SWW/Francis-Stevens merger

[Anonymous]

I am trying to understand what it means that Francis-Stevens and School Without Walls have merged. Does it mean they will share a campus? Principal? How will things look different? Seems like a weird merger, considering that those who go to F-S will not be guaranteed admission into SWW. Will this change the day-to-day operations of either school?

[Anonymous]

There is an open house tomorrow night. I'm sure they can answer all of your questions there.

[Anonymous]

As a parent at the HS, no one knows exactly how the merger or partnership will look in the future. DCPS proposed the merger without a plan for implementation and without any notice to the HS- DCPS only worked with FS on the proposed merger. For the upcoming school year, the schools will share a principal and other administrative staff, but the campuses will not be shared. The overwhelming majority of the HS faculty, students and parents share many concerns about the future of the HS and the impact of the merger. This concern has been misinterpreted by FS - no one at the HS wants FS to fail, but many ideas that have been put forth about implementing this merger - such as splitting up grades and sending small groups of HS students and staff to FS for 3x a week- simply do not work with HS schedules. This is but one of many concerns HS parents have- another being one principal for 2 schools who both need full time attention. There will be a lot of work in the upcoming year to figure out how this whole thing will work out. Right now, there are many more questions than answers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at the HS, no one knows exactly how the merger or partnership will look in the future. DCPS proposed the merger without a plan for implementation and without any notice to the HS- DCPS only worked with FS on the proposed merger. For the upcoming school year, the schools will share a principal and other administrative staff, but the campuses will not be shared. The overwhelming majority of the HS faculty, students and parents share many concerns about the future of the HS and the impact of the merger. This concern has been misinterpreted by FS - no one at the HS wants FS to fail, but many ideas that have been put forth about implementing this merger - such as splitting up grades and sending small groups of HS students and staff to FS for 3x a week- simply do not work with HS schedules. This is but one of many concerns HS parents have- another being one principal for 2 schools who both need full time attention. There will be a lot of work in the upcoming year to figure out how this whole thing will work out. Right now, there are many more questions than answers.

Wow. This sounds completely not thought out, even for DCPS.

[Anonymous]

at one dcps community mtg about school closures, the idea of sww using some of the many empty fs classrooms came up as a way to use vacant space so that fs couls stay open and sww would be able to accomodate bigger numbers of students. not sure how it morphed into a true merge with just one principal whose experience is at the hs level. doesnt sound like a good plan at all.

[Anonymous]

SWW was told that FS had up to five empty classrooms that could hold about 100 HS students. Not sure how five classrooms a mile away from the main HS could really help accommodate more HS students. And those classrooms would only be available if FS didn't increase its enrollment.The point of the merger was to use the SWW name to help FS grow the enrollment, thus using up those five empty classrooms for pre-school through 8 students. Can someone please explain the logic of this to me?

[Anonymous]

so then what's the up side for sww if they won't even get a few empty classrooms? did sww pricipal want this? is it a promotion for him?

[Anonymous]

There is no upside to SWW HS in this merger - even DCPS can't list one.
Whole idea seemed to be DCPS hoping the SWW name would drive enrollment up at FS. And that doesn't seem to be working out too well either.
And to poster 18:42- based on my experience, DCPS does not think through anything.

[Anonymous]

No HS students will travel to FS next year. The Chancellor has commissioned a taskforce of parents and stakeholders to figure out what-if any-sharing of facilities make sense. The SWW HS already makes extensive use of the fields in and tennis courts around FS, as well as its two gymnasiums. Who know if it'll ever want to use more than than.

The merger really seems to be an attempt to create a school that can compete (on paper and in actuality) with the charters by developing rigorous academics -- particularly in MS. The location can't be beat and while the facility is old, it has good bones.

[Anonymous]

Why wasn't there a task force before the merger? Seems like that would have been a logical first step.

[sondreal]

Anonymous wrote:There is no upside to SWW HS in this merger - even DCPS can't list one.
Whole idea seemed to be DCPS hoping the SWW name would drive enrollment up at FS. And that doesn't seem to be working out too well either.
And to poster 18:42- based on my experience, DCPS does not think through anything.

Here's an explanation from the Mayor's education speech last week. Better late then never? At least it shows some level of investment:

"We have a number of schools and programs that serve small groups of students well. But not enough. Our first strategy is to replicate, or scale up, the schools and programs in both sectors that have unlocked the secrets to success and are eager to reach more children.

In an effort to scale up success, DCPS is extending the reach of a number of its highest-performing and most-sought-after programs. McKinley Tech and School Without Walls will be linked to programs that serve elementary and middle school students, so hundreds of younger students can benefit from the strengths of these two high schools. DCPS is also expanding Banneker High School, School Within School, and Capitol Hill Montessori to allow more students across all grade levels to benefit from these highly successful programs."


Full text at:
http://mayor.dc.gov/release/text-prepared-delivery-mayor-gray%E2%80%99s-speech-next-steps-education-reform

[Anonymous]

DCPS did not merge any of the above mentioned schools. DCPS could have formed a partnership between FS and SWW instead of merging them. The combined budget, low enrollment at FS, sharing of a principal etc. will end up diluting the SWW HS program.

[Anonymous]

Seems that anytime a school finds success or even simple stability, DCPS conspires to pull the rug out from under the school, destabilizing students, teachers, and family plans. This isn't "spreading the success;" it's diluting success and perhaps even undermining it.

Re principal sharing, apparently DCPS learned nothing from the debacle of having a principal from a successful and stable school (Hyde Elementary) suddenly take on a full-time second principalship at a less stable school serving an entirely different population (Hardy Middle).

[Anonymous]

14:16 + 1000. Well said.

[Anonymous]

Will there be room in DCPS successful high schools to accommodate all the students from these new and improved elementary and middle schools.