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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- Poster here. This is a great debate. I can take the criticism because I am willing to ask the questions that most of peers would not. Most people who can leave- don't ask what they can do for DC schools- they just leave or go private.

If I wanted to live in Arlington or Bethesda it wouldnt be a problem. But I'm not putting myself in that suburban nightmare. I'd prefer to stay in the city and really help to improve things.

When I look at the resources that DCPS has to spend its hard to think that an active PTA can't help transform any school into a great school. I'm just wondering if too many DC parents of underperforming schools aren't willing (or aren't able) to do all they can to turn things around.

I think people are taking you to task for not knowing that Powell already HAS an active PTA. So do a lot of other schools that "need improvement." What those organizations do is different from school to school, but the assumption that there cannot possibly be an active or engaged parent community because the school has poor test scores is pretty naive.

[Anonymous]

We have friends in Columbia Hgts who had their kids the same time we did. They made many friends in the neighborhood and talked a good deal about all going to their neighborhood school and working hard to turn it around for all the kids in the neighborhood.

Fast forward 5 years. First, one family left for a better neighborhood school. Then another got into a good charter. Parents didn't want to be the only ones sending their kids to the neighborhood school. Now the group has scattered all over the area, either moving for a better school or going to a charter not in their neighborhood as our friends do.

They all wanted to to do what you are talking about, OP, but in the end, they could not sustain the critical mass and lost their momentum. No one wanted to do the experiment on their own kids if they could find another option.

It's not as easy as it sounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- Poster here. This is a great debate. I can take the criticism because I am willing to ask the questions that most of peers would not. Most people who can leave- don't ask what they can do for DC schools- they just leave or go private.

If I wanted to live in Arlington or Bethesda it wouldnt be a problem. But I'm not putting myself in that suburban nightmare. I'd prefer to stay in the city and really help to improve things.

When I look at the resources that DCPS has to spend its hard to think that an active PTA can't help transform any school into a great school. I'm just wondering if too many DC parents of underperforming schools aren't willing (or aren't able) to do all they can to turn things around.

Eyes, they are rolling so hard! Your enthusiam is great, but your ignorance about poverty is irritating. You seem to think you are smart or brave for asking these questions, but you come off as ignorant.

Agreed. OP, please read up on how poverty and the issues around it affect children from before they are even born. Portions of Paul Tough's book "How Children Succeed" might be a good start. The portion about the stress borne by little kids in unstable homes, and the attendant lack of attachment, is really eye opening. These are issues that no PTA can turn around on its own.

[Anonymous]

It will take at least 5 (and probably 10) years before Powell is a great school, and that is assuming major parental investment, time and resources. Don't underestimate the amount of work it takes to make it happen. You also assume that parents want to spend their time volunteering, testifying, and getting involved in their spare time. At the end of the day most people don't want to spend significant time on this. In the meantime it's wishful thinking and a lot of hype about how good the school is. Who heard of Powell 3 years ago?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- Poster here. This is a great debate. I can take the criticism because I am willing to ask the questions that most of peers would not. Most people who can leave- don't ask what they can do for DC schools- they just leave or go private.

If I wanted to live in Arlington or Bethesda it wouldnt be a problem. But I'm not putting myself in that suburban nightmare. I'd prefer to stay in the city and really help to improve things.

When I look at the resources that DCPS has to spend its hard to think that an active PTA can't help transform any school into a great school. I'm just wondering if too many DC parents of underperforming schools aren't willing (or aren't able) to do all they can to turn things around.

Eyes, they are rolling so hard! Your enthusiam is great, but your ignorance about poverty is irritating. You seem to think you are smart or brave for asking these questions, but you come off as ignorant.

Agreed. OP, please read up on how poverty and the issues around it affect children from before they are even born. Portions of Paul Tough's book "How Children Succeed" might be a good start. The portion about the stress borne by little kids in unstable homes, and the attendant lack of attachment, is really eye opening. These are issues that no PTA can turn around on its own.

+1,000,000. OP, it is cute that you want to cast yourself as brave or groundbreaking for asking questions that thousands of others have before.

[Anonymous]

A "great" school is a high SES school. It's demographics that deterimines test scores, not a PTA rolling in money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I am not sure when Janney was gentrified?
But when Powell parents are ready to give the PTA half a million dollars you will have enough funds to start doing things.

I grew up in CCDC about 30 years ago. At that time no kids I knew went to Murch, Lafayette, or Janney. Eaton and Hearst were actually the best schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I am not sure when Janney was gentrified?
But when Powell parents are ready to give the PTA half a million dollars you will have enough funds to start doing things.

I grew up in CCDC about 30 years ago. At that time no kids I knew went to Murch, Lafayette, or Janney. Eaton and Hearst were actually the best schools.

omfg. Janney and Lafayette have been the exclusive province of middle-class people since their inception in ~1930. To a lesser extent, so has Murch. At no point in their histories have any of these three schools had major demographic shifts. If you don't believe this, you can educate yourself by looking at the class photos over the decades.

And PP, I grew up in Forest Hills during the 1960s - 1980s, and many of the neighborhood kids went to Murch, as did I.

[Anonymous]

If you think that a great school is a school with high scores or high numbers of rich kids, then you're better off leaving now. Things like that don't change with a snap of the fingers or a few PTA donations.
If you think that a great school is one that educates your kids and others' kids well then schools like Powell are a great opportunity. The things you do by volunteering can make a big impact on some of those kids lives. Just approach the school, parents, and students with a little more humility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


I grew up in CCDC about 30 years ago. At that time no kids I knew went to Murch, Lafayette, or Janney. Eaton and Hearst were actually the best schools.

omfg. Janney and Lafayette have been the exclusive province of middle-class people since their inception in ~1930. To a lesser extent, so has Murch. At no point in their histories have any of these three schools had major demographic shifts. If you don't believe this, you can educate yourself by looking at the class photos over the decades.

And PP, I grew up in Forest Hills during the 1960s - 1980s, and many of the neighborhood kids went to Murch, as did I.

I guess you are saying I am lying? Or maybe my experience was just different than yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will need a principal that supports you and ensures a safe environment, and has the resources to make good on that safe environment. Otherwise, even just one kid in a class with severe issues could cause chaos and disrupt any learning, and there may be more than one. The principal is absolutely crucial. There are probably plenty of great teachers there trying to do the best they can.

Don't listen to any naysayers here. You are not entitled. You want to make the District a better place for all and for your family. There's nothing entitled about that. Community activists like you make this city thrive.

that 1 kid isn't always underprivileged

True, but a kid that is very violent typically comes from an underprivileged background. Title 1 schools have deans of students who usually/presumably can effectively deal. But your kid will be in a class being exposed to outbursts, and may develop shell shock. Don't laugh and give me your limo liberal BS, because you just don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- Poster here. This is a great debate. I can take the criticism because I am willing to ask the questions that most of peers would not. Most people who can leave- don't ask what they can do for DC schools- they just leave or go private.

If I wanted to live in Arlington or Bethesda it wouldnt be a problem. But I'm not putting myself in that suburban nightmare. I'd prefer to stay in the city and really help to improve things.

When I look at the resources that DCPS has to spend its hard to think that an active PTA can't help transform any school into a great school. I'm just wondering if too many DC parents of underperforming schools aren't willing (or aren't able) to do all they can to turn things around.

Arlington? Bethesda? Suburban nightmare? They are probably more urban that much of petworth?

[Anonymous]

Having been at a high FARMS rate school before, here is what I have discovered:

* Active PTA does not translate to much of anything in terms of the actual education, test scores, or student behavior. Sure they put on nice events or have nice after school programs or even get funding for some school extras but it doesn't fix the underlying issues.

* "Involved parents" don;t make a difference because the involved parents have to be involved in order to insure their kids don't fall behind because the regular classroom work is usually a bit behind grade level and the teacher doesn't have time to differentiate, She is too busy dealing with behavior issues and children who are a grade level behind in every subject.

*Principal - has a marginal impact if she/he is good, has a bigger impact if he/she is a poor leader or not well liked by staff.

*Teachers - mixed bag - some will be good some won't. The best skill the teacher needs - behavior management skills.

The only real thing that is going to make a difference - getting enough parents to buy in that you can tip the scale in favor of nonFARMS parents by at least a margin of 60% nonFARMS vs. FARMS. Then you will see a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- Poster here. This is a great debate. I can take the criticism because I am willing to ask the questions that most of peers would not. Most people who can leave- don't ask what they can do for DC schools- they just leave or go private.

If I wanted to live in Arlington or Bethesda it wouldnt be a problem. But I'm not putting myself in that suburban nightmare. I'd prefer to stay in the city and really help to improve things.

When I look at the resources that DCPS has to spend its hard to think that an active PTA can't help transform any school into a great school. I'm just wondering if too many DC parents of underperforming schools aren't willing (or aren't able) to do all they can to turn things around.

I guess many of us are annoyed by your post because you've been living in DC for all of 5 minutes, done no research on the school you want to change and have made lots of assumptions. Are you a millennial?

[Anonymous]

#1