Can Gentrifers Use Their Skills and Resources to "Make" a Great School?

[Anonymous]

We live in Petworth and are considering our options for elementary schools. I can't help feeling that with the recent neighborhood improvements in housing stock and HHI that there are is now a critical mass of highly educated and well off parents.

Has anyone ever tried to form an action group with other higher SES parents to work on their local school. We are looking at Powell and wondering if 30-40 well of parents enrolled their children and took an active interest in the school they could really turn things around and continue to increase the school quality through raising additional funds, establishing more after school programs, increasing the clubs and holding teachers and the principal to account etc.. If it can happen at Janney etc, why not elsewhere?

We have some decent teachers, and alot of momentum. Do people think a group of parents could really make the difference in one DC school. Or are we stuck with the poorly performing students dragging everyone else down?

[Anonymous]

This is what you call "the PTA." Also, please try to be inclusive.

[Anonymous]

Unless you gain the ability to hire/fire teachers or train them, there are limits to what you can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Petworth and are considering our options for elementary schools. I can't help feeling that with the recent neighborhood improvements in housing stock and HHI that there are is now a critical mass of highly educated and well off parents.

Has anyone ever tried to form an action group with other higher SES parents to work on their local school. We are looking at Powell and wondering if 30-40 well of parents enrolled their children and took an active interest in the school they could really turn things around and continue to increase the school quality through raising additional funds, establishing more after school programs, increasing the clubs and holding teachers and the principal to account etc.. If it can happen at Janney etc, why not elsewhere?

We have some decent teachers, and alot of momentum. Do people think a group of parents could really make the difference in one DC school. Or are we stuck with the poorly performing students dragging everyone else down?

No, you're not stuck. You could move to Arlington like everyone else does.

[Anonymous]

Wow. I mean, yes, it can be done, but you need to adjust the way you talk, or you will just alienate everyone and fail before you have even started. Please remember that academic and behavioral challenges can affect all students, even those from affluent families.

[Anonymous]

You can, but it is a collective action problem. Parents will express interest, but when it really comes down to it, only those who don't do well in the lottery will actually enroll.

I suggest you try to attend some PTA meetings and just generally learn more about the school. Listen more than you talk and do your utmost to be respectful. Try asking around-- you may find that you aren't the first person with this idea, and indeed the school may already be a lot better than you arrogantly assume.

[Anonymous]

No, you're not stuck. You could move to Arlington like everyone else does.


The problem then is that we have no improvement- we have self-selection based on resources and the cycle continues. If DC schools could attract a REAL range of families with incomes at all levels this could lead to some real and long lasting change.

Nobody wants to push all the lower income students out. But if schools had a strong mix with a good cohort of higher SES students then the change could be long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Petworth and are considering our options for elementary schools. I can't help feeling that with the recent neighborhood improvements in housing stock and HHI that there are is now a critical mass of highly educated and well off parents.

Has anyone ever tried to form an action group with other higher SES parents to work on their local school. We are looking at Powell and wondering if 30-40 well of parents enrolled their children and took an active interest in the school they could really turn things around and continue to increase the school quality through raising additional funds, establishing more after school programs, increasing the clubs and holding teachers and the principal to account etc.. If it can happen at Janney etc, why not elsewhere?

We have some decent teachers, and alot of momentum. Do people think a group of parents could really make the difference in one DC school. Or are we stuck with the poorly performing students dragging everyone else down?

Doesn't Powell already have this effort underway anyway? POPP, something like that?

[Anonymous]

I just toured Powell this Tuesday and they mentioned that they have an active parents group - I think it's called Parents Organized for the Power of Powell. I bet if you emailed the Petworth Parents listserv someone could tell you how to get involved before having a student at the school.

Also, I highly recommend supporting your IB elementary on DonorsChoose. That's a really easy way to help support the teachers and students.

[Anonymous]

PP here - I will also say that I was SUPER impressed with Powell as it is right now. Definitely recommend going on a tour.

[Anonymous]

Before you go jumping to conclusions about Powell, I suggest you go check it out and get to know the current PTO. Powell is much better than you seem to be giving it credit for. I visited it and loved it; I wish I lived in-bounds for Powell! I'll happily arrange a trade with you so you can be among your own elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Petworth and are considering our options for elementary schools. I can't help feeling that with the recent neighborhood improvements in housing stock and HHI that there are is now a critical mass of highly educated and well off parents.

Has anyone ever tried to form an action group with other higher SES parents to work on their local school. We are looking at Powell and wondering if 30-40 well of parents enrolled their children and took an active interest in the school they could really turn things around and continue to increase the school quality through raising additional funds, establishing more after school programs, increasing the clubs and holding teachers and the principal to account etc.. If it can happen at Janney etc, why not elsewhere?

We have some decent teachers, and alot of momentum. Do people think a group of parents could really make the difference in one DC school. Or are we stuck with the poorly performing students dragging everyone else down?

If that's what you think of underprivileged 3-year-olds.... wow. They are kids, often dealing with some very difficult situations that you probably can't even imagine. Frankly, OP, if you truly understood what a lot of these kids are coping with, you would consider their "performance" very high indeed. I think you need an attitude adjustment before you even think about getting involved.

[Anonymous]

OP, gentrification never really "happened" at Janney. You might want to look at what happened at Brent, which is often the subject of both praise and disdain for having "flipped" from a Title I school comprised of OOB amd Ward 9 students to its current state, in which it cannot accommodate all IB students at the PS and PK levels, including some with an older sibling already at the school. This didn't happen overnight and required significant fundraising/grants, parent involvement, and close coordination with teachers and the administration.

[Anonymous]

I hope you're well intentioned, but you come off as super condescending.

[Anonymous]

Oh lord, an entitled parent. Here we go again. Do your kids eat Trix yogurt? If not you may want to avoid Powell.