So, where did Mayor Fenty's kids show up for school?

[Anonymous]

No one knows for sure if he jumped the line. On the other thread about this topic someone posted that in April 2009 Lafayette had 15 students on the waitlist for 4th grade. The school has added another 4th grade class this year - so it seems to me that if the list had basically the same number of families on the waitlist in August - that all of those new students would have gotten a spot and the Fenty twins too.

I think he is right not to answer about the specifics because I agree that his kids deserve privacy - the kids are not elected officials. If folks are so concerned about folks jumping the line why not deal with other folk that milk the system all the time to get their kids into schools out-of-bounds, by using relatives' addresses and renting property but not living there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:16 here... Being a politician in this day and age is a thankless job. You open yourself up to a bunch of criticism, judgment, ridicule and total loss of privacy. Whether or not you like Fenty is beside, over and around the point. Whatever his motives, whatever his political agenda... none of it matters because he has done what 99.9% of us on this board will never do; make the choice to expose his and the lives of his family to the world all to serve the citizens of DC. He could be in private practice somewhere making a lot more money but he is a public servant. By choice, yes! But still choosing to serve your needs and the needs of your families.

The least you all could do is allow the man to "jump the line" and let him pick the DCPS he wants for his kids. He could have pulled the ultimate power move and put his kids in Horace Mann.

Was he not referred to bar counsel and disciplined for mishandling probate matters. I mean his client is a dead person and you screw that up. You are probably right, he would be making lots of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, I guess in the end they did jump the line. Gross. I feel worse for the neighborhood school they skipped out on -- what would it feel like to be a parent/ child there, when the "Education Mayor" basically says, "Well, not for MY kid...."

This is what is wrong with Mayor Fenty choosing any school he wants.

The funny thing is that West is one of the better schools in Ward 4. It has a dynamic principal and a committed parent group. We'll be applying for OOB admission there for our DS once he's old enough (we'll also apply to some west-of-the-park schools--but West is the school we'd both like for DS and think we have a prayer of getting into).

Fenty's action is a slap in the face to a pretty good school.

[Anonymous]

Horace Mann? It's not that great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well, I guess in the end they did jump the line. Gross. I feel worse for the neighborhood school they skipped out on -- what would it feel like to be a parent/ child there, when the "Education Mayor" basically says, "Well, not for MY kid...."

This is what is wrong with Mayor Fenty choosing any school he wants.

The funny thing is that West is one of the better schools in Ward 4. It has a dynamic principal and a committed parent group. We'll be applying for OOB admission there for our DS once he's old enough (we'll also apply to some west-of-the-park schools--but West is the school we'd both like for DS and think we have a prayer of getting into).

Fenty's action is a slap in the face to a pretty good school.

I agree. I think the "Education Mayor" has a particular responsibility to support his in-boundary school. Unless his children have some special needs better served in a specialized program, he is essentially giving up on his assigned school in a school system he is committed and bound to change. What does that say about his own belief in the potential and timeline of his "school reform" policy, introduced AND backed by HIM??? Sends a HORRIBLE message.

[Anonymous]

In Crestwood (not 16th Street Heights), most kids do not go to their in-boundary schools, which are West and Powell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I guess in the end they did jump the line. Gross. I feel worse for the neighborhood school they skipped out on -- what would it feel like to be a parent/ child there, when the "Education Mayor" basically says, "Well, not for MY kid...."

How do you know that the kids were not put in the OOB lottery and got a spot?

[Anonymous]

It's unknown whether kids were admitted through OOB lottery or mayoral pull. However, rumor is that they toured 5 OOB schools. Highly unilikely that 2 kids each would have been lucky enough to get in to 5 OOB schools. Possible, I suppose.

When the first sibling get in OOB, the sibling preference only applies for the next school year.

[Anonymous]

With regard to the DCPS sibling preference policy, perhaps it used to be that the policy only applies to the next school year - but my experience with the policy this year was that when one of my children got into an OOB school (from the waiting list), I was told that the sibling would also be admitted, if there was still space in that grade.

And just because someone toured five OOB schools does not mean that they expected to get into all five. I toured several schools in NW. Neither of my children got into any of the five requested schools during the lottery. We did however get into one school from the waitlist. It can happen, especially when schools are expanding the number of classes per grade.

[Anonymous]

From Washington Post DC Wire blog

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/

Fenty, 38, who has been testy with the media this week on the issue of his 9-year-old sons attending public school, was again combative Friday at a news conference at Judiciary Square to name his appointments. He said he would not answer questions about policy and would not put the new directors in the position to do so, because the purpose of the news conference was to announce his appointments.

After the news conference, Fenty once again refused to answer any questions about his twin sons attending Lafayette Elementary School, even though the Fenty family's Crestwood home is not within the school's district boundaries. School sources say the Fenty twins bypassed the lottery to attend the high-performing school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From Washington Post DC Wire blog

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/

Fenty, 38, who has been testy with the media this week on the issue of his 9-year-old sons attending public school, was again combative Friday at a news conference at Judiciary Square to name his appointments. He said he would not answer questions about policy and would not put the new directors in the position to do so, because the purpose of the news conference was to announce his appointments.

After the news conference, Fenty once again refused to answer any questions about his twin sons attending Lafayette Elementary School, even though the Fenty family's Crestwood home is not within the school's district boundaries. School sources say the Fenty twins bypassed the lottery to attend the high-performing school.

Bypassed. Say it aint so Joe, say it aint so!!

[Anonymous]

If there's a policy that Chancellor can override lottery, then fine with me. And if this is what happened, then Fenty could just come out and say he pulled privilege to get the school he and, I assume, Mrs Fenty felt comfortable with. (Funny how so many posts refer to "he" as if mayor is single parent.)

As taxpaying parent, I have no problem if there is already a rule in place.

But it is hypocritical for mayor to ask for privacy now after he was the one who dragged his kids into this in the first place.

Wish he would just 'fess up and move on to his next PR blunder or whatever ribbons need to be sliced.

[jsteele]

Earlier this year, DC Parks and Recreation officials found that Fenty's sons were playing is a basketball league for which they were too old. In addition, they had not submitted all the required paperwork for the program. The official that made an issue of this was fired. Clearly, rule are of little interest to Fenty where his kids are concerned.

As for Rhee, she has the power to grant exceptions to the OOB process. Even if she didn't, does anyone think she would say "no" to Fenty? I'm sure she doesn't want to join the Recreation guy on the unemployment line. However, it is similarly foolish to believe that Fenty is unique in obtaining this type of special treatment. I know of at least one other politically-connected family whose child got an OOB spot in a highly-coveted school. Washington is a political town and that's the way things work here. Any belief otherwise needs to be categorized with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there's a policy that Chancellor can override lottery, then fine with me. And if this is what happened, then Fenty could just come out and say he pulled privilege to get the school he and, I assume, Mrs Fenty felt comfortable with. (Funny how so many posts refer to "he" as if mayor is single parent.)

As taxpaying parent, I have no problem if there is already a rule in place.

But it is hypocritical for mayor to ask for privacy now after he was the one who dragged his kids into this in the first place.

Wish he would just 'fess up and move on to his next PR blunder or whatever ribbons need to be sliced.

It looks as if the rule was only just put in place on May 29th that allows for discretionary transfers. A little too close for comfort, I think. See below.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082803544.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Fenty Sons' Enrollment Allowable, Rhee Says
Twins Attend School Outside Neighborhood
By Bill Turque
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 29, 2009



A recent amendment to the D.C. Municipal Regulations also authorizes Rhee to grant a "discretionary transfer" if she determines that it would be "in the best interests of the student, and that the transfer would promote the overall interests of the school system." The amendment, which went into effect May 29, was part of a series of rule changes tweaking the out-of-boundary application process.

[ post edited due to copyright violation ]

[Anonymous]

You should post articles in their entirety. Provide the link. The Post could come after this site.