Cheh letter to OSSE on Ellington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible Duke Ellington had to find more students while they were in swing space so that it would be a full student body when they finally occupied?

Another comment, this one tongue-in-cheek: Antwan Wilson gave the parents of non-resident cheaters the perfect talking point: "We didn't make any demands, we were offered the spot. We didn't know we were doing anything wrong..."

That is very possible. The swing space, spread across 2 buildings, sucked. So much that a good percentage of Hyde families simply refused to go. And Ellington was there for 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to see some very basic data which should be super easy for Ellington to provide. For the last four years, How many DC applicants were there for Ellington? How many auditioned and for which programs? And how many were not accepted? I want to see how they justify turning away child of District tax-paying residents while knowingly letting in outnod state kids. DUKE ELLINGTON IS A DC PUBLIC SCHOOL. it isn’t a private school. It isn’t a regional magnet. It’s a DCPS. It is all so maddening. So we built a palace that was $100 million over budget so kids from MD and VA can benefit. Enough.

Yes, the public should at least get a proper accounting. If Ellington's standards for admission are so tough that they don't think there are enough D.C. resident students able to reach that bar, then they should lower the bar. Arts education is not only for kids who've already received training. "Beginner" is arts education, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to see some very basic data which should be super easy for Ellington to provide. For the last four years, How many DC applicants were there for Ellington? How many auditioned and for which programs? And how many were not accepted? I want to see how they justify turning away child of District tax-paying residents while knowingly letting in outnod state kids. DUKE ELLINGTON IS A DC PUBLIC SCHOOL. it isn’t a private school. It isn’t a regional magnet. It’s a DCPS. It is all so maddening. So we built a palace that was $100 million over budget so kids from MD and VA can benefit. Enough.

Yes, the public should at least get a proper accounting. If Ellington's standards for admission are so tough that they don't think there are enough D.C. resident students able to reach that bar, then they should lower the bar. Arts education is not only for kids who've already received training. "Beginner" is arts education, too.

Even more importantly, it will help families of students in elementary and middle school know more about the size and chances of admission of each discipline, which can help them better prepare their children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible Duke Ellington had to find more students while they were in swing space so that it would be a full student body when they finally occupied?

Another comment, this one tongue-in-cheek: Antwan Wilson gave the parents of non-resident cheaters the perfect talking point: "We didn't make any demands, we were offered the spot. We didn't know we were doing anything wrong..."

The point is why should we be trying to come up with theories to explain why so many out of state students are at Ellington? Let them tell us. Let them share their application and audition data and the process, etc. We are the taxpayers who pay for this PUBLIC school. We must demand much more transparency. And it is unconscionable to me to build a palace to arts education for high school while at the same time DCPS has been undervaluing in under cutting arts education at the elementary and middle school levels for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad that Mary Cheh is finally paying attention to the schools. Someone needs to and clearly the Mayor and Grosso are not up to the task.

I'm sure she'l GAF about Ward 3 schools and the rest can pound sand . . . of course that's fine for a certain share of posters here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad that Mary Cheh is finally paying attention to the schools. Someone needs to and clearly the Mayor and Grosso are not up to the task.

I'm sure she'l GAF about Ward 3 schools and the rest can pound sand . . . of course that's fine for a certain share of posters here

Isn't a big part of her job to represent her constituency? What an odd and vitriolic comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad that Mary Cheh is finally paying attention to the schools. Someone needs to and clearly the Mayor and Grosso are not up to the task.

I'm sure she'l GAF about Ward 3 schools and the rest can pound sand . . . of course that's fine for a certain share of posters here

Isn't a big part of her job to represent her constituency? What an odd and vitriolic comment.

+1. I’m not a huge Cheh fan but it seems really odd to fault her for representing the interests of her constituency, who elected her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad that Mary Cheh is finally paying attention to the schools. Someone needs to and clearly the Mayor and Grosso are not up to the task.

I'm sure she'l GAF about Ward 3 schools and the rest can pound sand . . . of course that's fine for a certain share of posters here

Isn't a big part of her job to represent her constituency? What an odd and vitriolic comment.

+1. I’m not a huge Cheh fan but it seems really odd to fault her for representing the interests of her constituency, who elected her.

The dynamic of DC politics is that the Ward 3 councilmember can never be seen to be advocating for her constituents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible Duke Ellington had to find more students while they were in swing space so that it would be a full student body when they finally occupied?

Another comment, this one tongue-in-cheek: Antwan Wilson gave the parents of non-resident cheaters the perfect talking point: "We didn't make any demands, we were offered the spot. We didn't know we were doing anything wrong..."

The point is why should we be trying to come up with theories to explain why so many out of state students are at Ellington? Let them tell us. Let them share their application and audition data and the process, etc. We are the taxpayers who pay for this PUBLIC school. We must demand much more transparency. And it is unconscionable to me to build a palace to arts education for high school while at the same time DCPS has been undervaluing in under cutting arts education at the elementary and middle school levels for decades.

There is a considerable difference between "arts education" and a school for the arts. Duke is a very demanding pre-professional program for kids who are serious about their craft. They lose a considerable number of kids after the first semester who really they just wanted an "arts education" but were not ready for either the work or the competition. And it's a very long day, 8;30-5;15 on a regular day, and long into the evening if you are in the performing (and rehearsing) majors. Talent can get you in, but you just can;t swing the door open to people who are not committed to the work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to see some very basic data which should be super easy for Ellington to provide. For the last four years, How many DC applicants were there for Ellington? How many auditioned and for which programs? And how many were not accepted? I want to see how they justify turning away child of District tax-paying residents while knowingly letting in outnod state kids. DUKE ELLINGTON IS A DC PUBLIC SCHOOL. it isn’t a private school. It isn’t a regional magnet. It’s a DCPS. It is all so maddening. So we built a palace that was $100 million over budget so kids from MD and VA can benefit. Enough.

It is actually a regional magnet in the sense that people from around the region may attend by paying tuition. People seem to miss the point that cheaters appears to be DC residents, so this was not a case of intentionally letting in out of town students. As for who applies, I've been at auditions and they are fairly blind. While you do apply beforehand to get a scheduled audition time, your audition is purely talent based. Nobody asks you where you are from before you sing/dance/act/play. You can either do those things with talent or potential or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible Duke Ellington had to find more students while they were in swing space so that it would be a full student body when they finally occupied?

Another comment, this one tongue-in-cheek: Antwan Wilson gave the parents of non-resident cheaters the perfect talking point: "We didn't make any demands, we were offered the spot. We didn't know we were doing anything wrong..."

The point is why should we be trying to come up with theories to explain why so many out of state students are at Ellington? Let them tell us. Let them share their application and audition data and the process, etc. We are the taxpayers who pay for this PUBLIC school. We must demand much more transparency. And it is unconscionable to me to build a palace to arts education for high school while at the same time DCPS has been undervaluing in under cutting arts education at the elementary and middle school levels for decades.

There is a considerable difference between "arts education" and a school for the arts. Duke is a very demanding pre-professional program for kids who are serious about their craft. They lose a considerable number of kids after the first semester who really they just wanted an "arts education" but were not ready for either the work or the competition. And it's a very long day, 8;30-5;15 on a regular day, and long into the evening if you are in the performing (and rehearsing) majors. Talent can get you in, but you just can;t swing the door open to people who are not committed to the work.

So with that insight, what does DCPS do to help DC elementary and middle school students be on track for a high school career at Ellington? If DCPS has made Ellington an elite school for DC STUDENTS, what does DCPS do to create the pipeline of students who will one day apply? And don't talk to me about how students "serious about their craft" take costly private programs outside of the school during their formative years (dance through one of the ballet troupes, private fine arts instruction, private instrument instruction, etc.). That's all good and fine and I can afford to do that for my kid but the Ellington's mission is to "nurture and inspire passion for arts and learning in talented students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to develop their artistic skills." This is clearly a nod at the idea that Ellington should help serve underprivledged kids, who typically don't have the resources to take years of music lessons at Levine or years of Dance at Washington Ballet or Joy of Motion. So what is DCPS (or OSSE) doing to develop the group of future Ellington students. Or do they just look to MD and VA to fill the school we DC taxpayers paid and continue to pay for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible Duke Ellington had to find more students while they were in swing space so that it would be a full student body when they finally occupied?

Another comment, this one tongue-in-cheek: Antwan Wilson gave the parents of non-resident cheaters the perfect talking point: "We didn't make any demands, we were offered the spot. We didn't know we were doing anything wrong..."

The point is why should we be trying to come up with theories to explain why so many out of state students are at Ellington? Let them tell us. Let them share their application and audition data and the process, etc. We are the taxpayers who pay for this PUBLIC school. We must demand much more transparency. And it is unconscionable to me to build a palace to arts education for high school while at the same time DCPS has been undervaluing in under cutting arts education at the elementary and middle school levels for decades.

There is a considerable difference between "arts education" and a school for the arts. Duke is a very demanding pre-professional program for kids who are serious about their craft. They lose a considerable number of kids after the first semester who really they just wanted an "arts education" but were not ready for either the work or the competition. And it's a very long day, 8;30-5;15 on a regular day, and long into the evening if you are in the performing (and rehearsing) majors. Talent can get you in, but you just can;t swing the door open to people who are not committed to the work.

Then Cheh has a point. Rather than increasing the numbers of foreign residents, reduce the number of available seats to super-committed, talented, D.C. residents. Then use the extra space to relieve overcrowding from surrounding schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to see some very basic data which should be super easy for Ellington to provide. For the last four years, How many DC applicants were there for Ellington? How many auditioned and for which programs? And how many were not accepted? I want to see how they justify turning away child of District tax-paying residents while knowingly letting in outnod state kids. DUKE ELLINGTON IS A DC PUBLIC SCHOOL. it isn’t a private school. It isn’t a regional magnet. It’s a DCPS. It is all so maddening. So we built a palace that was $100 million over budget so kids from MD and VA can benefit. Enough.

It is actually a regional magnet in the sense that people from around the region may attend by paying tuition. People seem to miss the point that cheaters appears to be DC residents, so this was not a case of intentionally letting in out of town students. As for who applies, I've been at auditions and they are fairly blind. While you do apply beforehand to get a scheduled audition time, your audition is purely talent based. Nobody asks you where you are from before you sing/dance/act/play. You can either do those things with talent or potential or not.

And there in lies the rub. you make it sound like you're shrugging your shoulders when you basically say Ellington is a regional school essentially by default. But it's not supposed to be. It is a District of Columbia Public School. Period. I get that DCPS has created a path for students from MD and VA to attend by paying tuition (that is set way too low) but so long as children of District taxpayers are getting turned away, allowing out of states students in is bull.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible Duke Ellington had to find more students while they were in swing space so that it would be a full student body when they finally occupied?

Another comment, this one tongue-in-cheek: Antwan Wilson gave the parents of non-resident cheaters the perfect talking point: "We didn't make any demands, we were offered the spot. We didn't know we were doing anything wrong..."

The point is why should we be trying to come up with theories to explain why so many out of state students are at Ellington? Let them tell us. Let them share their application and audition data and the process, etc. We are the taxpayers who pay for this PUBLIC school. We must demand much more transparency. And it is unconscionable to me to build a palace to arts education for high school while at the same time DCPS has been undervaluing in under cutting arts education at the elementary and middle school levels for decades.

There is a considerable difference between "arts education" and a school for the arts. Duke is a very demanding pre-professional program for kids who are serious about their craft. They lose a considerable number of kids after the first semester who really they just wanted an "arts education" but were not ready for either the work or the competition. And it's a very long day, 8;30-5;15 on a regular day, and long into the evening if you are in the performing (and rehearsing) majors. Talent can get you in, but you just can;t swing the door open to people who are not committed to the work.

Then Cheh has a point. Rather than increasing the numbers of foreign residents, reduce the number of available seats to super-committed, talented, D.C. residents. Then use the extra space to relieve overcrowding from surrounding schools.

Yep. Great point.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the pp in general, but I know more than 6 students (good students, not particularly artsy) from the class of 2020 in Ward 6 who applied to either the museum studies or writing programs, as a way to not go to Eastern. All but one did not get in. I do not think that the other 6 should have been accepted just because they were DC residents. Would rather have out of state actually talented students pay tuition.