Powell ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi all, new parent here, so I’m having some trouble deciphering all the the acronym lingo! I was hoping to clarify something I’m learning as I do more research. DCPs emailed me back about a question I had and said that Powell is a feeder school for Deal and McFarland, and that based on my address we would have the option to attend either. My hunch is that it’s not that simple? And that it ends up being an unpredictable lottery where most families opt for Deal as their first choice (since it feeds into Wilson) and often may not get in? I guess I was a little thrown off by one of the comments in this thread about how Powell’s feeder pattern is hands down not a good one...

PS am happy to hear good things about Powell!

There are a handful of houses where families have the option to go to Deal or McFarland (the feed to Deal is being phased out, so whether you have it depends on your address and your child's age and when the phase-in ends).

No lottery involved. Families from Powell who will want to go to McFarland will be seeking a continuation of the dual language program they had in elementary school. Deal is a more affluent school with better test scores, but it's also quite a bit further.

[Anonymous]

It depends how old your child is. Some areas zoned for Powell and West were zoned for Deal under the old boundaries. Those boundaries are being phased out, but some older grades have been grandfathered for a couple of years.

Unless your child is old enough to qualify for the grandfathered Deal boundary, you're feed is Powell then MacFarland, which has a dual-language track to extend Powell's dual-language program.

No public middle school is as well-regarded as Deal, so that's why it's seen as a let-down. However, DCPS basically started from scratch with MacFarland a couple of years ago as a dual-language middle school, so there's some potential. (And as DC middle schools go, there certainly could be worse.)

[Anonymous]

https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Deal.pdf

As I understand it, if you live in a specific area, generally west of Arkansas Ave in the map graphic in the above link, AND your child is entering 6th grade in 2022 (2nd grade now) your child has a Deal attendance right that goes away in 2022 (though the boundaries are supposed to be ‘revisited’ at that time).

[Anonymous]

The problem is that the majority of UMC families leave the macfsrand feeders. Which means it could take years to really build a strong and consistent cohort of kids for macfarland. I would stay in Shepard park for proven schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gentrifying white parents like Powell and the kids seem to have good experiences. Gentrifying black parents do not like Powell.

Gentrifying Black parent here who was at Powell and hated it and am thrilled to be gone. It is a very different school for Black kids vs White kids because of the social dynamics.

[Anonymous]

What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

No. The Hispanic majority isn’t the issue. The issue is that Black kids socialized in a more urban environment don’t interact well with the “gentrifying” Black kids and the administration is ill equipped to provide a safe learning environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

No. The Hispanic majority isn’t the issue. The issue is that Black kids socialized in a more urban environment don’t interact well with the “gentrifying” Black kids and the administration is ill equipped to provide a safe learning environment.

PP here—I should say a “productive” learning environment as opposed to “safe” environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

No. The Hispanic majority isn’t the issue. The issue is that Black kids socialized in a more urban environment don’t interact well with the “gentrifying” Black kids and the administration is ill equipped to provide a safe learning environment.

PP here—I should say a “productive” learning environment as opposed to “safe” environment.

NP. This issue isn't specific to Powell, though. Or is it just more pronounced there?

[Anonymous]

I don’t know as I’ve only been at Powell DCPS. I can imagine, though, that this may be widespread EOTP, which is why we (and others we know like us) are no longer in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gentrifying white parents like Powell and the kids seem to have good experiences. Gentrifying black parents do not like Powell.

As a middle class (abt half our great grandparents were child immigrants, 2-3 generations with college degrees, attendes good schools, professional white color jobs, probably upper middle class if not for dc higher costs) parents of a black child I am VERY interested in learning more of the whys& what's of this statement. It this cultural bias or discrimination other students and families? Social impacts?
Is it from the teachers or administrators? Bias discipline?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

No. The Hispanic majority isn’t the issue. The issue is that Black kids socialized in a more urban environment don’t interact well with the “gentrifying” Black kids and the administration is ill equipped to provide a safe learning environment.

What school do you belive to be best for gentrifying black families or families of black children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gentrifying white parents like Powell and the kids seem to have good experiences. Gentrifying black parents do not like Powell.

As a middle class (abt half our great grandparents were child immigrants, 2-3 generations with college degrees, attendes good schools, professional white color jobs, probably upper middle class if not for dc higher costs) parents of a black child I am VERY interested in learning more of the whys& what's of this statement. It this cultural bias or discrimination other students and families? Social impacts?
Is it from the teachers or administrators? Bias discipline?

Also, remember, this is one data point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

No. The Hispanic majority isn’t the issue. The issue is that Black kids socialized in a more urban environment don’t interact well with the “gentrifying” Black kids and the administration is ill equipped to provide a safe learning environment.

We are also a middle class black family at Powell and we have not had the same experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What makes it difficult for black families at Powell? The understand that the school is much more Hispanic than most of DC. Is that part of it?

No. The Hispanic majority isn’t the issue. The issue is that Black kids socialized in a more urban environment don’t interact well with the “gentrifying” Black kids and the administration is ill equipped to provide a safe learning environment.

What school do you belive to be best for gentrifying black families or families of black children?

I work in an office of almost all upperclass black families in DC, everything single one of them moved to burbs when their kids started school or put them privates in DC. Upper class black families have fled DC schools way faster than white families in the last 15 years. UC black families don't want their kids lumped in with the more lower class black kids and their legit behavioral and learning issues. White families seem to just lump this all in as "diversity" and think its good for their kids, until about 4th grade.