 years but you are not school boundary worthy. When you get that status, then come and visit Eastern, you'll just might like it. You do realize that Eastern was a citywide accomplishment?

[Anonymous]

word salad lady, you are like a Dave Chapelle skit. Keep posting the crazy about Eastern. I'm popping the corn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:02, why in the hell would they close Eastern after they have vested so much into relaunching the school. Where in the hell have you been for the past two-years, living in fog? As for the priority listing, if you are using that as a barometer, then you are HIGH CLARICE. Crap, they left Cardozo off the list and they are deemed a dropout factory. What do you mean ALL children, white person? You are tired of DCPS boosterism, then get to stepping to the area that peaks your fancy. Oh!! we would love to see a chartering authority take over Eastern as you have noticed the high-schools that are charter-school sanctioned are heavily African-American populated. Salad-booster this fact, sweetie, there's not enough white people in the neighborhood to make a difference. To use your data, you might lived in the neighborhood for 10-20 years but you are not school boundary worthy. When you get that status, then come and visit Eastern, you'll just might like it. You do realize that Eastern was a citywide accomplishment?

12:02 here. They have not really vested that much into relaunching that school, but they did make it nice and sparkly for some other entity to come in and run it. I have noticed that it is a citywide accomplishment, as I see students slowly making their way to school at 9:15am every day from the bus stops and Metro. (Doesn't DCPS start at 8:45?) I don't care if Eastern becomes an all-AA charter, so long as the kids learn responsibilty and accountability and how not to have fights in the neighborhood after school lets out.

[Anonymous]

Word salad... yummy....yummy.

[Anonymous]

Eastern's attendance record is quite respectable and ranks high among comprehensive schools. This take over talk has been going on as long as you lived on the hill. It is not going to happen, Eastern is hotbed politically, if you don't know you better ask someone. We are doubling in our successes and within 11 months or so we will be tripling in our successes. Eastern was being exclusively prepared for a diverse population and guess who used the race card and now regrets it? As Kaya said let's call a spade a spade and I have to agree with my Chancellor on that one!

[Anonymous]

What has Kaya done specifically other than collect a huge salary? Her team at the top is not impressive. Not only are they not educators, they are not even the smart whipper snappers of the Rhee era. ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eastern's attendance record is quite respectable and ranks high among comprehensive schools. This take over talk has been going on as long as you lived on the hill. It is not going to happen, Eastern is hotbed politically, if you don't know you better ask someone. We are doubling in our successes and within 11 months or so we will be tripling in our successes. Eastern was being exclusively prepared for a diverse population and guess who used the race card and now regrets it? As Kaya said let's call a spade a spade and I have to agree with my Chancellor on that one!

I don't understand the bolded sentence. I live two blocks from Eastern, and have 3 kids in elementary school. I don't have any regrets. Should I?

[Anonymous]

There were many factors being considered for the re-launching of Eastern. During the planning period for Eastern many of us who were in attendance, were constantly informed that the neighborhood was "changing." Which took on a mind of its own, regarding the definition. Many took it as diversity was among the elementary and middle-schools and therefore it will reach Eastern too. In a sense there was this expectation that the inaugural freshmen class would have a diverse population of which was heavily forcasted by all of the DCPS hiearchy. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the diverse population that they were all expected. The end result was that whites still feel that Eastern is not prepared enough for their child[ren] and that is fine with me. But do not make it a negative for those who selected Eastern as their high-school choice. No you shouldn't have any regrets but please be fair when assessing us and don't just disregard us becuase we're not diverse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There were many factors being considered for the re-launching of Eastern. During the planning period for Eastern many of us who were in attendance, were constantly informed that the neighborhood was "changing." Which took on a mind of its own, regarding the definition. Many took it as diversity was among the elementary and middle-schools and therefore it will reach Eastern too. In a sense there was this expectation that the inaugural freshmen class would have a diverse population of which was heavily forcasted by all of the DCPS hiearchy. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the diverse population that they were all expected. The end result was that whites still feel that Eastern is not prepared enough for their child[ren] and that is fine with me. But do not make it a negative for those who selected Eastern as their high-school choice. No you shouldn't have any regrets but please be fair when assessing us and don't just disregard us becuase we're not diverse.

Couldn't be stated any better way!