Wash Post feature on Washington Latin

[Anonymous]

Interesting article, particularly the quote from Martha Cutts saying she would like there to be a low-income preference in the lottery.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/charter-schools-appealing-to-more-diverse-families-as-dc-gentrifies/2015/12/03/1d79c3f8-8dab-11e5-acff-673ae92ddd2b_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting article, particularly the quote from Martha Cutts saying she would like there to be a low-income preference in the lottery.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/charter-schools-appealing-to-more-diverse-families-as-dc-gentrifies/2015/12/03/1d79c3f8-8dab-11e5-acff-673ae92ddd2b_story.html

I wonder if they see a difference between low-income and at-risk. The Charter rep on the DME boundaries taskforce pulled out of the committee because he didn't support the recommendations around at-risk preference in the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Who was the charter rep?

[Anonymous]

I like Martha, but I think it's bizarre that she propose that. Charter application is BY lottery and of course parental interest. Our city has far more middle and low-income than high-income residents who attend public or public charter schools (most of the highest income go private, as do shining stars academically or sports wise that are low income). There is a built in preference--it's called a lottery. No skin in this game- but the school has a great, almost enviable mix currently and the idea that that is becoming harder to achieve through regular mechanisms is nonsense. All the school needs to do is more outreach to low income communities.

Last-the point of charters is not that they be all things to all people. Because they a re specialized, people vote with their feet. When they try to be everything to everyone, they dilute what they offer in the first place. there are many schools in DC set up to address the challenges that low income families face--KIPP being the primary example. There should be charters specifically for at-risk, that are held to a reasonable standard of simply moving the kids to a better place of hope. Does WL have what it needs to address those challenges? I would say work to close the achievement gap of the kids you have first, while sticking to your core program which is what's different and attractive, before trying to weight preferences for more low income kids. Honestly, this kind of stuff is bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like Martha, but I think it's bizarre that she propose that. Charter application is BY lottery and of course parental interest. Our city has far more middle and low-income than high-income residents who attend public or public charter schools (most of the highest income go private, as do shining stars academically or sports wise that are low income). There is a built in preference--it's called a lottery. No skin in this game- but the school has a great, almost enviable mix currently and the idea that that is becoming harder to achieve through regular mechanisms is nonsense. All the school needs to do is more outreach to low income communities.

Last-the point of charters is not that they be all things to all people. Because they a re specialized, people vote with their feet. When they try to be everything to everyone, they dilute what they offer in the first place. there are many schools in DC set up to address the challenges that low income families face--KIPP being the primary example. There should be charters specifically for at-risk, that are held to a reasonable standard of simply moving the kids to a better place of hope. Does WL have what it needs to address those challenges? I would say work to close the achievement gap of the kids you have first, while sticking to your core program which is what's different and attractive, before trying to weight preferences for more low income kids. Honestly, this kind of stuff is bizarre.

I don't think there should be geographic or demographic preferences in charters.

Re this article -- since the premise of the article is that segregation in charters is bad, Ms. Cutts was expressing her personal opinion that it would be nice to serve more economically diverse children. Of course it is also true that in the early years of Latin and especially the first high school students, were more economically disadvantaged and African-American that the population they have now.

The reality is that no charter application has even been submitted which stated a goal of serving middle class students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like Martha, but I think it's bizarre that she propose that. Charter application is BY lottery and of course parental interest. Our city has far more middle and low-income than high-income residents who attend public or public charter schools (most of the highest income go private, as do shining stars academically or sports wise that are low income). There is a built in preference--it's called a lottery. No skin in this game- but the school has a great, almost enviable mix currently and the idea that that is becoming harder to achieve through regular mechanisms is nonsense. All the school needs to do is more outreach to low income communities.

Last-the point of charters is not that they be all things to all people. Because they a re specialized, people vote with their feet. When they try to be everything to everyone, they dilute what they offer in the first place. there are many schools in DC set up to address the challenges that low income families face--KIPP being the primary example. There should be charters specifically for at-risk, that are held to a reasonable standard of simply moving the kids to a better place of hope. Does WL have what it needs to address those challenges? I would say work to close the achievement gap of the kids you have first, while sticking to your core program which is what's different and attractive, before trying to weight preferences for more low income kids. Honestly, this kind of stuff is bizarre.

Well written. Nuanced. Confident but cognizant that in public education there are no easy answers. Are you sure you didn't wander in from another place and accidentally post on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

I know the article was about Latin, but isn't BASIS more diverse than Ross?

[Anonymous]

I'm a Latin parent, and I think Martha's comments are a joke - a sad one. She's either trying to fool us or she is fooling herself.

Latin set the bar for how to subtly tilt the playing field and cherry pick students from higher-income areas. Remember - they started in Ward 3 in a part of town that was utterly inaccessible by mass transit. They remain difficult to get to by mass transit and car. They recruit heavily (via PTA meetings, shadow days, etc.) at schools like Stoddert, Hyde, Mann, etc., while all but ignoring low-income schools in Wards 7 and 8. They run buses from Glover Park, the Hill, and Tenleytown, and just now got around to running a bus from Anacostia. There are a bunch of small things - but they add up to a Latin student body that is not representative of the DCPS student body, and that does not do enough to welcome kids that are poor, non-English speaking, and from low income neighborhoods.

Have an honest conversation with most Latin parents - if you can get the truth out of them, they will tell you that the whole reason they sent their kids to Latin was to get away from poor kids.

[Anonymous]

PP you make it sound like Latin started in a Ward 3 palace. It started in a church basement (which I helped paint). The neighborhoods it has subsequently moved to are not by any stretch of the imagination swanky or high income. It was a strain on me to attend school events in the new locations from my home in Ward 3, but I did it. Our child had a long commute when riding public (often, with after school sports and activities). Latin has bent over backwards to recruit students from all wards and incomes. What it does is enough. It does not need to weight low income applicants.

[Anonymous]

Does Latin pay for the buses?

I also agree with the PP who said that Latin doesn't do much outreach to lower income areas. I have a 5th grader and last year I tried to be really aware of notices about open houses or information sessions. I don't remember seeing a single public notice at a library, community center, church or in a local paper for a schedule of such events. Again, having friends with kids there, I was a bit more clued in, but that was the only reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP you make it sound like Latin started in a Ward 3 palace. It started in a church basement (which I helped paint). The neighborhoods it has subsequently moved to are not by any stretch of the imagination swanky or high income. It was a strain on me to attend school events in the new locations from my home in Ward 3, but I did it. Our child had a long commute when riding public (often, with after school sports and activities). Latin has bent over backwards to recruit students from all wards and incomes. What it does is enough. It does not need to weight low income applicants.

There is no objective response here - just a bunch of rhetoric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Latin pay for the buses?

I also agree with the PP who said that Latin doesn't do much outreach to lower income areas. I have a 5th grader and last year I tried to be really aware of notices about open houses or information sessions. I don't remember seeing a single public notice at a library, community center, church or in a local paper for a schedule of such events. Again, having friends with kids there, I was a bit more clued in, but that was the only reason.

No they do not! They cost $1,500 a year - another pretty significant barrier for low-income families.

(Latin in theory offers free bus rides for low-income families, but who knows how that works)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP you make it sound like Latin started in a Ward 3 palace. It started in a church basement (which I helped paint). The neighborhoods it has subsequently moved to are not by any stretch of the imagination swanky or high income. It was a strain on me to attend school events in the new locations from my home in Ward 3, but I did it. Our child had a long commute when riding public (often, with after school sports and activities). Latin has bent over backwards to recruit students from all wards and incomes. What it does is enough. It does not need to weight low income applicants.

I think you made PP point. If it was a strain for a Ward 3 parent with resources, it would be close to impossible for a Ward 8 parent with little to know resources. I bet you have a car and four to six times the financial resources as that Ward 8 parent. In addition, your Ward 3 home is in the same quandrant, nw, as Latin opposed to that far spot heart Ward 8 home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the article was about Latin, but isn't BASIS more diverse than Ross?

Latin has a school library, which Basis lacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP you make it sound like Latin started in a Ward 3 palace. It started in a church basement (which I helped paint). The neighborhoods it has subsequently moved to are not by any stretch of the imagination swanky or high income. It was a strain on me to attend school events in the new locations from my home in Ward 3, but I did it. Our child had a long commute when riding public (often, with after school sports and activities). Latin has bent over backwards to recruit students from all wards and incomes. What it does is enough. It does not need to weight low income applicants.

There is no objective response here - just a bunch of rhetoric.

Not the PP and no dog in this fight. But you don't understand what rhetoric is. You can disagree with what she said or her conclusion, but it wasn't rhetoric. Ironically, your response is actually a good example of rhetoric. But nice try.