Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It does suck but it certainly tells you that DCPS responds to money and well organized parents. It sucks that we can't even get enough parents organized enough at my IB to form a freaking PTA at this point. I can't hate on Janney, Im jealous I can't get my kid in. And this is business as usual for for anything related to DC govt. Heck, the cap hill parents will probably be able to convince DCPS and the Charters that their kids deserve pref for basis above all over other kids. Again, similar demographics of parents. money buys access in this town. Same shit, different day.

The reality is well-organized parents get stuff done for their kids and schools. PERIOD. The parents at my school appear just plain lazy sometimes when requests for volunteers come out, and I am not talking about just the "less fortunate" families. Just reading Janney's website, you can see there is a night and day difference in terms of organization and participation from my school. I am going give it up to the parents there who clearly work very hard to make their school great. Good for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

They are adding two levels, classrooms and bathrooms to the early childhood wing. That, by definition, is renovation. Trailers take approximately two weeks to install. And that's what Janney should be getting, just like every single other elementary school in the city.

Because everyone has to be at the level of the lowest.

That's the attitude that made DCPS what it is today.

BTW, most schools don't have trailers. There's a handful of schools that are crowded, overall there are far more elementary schools than needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It does suck but it certainly tells you that DCPS responds to money and well organized parents. It sucks that we can't even get enough parents organized enough at my IB to form a freaking PTA at this point. I can't hate on Janney, Im jealous I can't get my kid in. And this is business as usual for for anything related to DC govt. Heck, the cap hill parents will probably be able to convince DCPS and the Charters that their kids deserve pref for basis above all over other kids. Again, similar demographics of parents. money buys access in this town. Same shit, different day.

The reality is well-organized parents get stuff done for their kids and schools. PERIOD. The parents at my school appear just plain lazy sometimes when requests for volunteers come out, and I am not talking about just the "less fortunate" families. Just reading Janney's website, you can see there is a night and day difference in terms of organization and participation from my school. I am going give it up to the parents there who clearly work very hard to make their school great. Good for them.

I agree, our school's parent organization is strictly booster and social events. No substance, no thought....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not a second renovation. It is an addition of space, space they will need to add, either as trailers or as an addition. The existing building structure will hold the addition of classrooms on top. Would you have them spend almost as much money on trailers or use the same money for a permanent solution.

Really nice renovations are happening all over this city, not just in upper NW and not just where there is high demand and high taxpayers. Janney got lucky in the end after a protracted fight that it's renovation was tied to library construction which dragged on for years (the Tenley library was an empty lot for 5 years). It's renovation is no nicer than the others that were done in the same timeframe all over the city and that are in the planning/execution stages right now.

I agree they should move faster on many renovations, but is that a reason to make a poor infrastructure decision here?

They are adding two levels, classrooms and bathrooms to the early childhood wing. That, by definition, is renovation. Trailers take approximately two weeks to install. And that's what Janney should be getting, just like every single other elementary school in the city.

Kind of ridiculous to claim it's not a renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:when other schools around the city are nearly crumbling? My DC goes to school is NW that is long over due for renovation. The boiler works sporadically and the air conditioning is non-existent. Our school is much more overcrowded then Janney. DCPS is so inept and useless. Please remind me (again) why we stay in this god awful system.

Is this news, OP? Did you see that DCPS invested $122 MILLION in a new building for substandard Dunbar?

Janney, at least, seems to be delivering good results and attracting a growing number of students.

Before you ask, I have nothing to do with either school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not a second renovation. It is an addition of space, space they will need to add, either as trailers or as an addition. The existing building structure will hold the addition of classrooms on top. Would you have them spend almost as much money on trailers or use the same money for a permanent solution.

Really nice renovations are happening all over this city, not just in upper NW and not just where there is high demand and high taxpayers. Janney got lucky in the end after a protracted fight that it's renovation was tied to library construction which dragged on for years (the Tenley library was an empty lot for 5 years). It's renovation is no nicer than the others that were done in the same timeframe all over the city and that are in the planning/execution stages right now.

I agree they should move faster on many renovations, but is that a reason to make a poor infrastructure decision here?

They are adding two levels, classrooms and bathrooms to the early childhood wing. That, by definition, is renovation. Trailers take approximately two weeks to install. And that's what Janney should be getting, just like every single other elementary school in the city.

Kind of ridiculous to claim it's not a renovation.

You say ridiculous, I say word choice matters.

From Wikipedia:

renovate (third-person singular simple present renovates, present participle renovating, simple past and past participle renovated)

1. To renew; to revamp something to make it look new again.

This house is shabby, it needs renovating.

2. To to restore to freshness or vigor.

Janney does not need and is not getting revamping or refreshing of what is already there, it needs more square footage to serve its ever expanding student body. It is an addition. The prior "renovation" was a renovation of existing space plus an addition of new space. What is happening now is an addition, as there will not be improvement or revamping of the existing space other than to make it work together. I am not saying it is not a benefit, or that I do not understand the frustration of parents at other schools that have been waiting a long time for renovations and/or additions of needed space. I am just trying to be precise in the use of language as what is happening is not a "second renovation" it is a second addition of needed space, it is not like this is happening because the community did not like the paint choices.

[Anonymous]

So, Janney parents, if there is not enough room for all the kids in the current boundary to fit into the school, I guess we need to look at boundaries and send some of your current families to another school. So, the streets the furthest away? Maybe they are the same distance to Hearst or Murch or Mann as they are to Janney.

Does that sound crazy? But isn't that what you are proposing for Deal? Send away the kids that live farthest away?

Aren't Janney families singing a different tune when it comes to Deal?

Why should Janney automatically be expanded when other schools could probably handle the overflow---and, um, aren't we currently looking at boundaries system wide?

Masters at twisting facts to come out on top at the expense of kids whose parents are not as organized or powerful, sounds so fair.

[Anonymous]

It does seem very shortsighted to be doing this now, before the boundaries discussion. A much cheaper, and somewhat obvious, way to reduce the crowding at Janney would be to move some of those kids to Hearst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It does seem very shortsighted to be doing this now, before the boundaries discussion. A much cheaper, and somewhat obvious, way to reduce the crowding at Janney would be to move some of those kids to Hearst.

Exactly. There needs to be some REZONING. The only reason Hearst even has OOB is a ridiculously small in boundary area. This can be changed, and the boundary changes need to account for projected growth, not just current needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not a second renovation. It is an addition of space, space they will need to add, either as trailers or as an addition. The existing building structure will hold the addition of classrooms on top. Would you have them spend almost as much money on trailers or use the same money for a permanent solution.

Really nice renovations are happening all over this city, not just in upper NW and not just where there is high demand and high taxpayers. Janney got lucky in the end after a protracted fight that it's renovation was tied to library construction which dragged on for years (the Tenley library was an empty lot for 5 years). It's renovation is no nicer than the others that were done in the same timeframe all over the city and that are in the planning/execution stages right now.

I agree they should move faster on many renovations, but is that a reason to make a poor infrastructure decision here?

They are adding two levels, classrooms and bathrooms to the early childhood wing. That, by definition, is renovation. Trailers take approximately two weeks to install. And that's what Janney should be getting, just like every single other elementary school in the city.

Kind of ridiculous to claim it's not a renovation.

You say ridiculous, I say word choice matters.

From Wikipedia:

renovate (third-person singular simple present renovates, present participle renovating, simple past and past participle renovated)

1. To renew; to revamp something to make it look new again.

This house is shabby, it needs renovating.

2. To to restore to freshness or vigor.

Janney does not need and is not getting revamping or refreshing of what is already there, it needs more square footage to serve its ever expanding student body. It is an addition. The prior "renovation" was a renovation of existing space plus an addition of new space. What is happening now is an addition, as there will not be improvement or revamping of the existing space other than to make it work together. I am not saying it is not a benefit, or that I do not understand the frustration of parents at other schools that have been waiting a long time for renovations and/or additions of needed space. I am just trying to be precise in the use of language as what is happening is not a "second renovation" it is a second addition of needed space, it is not like this is happening because the community did not like the paint choices.

This silly. If I added two floors to a wing of my house, you better damn well believe that would be commonly understood in the English language as a renovation. Not rocket science. It's like the supreme courts famous quote, you know it when you see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason is that it costs almost as much to add the trailers because of trailer requirements per building codes now given the structures already in place (they are building up over existing space). The first renovation was designed for fewer early ES classrooms than they needed and with the expectation that there was a large drop off in third grade. They now have five k and first grade classrooms and those kids are not leaving before fifth and four classes for grades above that, no sure if they will be having 5 classes all the way through as the current first graders are what pushed it to 5 classes. They have 60 preK students and 58 IB kids on the wait list. Three years ago they had 3 k classes and (I think) 2 4th and 5th grade classes (and possibly 3rd too, not sure). They are making do with converting existing space but the need for classrooms increases evey year and there is a limit before trailers (which are very expensive and temporary) would be needs absent this addition.

blahblahblah....

I can tell you all sort of stories about many schools that saw enrollment patterns shift dramatically in the last few years---we all have the stories---but we all do NOT have two multi-million dollar renovations.

Exactly. If I had my school SHUT DOWN last year I would be livid this neighborhood is getting resources literally poured into it. Trailers are okay for the rest of the city but not Janney kids?

if your school was shut down last year, it was because it was an under-enrolled school with empty classrooms and poor test scores.

not a Janney parent

[Anonymous]

Politics as usual

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Politics as usual

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, Janney parents, if there is not enough room for all the kids in the current boundary to fit into the school, I guess we need to look at boundaries and send some of your current families to another school. So, the streets the furthest away? Maybe they are the same distance to Hearst or Murch or Mann as they are to Janney.

Does that sound crazy? But isn't that what you are proposing for Deal? Send away the kids that live farthest away?

Aren't Janney families singing a different tune when it comes to Deal?

Why should Janney automatically be expanded when other schools could probably handle the overflow---and, um, aren't we currently looking at boundaries system wide?

Masters at twisting facts to come out on top at the expense of kids whose parents are not as organized or powerful, sounds so fair.

Exactly. And I bet these manipulators are the same ones on here suggesting that every family who has issues with their school move into the magical supply of $1800/month 2 bedroom apartments along Connecticut Avenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It does seem very shortsighted to be doing this now, before the boundaries discussion. A much cheaper, and somewhat obvious, way to reduce the crowding at Janney would be to move some of those kids to Hearst.

They've already laid down the ground rule that all existing families will be grandfathered. So any change in boundaries isn't going to make a difference for years. If you look at the Master Facilities Plan, there are population projections on page 55 (Figure 4.7). Janney is the only elementary school in Cluster 11. Elementary aged population is projected to go from 1230 in 2012 to 1421 in 2017 1645 in 2022. That's 34% growth in the next ten years. The school is already crowded. Shrinking the boundaries can't fix that.

I agree that the timing isn't helpful for the boundary review commission.