Charter schools get prime, former elementary school buildings
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Anonymous
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So it appears GMS and DME have awarded KIPP and Two Rivers two new public school buildings.
Kipp will create a new high school at the old Hamilton School on Brentwood Pkway, and Two Rivers is creating another Campus at the former Charles E Yong school at 820 6th ST NE http://mayor.dc.gov/release/district-government-awards-two-former-public-school-buildings-high-quality-public-charter While it is good that these buildings are going to use, it sucks that people who live in the area, and who would have had access to these schools and their facilities, will now have to join the lottery if they want to attend. |
Anonymous
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^^correction: two former public school buildings
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Anonymous
| Hamilton was being used as swing space for other schools while they were being renovated, at least it was when my kid was back in middle school and she went there. I don't think it has been used for a local school for some time. |
Anonymous
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What's the readout on the Two Rivers purchase?
My memory is always imperfect, but my impression of Carver/Langston from back in the day makes me not want to set foot within a mile of that area. Are things better now? |
Anonymous
| So the long thread about IT getting Shaed was all speculation... |
Anonymous
| I don't get it, OP. do you think DCPS has any intention of opening new schools or reopening schools? Because that ain't happening. |
Anonymous
From the press release, "DGS and DME are presently evaluating the proposals for Winston and Shaed and plan to announce awards for these two sites in the coming weeks." |
Anonymous
Wait, what? The press release says the Shaed proposals are still under review. |
Anonymous
I don't think that they have any intention to. Maybe i'm just deflated that our current trajectory is more lottery charter and fewer neighborhood schools with decent facilities. |
Anonymous
More good charter choices mean more people will be able to choose the school they want, and not just get stuck with whatever they get into. You can use location as a factor in that choice. |
Anonymous
I get that, but you're still beholden to a lottery process with no guarantees. Tre, there are decent charter choices, and a lot of them have are in tiny buildings with no green space, which those campuses have. I'm not debating the value of charters, just sharing that these facilities were former area schools that served a broad swath of the community. I might be wrong, but charters are more insular. |
Anonymous
Charters are more insular? What do you mean by that? Do you mean that they are less involved with local neighborhoods? |
Anonymous
| Yes, and between themselves. |
Anonymous
As long as parents aren't actively pushing for neighborhood schools, you can bet this will continue to happen. |
Anonymous
And if more people thought neighborhood schools were exciting, appealing options for their own children, there wouldn't be more and more empty school buildings to give away to the city's public school children - who happen to go schools that are appealing and exciting and are limited only in how many they can educate simply because there is more demand for what they are offering than there is space. If the neighborhood schools were like that - and they are in some communities - DGS would hold onto these buildings for local kids. Kipp and Two Rivers programs appeal and succeed and they are going to be able to create more seats by having and building stellar facilities. So until you invest in your local DCPS and take the plunge and send your children there, don't complain about those empty buildings going to serve other public school children. Who cares where in DC they live? As long as these two schools continue to do a good job, you and they have equal chances of attending there. |