Meaningful accountability but only for the affluent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Guess what? Wilson families are "working families" too. Nobody is living off of a trust fund as opposed to a paycheck. Those in DC who are truly wealthy and don't work, go private anyway.

It was absolutely an affront to Wilson families - who had to accrue the resources to buy into the Wilson boundary. People who live in small, ugly houses that haven't been updated in decades - but carry an enormous premium because of Wilson are genuinely affronted that he got to buy something brand new and enormous for the same amount of money and still get the same privileges.

Wait, what? How do we explain Ward 1 decreasing in median income?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Guess what? Wilson families are "working families" too. Nobody is living off of a trust fund as opposed to a paycheck. Those in DC who are truly wealthy and don't work, go private anyway.

It was absolutely an affront to Wilson families - who had to accrue the resources to buy into the Wilson boundary. People who live in small, ugly houses that haven't been updated in decades - but carry an enormous premium because of Wilson are genuinely affronted that he got to buy something brand new and enormous for the same amount of money and still get the same privileges.

Wait, what? How do we explain Ward 1 decreasing in median income?

Sorry - I quoted the wrong post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

There are also good schools in Ward 6, namely Brent, Maury, SWS, as well as fast rising schools Cap Hill Montessori, Ludlow-Taylor, Watkins.

come on ... PP could barely hold nose long enough to tolerate Ward 3 schools -- the idea that good schools can be found outside the bubble is going to cause brain hurt

Interesting to see what gentrification is doing though. Wards 1, 3, 7, 8 are all actually decreasing in median income. 2, 4, 5, and 6 are all increasing - and in the cases of 4, 5, and 6 it's very rapid. Those wards all make use of charters in significant numbers. There are clearly some comfortably 6 figure incomes in those wards, they're just not using DCPS.

How is Wards 1 median income decreasing? I'm super confused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

There are also good schools in Ward 6, namely Brent, Maury, SWS, as well as fast rising schools Cap Hill Montessori, Ludlow-Taylor, Watkins.

come on ... PP could barely hold nose long enough to tolerate Ward 3 schools -- the idea that good schools can be found outside the bubble is going to cause brain hurt

Interesting to see what gentrification is doing though. Wards 1, 3, 7, 8 are all actually decreasing in median income. 2, 4, 5, and 6 are all increasing - and in the cases of 4, 5, and 6 it's very rapid. Those wards all make use of charters in significant numbers. There are clearly some comfortably 6 figure incomes in those wards, they're just not using DCPS.

How is Wards 1 median income decreasing? I'm super confused.

They are looking at this data, compiled by kids count.

It isn't Ward 1 median income for all residents that is decreasing, but the median income of Ward 1 families with children. An important distinction. http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/6749-median-income-of-families-with-children-by-ward#detailed/21/1852-1859/false/870,573,869,36,868/any/13835

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

There are also good schools in Ward 6, namely Brent, Maury, SWS, as well as fast rising schools Cap Hill Montessori, Ludlow-Taylor, Watkins.

come on ... PP could barely hold nose long enough to tolerate Ward 3 schools -- the idea that good schools can be found outside the bubble is going to cause brain hurt

Interesting to see what gentrification is doing though. Wards 1, 3, 7, 8 are all actually decreasing in median income. 2, 4, 5, and 6 are all increasing - and in the cases of 4, 5, and 6 it's very rapid. Those wards all make use of charters in significant numbers. There are clearly some comfortably 6 figure incomes in those wards, they're just not using DCPS.

How is Wards 1 median income decreasing? I'm super confused.

They are looking at this data, compiled by kids count.

It isn't Ward 1 median income for all residents that is decreasing, but the median income of Ward 1 families with children. An important distinction. http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/6749-median-income-of-families-with-children-by-ward#detailed/21/1852-1859/false/870,573,869,36,868/any/13835

Ahhh, of course. Poor families in Columbia Heights houses leave to be replaced by millenial singles in condos. Poor families in Petworth houses leave to be replaced by wealthier families in flipped houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. My impression is that middle class DC now only includes pockets like the north end of Ward 4 and Hillcrest (and Ward 9) and the remainder of us are wealthy (relatively speaking - your lack of a champagne-filled yacht doesn't keep you out of the top American quintile of income) or pretty poor.

You might find this interesting: median income of families with children by Ward (you need to set the filters) http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/6749-median-income-of-families-with-children-by-ward#detailed/21/1852-1859/false/870,573,869,36,868/any/13835

Wow. DC is much less wealthy than I thought.

DC Families are much less wealthy than you thought. DC is generally quite wealthy, but it's concentrated in childless people in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Guess what? Wilson families are "working families" too. Nobody is living off of a trust fund as opposed to a paycheck. Those in DC who are truly wealthy and don't work, go private anyway.

It was absolutely an affront to Wilson families - who had to accrue the resources to buy into the Wilson boundary. People who live in small, ugly houses that haven't been updated in decades - but carry an enormous premium because of Wilson are genuinely affronted that he got to buy something brand new and enormous for the same amount of money and still get the same privileges.

No, not really. I would die for one of those small un-updated houses in a upper NW. I wouldn't consider it a sacrifice at all. That you think it is is gross to my mind. Entitled and gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

DC hada middle class community for many generations! There are a number of Historical African American middle class and white middle class neighborhoods. Not to say all those middle class were college educated some are/were lots where government, union, teachers etc. We live in a middle class African American neighborhood. The schools were once excellent even though predominantly segregated. The 80s and 90s definitely damazed the schools as many people with kids decided to move out of the city then. While the grandparents stayed in the old neighborhood. Today things are shifting back with some midde class families staying or keeping family homes. But please don't say there is no middle class DC. There has always been.

You must be in Brookland? If not, curious where else is like this.

Our local school (Bunker Hill) apparently used to be a top performer. It was gutted, I'm not sure exactly when but probably for the reasons you mention.

[Anonymous]

...and now those families who are pushed out, before houses can be flipped, will be under even more pressure, now that Mendelson pushed through a repeal of TOPA rights for single-family home renters. What's stunning is that all but two Council members followed him in erasing this D.C. legacy right. D.C. is now a City ruled by the rich, seeking to get richer. Any stated concern for low-to-moderate income families and their public education is just something they have to say in order to get re-elected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Guess what? Wilson families are "working families" too. Nobody is living off of a trust fund as opposed to a paycheck. Those in DC who are truly wealthy and don't work, go private anyway.

It was absolutely an affront to Wilson families - who had to accrue the resources to buy into the Wilson boundary. People who live in small, ugly houses that haven't been updated in decades - but carry an enormous premium because of Wilson are genuinely affronted that he got to buy something brand new and enormous for the same amount of money and still get the same privileges.

"working" is not the same as "working class". It's a class designator. It is more akin to blue collar. Wilson families aren't largely that. And, housing jealousy - why not sell your ugly little expensive house, once you've gotten into Wilson, and move over to Ward 5 yourself then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

DC hada middle class community for many generations! There are a number of Historical African American middle class and white middle class neighborhoods. Not to say all those middle class were college educated some are/were lots where government, union, teachers etc. We live in a middle class African American neighborhood. The schools were once excellent even though predominantly segregated. The 80s and 90s definitely damazed the schools as many people with kids decided to move out of the city then. While the grandparents stayed in the old neighborhood. Today things are shifting back with some midde class families staying or keeping family homes. But please don't say there is no middle class DC. There has always been.

You must be in Brookland? If not, curious where else is like this.

Our local school (Bunker Hill) apparently used to be a top performer. It was gutted, I'm not sure exactly when but probably for the reasons you mention.

NP. I live in Takoma, and this describes our neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...and now those families who are pushed out, before houses can be flipped, will be under even more pressure, now that Mendelson pushed through a repeal of TOPA rights for single-family home renters. What's stunning is that all but two Council members followed him in erasing this D.C. legacy right. D.C. is now a City ruled by the rich, seeking to get richer. Any stated concern for low-to-moderate income families and their public education is just something they have to say in order to get re-elected.

TOPA was being seriously abused. But that's a topic for the politics page.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

DC hada middle class community for many generations! There are a number of Historical African American middle class and white middle class neighborhoods. Not to say all those middle class were college educated some are/were lots where government, union, teachers etc. We live in a middle class African American neighborhood. The schools were once excellent even though predominantly segregated. The 80s and 90s definitely damazed the schools as many people with kids decided to move out of the city then. While the grandparents stayed in the old neighborhood. Today things are shifting back with some midde class families staying or keeping family homes. But please don't say there is no middle class DC. There has always been.

You must be in Brookland? If not, curious where else is like this.

Our local school (Bunker Hill) apparently used to be a top performer. It was gutted, I'm not sure exactly when but probably for the reasons you mention.

NP. I live in Takoma, and this describes our neighborhood.

NP. It describes many EOTP neighborhoods that were primarily middle-class AAs in past decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

DC hada middle class community for many generations! There are a number of Historical African American middle class and white middle class neighborhoods. Not to say all those middle class were college educated some are/were lots where government, union, teachers etc. We live in a middle class African American neighborhood. The schools were once excellent even though predominantly segregated. The 80s and 90s definitely damazed the schools as many people with kids decided to move out of the city then. While the grandparents stayed in the old neighborhood. Today things are shifting back with some midde class families staying or keeping family homes. But please don't say there is no middle class DC. There has always been.

You must be in Brookland? If not, curious where else is like this.

Our local school (Bunker Hill) apparently used to be a top performer. It was gutted, I'm not sure exactly when but probably for the reasons you mention.

No, we are not in Brookland. There are more of middle class neighborhoods in NE than Brookland. Of course Brookland has already become too prices for most middle class families that wish to buy a home now. Sadly is quickly becoming the case in surrounding NE middle class neighborhoods as well. The Amenities like groceries, small shopping, new library's, resturants, etc brought in by big the developer is long over due. But it is hard for long time hard working residents to process at times. Years and years of red lining with very little investment, development or support and managed to stay fairly nice and safe for a long time. Now developmers finally see it as a community worth spending money in which isn't a bad thing but there is a bit of bitterness that it has taken so long. And now the same middle class families that kept a lot of the area nice can't afford to stay or have their middle class kids and grandkids buy homes in the neighborhood. It is sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general, affluent families don't depend on the lottery. Working class families do. Skipping the line in the lottery is an affront to everyone who depends on the lottery, which is why it was a political hot button. So I disagree with the premise of the story.

Middle class working folks don't get to skip the lottery either. DC is a hard city for middle class or lower to make ends meet. The current system is killing middle class DC.

DC isn't designed for middle class people with kids. DC schools are terrible except for ward 3 which is the most expensive ward in the city.

Most people in DC don't have kids which is the real reason education doesn't get as much traction from council

There are also good schools in Ward 6, namely Brent, Maury, SWS, as well as fast rising schools Cap Hill Montessori, Ludlow-Taylor, Watkins.

come on ... PP could barely hold nose long enough to tolerate Ward 3 schools -- the idea that good schools can be found outside the bubble is going to cause brain hurt

Interesting to see what gentrification is doing though. Wards 1, 3, 7, 8 are all actually decreasing in median income. 2, 4, 5, and 6 are all increasing - and in the cases of 4, 5, and 6 it's very rapid. Those wards all make use of charters in significant numbers. There are clearly some comfortably 6 figure incomes in those wards, they're just not using DCPS.

How is Wards 1 median income decreasing? I'm super confused.

They are looking at this data, compiled by kids count.

It isn't Ward 1 median income for all residents that is decreasing, but the median income of Ward 1 families with children. An important distinction. http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/6749-median-income-of-families-with-children-by-ward#detailed/21/1852-1859/false/870,573,869,36,868/any/13835

Ahhh, of course. Poor families in Columbia Heights houses leave to be replaced by millenial singles in condos. Poor families in Petworth houses leave to be replaced by wealthier families in flipped houses.

Ward 2 & 3 families spend more on their houses but are overall less and less able to afford private. Hence the desire to police the lottery.