Walls admissions article in the Post

[Anonymous]

The real issue is that Walls is clearly using a completely arbitrary process to select kids at this point--it is basically the interview and that's it. A "ten minute" interview that for many kids is 3 minutes. There is zero transparency in terms of how they assign 31 points based on that interview. And the outcomes are nonsensical. Virtually no kids from two of the wards where (one would think) interviews might really benefit/compensate for the disadvantaged schools they come from and very high performing/charismatic kids getting rejected while others get in (from the same demographics/geographic areas)....lucky for them the school simply benefits from "scarcity"...people only want it because it is selective (ask any parents with a kid there and one at Wilson which is better...in my experience, most prefer Wilson by a mile).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a DCPS educator for 10+ years (gen Ed). Some of my most intelligent and successful students have had an IEP. It’s beyond ableist to think that students (or adults) who have/had an IEP can’t thrive in gen Ed settings.

And it is interesting that public data for Walls indicates that 0% of the student body has an IEP. If there are 600 students, there are at most 3 students with IEPs in the building.
As a parent of 2 children with IEPs, I am curious what the acceptance and attrition rate is at the school (as well as at Banneker)

[Anonymous]

I think if DCPS had school buses, more kids from wards 7 and 8 would be attracted to schools such as Walls. If you live near Ballou or Anacostia HS, it is very difficult to commute daily to Walls. School without Walls also has no grounds or athletic fields which is a turnoff for many kids. If you are serious about a sport, going to Walls can be a pain. For example, the soccer teams at Walls have to metro every day to RFK stadium to practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC's POPULATION:
45.4% Black or African American
4.1% Asian
5.2% Hispanic White
0.3% Native American and Alaskan Native
42.5% White
4.4% Some Other Race, 0.1% Pacific Islander and 3.3% from two or more races

WALLS BREAKDOWN:
25% Black/African-American
7% Asian
13% Hispanic / Latino
<1% Native American / Alaska Native
50% White non-Hispanic
5% Multiracial

So Walls is actually quite diverse, people always use this word incorrectly. A 95% black school isn't diverse. The problem is we need to get more Black students into Walls. The problem is DC's Black population skews poor. That's what needs to be fixed. Those kids aren't going to elementary and middle schools that prepare them for success. They are lacking resources at home, at school, and in their communities. My guess is most poor Black kids are never told they can take the test and get into a good HS. Walls should start a program, but the problem is far too entrenched for it to be on the shoulders of one magnet public school in the city.

City population isn’t relevant. DCPS population is. According to the Post article, 15% of DCPS students are white; 60% are black.

PP here. Yes this is excellent and necessary information to determine how to fix the problem. That is what we need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a DCPS educator for 10+ years (gen Ed). Some of my most intelligent and successful students have had an IEP. It’s beyond ableist to think that students (or adults) who have/had an IEP can’t thrive in gen Ed settings.

And it is interesting that public data for Walls indicates that 0% of the student body has an IEP. If there are 600 students, there are at most 3 students with IEPs in the building.
As a parent of 2 children with IEPs, I am curious what the acceptance and attrition rate is at the school (as well as at Banneker)

Oof. This is disheartening. There’s a movement around ableism and we should make noise about this too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

[Anonymous]

Will Walls become the next Dunbar without entrance tests? Will TJ ? Time will tell I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

I don’t think it’s the group being discriminated against that needs to present more evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

I don’t think it’s the group being discriminated against that needs to present more evidence.

You need to verify that discrimination occurred. How do you know that kids from Ward 7 and 8 applied? Maybe the “ward unknown” kids are largely from Ward 7 and 8 and previously sought better schooling at charters?

Without more information, it’s bs to insist that students from Ward 7 and 8 are discriminated against.

What is surely true is:

— Walls admissions is super subjective.

— Wards 7 and 8 need better schools and, especially, more social services from early childhood on, so more of the students are prepared for competitive schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

I don’t think it’s the group being discriminated against that needs to present more evidence.

Applying there didn't appeal to my IEP student, despite the fact that they have a special education teacher on site and added case manager social workers. The model is very loose...open campus lunch, no bells, off campus internship and the program expects a very self-directed/independent student. This just wasn't going to work for my DC, no matter now many accommodations were in place in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if DCPS had school buses, more kids from wards 7 and 8 would be attracted to schools such as Walls. If you live near Ballou or Anacostia HS, it is very difficult to commute daily to Walls. School without Walls also has no grounds or athletic fields which is a turnoff for many kids. If you are serious about a sport, going to Walls can be a pain. For example, the soccer teams at Walls have to metro every day to RFK stadium to practice.

This is the thing...Walls is just not easy to get to for the majority of the city. I suspect Banneker will become an option for many more kids with its new location.

[Anonymous]

My daughter didn't even apply to SWW, because the criteria seemed so arbitrary even early in the process.

Reports from friends are that the new Banneker building is beautiful, and a light-filled, updated building can do a lot for creating a good place to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

I don’t think it’s the group being discriminated against that needs to present more evidence.

You need to verify that discrimination occurred. How do you know that kids from Ward 7 and 8 applied? Maybe the “ward unknown” kids are largely from Ward 7 and 8 and previously sought better schooling at charters?

Without more information, it’s bs to insist that students from Ward 7 and 8 are discriminated against.

What is surely true is:

— Walls admissions is super subjective.

— Wards 7 and 8 need better schools and, especially, more social services from early childhood on, so more of the students are prepared for competitive schools.

Oh my god. Again, from the Post article: “According to the school system, 50 students attending the five neighborhood schools in Wards 7 and 8 applied to be part of the incoming freshmen at Walls. Overall, 138 students living in the two wards applied.” But “Just three eighth graders at middle schools in Wards 7 and 8 — Hart, Johnson, Kelly Miller, Kramer and Sousa middle schools — made the cut of 500 students and accepted interviews, according to city data.” And “Preliminary data shows the new freshman class includes four students from Wards 7 and 8.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

I don’t think it’s the group being discriminated against that needs to present more evidence.

You need to verify that discrimination occurred. How do you know that kids from Ward 7 and 8 applied? Maybe the “ward unknown” kids are largely from Ward 7 and 8 and previously sought better schooling at charters?

Without more information, it’s bs to insist that students from Ward 7 and 8 are discriminated against.

What is surely true is:

— Walls admissions is super subjective.

— Wards 7 and 8 need better schools and, especially, more social services from early childhood on, so more of the students are prepared for competitive schools.

Oh my god. Again, from the Post article: “According to the school system, 50 students attending the five neighborhood schools in Wards 7 and 8 applied to be part of the incoming freshmen at Walls. Overall, 138 students living in the two wards applied.” But “Just three eighth graders at middle schools in Wards 7 and 8 — Hart, Johnson, Kelly Miller, Kramer and Sousa middle schools — made the cut of 500 students and accepted interviews, according to city data.” And “Preliminary data shows the new freshman class includes four students from Wards 7 and 8.”

You’re right — I was responding to PP and didn’t read the article. It still holds that it's not clear that discrimination is the problem as opposed to an the kids being underserved in earlier life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how many students were accepted that live in ward 7 or 8 but didn't go to middle school there. Maybe part of the issue is that students from wards 7 or 8 who are academically inclined are looking for middle schools elsewhere. Is that really Walls' fault?

Huh? First it’s a high school. Second, they screen out kids with IEPs (which is illegal). They screen out kids in wards 7 and 8. What else is there to know?

What evidence do you have that kids in these Wards are screened out?

I don’t think it’s the group being discriminated against that needs to present more evidence.

You need to verify that discrimination occurred. How do you know that kids from Ward 7 and 8 applied? Maybe the “ward unknown” kids are largely from Ward 7 and 8 and previously sought better schooling at charters?

Without more information, it’s bs to insist that students from Ward 7 and 8 are discriminated against.

What is surely true is:

— Walls admissions is super subjective.

— Wards 7 and 8 need better schools and, especially, more social services from early childhood on, so more of the students are prepared for competitive schools.

Oh my god. Again, from the Post article: “According to the school system, 50 students attending the five neighborhood schools in Wards 7 and 8 applied to be part of the incoming freshmen at Walls. Overall, 138 students living in the two wards applied.” But “Just three eighth graders at middle schools in Wards 7 and 8 — Hart, Johnson, Kelly Miller, Kramer and Sousa middle schools — made the cut of 500 students and accepted interviews, according to city data.” And “Preliminary data shows the new freshman class includes four students from Wards 7 and 8.”

You’re right — I was responding to PP and didn’t read the article. It still holds that it's not clear that discrimination is the problem as opposed to an the kids being underserved in earlier life.

“The systemic racism at walls isn’t as bad bc also they had systemic racism earlier” we’re really doing this