DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret kids need a practice. Outrageous— my parents pay taxes just like others so it’s reasonable to get field space—- just like any other school!!!!

You and all your exclamation points are ridiculous. Go away. The adults are talking.

You can have field access equal to what Hardy gets. Fair?

That would require that Hardy + DCPS contract with DPR for a permit to use the fields. Have they done this? And has the BGC requested a permit (even one that starts at say 5 pm). Don’t most people realize that the majority of permitted field use at Jelleff is for private organizations. It’s not a public place - it’s quasi-public and has been for the past decade. For crying out loud, it’s the hardest field to get on - you can’t just walk up and use it.

The narrative that this is all above-board and that Maret just out-hustled the other groups through proper channels really pisses me off. This was an inside job, a sole-source contract, where city officials completely fell down on their obligation to the residents. And Maret is not some lucky, plucky beneficiary of this, they greased the skids to make it happen.

+1. No one else has a multi-year arrangement.

Sorry you’ve been let down by your local govt. Get a grip.

But Maret isn't an innocent party. They're acting like the guy who was walking down the sidewalk and found the money the bank robbers dropped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret kids need a practice. Outrageous— my parents pay taxes just like others so it’s reasonable to get field space—- just like any other school!!!!

You and all your exclamation points are ridiculous. Go away. The adults are talking.

You can have field access equal to what Hardy gets. Fair?

That would require that Hardy + DCPS contract with DPR for a permit to use the fields. Have they done this? And has the BGC requested a permit (even one that starts at say 5 pm). Don’t most people realize that the majority of permitted field use at Jelleff is for private organizations. It’s not a public place - it’s quasi-public and has been for the past decade. For crying out loud, it’s the hardest field to get on - you can’t just walk up and use it.

The narrative that this is all above-board and that Maret just out-hustled the other groups through proper channels really pisses me off. This was an inside job, a sole-source contract, where city officials completely fell down on their obligation to the residents. And Maret is not some lucky, plucky beneficiary of this, they greased the skids to make it happen.

+1. No one else has a multi-year arrangement.

DPR doesn't do multi-season permits, let alone multi-year.

[Anonymous]

Taking advantage of its political connections in a way that hurts the common good is something that ought to cause some critical thinking in the Maret community.

Any reflection at Maret?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking advantage of its political connections in a way that hurts the common good is something that ought to cause some critical thinking in the Maret community.

Any reflection at Maret?

Have a look at the comments on the WaPo article. The Maret boosters are out in force. Sadly, the “reflection” is only of their own ignorance and, in some cases, thinly-veiled racism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell, Georgetown Day School, St. Andrews, and Potomac also benefit as this is where they play for Maret home games.

I think that's a bit of a stretch. The games would still be played, just at a different location. If you're getting the team on the bus anyway I doubt it makes much difference where the bus goes.

Thank you! So the answer is Maret uses the fields available in its own league! Hey, maybe they can even pay St. Albans/NCS for to use their fields. Those are much closer to Maret. Save gas, save time, save the planet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret kids need a practice. Outrageous— my parents pay taxes just like others so it’s reasonable to get field space—- just like any other school!!!!

You and all your exclamation points are ridiculous. Go away. The adults are talking.

You can have field access equal to what Hardy gets. Fair?

That would require that Hardy + DCPS contract with DPR for a permit to use the fields. Have they done this? And has the BGC requested a permit (even one that starts at say 5 pm). Don’t most people realize that the majority of permitted field use at Jelleff is for private organizations. It’s not a public place - it’s quasi-public and has been for the past decade. For crying out loud, it’s the hardest field to get on - you can’t just walk up and use it.

And remember, there are children involved here and you may not like how this has unfolded but leave the kids out of this and don’t dare tell the Maret kid who lives in SE and is on full financial aid and out there for practice one hour a day he or she is privileged.

Maret doesn’t have a permit for the space; it has a lease. Go to DPR’s website and see if you can find the information and form where you apply for the kind
of ‘permit’ Maret has.

Right. It has a “lease” permitting it to use the field.

Thanks for pointing that out PP. it prompted me to go to the DPR permits page and it clearly states that use for DPR purposes is higher priority than any written agreement with a “partner“. So why then, does Maret trump the DPR aftercare program? Why are 100+ aftercare students from local public schools prioritized lower than Maret? https://dpr.dc.gov/page/priority-use
Maret boosters need to shut their traps and wait this thing out. That’s their only chance is this going way. So by that I mean “please, keep talking and twisting yourselves into pretzels to try and justify this slimy deal that reflects so poorly on your school”

um ... the boys and girls club is not a DPR organization.

No, it’s not a DPR organization. See below for the BGCGDC mission and tell me they shouldn’t get equal time to Maret.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington’s (BGCGW) 15 sites—covering a territory of 75 miles that stretches from Manassas to Germantown—serve as safe havens for our members. The clubs are open when schools are not, and provide a safe, comfortable, and fun alternative to youth who would otherwise be home alone or on the street. Over 1,500 youth attend the Clubs for activities every day, to see their friends, and to spend time with positive and encouraging adults. Clubs are open after school on weekdays. Some have Saturday hours, and many offer full days during school holidays and summers. Clubs welcome every child, adolescent, or teenager for a nominal annual membership fee, but will not turn any child away for inability to pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't Maret rent athletic facilities from local universities? I think GDS rent facilities from American University because I see GDS tennis team and track & field team use American University when I watched them completed against another private school from Virginia. DC public facilities should be ONLY by DC residents and public schools. DC public schools must have priorities over everybody else.

I can't imagine that Fairfax County Public Park (FCPP) says to Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) that the schools can not use FCPP facilities such as swimming pool or soccer field after school because the facilities are being leased to private schools in the area. That will cause a riot in Fairfax County.

Maret already does this. See posts above regarding the deal Maret has with UDC which displaced DCPS students at Murch for two years despite an agreement between UDC and DCPS. UDC and DC govt are to blame for that one. Maret is just getting what it wants. Though its social justice rhetoric is disingenuous to say the least.

[Anonymous]

Again: how much is the DC government paying in transport costs to send Hardy and other local school students all over the city for practices and “home games” in far flung parts of the District?

There needs to be a tangible cost benefit analysis. It Likes has not been done, which would be in violation of DC law. Further, this entire agreement was done in secret and not available for public tender. This is in violation of DC procurement rules.

Why is DPR blatantly violating laws and procurement rules?

[Anonymous]

And why hasn't anybody but Silverman provided a comment and an explanation. I guess everyone is hoping this will go away. I hope Hardy families and boys and girls club families will persist in their efforts to get this resolved. I've signed the petition and urge everyone who hates what has happened to also sign

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret kids need a practice. Outrageous— my parents pay taxes just like others so it’s reasonable to get field space—- just like any other school!!!!

You and all your exclamation points are ridiculous. Go away. The adults are talking.

You can have field access equal to what Hardy gets. Fair?

That would require that Hardy + DCPS contract with DPR for a permit to use the fields. Have they done this? And has the BGC requested a permit (even one that starts at say 5 pm). Don’t most people realize that the majority of permitted field use at Jelleff is for private organizations. It’s not a public place - it’s quasi-public and has been for the past decade. For crying out loud, it’s the hardest field to get on - you can’t just walk up and use it.

And remember, there are children involved here and you may not like how this has unfolded but leave the kids out of this and don’t dare tell the Maret kid who lives in SE and is on full financial aid and out there for practice one hour a day he or she is privileged.

Maret doesn’t have a permit for the space; it has a lease. Go to DPR’s website and see if you can find the information and form where you apply for the kind
of ‘permit’ Maret has.

Right. It has a “lease” permitting it to use the field.

Thanks for pointing that out PP. it prompted me to go to the DPR permits page and it clearly states that use for DPR purposes is higher priority than any written agreement with a “partner“. So why then, does Maret trump the DPR aftercare program? Why are 100+ aftercare students from local public schools prioritized lower than Maret? https://dpr.dc.gov/page/priority-use
Maret boosters need to shut their traps and wait this thing out. That’s their only chance is this going way. So by that I mean “please, keep talking and twisting yourselves into pretzels to try and justify this slimy deal that reflects so poorly on your school”

um ... the boys and girls club is not a DPR organization.

Ummmmm. Ok then. If you want to pretend that it’s not really a dpr program. The “boys and girls club” program and it’s agreement still predates the Maret agreement and it benefits the public, not a a private institution. So again, trumps Maret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again: how much is the DC government paying in transport costs to send Hardy and other local school students all over the city for practices and “home games” in far flung parts of the District?

There needs to be a tangible cost benefit analysis. It Likes has not been done, which would be in violation of DC law. Further, this entire agreement was done in secret and not available for public tender. This is in violation of DC procurement rules.

Why is DPR blatantly violating laws and procurement rules?

My understanding is that DCPS doesn't provide transportation for sports teams, that the Hardy and Walls teams have to take Metro. They use DPR fields, just ones that private schools don't want. Walls baseball practices at Banneker Rec Center over by Howard U and soccer practices at Randall Rec Center over by the DMV service center on South Capital. At that time of day it's an hour plus each way by Metro each way to get over there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maret kids need a practice. Outrageous— my parents pay taxes just like others so it’s reasonable to get field space—- just like any other school!!!!

You and all your exclamation points are ridiculous. Go away. The adults are talking.

You can have field access equal to what Hardy gets. Fair?

That would require that Hardy + DCPS contract with DPR for a permit to use the fields. Have they done this? And has the BGC requested a permit (even one that starts at say 5 pm). Don’t most people realize that the majority of permitted field use at Jelleff is for private organizations. It’s not a public place - it’s quasi-public and has been for the past decade. For crying out loud, it’s the hardest field to get on - you can’t just walk up and use it.

The narrative that this is all above-board and that Maret just out-hustled the other groups through proper channels really pisses me off. This was an inside job, a sole-source contract, where city officials completely fell down on their obligation to the residents. And Maret is not some lucky, plucky beneficiary of this, they greased the skids to make it happen.

+1. No one else has a multi-year arrangement.

Sorry you’ve been let down by your local govt. Get a grip.

But Maret isn't an innocent party. They're acting like the guy who was walking down the sidewalk and found the money the bank robbers dropped.

That's giving Maret way too much credit. There was an outcry (albeit a much quieter one) 10 years ago when they got their first backroom deal for exclusive access to Jelleff.
https://georgetownmetropolitan.com/2010/01/21/city-turns-over-jelleff-fields-to-maret/

[Anonymous]

So I’m a maret parent and I’m going to post then never come back because I’m too scared of DCUM to face the vitriol.

I just wanted to remind everyone who’s really angry about this situation that the kids (and most parents) had/have no idea about the deal, what really happened behind closed doors, what happened out in the open, or anything else to do with fields.

As a parent of a lower schooler, i would have no reason to know anything about sports fields or games. I also had no idea where the older kids play sports, how they get there, who else could use those fields or why we don’t buy our own fields or find closer fields.

Students k-6 don’t play any team sports. Kids 7-8th grade must do team sports and some sports require fields so at that point you might know maret uses Jelleff fields but not how often they’re used, how much it cost or who else wanted those fields. Then in the upper school, there’s more choice again and there could be kids who never step foot on Jelleff fields in all 4 years.

I’d just like to remind everyone that the people who created this situation are the heads of several organizations, not the kids or parents who might (or might not) show up at Jelleff in the future. Please remember to save your anger and protesting and any loogies (sp?) you may want to hawk for the people who made these decision and/or can affect these decisions. Your average parent or student only knows what’s going on because of the petition and press, and our opinions on how the school should be run are typically not very important to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I’m a maret parent and I’m going to post then never come back because I’m too scared of DCUM to face the vitriol.

I just wanted to remind everyone who’s really angry about this situation that the kids (and most parents) had/have no idea about the deal, what really happened behind closed doors, what happened out in the open, or anything else to do with fields.

As a parent of a lower schooler, i would have no reason to know anything about sports fields or games. I also had no idea where the older kids play sports, how they get there, who else could use those fields or why we don’t buy our own fields or find closer fields.

Students k-6 don’t play any team sports. Kids 7-8th grade must do team sports and some sports require fields so at that point you might know maret uses Jelleff fields but not how often they’re used, how much it cost or who else wanted those fields. Then in the upper school, there’s more choice again and there could be kids who never step foot on Jelleff fields in all 4 years.

I’d just like to remind everyone that the people who created this situation are the heads of several organizations, not the kids or parents who might (or might not) show up at Jelleff in the future. Please remember to save your anger and protesting and any loogies (sp?) you may want to hawk for the people who made these decision and/or can affect these decisions. Your average parent or student only knows what’s going on because of the petition and press, and our opinions on how the school should be run are typically not very important to anyone.

You think you have less power than public school parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I’m a maret parent and I’m going to post then never come back because I’m too scared of DCUM to face the vitriol.

I just wanted to remind everyone who’s really angry about this situation that the kids (and most parents) had/have no idea about the deal, what really happened behind closed doors, what happened out in the open, or anything else to do with fields.

As a parent of a lower schooler, i would have no reason to know anything about sports fields or games. I also had no idea where the older kids play sports, how they get there, who else could use those fields or why we don’t buy our own fields or find closer fields.

Students k-6 don’t play any team sports. Kids 7-8th grade must do team sports and some sports require fields so at that point you might know maret uses Jelleff fields but not how often they’re used, how much it cost or who else wanted those fields. Then in the upper school, there’s more choice again and there could be kids who never step foot on Jelleff fields in all 4 years.

I’d just like to remind everyone that the people who created this situation are the heads of several organizations, not the kids or parents who might (or might not) show up at Jelleff in the future. Please remember to save your anger and protesting and any loogies (sp?) you may want to hawk for the people who made these decision and/or can affect these decisions. Your average parent or student only knows what’s going on because of the petition and press, and our opinions on how the school should be run are typically not very important to anyone.

You think you have less power than public school parents?

+1 Maret is a small school. If the administration faced pushback from Maret parents who insisted that Maret demonstrate the social values it purports to teach their children, this deal would never been pushed through in this untransparent way. But presumably most Maret parents are like the PP, and throw up their hands innocently, while refusing to take responsibility for being complicit.