Unite to Stop DME School Proposals

[Anonymous]

Most residents agree the DCPS should be improved and provide high quality education for all students. At the same time residents are almost universally dissatisfied with the proposals being presented by the DME Abigail Smith and the process. It just needs to be stopped for the good of our children and the school system as a whole. The process is shaking our confidence in DCPS and it will take years to rebuild the reputation of DCPS even if it is stopped immediately. We need to unite to stop this process.

We have been asked to discuss and consider several proposals that are politically unfeasible, based on insufficient information, limit walkability, do nothing to actually improve the quality of low performing schools, or address the limited middle and high school options in the city. What is the goal for this exercise and what are indicators to measure success? How would we know if it has worked? What is it supposed to do?

What I am seeing is that the exercise has introduced a level of concern in families throughout the district. We see a two-tier system emerging with schools that have above average performance (such as Deal) or are completely failing our children in middle and high school. Keep elementary schools as they are, in other words do no harm. Several of the elementary school proposals further limit access to good elementary schools by shifting boundaries to increase in-boundary enrollment therefore decreasing the number of spots for our out-of-boundary children. I understand that some parents in-boundary are concerned about walkability and losing access to neighborhood schools. Instead focus on our demands for improving middle and high school. These concerns are being unaddressed and are falling on deaf ears. DCPS continues to have some of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country -- this is of critical importance.

I do not hear voices advocating for any of the DME proposals, instead I hear some DC residents say that something needs to be done. There is agreement that DCPS needs to improve, but often the best way to make improvements is by engaging all stakeholders. The teachers and school administrators have not been engaged and have learned not to question Central administration. As a result those "downtown" do not engage even the highest ranking teachers or principals in the system to ask their opinion. We know this as parents because these dedicated professionals are completely mum when we discuss these matters--they clearly have not been involved. Parents are asked to go to "engagedc" an inactive highly regulated forum where comments are no longer being accepted. I have raised my concerns in public meetings and have been asked to sit in disjointed small groups that discuss every possible aspect of DCPS except the areas that are of primary concern to me. What about the students? Junior high and high school students should actively be consulted on the quality of their experience and any decision making process should include consultations with them -- they are the clients of DCPS. They are also in the most vulnerable part of the school system, middle and high school.

There is absolutely no discussion as to how these proposals will improve any school in any part of the city. This rushed check the box exercise being pushed by the DME is not serving our children. All of our kids deserve better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most residents agree the DCPS should be improved and provide high quality education for all students. At the same time residents are almost universally dissatisfied with the proposals being presented by the DME Abigail Smith and the process. It just needs to be stopped for the good of our children and the school system as a whole. The process is shaking our confidence in DCPS and it will take years to rebuild the reputation of DCPS even if it is stopped immediately. We need to unite to stop this process.

We have been asked to discuss and consider several proposals that are politically unfeasible, based on insufficient information, limit walkability, do nothing to actually improve the quality of low performing schools, or address the limited middle and high school options in the city. What is the goal for this exercise and what are indicators to measure success? How would we know if it has worked? What is it supposed to do?

What I am seeing is that the exercise has introduced a level of concern in families throughout the district. We see a two-tier system emerging with schools that have above average performance (such as Deal) or are completely failing our children in middle and high school. Keep elementary schools as they are, in other words do no harm. Several of the elementary school proposals further limit access to good elementary schools by shifting boundaries to increase in-boundary enrollment therefore decreasing the number of spots for our out-of-boundary children. I understand that some parents in-boundary are concerned about walkability and losing access to neighborhood schools. Instead focus on our demands for improving middle and high school. These concerns are being unaddressed and are falling on deaf ears. DCPS continues to have some of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country -- this is of critical importance.

I do not hear voices advocating for any of the DME proposals, instead I hear some DC residents say that something needs to be done. There is agreement that DCPS needs to improve, but often the best way to make improvements is by engaging all stakeholders. The teachers and school administrators have not been engaged and have learned not to question Central administration. As a result those "downtown" do not engage even the highest ranking teachers or principals in the system to ask their opinion. We know this as parents because these dedicated professionals are completely mum when we discuss these matters--they clearly have not been involved. Parents are asked to go to "engagedc" an inactive highly regulated forum where comments are no longer being accepted. I have raised my concerns in public meetings and have been asked to sit in disjointed small groups that discuss every possible aspect of DCPS except the areas that are of primary concern to me. What about the students? Junior high and high school students should actively be consulted on the quality of their experience and any decision making process should include consultations with them -- they are the clients of DCPS. They are also in the most vulnerable part of the school system, middle and high school.

There is absolutely no discussion as to how these proposals will improve any school in any part of the city. This rushed check the box exercise being pushed by the DME is not serving our children. All of our kids deserve better.

This sounds pretty good, if you gloss over the part in the middle which implies it's OK to move some families away from their neighborhood elementary schools who are happy with them (as we'd all like to feel about our neighborhood schools) to make more spots for "our out-of-boundary children" as if they are a special, underserved group, when their situation is actually a result of decades of poor neighborhood school choices, compliments of DCPS. All children should have good options within the system, but in the process, let's not subtly introduce a new category - "out-of-boundary children" as a special group who require special protections.

[Anonymous]

I think the OP is suggesting that the proposed changes in elementary serve nobody in the system.

They further limit options for OOB while removing neighborhood schools for IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most residents agree the DCPS should be improved and provide high quality education for all students. At the same time residents are almost universally dissatisfied with the proposals being presented by the DME Abigail Smith and the process. It just needs to be stopped for the good of our children and the school system as a whole. The process is shaking our confidence in DCPS and it will take years to rebuild the reputation of DCPS even if it is stopped immediately. We need to unite to stop this process.

We have been asked to discuss and consider several proposals that are politically unfeasible, based on insufficient information, limit walkability, do nothing to actually improve the quality of low performing schools, or address the limited middle and high school options in the city. What is the goal for this exercise and what are indicators to measure success? How would we know if it has worked? What is it supposed to do?

What I am seeing is that the exercise has introduced a level of concern in families throughout the district. We see a two-tier system emerging with schools that have above average performance (such as Deal) or are completely failing our children in middle and high school. Keep elementary schools as they are, in other words do no harm. Several of the elementary school proposals further limit access to good elementary schools by shifting boundaries to increase in-boundary enrollment therefore decreasing the number of spots for our out-of-boundary children. I understand that some parents in-boundary are concerned about walkability and losing access to neighborhood schools. Instead focus on our demands for improving middle and high school. These concerns are being unaddressed and are falling on deaf ears. DCPS continues to have some of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country -- this is of critical importance.

I do not hear voices advocating for any of the DME proposals, instead I hear some DC residents say that something needs to be done. There is agreement that DCPS needs to improve, but often the best way to make improvements is by engaging all stakeholders. The teachers and school administrators have not been engaged and have learned not to question Central administration. As a result those "downtown" do not engage even the highest ranking teachers or principals in the system to ask their opinion. We know this as parents because these dedicated professionals are completely mum when we discuss these matters--they clearly have not been involved. Parents are asked to go to "engagedc" an inactive highly regulated forum where comments are no longer being accepted. I have raised my concerns in public meetings and have been asked to sit in disjointed small groups that discuss every possible aspect of DCPS except the areas that are of primary concern to me. What about the students? Junior high and high school students should actively be consulted on the quality of their experience and any decision making process should include consultations with them -- they are the clients of DCPS. They are also in the most vulnerable part of the school system, middle and high school.

There is absolutely no discussion as to how these proposals will improve any school in any part of the city. This rushed check the box exercise being pushed by the DME is not serving our children. All of our kids deserve better.

Which sessions did you attend? How many parents have you spoken with from Wards 1,2,4,5,6,7 & 8?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the OP is suggesting that the proposed changes in elementary serve nobody in the system.

They further limit options for OOB while removing neighborhood schools for IB.

Good - that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the OP is suggesting that the proposed changes in elementary serve nobody in the system.

They further limit options for OOB while removing neighborhood schools for IB.

Good - that makes sense.

This is the last week that ourschoolsdc.org is collecting survey data based on addresses. Get people to go there and judge the

With enough data this project will be far more comprehensive and useful than any surveys or worksheet done by the DME or the technial team.

[Anonymous]

I'm interested to see the updated plan that DME will release in June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested to see the updated plan that DME will release in June.

and if they don't have very much data from some areas, be sure that they are not making up stuff to fit their preconceived or convenient notions about those areas.

e.g. - "Very little data from Ward X means they don't care about neighborhood schools and will readily accept more charters."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most residents agree the DCPS should be improved and provide high quality education for all students. At the same time residents are almost universally dissatisfied with the proposals being presented by the DME Abigail Smith and the process. It just needs to be stopped for the good of our children and the school system as a whole. The process is shaking our confidence in DCPS and it will take years to rebuild the reputation of DCPS even if it is stopped immediately. We need to unite to stop this process.

We have been asked to discuss and consider several proposals that are politically unfeasible, based on insufficient information, limit walkability, do nothing to actually improve the quality of low performing schools, or address the limited middle and high school options in the city. What is the goal for this exercise and what are indicators to measure success? How would we know if it has worked? What is it supposed to do?

What I am seeing is that the exercise has introduced a level of concern in families throughout the district. We see a two-tier system emerging with schools that have above average performance (such as Deal) or are completely failing our children in middle and high school. Keep elementary schools as they are, in other words do no harm. Several of the elementary school proposals further limit access to good elementary schools by shifting boundaries to increase in-boundary enrollment therefore decreasing the number of spots for our out-of-boundary children. I understand that some parents in-boundary are concerned about walkability and losing access to neighborhood schools. Instead focus on our demands for improving middle and high school. These concerns are being unaddressed and are falling on deaf ears. DCPS continues to have some of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country -- this is of critical importance.

I do not hear voices advocating for any of the DME proposals, instead I hear some DC residents say that something needs to be done. There is agreement that DCPS needs to improve, but often the best way to make improvements is by engaging all stakeholders. The teachers and school administrators have not been engaged and have learned not to question Central administration. As a result those "downtown" do not engage even the highest ranking teachers or principals in the system to ask their opinion. We know this as parents because these dedicated professionals are completely mum when we discuss these matters--they clearly have not been involved. Parents are asked to go to "engagedc" an inactive highly regulated forum where comments are no longer being accepted. I have raised my concerns in public meetings and have been asked to sit in disjointed small groups that discuss every possible aspect of DCPS except the areas that are of primary concern to me. What about the students? Junior high and high school students should actively be consulted on the quality of their experience and any decision making process should include consultations with them -- they are the clients of DCPS. They are also in the most vulnerable part of the school system, middle and high school.

There is absolutely no discussion as to how these proposals will improve any school in any part of the city. This rushed check the box exercise being pushed by the DME is not serving our children. All of our kids deserve better.

Which sessions did you attend? How many parents have you spoken with from Wards 1,2,4,5,6,7 & 8?

At last meeting at Coolidge 50% of the parents who took the floor to make comments and ask questions to the DME were from Wards 1,2,4,5,6,7 & 8 . None of them showed appreciation, sympathy or endorsement of the DME proposals.

[Anonymous]

Good -- I continue to ask parents to be on the look out for language that sounds compassionate but is really self serving -- e.g. "we cannot overlook the needs of those parents who are too busy working the nightshift to support their families to attend these meetings, therefore...." - and then refer to some obscure data which they don't source and if they did and if you checked it carefully, you'd find it didn't support their conclusion.

They are very tricky and are accustomed to getting away with their tricks, especially when it involves manipulating data.

Also realize that they are monitoring DCUM. This can help keep them honest or spur them on to more sophisticated means of deception

[Anonymous]

I agree there should be a focus on what dcps/DME together are going to do to strengthen middle and high schools, as well as create pathways to bring prepared cohorts together in the schools they are implementing these proposals.

I do not, however, think it is appropriate to ignore elementary schools while we are having this discussion. There needs to be a discussion of how to replicate improvements that have occurred at more schools. There are many failing elementary schools and there are many families with prepared children looking for successful ones, how do we use this demand to spur more improvements.

Also, in the interests of fairness, OP mischarachterizes the proposed boundary changes (and related OOB set asides) to describe it as limiting access to successful schools. Let's at least have an honest discussion of what is on the table. There are some heavily objected to boundary change proposals (see Murch and Janney), I also heard at the DME meeting from a resident in Mt Pleasant that was happy with the proposed Bancroft change to being in more of the Mt pleasant community. If there are good changes, let's not throw them out. With regard to changes in wards 2 and 3 that shift families (not current families) between schools, that proposal was combined with OOB set asides at high performing schools so I doubt the number of OOB students in successful schools would go down and it is likely they would be spread across more schools, including more at the highest performing schools that are currently virtually closed to OOB.

[Anonymous]

The changes with Murch and Janney will precisely make Hearst become less accessible to OOB. It is one of the few schools that currently accepts OOB kids. I have friends on 16th who would give anything for their kids to get OOB spots in Hearst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good -- I continue to ask parents to be on the look out for language that sounds compassionate but is really self serving -- e.g. "we cannot overlook the needs of those parents who are too busy working the nightshift to support their families to attend these meetings, therefore...." - and then refer to some obscure data which they don't source and if they did and if you checked it carefully, you'd find it didn't support their conclusion.

They are very tricky and are accustomed to getting away with their tricks, especially when it involves manipulating data.

Also realize that they are monitoring DCUM. This can help keep them honest or spur them on to more sophisticated means of deception

+1 I hope DCPS is monitoring this forum and thinking seriously about letting the DME go. It is ridiculous that families, childen and our neighbors are not being listened to by DCPS because we are all too spoiled, too affluent, too engaged, too disinterested, too workaholic, too poor, too uneducated, or too ignorant.

They want do develop the ideal school system for the ideal family and it seems that none of us fit the bill. It is depressing. Where is the notion of responsive government!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree there should be a focus on what dcps/DME together are going to do to strengthen middle and high schools, as well as create pathways to bring prepared cohorts together in the schools they are implementing these proposals.

I do not, however, think it is appropriate to ignore elementary schools while we are having this discussion. There needs to be a discussion of how to replicate improvements that have occurred at more schools. There are many failing elementary schools and there are many families with prepared children looking for successful ones, how do we use this demand to spur more improvements.

Also, in the interests of fairness, OP mischarachterizes the proposed boundary changes (and related OOB set asides) to describe it as limiting access to successful schools. Let's at least have an honest discussion of what is on the table. There are some heavily objected to boundary change proposals (see Murch and Janney), I also heard at the DME meeting from a resident in Mt Pleasant that was happy with the proposed Bancroft change to being in more of the Mt pleasant community. If there are good changes, let's not throw them out. With regard to changes in wards 2 and 3 that shift families (not current families) between schools, that proposal was combined with OOB set asides at high performing schools so I doubt the number of OOB students in successful schools would go down and it is likely they would be spread across more schools, including more at the highest performing schools that are currently virtually closed to OOB.

Agree that elementary schools - and all schools should be part of the discussion -- and I would hope, with an eye toward expanding the number of good schools, not simply expanding access to the current supply of good schools. Imagine if those parents who would do anything to get into a good OOB school had a good neighborhood option, with DCPS help in making it happen. Doesn't sound like too much to ask of the public school system, does it? If it were really working on behalf of local families, that is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good -- I continue to ask parents to be on the look out for language that sounds compassionate but is really self serving -- e.g. "we cannot overlook the needs of those parents who are too busy working the nightshift to support their families to attend these meetings, therefore...." - and then refer to some obscure data which they don't source and if they did and if you checked it carefully, you'd find it didn't support their conclusion.

They are very tricky and are accustomed to getting away with their tricks, especially when it involves manipulating data.

Also realize that they are monitoring DCUM. This can help keep them honest or spur them on to more sophisticated means of deception

+1 I hope DCPS is monitoring this forum and thinking seriously about letting the DME go. It is ridiculous that families, childen and our neighbors are not being listened to by DCPS because we are all too spoiled, too affluent, too engaged, too disinterested, too workaholic, too poor, too uneducated, or too ignorant.

They want do develop the ideal school system for the ideal family and it seems that none of us fit the bill. It is depressing. Where is the notion of responsive government!

they want to create the school system that allows them to keep their jobs and not get blamed for the mess they made the last few years. For them, parents have been an entity to be manipulated, either by the parents involvement or lack of involvement with their children. They have played parents any way they could.