Shaw Middle School -- what's the plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do we need Shaw middle? Is there any reason to believe it will attract any UMC families? Dc spends a fortune on new buildings and the schools are still underway enrolled and academic failures. See Brookland Middle, Dunbar And soon McFarland middle. DC needs to invest in a true middle school Manet that is test in, academically tracked and race and blind like schools in NY. Of course de Blasio is trying to destroy that as well. Otherwise Shaw middle will just be a waste of money.

Shaw Middle will be the new banneker building. IT is a good decision. The current Banneker is an awful facility. The students there deserve a new building.

[Anonymous]

Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland, Ross, and Thompson together could make a good middle school happen. I don't know why people aren't more interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland, Ross, and Thompson together could make a good middle school happen. I don't know why people aren't more interested.

Well for one thing they aren't all in the same feeder pattern.

Thomson feeds to Jefferson and/or SWW @FS.

Ross feeds to Cardozo or SWW @ FS.

But the real issue is MS goes by in the blink of an eye, and no one wants Cardozo for HS. When your kid is in 5th, most people are actually making decisions for 9th.

[Anonymous]

Definitely yes, but your list of half empty Taj Mahal DCPS middle schools, or future palaces, is incomplete.

Look to Cap Hill - Eliot-Hine & Jefferson Academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland, Ross, and Thompson together could make a good middle school happen. I don't know why people aren't more interested.

Well for one thing they aren't all in the same feeder pattern.

Thomson feeds to Jefferson and/or SWW @FS.

Ross feeds to Cardozo or SWW @ FS.

But the real issue is MS goes by in the blink of an eye, and no one wants Cardozo for HS. When your kid is in 5th, most people are actually making decisions for 9th.

I get that, but people motivate for Stuart-Hobson even though they don't want to go to Eastern. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland, Ross, and Thompson together could make a good middle school happen. I don't know why people aren't more interested.

Well for one thing they aren't all in the same feeder pattern.

Thomson feeds to Jefferson and/or SWW @FS.

Ross feeds to Cardozo or SWW @ FS.

But the real issue is MS goes by in the blink of an eye, and no one wants Cardozo for HS. When your kid is in 5th, most people are actually making decisions for 9th.

I get that, but people motivate for Stuart-Hobson even though they don't want to go to Eastern. Why?

Not many. Some have done it because they are philosophically opposed to charters or they don't get into Latin. They figure their kids are strong enough to do 3 years there without negative consequences, and have been confident their kids will get into SWW for high school when the time comes (and SH has a few honors classes so they have a shot at the SWW math test).

However, SWW is not a sure thing anymore (WL isn't moving much).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seaton, Garrison, Cleveland, Ross, and Thompson together could make a good middle school happen. I don't know why people aren't more interested.

Well for one thing they aren't all in the same feeder pattern.

Thomson feeds to Jefferson and/or SWW @FS.

Ross feeds to Cardozo or SWW @ FS.

But the real issue is MS goes by in the blink of an eye, and no one wants Cardozo for HS. When your kid is in 5th, most people are actually making decisions for 9th.

I get that, but people motivate for Stuart-Hobson even though they don't want to go to Eastern. Why?

Not many. Some have done it because they are philosophically opposed to charters or they don't get into Latin. They figure their kids are strong enough to do 3 years there without negative consequences, and have been confident their kids will get into SWW for high school when the time comes (and SH has a few honors classes so they have a shot at the SWW math test).

However, SWW is not a sure thing anymore (WL isn't moving much).

I think Eastern is better than Cardozo, personally. I'm a parent at a S-H feeder, and middle school is my priority because our elementary school has things pretty much covered. I wouldn't rule out Eastern for my DC (going into 1st)-- things can change over time.

[Anonymous]

Yes, things can change, if you have 15 or 20 years to wait for DCPS to get middle school right outside the Deal District.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get real. Shaw middle school would be a big waste like brook land middle. Shiny and new and under enrolled and under performing. NONE of the proposed rigor for brook land came through, no diversity at all. Shaw is even at more of a disadvantage. No strong feeders. DCPS would never put I. Test classes or gifted classes at Shaw middle. Dream on gentrifier parents and hope you get into Latin or basis.

Huh? Ross is a very strong feeder with some of the best test scores in the city. But the kids leave after 3rd grade because they don't want to go to Cardozo. A decent middle school option would keep them there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get real. Shaw middle school would be a big waste like brook land middle. Shiny and new and under enrolled and under performing. NONE of the proposed rigor for brook land came through, no diversity at all. Shaw is even at more of a disadvantage. No strong feeders. DCPS would never put I. Test classes or gifted classes at Shaw middle. Dream on gentrifier parents and hope you get into Latin or basis.

Huh? Ross is a very strong feeder with some of the best test scores in the city. But the kids leave after 3rd grade because they don't want to go to Cardozo. A decent middle school option would keep them there.

And Ross is tiny.

[Anonymous]

And SWW Middle school IS decent, though tiny. There is no world in which a Shaw Middle would definitely be better, such that you could count on Ross families choosing to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And SWW Middle school IS decent, though tiny. There is no world in which a Shaw Middle would definitely be better, such that you could count on Ross families choosing to attend.

You need to think about it more broadly. Some people try to help their middle school for the sake of all the kids, even if they're not planning to enroll their own child. And the quality of the middle school affects the feeder elementaries. I am only a preschool mom and I don't know much, but I do understand that middle school is a major reason for our attrition. If Shaw Middle happened and did well enough that people had some hope for it, that would help Seaton retain kids better and become a better school than it is now. Which would in turn help the middle school. Maybe I send my own kid to Shaw middle, maybe I don't, but an improved middle school would benefit Seaton in the long run regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And SWW Middle school IS decent, though tiny. There is no world in which a Shaw Middle would definitely be better, such that you could count on Ross families choosing to attend.

You need to think about it more broadly. Some people try to help their middle school for the sake of all the kids, even if they're not planning to enroll their own child. And the quality of the middle school affects the feeder elementaries. I am only a preschool mom and I don't know much, but I do understand that middle school is a major reason for our attrition. If Shaw Middle happened and did well enough that people had some hope for it, that would help Seaton retain kids better and become a better school than it is now. Which would in turn help the middle school. Maybe I send my own kid to Shaw middle, maybe I don't, but an improved middle school would benefit Seaton in the long run regardless.

Why must it be Shaw middle? Cardozo has the same students feeding to it.

There are not enough kids to fill both buildings. DCPS is being smart to give the old Shaw space to Banneker -- a school that desperately needs upgraded facilities which serves students city-wide. Perhaps even your preschooler someday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And SWW Middle school IS decent, though tiny. There is no world in which a Shaw Middle would definitely be better, such that you could count on Ross families choosing to attend.

You need to think about it more broadly. Some people try to help their middle school for the sake of all the kids, even if they're not planning to enroll their own child. And the quality of the middle school affects the feeder elementaries. I am only a preschool mom and I don't know much, but I do understand that middle school is a major reason for our attrition. If Shaw Middle happened and did well enough that people had some hope for it, that would help Seaton retain kids better and become a better school than it is now. Which would in turn help the middle school. Maybe I send my own kid to Shaw middle, maybe I don't, but an improved middle school would benefit Seaton in the long run regardless.

Why must it be Shaw middle? Cardozo has the same students feeding to it.

There are not enough kids to fill both buildings. DCPS is being smart to give the old Shaw space to Banneker -- a school that desperately needs upgraded facilities which serves students city-wide. Perhaps even your preschooler someday.

Because Banneker can use the building it has, it just needs a swing space during renovations. Shaw Middle is a good idea because it will be better for middle school kids to be separate from the high school. It's more age-appropriate and they will get more attention focused to their age group needs. Also, it's closer to the feeder schools and the metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And SWW Middle school IS decent, though tiny. There is no world in which a Shaw Middle would definitely be better, such that you could count on Ross families choosing to attend.

You need to think about it more broadly. Some people try to help their middle school for the sake of all the kids, even if they're not planning to enroll their own child. And the quality of the middle school affects the feeder elementaries. I am only a preschool mom and I don't know much, but I do understand that middle school is a major reason for our attrition. If Shaw Middle happened and did well enough that people had some hope for it, that would help Seaton retain kids better and become a better school than it is now. Which would in turn help the middle school. Maybe I send my own kid to Shaw middle, maybe I don't, but an improved middle school would benefit Seaton in the long run regardless.

Why must it be Shaw middle? Cardozo has the same students feeding to it.

There are not enough kids to fill both buildings. DCPS is being smart to give the old Shaw space to Banneker -- a school that desperately needs upgraded facilities which serves students city-wide. Perhaps even your preschooler someday.

Because Banneker can use the building it has, it just needs a swing space during renovations. Shaw Middle is a good idea because it will be better for middle school kids to be separate from the high school. It's more age-appropriate and they will get more attention focused to their age group needs. Also, it's closer to the feeder schools and the metro.

There are not enough kids to fill both a Shaw MS and Cardozo.

McKinley MS and HS students share a building, but never cross paths. Same will be the case with North Middle and Coolidge once renovated.

Banneker's building is too small to be a modern high school; it is the highest performing high school in the city. It needs a world class space.