SWW open house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open house looked depressing and uninspiring.

I cannot make sense of how they picked the information they delivered, eg. the lady who gave a presentation on how important the school-family communication is (and her only argument was that the school-family communication is important). Sports coach coordinator looked un-sporty and overweight. Presenters' voices were monotone and bored.

They did not provide any academic reason to apply, except that, those who make it to the final list are the best ones. No indications on the teaching approach to math, or science. Or literature selection. They maybe thought that this is not relevant to us parents (or we would not understand that). Several parents were puzzled and were looking at each other. None of the higher SES parents from Deal I saw left the school with a willingness to apply. Presentations were clearly tailored to more modest families who are inspired by hearing that only the best make it to SWW.

The final motivational monologue by the Principal was pathetic. Reminded me of the speech of General at the beginning of an Officer and and a Gentleman.

Sounds like you are not the target audience.

I guess so. But believe me, I really went with an open heart and mind, wanting to make it work (subject to my son being accepted). I wanted my son and the other parents from my school to leave the building and say "great", or at least "ok". That did not happen. I am very disappointed and kind of angry for the modest attempt the school made to convince us that our kids would have a great academic (and social) experience at SWW. I am not even sure at this point that reason exists.

Based on how it went, I will have a hard time motivating my son to do well at the entrance test and interview. Plus, the other families from my school who came to take a look left shaking heads, so I won't even have the support from his friends.

Believe me, it was really depressing, shabby.

PP - why did you want this to work so much? If not SWW, where will your son go? Wilson? Private? Are you looking at Banneker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was back to the school after 5 years. Much different ethnic mix of interested families than 5 years ago. More than 50% white. Used to be 20% or less. The school selection process is murky. I am sure they do take into account racial/ethnic balance.

Agree. The numbers are just too perfect. No other real reason for a family interview.

Black 36%, white 38% .

All other things constant, based on what we saw today, a white student has lower chances of being accepted at SWW if the mix had to stay the same.

Based on what people know of highly qualified (actually near perfect) candidates who don't get in, this is not news.

Sorry, but I don't buy this. Our (white) kid is smart, but does as little work as he can get away with and spends most of his time playing sports. He did well on the test (if you call, they will tell you where your kid's score ranked) and didn't bomb the interview (but also didn't claim that he was dying to go there because he wasn't) and was offered admission. I seriously doubt many "near perfect" candidates were socially engineered out of the school.

Because he is a boy. It is easier for boys to get admission becuase they have typically 60%+ girls and need more boys. More boys either don't apply or turn them down due to sports. White girls, especially from Ward 3 have very tough competition to get in. Ask around about girls who were not admitted.

I don't have to ask -- I know who from DS's circle took the test, who was admitted, and who was waitlisted. Most of DS's friends who took the test (mostly girls, mostly white, almost all Ward 3) were admitted, and a couple got in off the waitlist. Our experience really did not match what you are saying.

Also, PP reported that the principal flatly stated that they do not adjust admissions to try to balance gender.

[Anonymous]

As an FYI, Walls was expecting only 40 people at the open house and there were about 200- perhaps the impression you got from the open house was colored by the fact that the school was overrun and overwhelmed very unexpectedly, -and. Should chalk it up to a fluke?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an FYI, Walls was expecting only 40 people at the open house and there were about 200- perhaps the impression you got from the open house was colored by the fact that the school was overrun and overwhelmed very unexpectedly, -and. Should chalk it up to a fluke?

That may explain lack of an adequate sound system but not the content of the presentations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an FYI, Walls was expecting only 40 people at the open house and there were about 200- perhaps the impression you got from the open house was colored by the fact that the school was overrun and overwhelmed very unexpectedly, -and. Should chalk it up to a fluke?

.

This does not make sense that they only anticipated about 40 people. Seems like poor planning to me when well over a 1000 kids take the admissions tests each year and they only thought 40 would show up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FYI, Walls was expecting only 40 people at the open house and there were about 200- perhaps the impression you got from the open house was colored by the fact that the school was overrun and overwhelmed very unexpectedly, -and. Should chalk it up to a fluke?

.

This does not make sense that they only anticipated about 40 people. Seems like poor planning to me when well over a 1000 kids take the admissions tests each year and they only thought 40 would show up

There were 3 open house events -- yesterday's was the last one and closest to the lottery opening. They should have been able to handle a crowd.

But the fact remains that the few good DCPS high schools (Banneker, Walls, Wilson) don't need to market themselves. They don't care if your kids attend or not because they have plenty of applicants/students enrolling.

And SWW isn't doing anything particularly different with their academics because the school is AP-class oriented, and the College Board dictates the content and pacing of those classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FYI, Walls was expecting only 40 people at the open house and there were about 200- perhaps the impression you got from the open house was colored by the fact that the school was overrun and overwhelmed very unexpectedly, -and. Should chalk it up to a fluke?

.

This does not make sense that they only anticipated about 40 people. Seems like poor planning to me when well over a 1000 kids take the admissions tests each year and they only thought 40 would show up

There were 3 open house events -- yesterday's was the last one and closest to the lottery opening. They should have been able to handle a crowd.

But the fact remains that the few good DCPS high schools (Banneker, Walls, Wilson) don't need to market themselves. They don't care if your kids attend or not because they have plenty of applicants/students enrolling.

And SWW isn't doing anything particularly different with their academics because the school is AP-class oriented, and the College Board dictates the content and pacing of those classes.

Wilson and Banneker did a much better job at their open houses. They were able to provide reasons why they think they do a good job at educating their students and at building a community of learners and good citizens (despite their constraints). SWW was purely self-referential. Their point was uniquely:

Only the best are accepted at SWW. If you are accepted you are the best and since you are the best we are the best. You will stay the best during these four years, we have the best APs scores forget about the PARCC scores (cit. Troglish). If you get C&Ds you will have to leave the school (because you are no longer the best), but if you do well in your IB school we will take you back because you proved that you can be the best.

BTW: at last night Winter Concert at our MS I debriefed with a number of parents who were in attendance at SWW and all stated that the open house was underwhelming to say the least and that left very puzzled.