New Washington Latin campus - 2021

[Anonymous]

This idea that charter schools need to be all things for all students is a misreading of the intent of charters. Charters were intended to allow for the creation of specialty programs and curriculum diversity---a chinese immersion program (Yu Ying), a classics based program (Latin), a experiential learning model (Cap City), a model targeting kids from struggling neighborhoods and socio-economic strata (KIPP). Charters were never intended to be a parallel general education school system for the District of Columbia. Yet, because DCPS refuses to respond to parental desires for differentiated classes and disciplinary policies that facilitate orderly learning environments---over 47% of the parents utilizing public education in DC have chosen to go charter. So it is unrealistic to expect each and every charter school to offer the perfect program for each and every kid---charters were not intended to work that way.

The way statistics are kept in the District regarding the socio-economic status of students does not present an accurate picture of socio-economically diverse schools. There are a significant number of students---both at Latin and elsewhere---that are not "at risk"---defined as on public assistance, in foster care, homeless, or a year behind their chronological peers. Yet those students are also not "affluent" ---they may have parents who are teachers, police officers, government workers. They may not qualify for free and reduced meals but neither are their families capable of paying for private school or purchasing a $1M house zoned for Wilson. It would be much more illuminating if the public school system collected data which would show the distribution of income levels within a school.

Latin is intentionally diverse by design. One of the school's principles is that society is better served when children from all walks of life share an educational experience with each other. I think that is a laudable goal, as America will be ethnically pluralistic within my lifetime.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course. That said, I wish that Latin was willing to provide more challenge to its highest achievers. Admins' policy decision not to track in middle school, other than a little for math, doesn't serve the brightest and hard-working Latin students, both high and low SES well. I get it, their way or the highway, as with every DC charter.

-Signed
Boston Latin grad who's going private for her children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This idea that charter schools need to be all things for all students is a misreading of the intent of charters. Charters were intended to allow for the creation of specialty programs and curriculum diversity---a chinese immersion program (Yu Ying), a classics based program (Latin), a experiential learning model (Cap City), a model targeting kids from struggling neighborhoods and socio-economic strata (KIPP). Charters were never intended to be a parallel general education school system for the District of Columbia. Yet, because DCPS refuses to respond to parental desires for differentiated classes and disciplinary policies that facilitate orderly learning environments---over 47% of the parents utilizing public education in DC have chosen to go charter. So it is unrealistic to expect each and every charter school to offer the perfect program for each and every kid---charters were not intended to work that way.

The way statistics are kept in the District regarding the socio-economic status of students does not present an accurate picture of socio-economically diverse schools. There are a significant number of students---both at Latin and elsewhere---that are not "at risk"---defined as on public assistance, in foster care, homeless, or a year behind their chronological peers. Yet those students are also not "affluent" ---they may have parents who are teachers, police officers, government workers. They may not qualify for free and reduced meals but neither are their families capable of paying for private school or purchasing a $1M house zoned for Wilson. It would be much more illuminating if the public school system collected data which would show the distribution of income levels within a school.

Latin is intentionally diverse by design. One of the school's principles is that society is better served when children from all walks of life share an educational experience with each other. I think that is a laudable goal, as America will be ethnically pluralistic within my lifetime.

How is it diverse by design?

[Anonymous]

They should co-locate Latin with Eliot Hine. Building is big enough. That will never happen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This idea that charter schools need to be all things for all students is a misreading of the intent of charters. Charters were intended to allow for the creation of specialty programs and curriculum diversity---a chinese immersion program (Yu Ying), a classics based program (Latin), a experiential learning model (Cap City), a model targeting kids from struggling neighborhoods and socio-economic strata (KIPP). Charters were never intended to be a parallel general education school system for the District of Columbia. Yet, because DCPS refuses to respond to parental desires for differentiated classes and disciplinary policies that facilitate orderly learning environments---over 47% of the parents utilizing public education in DC have chosen to go charter. So it is unrealistic to expect each and every charter school to offer the perfect program for each and every kid---charters were not intended to work that way.

The way statistics are kept in the District regarding the socio-economic status of students does not present an accurate picture of socio-economically diverse schools. There are a significant number of students---both at Latin and elsewhere---that are not "at risk"---defined as on public assistance, in foster care, homeless, or a year behind their chronological peers. Yet those students are also not "affluent" ---they may have parents who are teachers, police officers, government workers. They may not qualify for free and reduced meals but neither are their families capable of paying for private school or purchasing a $1M house zoned for Wilson. It would be much more illuminating if the public school system collected data which would show the distribution of income levels within a school.

Latin is intentionally diverse by design. One of the school's principles is that society is better served when children from all walks of life share an educational experience with each other. I think that is a laudable goal, as America will be ethnically pluralistic within my lifetime.

How is it diverse by design?

+1. The school has itself admitted that its faculty is not as diverse as it could be. The school also told the PCSB when seeking approval for replication that it was making the entire staff which has ANY interaction with students go through training on equitable discipline - because by their own admission students of color are disproportionately disciplined.

[Anonymous]

Diverse by design means intentionally choosing locations that are accessible to all wards of the District of Columbia. The current campus is located within walking distance of major north/south and east/west bus lines and also a metro stop. Latin also runs multiple bus/shuttle lines, over and above regular DCPS transportation options. The school-run bus is free of charge to any student qualifying for free and reduced meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Diverse by design means intentionally choosing locations that are accessible to all wards of the District of Columbia. The current campus is located within walking distance of major north/south and east/west bus lines and also a metro stop. Latin also runs multiple bus/shuttle lines, over and above regular DCPS transportation options. The school-run bus is free of charge to any student qualifying for free and reduced meals.

Diverse by design requires a lot more than that. Which is probably why Latin has less and less at-risk kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Diverse by design means intentionally choosing locations that are accessible to all wards of the District of Columbia. The current campus is located within walking distance of major north/south and east/west bus lines and also a metro stop. Latin also runs multiple bus/shuttle lines, over and above regular DCPS transportation options. The school-run bus is free of charge to any student qualifying for free and reduced meals.

Diverse by design requires a lot more than that. Which is probably why Latin has less and less at-risk kids.

And again, when they appeared before PCSB they acknowledged that there were more buses available to wealthier parts of town, and the one (!) serving students from less affluent parts of the city made numerous stops en route. Latin has agreed to increase service.

[Anonymous]

PP is using mis-using the diverse by design label (buzzword).

A diverse by design school is integrated racially and economically (Latin's last 5-year strategic plan said that while they had students of all races and ethnicities, they had lost ground and their student population did not reflect DC).

A diverse by design school recruits an intentionally diverse staff and faculty*; chooses a curriculum that is attractive to parents of all backgrounds*; ensures equitable resources within the school for all students; and makes diversity is an explicit mission of the school.

*WL has agreed to begin offering Spanish as a foreign language, in recognition that not having it can send a signal to Latino families about the relative importance of their culture.

[Anonymous]

Latin can teach all the Spanish it wants without altering the reality that white and AA EotP UMC families (who aren't standard bearers for Latino culture) flood Latin with applications every year. Latino families do not.

The arrangement leads to the admission of predominantly UMC and increasingly white student body. The parents of these kids are only too happy to pay for a private bus service from their EotP neighborhoods to the school.

As long as DCPS continues to dig in its heels in opposition to most forms of academic tracking at neighborhood middle schools EotP, and won't take bold steps to improve order and discipline either, nothing will change.

In effect, Latin is being held accountable for public school system failures beyond its control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Latin can teach all the Spanish it wants without altering the reality that white and AA EotP UMC families (who aren't standard bearers for Latino culture) flood Latin with applications every year. Latino families do not.

The arrangement leads to the admission of predominantly UMC and increasingly white student body. The parents of these kids are only too happy to pay for a private bus service from their EotP neighborhoods to the school.

As long as DCPS continues to dig in its heels in opposition to most forms of academic tracking at neighborhood middle schools EotP, and won't take bold steps to improve order and discipline either, nothing will change.

In effect, Latin is being held accountable for public school system failures beyond its control.

As long as Latin continues to allow sibling preference, nothing will change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin can teach all the Spanish it wants without altering the reality that white and AA EotP UMC families (who aren't standard bearers for Latino culture) flood Latin with applications every year. Latino families do not.

The arrangement leads to the admission of predominantly UMC and increasingly white student body. The parents of these kids are only too happy to pay for a private bus service from their EotP neighborhoods to the school.

As long as DCPS continues to dig in its heels in opposition to most forms of academic tracking at neighborhood middle schools EotP, and won't take bold steps to improve order and discipline either, nothing will change.

In effect, Latin is being held accountable for public school system failures beyond its control.

As long as Latin continues to allow sibling preference, nothing will change.

Latin could choose to backfill mid-year and for upper grades. The fact thay they continue to choose not to shows that they do not actually want more at-risk kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin can teach all the Spanish it wants without altering the reality that white and AA EotP UMC families (who aren't standard bearers for Latino culture) flood Latin with applications every year. Latino families do not.

The arrangement leads to the admission of predominantly UMC and increasingly white student body. The parents of these kids are only too happy to pay for a private bus service from their EotP neighborhoods to the school.

As long as DCPS continues to dig in its heels in opposition to most forms of academic tracking at neighborhood middle schools EotP, and won't take bold steps to improve order and discipline either, nothing will change.

In effect, Latin is being held accountable for public school system failures beyond its control.

As long as Latin continues to allow sibling preference, nothing will change.

Latin could choose to backfill mid-year and for upper grades. The fact thay they continue to choose not to shows that they do not actually want more at-risk kids.

They have lost, at most, a total of 4 students from the HS the last few years and 1 from the MS. Backfilling will not change much, and given who applies, is more likely to result in another white student getting in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latin can teach all the Spanish it wants without altering the reality that white and AA EotP UMC families (who aren't standard bearers for Latino culture) flood Latin with applications every year. Latino families do not.

The arrangement leads to the admission of predominantly UMC and increasingly white student body. The parents of these kids are only too happy to pay for a private bus service from their EotP neighborhoods to the school.

As long as DCPS continues to dig in its heels in opposition to most forms of academic tracking at neighborhood middle schools EotP, and won't take bold steps to improve order and discipline either, nothing will change.

In effect, Latin is being held accountable for public school system failures beyond its control.

As long as Latin continues to allow sibling preference, nothing will change.

Latin could choose to backfill mid-year and for upper grades. The fact thay they continue to choose not to shows that they do not actually want more at-risk kids.

They have lost, at most, a total of 4 students from the HS the last few years and 1 from the MS. Backfilling will not change much, and given who applies, is more likely to result in another white student getting in.

Should be no big deal to do it, then.

Diverse by design means you keep trying until you figure out a plan that brings in diversity. Create special programs, lobby for a lottery exception, do whatever it takes within the law to get results. Latin just shrugs and blames the lottery, bussing in kids from high-incone areas all the while.

[Anonymous]

No "bussing" on the school's part involved. The families organize to bus kids over themselves. No law against it.

Why should Latin's top priority be to educate the toughest to educate kids? The parents of relatively easy-to-educate students pay plenty in taxes in this City. I totally disagree that it's Latin's job to lobby to recruit at-risk students, particularly since they're getting nowhere near the per-student public allocation DCPS reserves for itself to do it. Charters even have to rehab buildings with the per student allocations they get. Total BS, a real disgrace.