Kaya sees song and dance in Cuba, but CUTS Fillmore Arts Center in DC

[Anonymous]

Taxpayer money for her to travel to Cuba to watch kids sing and dance - yet she is cutting the Fillmore Arts Center for five DCPS schools. I am disgusted.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-officials-see-cuban-education-firsthand-song-dance-fidel-little-choice/2016/02/25/c5f34de2-dbe9-11e5-925f-1d10062cc82d_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news_cubaschools810pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Please sign petition to save arts in schools - http://friendsoffillmore.org/

[Anonymous]

And when you look at the numbers and realize how little it will take financially to keep Fillmore open and fully operational you'll be even more disgusted. The five participating schools already contribute the equivalent of 10 full-time salaried teachers to the Fillmore budget and DCPS is balking at the other costs, which are minuscule compared to other pet programs and projects of the chancellor and the mayor. I'm not a professional educator but the chancellor is supposed to be. Has she somehow missed the decades of literature that prove that arts education benefits students in their traditional (math and reading) studies? And did her staff do you ANY kind of space or facilities study before they made this decision? I'm quite sure the answer is no because all five of those schools are over enrolled withb no space to add in arts programming. If I made these sort of big, impactful decisions at work without doing the proper research and feasibility testing I would be fired.

[Anonymous]

I understand the sentiment, but the Cuba junket was not paid from DCPS funds. DCPS can apparently justify cutting Fillmore from its budget, somehow.

[Anonymous]

It's not about the cost of the trip (although I'd like to understand how it was paid for). For me at least, it about going on a junket the week after schools received their budgets, some of which were a pretty big surprise. The same week schools are told Fillmore is being dumped. The same week Murch was being screwed over in its renovation. That was not the time to take leave from her job. She could have traveled there during spring break (don't respond about how it was a trip planned with DC, MD, and VA, blah, blah). I know all about it. My spring break comment was a bit of cheek. What I was really trying to say is that she should not have gone. Period. Decline the invite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not about the cost of the trip (although I'd like to understand how it was paid for). For me at least, it about going on a junket the week after schools received their budgets, some of which were a pretty big surprise. The same week schools are told Fillmore is being dumped. The same week Murch was being screwed over in its renovation. That was not the time to take leave from her job. She could have traveled there during spring break (don't respond about how it was a trip planned with DC, MD, and VA, blah, blah). I know all about it. My spring break comment was a bit of cheek. What I was really trying to say is that she should not have gone. Period. Decline the invite.

And the same week they dump an unfunded mandate, LEAP, on the schools.

[Anonymous]

Kaya and Bowsered said they were very impressed with Cuban school literacy statistics. More to the point, they were probably impressed with how the Cuban government can manipulate educational statistics.

[Anonymous]

I never thought I would see the day that a U.S. jurisdiction would seek to emulate communist Cuba. A magnet for innovation and production it is not.

[Anonymous]

The post reported the cost of the trip to DC taxpayers as $44,000. Not as high as I expected, but one penny was too much for this boondoggle of a vacation for the Mayor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the sentiment, but the Cuba junket was not paid from DCPS funds. DCPS can apparently justify cutting Fillmore from its budget, somehow.

If DCPS cut out more non-classroom related fluff -- think of all the "diversity coordinators" and "esteem specialists", etc. -- they could afford to keep Fillmore open. Studies show how beneficial quality arts and music programming are to students.

[Anonymous]

Put things in perspective. Fillmore has

Fillmore has a lovely community. Our kids have taken classes there. It's time for it just run itself as a standalone, sustainable nonprofit like Sitar Center in Adams Morgan and not a DCPS add-on service. It's been on the block for years. Nobody at DCPS wants it, so you're fighting a losing battle. It's a leftover from the era of when DCPS couldn't even get books from the warehouses by opening day.

As to Cuba, yet another example of why Bowser is CLUELESS on education. Henderson supposedly went as her "friend". It's no secret that they are not BFFs. Bowser is now Henderson's boss' boss. You really think Kaya really had a choice? I was surprised DME didn't go, but I guess Henderson has a higher media profile.

The Post article also pointed out that Kaya was none too impressed and her team saw first hand what communist indoctrination gets you; well-educated tour guides.

I'm outraged at Bowser's "more bang for the buck" comment regarding paying teachers poverty wages there. Seriously?!?! Henderson et al have been pushing for some of the highest compensation packages for teachers in DCPS. Ask anyone who is from Cuba and they'll confirm that kids are brainwashed and parents are kept out of education. Meanwhile, DCPS has a director of family engagement and does home visits, etc.

Seriously, Muriel?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: If DCPS cut out more non-classroom related fluff -- think of all the "diversity coordinators" and "esteem specialists", etc. -- they could afford to keep Fillmore open. Studies show how beneficial quality arts and music programming are to students.

I understand the sentiment, but I also think there's no need to pit social emotional learning against the arts. Kids need both. THEY NEED BOTH. In fact, they're mutually supportive.

I can think of many other areas of bloat in the DC budget--especially when property taxes are bringing in more money than ever.

[Anonymous]

Fillmore should close. Hardy should expand into third floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's time for it just run itself as a standalone, sustainable nonprofit like Sitar Center in Adams Morgan and not a DCPS add-on service. It's been on the block for years. Nobody at DCPS wants it, so you're fighting a losing battle. It's a leftover from the era of when DCPS couldn't even get books from the warehouses by opening day.

Totally agree with this. They could also move to a more central location and market themselves to charters -- send instructors to their sites or perhaps have them travel to them.

After school enrichment/care, summer/spring break/winter camps, saturday classes etc.

[Anonymous]

With DCPS now willing and able to provide an art and a music teacher along with specific learning standards in every school (there wasn't any of that when we started at our local ES), "fix it" programs like these need to be reevaluated. This particular institution may very well have its place among all the offerings schools and parents can draw from - like CHAW in Capitol Hill for example - but I'm not seeing why DCPS should provide it.

Not to mention I remember not all that long ago a thread here expressing serious doubt about the quality of instruction and the lost time in transitions to and from the relevant schools. Maybe this organization would be well served cutting ties with DCPS and flourish when it's actually allowed to operate the way it deems fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fillmore should close. Hardy should expand into third floor.

Noone wants to go there. They are underenrolled. Why expand?

No Fillmore = no art or music at the 5 schools. They are out of room, even for more trailers.