Middle and high school on Capitol Hill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, asked the Q from the peanut gallery at a recent open house. The answer was so muddled that I'm not clear on what sort of honors classes contingency planning the young head would do if a whole bunch of Brenties were in the pipeline for 6th grade, and actually turned up. If JA had a SH type academic tracking set up in place before my child arrived, I'd consider it as a last resort before moving. But we wouldn't "jump" without upper and lower level classes for English, math, social studies and Spanish in place, and that arrangement doesn't sound like it's in teh cards. After many years in the 'hood, DCPS isn't an institution I'm prepared to put blind faith in.

You need to operate with the truth that you will not have answers to these questions before you enroll your child at Jefferson. You will need to engage intensely with the school once you are there to work out a situation on the fly because....as one pp said....it's "in your family values" to do so. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction, your child will have had a "learning experience"for her 6th grade year and you can come up with a plan B.

If that doesn't sound acceptable to you--then your "family values" are shitty, you are racist, elitist and should gtf out of the neighborhood now.

I believe that sums up the argument?

[Anonymous]

Yes, but dividing applicants based on race is illegal. Race can be one factor but not the deciding factor. When kids are first and foremost classified by race, the system becomes race based, which is illegal. I am all for diversity but not if it means supporting a system such as the one you describe.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. You can't blame the JA admins for this cluster f#*@. They don't have the funding to hire teachers to teach tiny classes. The fault lies with the losers running DCPS, and the city council. If school system leaders would pony up for honors/on-grade level class instructors to attract the gentrifiers, parents across the racial and socioeconomic spectrum would have decent by-right MS options around the city, not just at Deal. Instead, DC spends mega bucks on splashy renovations without allocating resources for the programming needed to attract the big, rising demographic snatching up real estate around schools. It's call bad planning. Eventually, the demographics will catch up with these sticks in the mud: they'll either have to close schools that are almost empty (Eliot-Hine heading in that direction faster than JA) or change their ways. Sooner or later, they're going to run out of remedial students to keep the buildings open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but dividing applicants based on race is illegal. Race can be one factor but not the deciding factor. When kids are first and foremost classified by race, the system becomes race based, which is illegal. I am all for diversity but not if it means supporting a system such as the one you describe.

Huh? Visited BASIS lately? Challenging at and above-grade level academics and a good mix of white, Latino, Asian and AA students in almost every class. Stuart Hobson also has plenty of minority kids in their honors classes.

[Anonymous]

Anyone without a child enrolled at Eliot-Hine or Jefferson Academy telling those of us at Brent, Maury and SWS that we're selfish jerks, snobs and racists for not using these schools doesn't deserve a voice in the MS HS Cap Hill conversation.

Pipe down already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, asked the Q from the peanut gallery at a recent open house. The answer was so muddled that I'm not clear on what sort of honors classes contingency planning the young head would do if a whole bunch of Brenties were in the pipeline for 6th grade, and actually turned up. If JA had a SH type academic tracking set up in place before my child arrived, I'd consider it as a last resort before moving. But we wouldn't "jump" without upper and lower level classes for English, math, social studies and Spanish in place, and that arrangement doesn't sound like it's in teh cards. After many years in the 'hood, DCPS isn't an institution I'm prepared to put blind faith in.

You need to operate with the truth that you will not have answers to these questions before you enroll your child at Jefferson. You will need to engage intensely with the school once you are there to work out a situation on the fly because....as one pp said....it's "in your family values" to do so. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction, your child will have had a "learning experience"for her 6th grade year and you can come up with a plan B.

If that doesn't sound acceptable to you--then your "family values" are shitty, you are racist, elitist and should gtf out of the neighborhood now.

I believe that sums up the argument?

Not so much.

More like the reason CH parents don't have a uniform vision of exactly what DCPS should do about the middle and high school situation right now is because people are generally supportive of each others choices, even if they don't match up with their own. I.e., if your plan is to try for charter schools in 5th grade, but are willing to consider your IB (Jefferson or EH) as a backup, that's fine. If you plan to not even try to get into charter schools at all in 5th grade because you love Brent for 5th and love the idea of Jefferson for 6th, that's fine too. If you've got your eye on Wilson and Deal, so you start making moves to jump to a Deal feeder school as soon as possible, that's OK too. you love the idea of a test-in middle school so much you want to stage sit ins and protests at City Hall to make it happen, go for it.

I think most people are figuring out what is best for their own kids and have the humility to recognize that maybe what works for their family isn't what should happen for other families. This may look to outsiders like a disorganized mess of options-- and it is-- but that is what it looks like when you mind your own business and support (or at least not suppress) the choices of others.

Bottom line-- if the uncertainty of Jefferson is not acceptable to you, then fine-- do something else. No one whose opinion should matter to you is going to think you are racist and have shitty values. But don't act like Jefferson is not a real option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, asked the Q from the peanut gallery at a recent open house. The answer was so muddled that I'm not clear on what sort of honors classes contingency planning the young head would do if a whole bunch of Brenties were in the pipeline for 6th grade, and actually turned up. If JA had a SH type academic tracking set up in place before my child arrived, I'd consider it as a last resort before moving. But we wouldn't "jump" without upper and lower level classes for English, math, social studies and Spanish in place, and that arrangement doesn't sound like it's in teh cards. After many years in the 'hood, DCPS isn't an institution I'm prepared to put blind faith in.

You need to operate with the truth that you will not have answers to these questions before you enroll your child at Jefferson. You will need to engage intensely with the school once you are there to work out a situation on the fly because....as one pp said....it's "in your family values" to do so. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction, your child will have had a "learning experience"for her 6th grade year and you can come up with a plan B.

If that doesn't sound acceptable to you--then your "family values" are shitty, you are racist, elitist and should gtf out of the neighborhood now.

I believe that sums up the argument?

Not so much.

More like the reason CH parents don't have a uniform vision of exactly what DCPS should do about the middle and high school situation right now is because people are generally supportive of each others choices, even if they don't match up with their own. I.e., if your plan is to try for charter schools in 5th grade, but are willing to consider your IB (Jefferson or EH) as a backup, that's fine. If you plan to not even try to get into charter schools at all in 5th grade because you love Brent for 5th and love the idea of Jefferson for 6th, that's fine too. If you've got your eye on Wilson and Deal, so you start making moves to jump to a Deal feeder school as soon as possible, that's OK too. you love the idea of a test-in middle school so much you want to stage sit ins and protests at City Hall to make it happen, go for it.

I think most people are figuring out what is best for their own kids and have the humility to recognize that maybe what works for their family isn't what should happen for other families. This may look to outsiders like a disorganized mess of options-- and it is-- but that is what it looks like when you mind your own business and support (or at least not suppress) the choices of others.

Bottom line-- if the uncertainty of Jefferson is not acceptable to you, then fine-- do something else. No one whose opinion should matter to you is going to think you are racist and have shitty values. But don't act like Jefferson is not a real option.

+1! Yes -- from my experience most Hill parents are pretty tolerant of the choice paradigm even when they have reservations for themselves. I'm not going to resent or bad mouth my charter-enrolling neighbor over their choices when I like and respect them, even if I personally would not exercise that choice myself. I have a neighbor who worked on the establishment of one very popular charter and is nothing but tactful and respectful about our preference for supporting neighborhood schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, asked the Q from the peanut gallery at a recent open house. The answer was so muddled that I'm not clear on what sort of honors classes contingency planning the young head would do if a whole bunch of Brenties were in the pipeline for 6th grade, and actually turned up. If JA had a SH type academic tracking set up in place before my child arrived, I'd consider it as a last resort before moving. But we wouldn't "jump" without upper and lower level classes for English, math, social studies and Spanish in place, and that arrangement doesn't sound like it's in teh cards. After many years in the 'hood, DCPS isn't an institution I'm prepared to put blind faith in.

You need to operate with the truth that you will not have answers to these questions before you enroll your child at Jefferson. You will need to engage intensely with the school once you are there to work out a situation on the fly because....as one pp said....it's "in your family values" to do so. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction, your child will have had a "learning experience"for her 6th grade year and you can come up with a plan B.

If that doesn't sound acceptable to you--then your "family values" are shitty, you are racist, elitist and should gtf out of the neighborhood now.

I believe that sums up the argument?

No, I don't think you are racist and shitty for opting for a more established solution. I might think you are racist and shitty if you go on about how your "sweet, book hungry children" cannot possibly mix with "project kids." I might also think you are deluded and *privileged* if you think that DCPS has a duty to create a test-in middle school just for your "demographic," when you are unwilling to accept and work with the realities of the neighborhood you chose to live in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, asked the Q from the peanut gallery at a recent open house. The answer was so muddled that I'm not clear on what sort of honors classes contingency planning the young head would do if a whole bunch of Brenties were in the pipeline for 6th grade, and actually turned up. If JA had a SH type academic tracking set up in place before my child arrived, I'd consider it as a last resort before moving. But we wouldn't "jump" without upper and lower level classes for English, math, social studies and Spanish in place, and that arrangement doesn't sound like it's in teh cards. After many years in the 'hood, DCPS isn't an institution I'm prepared to put blind faith in.

You need to operate with the truth that you will not have answers to these questions before you enroll your child at Jefferson. You will need to engage intensely with the school once you are there to work out a situation on the fly because....as one pp said....it's "in your family values" to do so. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction, your child will have had a "learning experience"for her 6th grade year and you can come up with a plan B.

If that doesn't sound acceptable to you--then your "family values" are shitty, you are racist, elitist and should gtf out of the neighborhood now.

I believe that sums up the argument?

Not so much.

More like the reason CH parents don't have a uniform vision of exactly what DCPS should do about the middle and high school situation right now is because people are generally supportive of each others choices, even if they don't match up with their own. I.e., if your plan is to try for charter schools in 5th grade, but are willing to consider your IB (Jefferson or EH) as a backup, that's fine. If you plan to not even try to get into charter schools at all in 5th grade because you love Brent for 5th and love the idea of Jefferson for 6th, that's fine too. If you've got your eye on Wilson and Deal, so you start making moves to jump to a Deal feeder school as soon as possible, that's OK too. you love the idea of a test-in middle school so much you want to stage sit ins and protests at City Hall to make it happen, go for it.

I think most people are figuring out what is best for their own kids and have the humility to recognize that maybe what works for their family isn't what should happen for other families. This may look to outsiders like a disorganized mess of options-- and it is-- but that is what it looks like when you mind your own business and support (or at least not suppress) the choices of others.

Bottom line-- if the uncertainty of Jefferson is not acceptable to you, then fine-- do something else. No one whose opinion should matter to you is going to think you are racist and have shitty values. But don't act like Jefferson is not a real option.

+1. Not a JA renovation fan (not nearly enough bang for the city's buck) but I concur.

[Anonymous]

Can people summarize what they have heard from the principal at JA about what would happen is a lot more students working at proficient/advanced level move over (recognizing that there is already a contingent there)? I would love to see Brent families move on to Jefferson en masse, but this feels like a missing piece. I would want more information about this before I would do it for my child. I haven't been to a lot of the events that Jefferson has done for Brent families, though, so this information may be out there already.

[Anonymous]

I have also been following the discussion of having a comprehensive neighborhood middle school vs. a test-in magnet school. My child is younger, but my spouse and I definitely lean toward the idea of a comprehensive neighborhood middle school because:

1) We have not idea if our child would test in to a selective program, and I'd hate to see the brain drain from a test-in magnet for the rest of the middle schools. Perhaps that's selfish, but many kids are not equally proficient in math, science, English, etc. A comprehensive middle school with classes at a variety of level seems like it would allow more students to work at their highest possible level even when that level varied between subject matter.

2) Can you imagine how miserable elementary school would become if many of the kids were being prepped for a test-in magnet? Parents at our school (and on this forum) are not particularly easy-going. Private tutors and those providing prep classes would make a fortune. It would be a miserable arms race...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have also been following the discussion of having a comprehensive neighborhood middle school vs. a test-in magnet school. My child is younger, but my spouse and I definitely lean toward the idea of a comprehensive neighborhood middle school because:

1) We have not idea if our child would test in to a selective program, and I'd hate to see the brain drain from a test-in magnet for the rest of the middle schools. Perhaps that's selfish, but many kids are not equally proficient in math, science, English, etc. A comprehensive middle school with classes at a variety of level seems like it would allow more students to work at their highest possible level even when that level varied between subject matter.

2) Can you imagine how miserable elementary school would become if many of the kids were being prepped for a test-in magnet? Parents at our school (and on this forum) are not particularly easy-going. Private tutors and those providing prep classes would make a fortune. It would be a miserable arms race...

+10000! Really, I just want a comprehensive middle school with algebra and an appropriately challenging English class. Everything else is gravy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have also been following the discussion of having a comprehensive neighborhood middle school vs. a test-in magnet school. My child is younger, but my spouse and I definitely lean toward the idea of a comprehensive neighborhood middle school because:

1) We have not idea if our child would test in to a selective program, and I'd hate to see the brain drain from a test-in magnet for the rest of the middle schools. Perhaps that's selfish, but many kids are not equally proficient in math, science, English, etc. A comprehensive middle school with classes at a variety of level seems like it would allow more students to work at their highest possible level even when that level varied between subject matter.

2) Can you imagine how miserable elementary school would become if many of the kids were being prepped for a test-in magnet? Parents at our school (and on this forum) are not particularly easy-going. Private tutors and those providing prep classes would make a fortune. It would be a miserable arms race...

Hello, a good many Brent kids are already being prepped for test-in magnets, er...private middle schools and the BASIS sink or swim (pass those comps in 6th, 7th and 8th or your only option to stay is to repeat the grade). It's a dirty little secret at Brent that plenty of upper grades kids already work with tutors, and/or attend academic summer camps. Private tutors and those providing prep classes for independent middle schools and BASIS math classes already do well enough on the Hill. A quiet, slightly miserable arms race is already underway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have also been following the discussion of having a comprehensive neighborhood middle school vs. a test-in magnet school. My child is younger, but my spouse and I definitely lean toward the idea of a comprehensive neighborhood middle school because:

1) We have not idea if our child would test in to a selective program, and I'd hate to see the brain drain from a test-in magnet for the rest of the middle schools. Perhaps that's selfish, but many kids are not equally proficient in math, science, English, etc. A comprehensive middle school with classes at a variety of level seems like it would allow more students to work at their highest possible level even when that level varied between subject matter.

2) Can you imagine how miserable elementary school would become if many of the kids were being prepped for a test-in magnet? Parents at our school (and on this forum) are not particularly easy-going. Private tutors and those providing prep classes would make a fortune. It would be a miserable arms race...

Hello, a good many Brent kids are already being prepped for test-in magnets, er...private middle schools and the BASIS sink or swim (pass those comps in 6th, 7th and 8th or your only option to stay is to repeat the grade). It's a dirty little secret at Brent that plenty of upper grades kids already work with tutors, and/or attend academic summer camps. Private tutors and those providing prep classes for independent middle schools and BASIS math classes already do well enough on the Hill. A quiet, slightly miserable arms race is already underway.

BASIS parent. Barring serious learning disabilities, no one needs to be hiring tutors to get through BASIS' comprehensive exams. They just aren't that hard, and you can pass with a 60%.

[Anonymous]

Some parents also compete to get kids into the sci teacher's math pullouts for 6th & 7th grade math.