H.D. Cooke...thoughts?

[Anonymous]

For folks who walk to and from Cooke, does the sketchy block of Columbia just west of 17th (with the liquor store and the now-closed CVS) make you nervous, either in the morning or in the afternoon?

[Anonymous]

We actually go in the rear door off of Mozart Street, so I rarely pass that block with the kids. Sometimes I go out the front door and go to Safeway afterward, so I guess I pass it then. I can't say I've ever thought about it. It's pretty empty at that hour of the morning.

[Anonymous]

I walk by there frequently, though it's not our path to/from school. I'd say I'm alert to my surroundings, but not more so on that block than any other city block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I walk by there frequently, though it's not our path to/from school. I'd say I'm alert to my surroundings, but not more so on that block than any other city block.

I agree, plus there's always quite a bit of traffic on that street.

[Anonymous]

re: Columbia Road. I used to live right across the street from that block. It is seedy looking, but I don't think it is dangerous sketchy, just shabby. Maybe someone will finally put a decent business in that old movie theater that used to sell giant pieces of luggage.

[Anonymous]

that block isn't sketchy. it's just not particularly attractive.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience volunteering in classrooms at H.D. Cooke?

[Anonymous]

@19:20 - Not personally, but the principal seemed open to the idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:that block isn't sketchy. it's just not particularly attractive.

Agreed. I'm not a Cooke parent, but I walk past this block often enough. There's no need to give it extra thought during daytime hours. The neighborhood is always busy enough to keep a few pairs of "eyes on the street".

I would love to see the block enlivened, though. Adams Morgan listserv suggestions haven't come to anything yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that block isn't sketchy. it's just not particularly attractive.

Agreed. I'm not a Cooke parent, but I walk past this block often enough. There's no need to give it extra thought during daytime hours. The neighborhood is always busy enough to keep a few pairs of "eyes on the street".

I would love to see the block enlivened, though. Adams Morgan listserv suggestions haven't come to anything yet.

Agreed. That old theater on the corner is so cute, I'd love to see something fun go in there. Almost anything - it'd make a nice restaurant with outdoor seating, a clothing store, other retail. I read on the AM listserv that it might be prohibitively difficult to make it back into a theater, but I'd certainly love it if they could.

[Anonymous]

I noticed on the OOB lottery that HD Cooke projects 25 slots for 1st grade OOB. Is the school going to start a new section of 1st? How many sections of K are there this year?

[Anonymous]

I know they added sections of PreS and PReK last year so there are 3 each. I thought there were only 2 K, but could be wrong. There are definitely more younger than older kids. The enrollment was much higher than expected last year, especially in the youngest grades.

[Anonymous]

We're in-boundary for Cooke and went to the open house. Loved the building; really liked the principal and the teachers we spoke with. The school, at least in the younger years, truly seems to be transitioning to a place where local parents who put a high value on education are willing, maybe even happy, to send their kids. I have some concerns about how the transition will play out, though. Cooke currently is a Title I school with a ton of extra resources that mainly benefit kids with more challenging home lives (as they should). I wonder how well-equipped the school is to handle the influx of students operating above grade level in one or more subjects, especially since such students will never comprise the great bulk of the school's population -- we just don't have Key or Mann demographics -- and will always co-exist with a significant group of kids who are trying to catch up. At the same time, the influx of middle-class-plus kids likely will lead to a decrease in federal funding, which currently underwrites Cooke's favorable student-teacher ratios, social service providers, etc.

I certainly hope Cooke is able to make this transition smoothly (we may well send DC to PS there in the fall) -- that new PTA money replaces disappearing federal funds and that the teachers have the resources and ability to challenge high-performing kids even as they nurture the rest -- but I'd be surprised if there weren't bumps in the road.

[Anonymous]

I have heard that Ross went through growing pains along those lines a few years back, but now has successfully weathered the transition. I think we're still a bit away from this being at issue at Cooke, but it is something to keep an eye on.

[Anonymous]

Cooke has a long way to go before it would stop receiving school wide Title I funds. (At our school it's about $130K). The cut off for school wide funding is 40% free and reduced price lunch. I don't know Cooke's numbers, but my guess is at least 3/4 of the children are poor?

Seriously, if that's your main worry, I'd say you were safe through middle school.

You should go look at the school budgets. They are available on the DCPS website. Dollar for dollar, you are much better off at a school with a powerhouse PTA. What they raise is generally triple what you get in Title I aid.