Time for a citywide traditional elementary school in each ward

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Citywide schools do not = charter. Charters are wholly separate from city administration. I would like to see more experimentation within the DCPS structure, like magnet schools. STEM focused schools, gifted and talented programs etc. Locate these programs in schools that are under enrolled and offer to in bound families as well as OOB. To some degree this is already being done wth language immersion and a couple of Montessori programs, but I’d like a more diverse offerings.

Yes but the Montessori dcps schools are terrible. The only reason the immersion ones are semi successful (emphasis on semi) has to do with motivated parents. There is not one immersion dcps I’d consider.

Not Oyster?

Don’t like the curriculum, don’t like the school culture. Most of oysters success is demographics IMO.

[Anonymous]

ok here is how it would actually work

Most of the "great" schools have barely any OOB slots

If you build fancy Montessori, magnets, dual-language etc some people will leave the "great" schools freeing up slots

people at "good" schools will switch to the "great" schools people at "average" schools will switch to "good" schools and people at "bad" schools will have options to switch to "average" schools. Then you close/consolidate some of the bad schools with low enrollment.

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yes concentrated poverty and lack of parenting is a long-term problem that cause kids to show up to school several grade levels behind

solution eliminate all free pre-k at schools that are "good" or "great" and put in the savings for 0-3 wrap around services including parenting classes at the "bad" schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Citywide schools do not = charter. Charters are wholly separate from city administration. I would like to see more experimentation within the DCPS structure, like magnet schools. STEM focused schools, gifted and talented programs etc. Locate these programs in schools that are under enrolled and offer to in bound families as well as OOB. To some degree this is already being done wth language immersion and a couple of Montessori programs, but I’d like a more diverse offerings.

It would be good to see citywide DCPS/noncharter multicultural/socioeconomically/racially and ethically diverse magnet schools that are STEM focused as well providing dual language/international programs (not necessarily immersion) that offer exposure to French, Mandarin, and Arabic and maybe Russian, Portuguese, and Japanese (forgot the name of the prominent Ethiopian language and a major East Indian language. Science programs need to go beyond teaching about the environment and nurture toward a love of science and technology kids where they may one day want to take chemistry and physics. Math training should get kids excited about math and show its relevance to the world and the future. Expose kids to state the art technology. Let kids build something technical and learn how to code to make it operate. Some families want schools that will prepare the next generation of global leaders, scientists, doctors, and so forth. Start the joy of learning, reading, and experimenting in elementary school. Add to the feel good socialization agenda. When these young kids grow up there will be all kinds of new jobs. And we may still need geniuses to find the cure for cancer and diabetes. Yet still humanities, social studies are important as are grammar, writing, and spelling.

And yes, make all neighborhood schools good but give kids and familirs options in the nation’s capital and home to the Federal government, national monuments and museums, and 700,00 residents.

[Anonymous]

One of the "citywide" schools in Ward 6 was never intended to be citywide (SWS) and was essentially stolen from Capitol Hill (which used to get a preference) b/c we can't have nice things. Certainly TPTB don't intend for it to be a Ward 6 school if they can help it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capital Hill Montessori isn't good? That's a DCPS.

It is not good, sorry. I guess some people find it acceptable but not me.

I mean, it's good if your alternatives are Miner or Payne or Tyler English Language or Amidon-Bowen... but there's no doubt it's not good for those schools. I know of 3 kids in my DD's private preschool class who are IB for Miner and lottery-ed into CHML (one knew she would b/c she is a sibling). All 3 families would have used Miner otherwise. All 3 are very education-focused families who would have been valuable members of the Miner community, but are instead off to CHML. I don't blame them at all, in their position I would have done exactly the same thing. But there is not question that citywide schools in wards hurt the worse-performing IB schools in that Ward. It's one thing when it's a charter w/ a specific mission offering a different kind of choice. But purposely placing "standard curriculum" citywides in each ward? Why would that be in DCPS' interest? What purpose would that serve other than a few lucky winners getting to opt-out of worse-performing IBs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The solution is to address poverty. But no one wants to talk about that. That seems less fun than ideas about shipping other people's children all over the place.

^^^we have a winner!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the "citywide" schools in Ward 6 was never intended to be citywide (SWS) and was essentially stolen from Capitol Hill (which used to get a preference) b/c we can't have nice things. Certainly TPTB don't intend for it to be a Ward 6 school if they can help it.

and yet its students still overwhelmingly live in Cap Hill and Ward 6

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What you're proposing are called charters.

EXACTLY.

Of course, I'd be in favor of some city-wide, test-in magnet schools, on the TJ model. But DCPS and the "community" have traditionally been hostile to the concept as elitist, not inclusive, blah, blah, blah.

[Anonymous]

I think if increased racial and economic diversity is a goal, this is a good idea. But I'm not sure it helps neighborhoo schools in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capital Hill Montessori isn't good? That's a DCPS.

It is not good, sorry. I guess some people find it acceptable but not me.

I mean, it's good if your alternatives are Miner or Payne or Tyler English Language or Amidon-Bowen... but there's no doubt it's not good for those schools. I know of 3 kids in my DD's private preschool class who are IB for Miner and lottery-ed into CHML (one knew she would b/c she is a sibling). All 3 families would have used Miner otherwise. All 3 are very education-focused families who would have been valuable members of the Miner community, but are instead off to CHML. I don't blame them at all, in their position I would have done exactly the same thing. But there is not question that citywide schools in wards hurt the worse-performing IB schools in that Ward. It's one thing when it's a charter w/ a specific mission offering a different kind of choice. But purposely placing "standard curriculum" citywides in each ward? Why would that be in DCPS' interest? What purpose would that serve other than a few lucky winners getting to opt-out of worse-performing IBs?

That's the whole premise of school choice . . . i.e., school chance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the "citywide" schools in Ward 6 was never intended to be citywide (SWS) and was essentially stolen from Capitol Hill (which used to get a preference) b/c we can't have nice things. Certainly TPTB don't intend for it to be a Ward 6 school if they can help it.

Yes SWS was stolen from Cap Hill because its longtime admins and parents let it happen. They didn't fight to retain their boundary when the school moved out of Watkins ten years ago. On the contrary. the admins supported lottery admission to SWS.

[Anonymous]

Some city-wide test-in elementaries and MS would be a nice addition and might help with overcrowding at desireable DCPS schools.

But if you want better schools city-wide, you’ll need to mitigate the effects of generational poverty. To be most effective, you must start before kids are conceived. Failing that, start with better prenatal care and prioritize housing vouchers for parents with a new baby on the way. Once kids hit school, it’s usually too late.

[Anonymous]

Put a citywide school in overcrowded Ward 3. Maybe a magnet STEM school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Citywide schools do not = charter. Charters are wholly separate from city administration. I would like to see more experimentation within the DCPS structure, like magnet schools. STEM focused schools, gifted and talented programs etc. Locate these programs in schools that are under enrolled and offer to in bound families as well as OOB. To some degree this is already being done wth language immersion and a couple of Montessori programs, but I’d like a more diverse offerings.

City administration comes with all the attendant DCPS and citywide corruption. We need less of that, not more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution is to address poverty. But no one wants to talk about that. That seems less fun than ideas about shipping other people's children all over the place.

Exactly. Give homeless people homes. Provide jobs that pay enough to support a family. Teach people how to parent.

Yes. And let's start with giving a homeless person your home. Because for my money, if we can't teach more than 46% of DCPS students whatever low standards are necessary to graduate from a DCPS high school, then we sure as hell can't teach them how to parent.