do you know a lot of people who are leaving DCPS next year?

[Anonymous]

the transplant whites in DC are definitely a type. they live in the city for 10 years and don't need city services other than the bus/metro and have no idea what is going on in schools, with the poor, etc. They love DC for the great restaurants and cultural stuff. And now that their kid is in a public they finally stop being a tourist.

[Anonymous]

We don't know anyone leaving. We're staying and distance learning until everything reopens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

You said the quiet part out loud!!! If only we could take American Back Again (to the good old days when only wealthy white men could vote). Good luck in your move. I am certain you will be able to find other areas that are more in line with your belief system that poor people's voices should be discounted (maybe by a ratio of, say, 3/5?).

Seriously. Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the transplant whites in DC are definitely a type. they live in the city for 10 years and don't need city services other than the bus/metro and have no idea what is going on in schools, with the poor, etc. They love DC for the great restaurants and cultural stuff. And now that their kid is in a public they finally stop being a tourist.

Dislike them all you want, their kids like all kids in the city are entitled to a free and appropriate public education and that’s not happening right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the transplant whites in DC are definitely a type. they live in the city for 10 years and don't need city services other than the bus/metro and have no idea what is going on in schools, with the poor, etc. They love DC for the great restaurants and cultural stuff. And now that their kid is in a public they finally stop being a tourist.

Dislike them all you want, their kids like all kids in the city are entitled to a free and appropriate public education and that’s not happening right now.

do you disagree w the statement? she said nothing about disliking them btw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the transplant whites in DC are definitely a type. they live in the city for 10 years and don't need city services other than the bus/metro and have no idea what is going on in schools, with the poor, etc. They love DC for the great restaurants and cultural stuff. And now that their kid is in a public they finally stop being a tourist.

Dislike them all you want, their kids like all kids in the city are entitled to a free and appropriate public education and that’s not happening right now.

+1. As the federal capital, the city was established to be a place of transplants.

There is nothing to scoff at about people coming here for 10 or fewer years. They are as much DC citizens as people who have lived here for their entire lives. You may not like it, but, again, that is the whole purpose of the federal capital.

Oh, and not all of the ‘transplants’ are white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the transplant whites in DC are definitely a type. they live in the city for 10 years and don't need city services other than the bus/metro and have no idea what is going on in schools, with the poor, etc. They love DC for the great restaurants and cultural stuff. And now that their kid is in a public they finally stop being a tourist.

Dislike them all you want, their kids like all kids in the city are entitled to a free and appropriate public education and that’s not happening right now.

+1. As the federal capital, the city was established to be a place of transplants.

There is nothing to scoff at about people coming here for 10 or fewer years. They are as much DC citizens as people who have lived here for their entire lives. You may not like it, but, again, that is the whole purpose of the federal capital.

Oh, and not all of the ‘transplants’ are white.

Are people being sensitive about being called transplants or being called out on not caring about the city until this year?

Have lots and lots of white friends who are transplants and they were and are very involved in their community before they had kids; before they became an homeowner; before the pandemic. I definitely would say "not all transplants".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the transplant whites in DC are definitely a type. they live in the city for 10 years and don't need city services other than the bus/metro and have no idea what is going on in schools, with the poor, etc. They love DC for the great restaurants and cultural stuff. And now that their kid is in a public they finally stop being a tourist.

Dislike them all you want, their kids like all kids in the city are entitled to a free and appropriate public education and that’s not happening right now.

do you disagree w the statement? she said nothing about disliking them btw

DP. I disagree with it. I think nobody really is plugged into what is going on in schools until they have their own kid in the system, regardless of their identity or where they were born.

[Anonymous]

If I wanted good restaurants and culture, I would move back to NYC.

It's really disgusting how people in this town think that only those who are "Native Washingtonians" or have family who have lived here for generations are the only ones who get to weigh in on civic matters. My kids are native Washingtonians and they deserve an education just as much as the immigrant children who have moved here and the white kids with parents who came here to escape some mid-west town and live in a "big city."

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I think it *might* be a reaction to all the white people who love to say: "Nobody's FROM DC!" completely ignoring that there have been families here for generations, just not a lot of white ones. That is a testament though of how segregated the city really is.

Agree that the divides are especially stark bc white people here are uniformly UMC.

I live on the Hill and there are a number of families threatening to leave, but will be interesting to see what happens. This is meant as a punishment to the rest of us somehow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted good restaurants and culture, I would move back to NYC.

It's really disgusting how people in this town think that only those who are "Native Washingtonians" or have family who have lived here for generations are the only ones who get to weigh in on civic matters. My kids are native Washingtonians and they deserve an education just as much as the immigrant children who have moved here and the white kids with parents who came here to escape some mid-west town and live in a "big city."

Why does saying someone is a transplant imply that schools shouldn't have IPL?

Why do you think that walking into the room just one time allows you to weigh in on any issue? Sure after you know the topic or come in as an expert on the issue. Example banning a right on red turn on a street. If you just moved to the community why would you say this should or should not happen. If you were a transportation expert sure, please tell us everything you know. But if you just moved here, I DON'T CARE.

My school wants to lock our field down to just the school (until 5 pm) but the transplants in the community who don't have children are moaning about their rights and their need for open public space. City is siding with the transplants. Same transplants whose dogs come and crap on our field and are shocked to find out its even a school. There are also people in our community without kids who do a lot for our school and/or respect the space so its not all transplants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know several families who already bailed for private schools (including a lot going to Catholic schools), temporarily or permanently moved to a part of the country with open schools, moved back to their home countries where school is open, and put their kids in pods. If it wasn't for pods, the exodus would be higher, but pods kids are still technically enrolled in their public school even though they outsourced the public school teacher's job.

We're starting to look into moving to a different part of the country that has schools open, and we'll make a final decision in May/June if DCPS hasn't committed 100% open for full-time school at that point. We're lucky enough to be able to move even without first securing jobs. Most people can't do that. For us, we just lost faith in WTU/teachers, administrators, corrupt WTU-endorsed politicians, and a weak mayor who's too afraid of WTU to reopen. We also see how our WOTP schools are part of a very broken DCPS system that's tied to issues with voting habits of the very poor and corrupt politicians, resulting in a very dysfunctional and largely poorly performing school system.

You said the quiet part out loud!!! If only we could take American Back Again (to the good old days when only wealthy white men could vote). Good luck in your move. I am certain you will be able to find other areas that are more in line with your belief system that poor people's voices should be discounted (maybe by a ratio of, say, 3/5?).

Seriously. Wow.

What part of that statement is not true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted good restaurants and culture, I would move back to NYC.

It's really disgusting how people in this town think that only those who are "Native Washingtonians" or have family who have lived here for generations are the only ones who get to weigh in on civic matters. My kids are native Washingtonians and they deserve an education just as much as the immigrant children who have moved here and the white kids with parents who came here to escape some mid-west town and live in a "big city."

Why does saying someone is a transplant imply that schools shouldn't have IPL?

Why do you think that walking into the room just one time allows you to weigh in on any issue? Sure after you know the topic or come in as an expert on the issue. Example banning a right on red turn on a street. If you just moved to the community why would you say this should or should not happen. If you were a transportation expert sure, please tell us everything you know. But if you just moved here, I DON'T CARE.

My school wants to lock our field down to just the school (until 5 pm) but the transplants in the community who don't have children are moaning about their rights and their need for open public space. City is siding with the transplants. Same transplants whose dogs come and crap on our field and are shocked to find out its even a school. There are also people in our community without kids who do a lot for our school and/or respect the space so its not all transplants.

Here's a tip for you: If they are here and paying property taxes, they have a right to an opinion. I don't care if they just moved here last week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I think it *might* be a reaction to all the white people who love to say: "Nobody's FROM DC!" completely ignoring that there have been families here for generations, just not a lot of white ones. That is a testament though of how segregated the city really is.

Agree that the divides are especially stark bc white people here are uniformly UMC.

I live on the Hill and there are a number of families threatening to leave, but will be interesting to see what happens. This is meant as a punishment to the rest of us somehow.

I was born here and I'm white. The child of transplants. And I know a lot of people who were born in the area and have stayed. Not many who live in the middle of the city, but they still live in the region. If you are white and from here, you mostly hang out with other people who are from here. My wife's family has lived in the area for a few generations.

The idea that only white people count, is racist. And so is the idea that only black people count. If I'm a public sector employee like DCPS employees are, then I serve the whole populaiton.

That said, if parents want to have a real voice in this city, we need to join together and use it. Mayor Bowser is right to think that she needs to be careful of the votes connected to the WTU. The constituency connected to the WTU is the reason why Fenty lost and Bowser won.

If we parents want our kids back in school we have to show that parents are an organized consituency who will stick around to vote. Leaving right now is less strategic than being actual players and changing the city governance structure.

[Anonymous]

I know a few people pulling their kids out for private. All black except one family, fwiw.