McKinley Tech-- anyone have a student there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They also have a "disinvite" policy. If students do not maintain a B average or have behavior problems, they are not invited back after freshman year. The current sophomore class is 20% smaller than last year.

Holy c---p! That's tougher than most private schools from what I've heard. Are all the HS application DCPS schools like this?

Walls, Banneker, and McKinley all have a disinvite policy freshman year- but I believe the average has to be at least a 2.5, not a B average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is racism by any means. It is supply and demand. As long as there are black neighborhoods and white sections of town it will continue. When many feel that one Ward in the city is predominantly white and educated and the other Ward is AA and poor.

You must be a transplanted or newly planted Washingtonian. McKinley has never been a school of being unheard of in any sense of the matter. If you knew the history of the school then it would astound you the McKinley was considered ahead of its time. It was only closed because of the drain of students that were being sent to McKinley, SWW and Ellington at the time. McKinley offered everything and more that many valued in the applications schools of today. The irony McKinley drew the best from around the city and it was not an application school it was a school that attracted academically succecssful students.

To say that McKinley became phenomenon over night just let's me know you got here late yourself. Carry on.

Not sure who you are talking to, but it's certainly not me (who asked why not more white students) -- I am well aware that McKinley has had a good reputation for a longtime. Your email doesn't make sense as you repeat McKinley twice (McKinley was closed because students were being sent to McKinley? What?).

But really, can we stop repeating this outdated fallacy that McKinley is located in a "black neighborhood". This is not the case. I live there. It is a very diverse neighborhood and it is neither predominantly black nor white.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad to be reading this thread. My son is in 4th grade, very much into math and science, and we attended EdFest specifically to check out McKinley Tech. Its the closest high school to our home (zoned for Dunbar, which won't be 'reconfigured' in time for him, but maybe for my 3-year-old). We spoke with some administrators and have decided to attend an open house to check out the labs. We are starting a little early because I want to make certain he is on the right track and that we make the right decision for middle school. in order to get him where he wants and needs to be.

It seems that currently the mass media, which is being phased out, and the IT track are the most popular. The biomedical track has a lot of female students and the engineering track is being reworked so that it is stronger and can attract more students. Those are the two that seem most closely aligned to the things he likes. All students must have in internship the summer before their senior year.

He took a liking to St. Anselm's after visiting their open house and my husband and I are discussing it, at least for middle school, but would prefer to keep him in a public school if we can find the right fit.

As for the question about why no white students? From my experience (and I'm not white) white parents in this area seem to do a lot of things through word of mouth. If no one they know has experience there, then they won't really look into it. And another poster is correct, currently the white hs population isn't that high. But in the next ten years it will be, if DC can keep parents in the city.

[Anonymous]

I really think the demographics of the school will change in the next 5-10 years. The test scores are just too good for parents to turn up their noses, especially if zoned for Dunbar or Cardozo, and the area around McKinley is gentrifying rapidly so it will be convenient for more and more people. Banneker, Ellington, and SWW are not big enough to handle the population growth.

[Anonymous]

I'm a former DC educator (middle school to be exact) and I wrote many letters of recommendation for Mckinley. Most, if not all of my students that attended there are in college now pursuing degrees in STEM fields. I'm most proud of my former student who became enamored with Botany while at McKinley and is now working towards being a dentist. I know Botany and dentistry don't really match but it was cool to see this interest emerge. A couple of years ago, I had a white 8th grader who was extremely interested in the STEM program at McKinley. Their siblings attended Walls, but they wanted to do something different. They made the decision to attend McKinley and assure me that it was one of the best decisions they made. Also, the internship opportunities are amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im a Tech parent. Love the school but it is very challenging for my child. Children are given options to be on the biotechnology, information technology or engineering path that starts in the 10th grade but selected in the 9th with the option to change before the 10th. My child is doing well with her STEM classes but not well in English b/c it is equally demanding. Yes he takes a foreign language and they even have Mandarin. They have state of the art equipment to learn from and very dedicated, qualified and energetic teachers. Its takes a lot to be accepted into the school and alot to stay. Children have the option to test out of classes to take a more challenging course so to me it means they get the individual child. I know a child taking Alegbra 2, honors geometry, honors world history, honors English etc in the 9th grade.
I think all students are encourage to join an after school activity to be apart of the community. And I think all students have to take JROTC. They have community and collegiate partnerships. This is not a school were students are left to figure out things on their own therefore parents are strongly encouraged to work with the school to develop the whole child so they won't get discourage by the rigors of the environment. I love the school and very honored my child was selected. The neighborhood is safe. They need and aquatic center. Im hearing of students being jumped by Dunbar students for clothing. The building is huge and shared with their middle school.

Wait, all students have to take JROTC?!!!!! Why on earth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They also have a "disinvite" policy. If students do not maintain a B average or have behavior problems, they are not invited back after freshman year. The current sophomore class is 20% smaller than last year.

Holy c---p! That's tougher than most private schools from what I've heard. Are all the HS application DCPS schools like this?

BASIS DC has comprehensive exams 6th-8th. If you fail anything but math, you take it again in the fall, and if you fail again you have two choices - repeat the grade or leave the school. Means the kids who are now in 8th (who started in 6th) are a pretty solid group. Our oldest class is only in 10th grade, we have been open for 3 years, most admits are in 5th. Some in 6th, but you are behind. After that no new admissions. It is a pyramid model, and a chain, and the oldest BASIS schools in AZ only graduate 50/60 kids a year. Great math tracking starting in 5th, science tracking starting in 8th. No majors like McKinley though. Over 40% FARMS, enough white students not to have to worry about being an "only," and the number of white students seems to be increasing every year. The MS beat everyone except for Deal on the DC CAS last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They also have a "disinvite" policy. If students do not maintain a B average or have behavior problems, they are not invited back after freshman year. The current sophomore class is 20% smaller than last year.

Holy c---p! That's tougher than most private schools from what I've heard. Are all the HS application DCPS schools like this?

BASIS DC has comprehensive exams 6th-8th. If you fail anything but math, you take it again in the fall, and if you fail again you have two choices - repeat the grade or leave the school. Means the kids who are now in 8th (who started in 6th) are a pretty solid group. Our oldest class is only in 10th grade, we have been open for 3 years, most admits are in 5th. Some in 6th, but you are behind. After that no new admissions. It is a pyramid model, and a chain, and the oldest BASIS schools in AZ only graduate 50/60 kids a year. Great math tracking starting in 5th, science tracking starting in 8th. No majors like McKinley though. Over 40% FARMS, enough white students not to have to worry about being an "only," and the number of white students seems to be increasing every year. The MS beat everyone except for Deal on the DC CAS last year.

Yesterday you hijacked a post about Banneker. Today you're hijacking a post about McKinley Tech.
Looks like BASIS recruiters are getting desperate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They also have a "disinvite" policy. If students do not maintain a B average or have behavior problems, they are not invited back after freshman year. The current sophomore class is 20% smaller than last year.

Holy c---p! That's tougher than most private schools from what I've heard. Are all the HS application DCPS schools like this?

BASIS DC has comprehensive exams 6th-8th. If you fail anything but math, you take it again in the fall, and if you fail again you have two choices - repeat the grade or leave the school. Means the kids who are now in 8th (who started in 6th) are a pretty solid group. Our oldest class is only in 10th grade, we have been open for 3 years, most admits are in 5th. Some in 6th, but you are behind. After that no new admissions. It is a pyramid model, and a chain, and the oldest BASIS schools in AZ only graduate 50/60 kids a year. Great math tracking starting in 5th, science tracking starting in 8th. No majors like McKinley though. Over 40% FARMS, enough white students not to have to worry about being an "only," and the number of white students seems to be increasing every year. The MS beat everyone except for Deal on the DC CAS last year.

Yesterday you hijacked a post about Banneker. Today you're hijacking a post about McKinley Tech.
Looks like BASIS recruiters are getting desperate

Not the PP but since when is comparison = "desperation"? And since when is it OK to talk on and on about Banneker, Wilson, McKinley et cetera in thread after thread and fine for folks to insert their $0.02 about their own school without criticism, but the minute someone dares chime in to bring up BASIS, you immediately launch into your shrill hysterics about "recruiters" and "pimping" and "desperation" blah blah blah? The other schools aren't getting that treatment from you even though other posters constantly do the exact same thing. And, you hop from thread to thread with your apparent sole reason for existing on earth to try and bash BASIS every chance you get. You are truly ludicrous with this nonsense of yours. Take it down a notch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They also have a "disinvite" policy. If students do not maintain a B average or have behavior problems, they are not invited back after freshman year. The current sophomore class is 20% smaller than last year.

Holy c---p! That's tougher than most private schools from what I've heard. Are all the HS application DCPS schools like this?

BASIS DC has comprehensive exams 6th-8th. If you fail anything but math, you take it again in the fall, and if you fail again you have two choices - repeat the grade or leave the school. Means the kids who are now in 8th (who started in 6th) are a pretty solid group. Our oldest class is only in 10th grade, we have been open for 3 years, most admits are in 5th. Some in 6th, but you are behind. After that no new admissions. It is a pyramid model, and a chain, and the oldest BASIS schools in AZ only graduate 50/60 kids a year. Great math tracking starting in 5th, science tracking starting in 8th. No majors like McKinley though. Over 40% FARMS, enough white students not to have to worry about being an "only," and the number of white students seems to be increasing every year. The MS beat everyone except for Deal on the DC CAS last year.

Yesterday you hijacked a post about Banneker. Today you're hijacking a post about McKinley Tech.
Looks like BASIS recruiters are getting desperate

Not the PP but since when is comparison = "desperation"? And since when is it OK to talk on and on about Banneker, Wilson, McKinley et cetera in thread after thread and fine for folks to insert their $0.02 about their own school without criticism, but the minute someone dares chime in to bring up BASIS, you immediately launch into your shrill hysterics about "recruiters" and "pimping" and "desperation" blah blah blah? The other schools aren't getting that treatment from you even though other posters constantly do the exact same thing. And, you hop from thread to thread with your apparent sole reason for existing on earth to try and bash BASIS every chance you get. You are truly ludicrous with this nonsense of yours. Take it down a notch.

This NP would like to say, "pot meet kettle".

[Anonymous]

^ Wrong, you're missing half of the equation 14:08, because nobody here was trashing and demonizing Banneker, Wilson or McKinley supporters simply for talking those schools up.

That only happened to the Basis supporter(s).

Someone speaks up about it, calls it out and you want to lump them in with this "pot meet kettle" nonsense? Sorry, NOPE. Fail.