Difference between NW parent involvement and Capitol Hill parent involvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

+100

The Eastern feeder pattern will happen at some point. Not because of anything that DCPS is doing but instead due to increasingly larger baby booms that are happening in Ward 6. There will not be room at the "Hill Charters" for all of them.

Please show me where high SES have worse outcomes compared to high SES students in school districts where they are catered to? I would love to see actual data to back up these “feelings.”

No parent is making decisions based on whether their child would theoretically be doing well on average in a dataset. They are making decisions on whether their kids are learning and happy. When the P/T conferences are about whether the classroom is physically safe or not, lots of parents would move along.

[Anonymous]

Was Coolidge Early College and Bard created by DCPS to partially try and placate Capital Hill parents. Is that the DCPS way of saying look you all have multiple advanced options in the city - no need to worry about not having access to Wilson. I think it is a stupid plan and not what CH asked for but DCPS leadership is not all that bright and they think in strange ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To clarify:

Please show me where high SES DCPS students (or even big city students) have worse outcomes compared to high SES students in school districts where they are catered to? I would love to see actual data to back up these “feelings.”

Easy enough. Look at our neighbors in VA and MD that start G & T in elementary, full tracking in middle and high school. Then rigorous requirements for magnets like Blair and TJ - rigorous requirements to take the advanced courses that require high tracking that starts in middle.

Look at the course offerings and how many kids taking advanced level courses. Look at SAT scores and college acceptance. All easy data to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To clarify:

Please show me where high SES DCPS students (or even big city students) have worse outcomes compared to high SES students in school districts where they are catered to? I would love to see actual data to back up these “feelings.”

Easy enough. Look at our neighbors in VA and MD that start G & T in elementary, full tracking in middle and high school. Then rigorous requirements for magnets like Blair and TJ - rigorous requirements to take the advanced courses that require high tracking that starts in middle.

Look at the course offerings and how many kids taking advanced level courses. Look at SAT scores and college acceptance. All easy data to see.

Cite it if you’re going to talk about it. I think you are talking about ance-data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a disconnect above between the use of "IB" to mean "in-boundary" and the use in the phrase "IB certification" that refers to an International Baccalaureate program certification for the schools.

I am a NW parent of a middle schooler and a high schooler that has observed the Capital Hill parents' struggle with schools via DCUM (and the 2013 boundary review) with empathy for the past 10 years DCPS is not interested in doing what it takes to address the needs of the high performing high SES students on Capital Hill. DCPS cannot see the forest for the trees, they are afraid of the political cost of doing what it takes to create a viable feeder path as they will be seen as pandering to high SES families. Nevermind that it woudl create a better educational path for many kids, including lower SES kids.

That causes angst.

I love our home in upper NW. That said, if we did not have children we would not be living here, we would be on Capital Hill or Dupont Circle or somewhere else more urban.

Many of us parents in both locales are both good people and difficult to deal with when our kids' educations are at risk.

You're observing via DCUM?

Lol. I can say that there is no angst that I see at our Hill elementary school along the lines of "oh noes, the feeder pattern!" None of us love the fact that we might have to move/go private/have a long commute for middle school if the lottery doesn't work out but that doesn't impact how the elementary school runs. The most angst is probably in ECE with nervous parents of small kids fighting about boloney sandwiches in aftercare, but that seems to fade away.

I wasn’t commenting on how the elementary schools run or how anxious elementary school parents are. I was just saying there is long running reporting about the lack of will to make the hard choices that would put together a successful middle school cohort. It is not rocket science that there needs to be a basis to believe a school will have a strong student cohort for parents to send their children. There are many, many viable elementary schools throughout DCPS and including in capital hill. Why is a strong middle school such a unicorn? You need to have multiple strong elementary schools feeding into a well supported/structured middle school.

Separately, it is idiotic to argue that strong students will not perform better with a stronger curriculum and peer group. If there is one thing I have learned from DCUM it is that education research studies are crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:are cap hill families more professionals with back grounds in lobbying on the hill. campagins etc. so maybe they just steam roll?

They try, but they are capably defeated by experienced DCPS teachers and DC bureaucrats. It's actually kind of funny to watch.

Oh, not at my cap hill school. Our principal can’t stand up to parents & the word is out! They get whatever they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern, Jefferson and EH being unrepresentative of the neighborhood is on you all. Show up and things are instantly change.

You want it to be perfect for a good 5 years before you will even consider it. They built it - complete with IB certification - and you didn’t come.

Total BS, PP. We showed up for Jefferson Academy for 6th grade after striking out in the charter lottery. Our shy advanced learner was mostly bored in class, knocked around by rowdy classmates a lot, and unhappy. Things were so far from perfect that our kid's mental health was on the line. Things did not instantly change because she turned up. We left.

Were you the only family from Brent or other feeders that started and then left Jefferson Academy? Are most of the Brent families happy with it after all?

[Anonymous]

No, we weren't the only ones who left during Year 1 of IB involvement. Several families did not complete the school year. We understand that Year 2 has been more stable. Hard to say if most families have been "happy." If they aren't, they put up a show that they are (parents more than kids). More outgoing and, frankly, average students have done better at JA than ours did. No hard feelings, we were the ones who took the risk, after striking out in the BASIS and Latin lotteries. We left when we got off the BASIS wl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eastern, Jefferson and EH being unrepresentative of the neighborhood is on you all. Show up and things are instantly change.

You want it to be perfect for a good 5 years before you will even consider it. They built it - complete with IB certification - and you didn’t come.

Total BS, PP. We showed up for Jefferson Academy for 6th grade after striking out in the charter lottery. Our shy advanced learner was mostly bored in class, knocked around by rowdy classmates a lot, and unhappy. Things were so far from perfect that our kid's mental health was on the line. Things did not instantly change because she turned up. We left.

Were you the only family from Brent or other feeders that started and then left Jefferson Academy? Are most of the Brent families happy with it after all?

Incredibly happy, apparently.

We take it all with a grain of salt here in 4th grade at Brent, or maybe a bag. Entire 4th grade being sent on a field trip to explore this fabulous program next week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, we weren't the only ones who left during Year 1 of IB involvement. Several families did not complete the school year. We understand that Year 2 has been more stable. Hard to say if most families have been "happy." If they aren't, they put up a show that they are (parents more than kids). More outgoing and, frankly, average students have done better at JA than ours did. No hard feelings, we were the ones who took the risk, after striking out in the BASIS and Latin lotteries. We left when we got off the BASIS wl.

I’m confused. Did you get into Basis in 6th grade after the school year had begun?? If so, how did that happen?

[Anonymous]

To the Brent then Jefferson then Basis parent, I’m glad to hear that your daughter is now somewhere where she is happier. And not to make you relive something that was an unhappy time for your family, but I’d love to hear more about your experiences at Jefferson. How long did your daughter end up staying? Do you feel like you were promised services or options that weren’t provided? Do you feel like the change in administration from last year to this year (new principal last year, now old principal returning) might make a difference? My understanding is that class sizes were really big last year due to an unexpected influx of inbounds kids but there is an effort to keep classes smaller now. How did they split up classes? I presume your daughter was in the most advanced cohort. Did that seem to be at least on grade level even if not advanced enough for your daughter? And this is sort of a terrible question, but I’m not sure how to best phrase it - did Jefferson seem like a place where some higher SES kids could learn and be happy even if it wasn’t a good fit for your daughter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, we weren't the only ones who left during Year 1 of IB involvement. Several families did not complete the school year. We understand that Year 2 has been more stable. Hard to say if most families have been "happy." If they aren't, they put up a show that they are (parents more than kids). More outgoing and, frankly, average students have done better at JA than ours did. No hard feelings, we were the ones who took the risk, after striking out in the BASIS and Latin lotteries. We left when we got off the BASIS wl.

I’m confused. Did you get into Basis in 6th grade after the school year had begun?? If so, how did that happen?

NP. In both 2018-19 and 2019-20 BASIS took a few kids in 6th (2 in 2018; 6 in 2019). [they also took 1 8th grader in 2019 - don't think that's ever happened before]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, we weren't the only ones who left during Year 1 of IB involvement. Several families did not complete the school year. We understand that Year 2 has been more stable. Hard to say if most families have been "happy." If they aren't, they put up a show that they are (parents more than kids). More outgoing and, frankly, average students have done better at JA than ours did. No hard feelings, we were the ones who took the risk, after striking out in the BASIS and Latin lotteries. We left when we got off the BASIS wl.

I’m confused. Did you get into Basis in 6th grade after the school year had begun?? If so, how did that happen?

Yes, got off the BASIS 6th grade WL after school started. We certainly weren't expecting to do that, but had already decided to leave JA. If we hadn't landed at BASIS we'd be in the burbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the Brent then Jefferson then Basis parent, I’m glad to hear that your daughter is now somewhere where she is happier. And not to make you relive something that was an unhappy time for your family, but I’d love to hear more about your experiences at Jefferson. How long did your daughter end up staying? Do you feel like you were promised services or options that weren’t provided? Do you feel like the change in administration from last year to this year (new principal last year, now old principal returning) might make a difference? My understanding is that class sizes were really big last year due to an unexpected influx of inbounds kids but there is an effort to keep classes smaller now. How did they split up classes? I presume your daughter was in the most advanced cohort. Did that seem to be at least on grade level even if not advanced enough for your daughter? And this is sort of a terrible question, but I’m not sure how to best phrase it - did Jefferson seem like a place where some higher SES kids could learn and be happy even if it wasn’t a good fit for your daughter?

Sorry, going to pass on answering to avoid hurting feelings of committed IB parents and probably outing my kid. If all the high SES kids at JA were as unhappy as mine, there'd be none left, so I think you have your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To clarify:

Please show me where high SES DCPS students (or even big city students) have worse outcomes compared to high SES students in school districts where they are catered to? I would love to see actual data to back up these “feelings.”

Easy enough. Look at our neighbors in VA and MD that start G & T in elementary, full tracking in middle and high school. Then rigorous requirements for magnets like Blair and TJ - rigorous requirements to take the advanced courses that require high tracking that starts in middle.

Look at the course offerings and how many kids taking advanced level courses. Look at SAT scores and college acceptance. All easy data to see.

Are you kidding me?! Please offer actual research, not anecdotal evidence.