The fate of Fillmore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few questions. Sorry if these have been addressed elsewhere.

Are there two separate issues: Fillmore as a physical space and Fillmore educators themselves?

Re: staff, River Terrace is a special education school that, like West, has Fillmore teachers go to their building in Ward 7. The kids do not go to the Fillmore space in NW.

Re: space, Ross is less than 1 mile from 3 elementary schools with onsite arts education. Couldn't the renovated Marie Reed, Garrison, or SWW Francis-Stevens accommodate Ross students without a 20 minute bus ride each way?

Key and Stoddert seem to have the most pressing space issues. What about putting 5th grade from those 2 schools in Fillmore space at Hardy? Could that free up space for PK-4th and onsite arts at Key and Stoddert?

I'm not familiar with all of the logistics. But it seems odd to connect Fillmore in the Hardy space as a support for West, Ross, and River Terrace.

(Please don't tell me the 5th graders would somehow be at risk from being in the same building as 6th-8th graders. That's ridiculous.)

These are all excellent suggestion that should be explored. Although Franciss Stephens has only one art room, your point that DCPS should be shopping around for other space is spot on. That is if they plan to stop funding it, which is always the question, they still have to fund arts at the end of the day... just where.

And if Hardy really does expand, but where is the evidence that the middle school really needs the space?

The busing is really not a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be inequitable to require schools without arts classrooms (that is, the Fillmore feeder schools) to use regular classrooms for art. The Fillmore schools are the only ones throughout DCPS to not have such dedicated space and equipment. Hence, the structural need for Fillmore Arts, as a matter of policy.

One idea would be to convert the "old Hardy school" on Foxhall to a space for K and 1st grade students. Then the Fillmore feeder schools would automatically have rooms for arts classrooms, as well as address their overcrowding problem.

A better idea is to move Fillmore to the "old Hardy school" (and not hand it over to Lab) so that Hardy MS can reclaim the Fillmore space (the school is growing and will need it). One of the biggest gripes you'll get about the Old Hardy School is concern from the hood about traffic. Well, if it's used as Fillmore, the "traffic" is buses that come and go on a schedule, not a hundred or two hundred parents arriving each morning and each afternoon to collect their 4 year olds.

This is a good idea. There are a few other old unused school buildings in the Logan Circle shaw area that could serve as a new Fillmore space. I think Fillmore is great, I just wish that DCPS would show it some respect! Especially when they have Duke Ellington going on, which is test in, it would be a travesty if some kids stopped taking music in elementary because all the school could fit on site was a sink in their pre k 4 class room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this a WOTP thing?

Not exactly. Housed at Hardy middle school, Fillmore provides arts instruction to students from Key, River Terrace, Ross, Stoddert and West.

It requires bussing the kids to Hardy, and the schools that use it devote part of their school's budget to pay for it. http://fillmoreartscenter.org/about-2/

Fewer schools use it now than in the past. Marie Reed used to be a Fillmore school, but now that its renovation is complete they do arts instruction in-house.

River Terrace and West are nowhere near Fillmore! There has to be a better way. The intra-day commute makes no sense.

Ross parent. The commute is about 20 on a slow bus trip. It is not really a big deal. Especially when the alternative is no arts space, not even a space sink to wash paint brushes in the school building. Some of the programming is very average, some is great. But way better than what could be delivered in our school building.

I don't really get why arts instruction can't be done in regular classrooms? Why does it require so much space? Not trying to be obtuse -- I just really don't understand.

In some cases it can. fine arts for example - if there are sinks, and space for arts supplies. Our school has neither. Dance and drama could be possible if the desks were moved out of the room, but noisy for for the next door classes, music pretty much impossible. Pottery defiantly not.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Filmore schools/argument about the arts when 50% of kids in DC actually attend charter schools where they do not have playgrounds, libraries, arts by right.

Nice to have? Absolutely? If you want equity, ensure that all DC school aged children have equal access to the kinds of spaces and benefits that the kids in the wealthier wards have access to thanks to their parents ability to either move to those schools or win the lottery OOB.

Charter schools have proven adept at facing these challenges- with success in doing a lot with nothing, and then a bit more. I know IT and MV in particular make it work.

If other schools don't have PS3 or PK4, just eliminate those at the listed schools, and et voila, you have a room for art.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Filmore schools/argument about the arts when 50% of kids in DC actually attend charter schools where they do not have playgrounds, libraries, arts by right.

Nice to have? Absolutely? If you want equity, ensure that all DC school aged children have equal access to the kinds of spaces and benefits that the kids in the wealthier wards have access to thanks to their parents ability to either move to those schools or win the lottery OOB.

Charter schools have proven adept at facing these challenges- with success in doing a lot with nothing, and then a bit more. I know IT and MV in particular make it work.

If other schools don't have PS3 or PK4, just eliminate those at the listed schools, and et voila, you have a room for art.

Charter schools don't do it well across the board. Some are atrocious in arts education, but parents look the other way.

It's not DCPS problem to fix it for the charter schools either. It would be nice to see the two sectors cooperating on something like this to subcontract arts education from a central place, but the charter schools would have to organize and do that voluntarily. Are they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Filmore schools/argument about the arts when 50% of kids in DC actually attend charter schools where they do not have playgrounds, libraries, arts by right.

Nice to have? Absolutely? If you want equity, ensure that all DC school aged children have equal access to the kinds of spaces and benefits that the kids in the wealthier wards have access to thanks to their parents ability to either move to those schools or win the lottery OOB.

Charter schools have proven adept at facing these challenges- with success in doing a lot with nothing, and then a bit more. I know IT and MV in particular make it work.

If other schools don't have PS3 or PK4, just eliminate those at the listed schools, and et voila, you have a room for art.

Charter schools don't do it well across the board. Some are atrocious in arts education, but parents look the other way.

It's not DCPS problem to fix it for the charter schools either. It would be nice to see the two sectors cooperating on something like this to subcontract arts education from a central place, but the charter schools would have to organize and do that voluntarily. Are they?

Equal funding would be one way to start. I know that the family association at ITS worked to raise funds for an arts teacher. They funded for two years, then the school built it into their budget moving forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Filmore schools/argument about the arts when 50% of kids in DC actually attend charter schools where they do not have playgrounds, libraries, arts by right.

Nice to have? Absolutely? If you want equity, ensure that all DC school aged children have equal access to the kinds of spaces and benefits that the kids in the wealthier wards have access to thanks to their parents ability to either move to those schools or win the lottery OOB.

Charter schools have proven adept at facing these challenges- with success in doing a lot with nothing, and then a bit more. I know IT and MV in particular make it work.

If other schools don't have PS3 or PK4, just eliminate those at the listed schools, and et voila, you have a room for art.

Charter schools don't do it well across the board. Some are atrocious in arts education, but parents look the other way.

It's not DCPS problem to fix it for the charter schools either. It would be nice to see the two sectors cooperating on something like this to subcontract arts education from a central place, but the charter schools would have to organize and do that voluntarily. Are they?

Equal funding would be one way to start. I know that the family association at ITS worked to raise funds for an arts teacher. They funded for two years, then the school built it into their budget moving forward.

There is equal funding. There was a lawsuit and the charters lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Filmore schools/argument about the arts when 50% of kids in DC actually attend charter schools where they do not have playgrounds, libraries, arts by right.

Nice to have? Absolutely? If you want equity, ensure that all DC school aged children have equal access to the kinds of spaces and benefits that the kids in the wealthier wards have access to thanks to their parents ability to either move to those schools or win the lottery OOB.

Charter schools have proven adept at facing these challenges- with success in doing a lot with nothing, and then a bit more. I know IT and MV in particular make it work.

If other schools don't have PS3 or PK4, just eliminate those at the listed schools, and et voila, you have a room for art.

Charter schools don't do it well across the board. Some are atrocious in arts education, but parents look the other way.

It's not DCPS problem to fix it for the charter schools either. It would be nice to see the two sectors cooperating on something like this to subcontract arts education from a central place, but the charter schools would have to organize and do that voluntarily. Are they?

Equal funding would be one way to start. I know that the family association at ITS worked to raise funds for an arts teacher. They funded for two years, then the school built it into their budget moving forward.

There is equal funding. There was a lawsuit and the charters lost.

How does this mean equal funding?

[Anonymous]

Can we get back to Fillmore please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we get back to Fillmore please?

OK, in agreement with previous poster, does not seem smart to kick the can down the road ... nor continue to fund. Bring teachers onsite, come up with creative solutions. Its possible. Other schools, both public and charter, have figured it out without the unnecessary expense of busing kids to a remote location. Just because its been done, does not mean that it should be that way in perpetuity.

More hands on, creative approaches such as those offered by West, by eliminating classes, seem to be a more prudent way forward.

[Anonymous]

There is room for art, all in all, the problem is that central does not seem to be in a process of allocating it instead they frequently propose to shut down Fillmore with no alternative on the table. Wondering what will happen this year.

[Anonymous]

What's the problem with Fillmore, again? Or, for the first time? I missed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the problem with Fillmore, again? Or, for the first time? I missed it.

Fewer than 6 DCPS schools lack facilities to provide arts program in their own building. Today DCPS / those schools pay to send children to the Fillmore Art Center, lcoated at Hardy middle school, for art class.

DCPS says that they want all students to receive the same kinds of art programming -- and this is not equitable. It is also expensive and inefficient. It is also using space that Hardy could use to expand and serve more middle school parents

Every year or two, there is a fire drill because DCPS cuts funding for Fillmore from the proposed budget, parents freak out and it is restored 'for just 1/2 years more.' This has been going on for 2 decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is room for art, all in all, the problem is that central does not seem to be in a process of allocating it instead they frequently propose to shut down Fillmore with no alternative on the table. Wondering what will happen this year.

What will happen this year? Downtown will propose shutting down Fillmore with no alternatives. The parents in the affected schools will complain. Downtown will issue another two-year reprieve.

What will happen in 2020? The same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the problem with Fillmore, again? Or, for the first time? I missed it.

Fewer than 6 DCPS schools lack facilities to provide arts program in their own building. Today DCPS / those schools pay to send children to the Fillmore Art Center, lcoated at Hardy middle school, for art class.

DCPS says that they want all students to receive the same kinds of art programming -- and this is not equitable. It is also expensive and inefficient. It is also using space that Hardy could use to expand and serve more middle school parents

Every year or two, there is a fire drill because DCPS cuts funding for Fillmore from the proposed budget, parents freak out and it is restored 'for just 1/2 years more.' This has been going on for 2 decades.

It's been going on since Fillmore started in the early '70s.