Ludlow-Taylor getting a new a new Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a silly statement. By definition, great neighborhood schools serve their neighborhoods. As far as I know, no parent on my entire block (where I've lived for 20 years now) sends a kid to L-T past k.

Oh, it's Circular Logic Poster again. She didn't say "great neighborhood school;" she said "great school." It's no secret that the gentrifiers have snubbed L-T for being too black and because Cobbs didn't suck up enough to them. Hundreds of pages on this already, so tell us something we don't already know.

Maybe L-T isn't destined to be a great neighborhood school if the neighbors are going to continue to boycott. It can still be a great school that attracts engaged families.

[Anonymous]

Hopelessly Politically Correct Poster without small in-boundary children, welcome back, we missed ya.

Define great school? Wouldn't a great school be diverse in a world-class city like ours, vs. around 80% low SES AA?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Hopelessly Politically Correct Poster without small in-boundary children, welcome back, we missed ya.

Define great school? Wouldn't a great school be diverse in a world-class city like ours, vs. around 80% low SES AA?

Maybe I'm being overly politically-correct, but I think that your post could understandably offend a great number of our posters. The definition of a great school is necessarily subjective. Diversity might be one factor -- it's certainly one that I appreciate -- but not necessarily the only factor. If a school were 80% high-SES white students, few would suggest that it could not be a great school due to a lack of diversity. Yet, you seem to suggest that a school with 80% low SES AA students almost by definition could not be great. That might generally be true, but whether the fault lies with the students or the school should be open for debate. You might have cause and effect reversed.

I would hope that in this forum we can find factors to evaluate schools beyond simplistic race and SES statistics. Our audience is highly-educated and, generally, thoughtful. I think we can do much better.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopelessly Politically Correct Poster without small in-boundary children, welcome back, we missed ya.

Define great school? Wouldn't a great school be diverse in a world-class city like ours, vs. around 80% low SES AA?

Maybe I'm being overly politically-correct, but I think that your post could understandably offend a great number of our posters. The definition of a great school is necessarily subjective. Diversity might be one factor -- it's certainly one that I appreciate -- but not necessarily the only factor. If a school were 80% high-SES white students, few would suggest that it could not be a great school due to a lack of diversity. Yet, you seem to suggest that a school with 80% low SES AA students almost by definition could not be great. That might generally be true, but whether the fault lies with the students or the school should be open for debate. You might have cause and effect reversed.

I would hope that in this forum we can find factors to evaluate schools beyond simplistic race and SES statistics. Our audience is highly-educated and, generally, thoughtful. I think we can do much better.

+1 Well said.

[Anonymous]

I just left LT after working there for 4 years under Cobbs. She ran a tight ship and I'm proud to say I worked for her. The students test scores improved because they worked harder, best practices were being used by LT's amazing staff, and we all encouraged and cheered the heck out of them. I'm embarrassed to read this smut and I'm equally embarrassed to be a white person with the idiotic things some of you are saying.

I wish the best for my LT family- I miss them and the students immensely.

[Anonymous]

What's idiotic about a neighborhood school attracting most neighborhood parents of young children? Under Cobbs, the percentage of neighborhood kids in the school after prek dipped several years running. We can all be PC with Jeff and cheer for a school where the student body is overwhelmingly low SES and AA when the population of its catchment area is mainly high SES, and nearly three-quarters white, or we can think in common sense terms, join hands and look for ways to help L-T truly serve the North Stanton Park neighborhood it's supposed to serve. The tight ship you described attracted and retained few neighborhood parents, which is an outrage. Neighborhood families deserve walkable neighborhood DCPS schools they like, period. We all wish the best for LT, as a neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In your expert opinion, as an Instructional Superintendent or Master Educator who is familiar with both campuses, what is the nature of the infinitesimal difference between the two schools?

Not PP, but I'll take infinitesimal differences between Brent and LT for $600, Alex. Which school does not have people being shot in cold blood on the street outside as the result of a neighborhood beef over a drug deal or illegal craps game?

That has nothing to do with the school itself (nor would it have anything to do with the school itself if it happened near Brent). It's certainly a stretch to argue that there's any link between a nearby homicide and DC-CAS results/whether either school "teaches to the test."

But it does have a lot to do with families experience, which is not measured by any test...oh wait, most of the new neighborhood doesn't attend....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The tight ship you described attracted and retained few neighborhood parents, which is an outrage. Neighborhood families deserve walkable neighborhood DCPS schools they like, period. We all wish the best for LT, as a neighborhood school.

AMEN!!! I think she served who she felt needed her help the most, but for Christ's sake what about the parents down the street who can't afford private? Our kids aren't worth a school's interest into them because they are born with "white privilege " or some nonsense??! Then don't take our tax dollars. Period.

[Anonymous]

What do families need to be 'encouraged" to attend? A red carpet? Engraved invitations?!

I don't envy the new principal who has to deal with a neighborhood full of whiners who trash the school and then whine that they are not encouraged to attend. It's your neighborhood school. Enroll there if you want to or go to some place else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's idiotic about a neighborhood school attracting most neighborhood parents of young children? Under Cobbs, the percentage of neighborhood kids in the school after prek dipped several years running. We can all be PC with Jeff and cheer for a school where the student body is overwhelmingly low SES and AA when the population of its catchment area is mainly high SES, and nearly three-quarters white, or we can think in common sense terms, join hands and look for ways to help L-T truly serve the North Stanton Park neighborhood it's supposed to serve. The tight ship you described attracted and retained few neighborhood parents, which is an outrage. Neighborhood families deserve walkable neighborhood DCPS schools they like, period. We all wish the best for LT, as a neighborhood school.

Thank you. +1. Parent of 2 school age child and another soon to be. I am IB and would love for LT to be a good option for us. Right now it is not but I am hopeful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do families need to be 'encouraged" to attend? A red carpet? Engraved invitations?!

I don't envy the new principal who has to deal with a neighborhood full of whiners who trash the school and then whine that they are not encouraged to attend. It's your neighborhood school. Enroll there if you want to or go to some place else.

I try not to be nasty in this forum, but, amen, sister. IB LT parents who want a neighborhood school- send your kids there. You got what you wanted- a new principal. Now quit whining/trashing the school.

[Anonymous]

Longtime LT District parents have good reason to doubt that change is coming. We got a new principal seven years ago--Cobbs-- after lobbying DCPS like mad to remove her even more obtuse and controlling predecessor. I remember signing more than one petition. Is it any wonder high SES neighborhood parents who've been around the block will approach any leadership change at the school with guarded optimism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do families need to be 'encouraged" to attend? A red carpet? Engraved invitations?!

I don't envy the new principal who has to deal with a neighborhood full of whiners who trash the school and then whine that they are not encouraged to attend. It's your neighborhood school. Enroll there if you want to or go to some place else.

I try not to be nasty in this forum, but, amen, sister. IB LT parents who want a neighborhood school- send your kids there. You got what you wanted- a new principal. Now quit whining/trashing the school.

+infinity.

If you don't believe in white privilege, then I don't want to send my children to a school where your children attend. You cannot be raising anything my dc should be friends with.

It's a freaking privilege that you have the right to complain about your children receiving a hypothetical terrible education at LT. Grow up. Or go move to St. Louis. I hear white privilege doesn't exist there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do families need to be 'encouraged" to attend? A red carpet? Engraved invitations?!

I don't envy the new principal who has to deal with a neighborhood full of whiners who trash the school and then whine that they are not encouraged to attend. It's your neighborhood school. Enroll there if you want to or go to some place else.

This is so true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do families need to be 'encouraged" to attend? A red carpet? Engraved invitations?!

I don't envy the new principal who has to deal with a neighborhood full of whiners who trash the school and then whine that they are not encouraged to attend. It's your neighborhood school. Enroll there if you want to or go to some place else.

This is so true.

+1000

The Stanton Park families don't seem to want what they already have: a tightly run ship, good and rising scores, renovated building and happy teachers/students. If we had this in the Cluster, I'd be over the moon.