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DC Public and Public Charter Schools
Letter from Cancellor re moving schools - opps - I got caught moving my kid?
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Anonymous
I think the main problem for DC high schools is that many of the kids they serve are not equipped to meet the academic standards currently in place, let alone higher ones. The intervention needs to start much earlier. |
Anonymous
We can't fix the problem, if we don't actually admit we have one. Use all current data that follows the child, and meet students were they are within a few grade levels. If you are reading at 4th grade level in high school, then you have to start there. More flexible schedules and literacy programs, they are only in elementary schools and clearly not sufficient otherwise wouldn't be transferring to middle and high with such low skills. Parents have to be involved. And no more bullsh## administrators and chancellors without years of experience as a teacher and leading school districts. |
Anonymous
Why do you think DC has universal Pre School? The investment is the "intervention that needs to start much earlier" |
Anonymous
DC does not have universal preschool. DC has lottery PS3 and lottery PK4. Our elementary does not have the facilities to accommodate all of its K-5 and has had to cut back its PK4 to just one class; forget preschool. And you cannot get into PK4 without an older sibling to bump you up a few notches in the lottery. |
Anonymous
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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I hate to say this, but those who voted for Bowser over Catania and are outraged by education issues need to think really carefully about your next mayoral vote.
The problem with mayoral control over schools is that it assumes your mayor knows something about education. Our current mayor clearly did not when she started and doesn't seem to have picked up a lot along the way. Insiders will tell you Wilson was hired because he is a young (inexperienced) black male (optics) "ed reformer" (private $) from way out of town (not scared of history here) who was willing to take a demoted position (Kaya was not). If you want Wilson to resign, fine. But who would take that job who doesn't have the same profile? Not anyone older, female, non-black, non-Broad, east coast big city. Niles was right to get out. Mayoral control is a no-win situation when the mayor can't make a decent education hire. The only thing Wilson brought that hadn't been done here was a WTU teacher contract. He might be able to gain trust that he won't personally mess up, there's no way he can gain enough credibility to get his contract renewed. [/quote] The point is that even if the next one has to check those same boxes, most of us would still prefer to try whoever’s next versus keeping one who cheated. The next on could just as likely be better as worse. No one is claiming Antwan set a high bar. [/quote] Thanks for this smart analysis. |
Anonymous
I'm well aware that is the idea. It is obviously not enough, even if it were actually universal and offered spots for everyone at their neighborhood schools. |
Anonymous
The intervention needs to start with far better employment opportunities and work benefits for poor parents, which aren't to be had in the US economy our national and state leaders support. All the flexible schedules and literacy programs the city pays for in schools aren't going to attract high SES families past the lower elementary grades without far more challenge and better order in the mix. And without a majority of high SES families, traditional urban public schools will by definition be low-performing. The only exception would be schools in a urban system willing and able to pay for high octane interventions across the board, including unusually small classes, free extended day, year-round school, Saturday school and the option of MS and HS boarding for poor kids enrolling. No American city is offering these supports to poor kids outside a few ambitious charters whose budgets are topped up by private inputs and majority high SES schools where some poor kids rise with the tide. If Wilson had pushed to try to make high SES parents comfortable with traditional public schools in gentrifying areas, like Mayor Daley Senior and Junior did in Chicago, I'd like to see him given another chance. He hasn't and should go. He clearly isn't up to the job. |
Anonymous
DC does offer universal preschool. It doesn't offer universal local preschool. If you're willing to travel there is preschool available. |
Anonymous
It's not just that they played by the rules, it's that they played by the rules and had to live with the lottery outcomes. There is a lot of resentment among parents who played the lottery and got a bad outcome. That's why skipping the line in the lottery is a hot-button issue in DC politics. What's stunning is that he didn't grasp this. |
Anonymous
This. Also, I doubt if your elementary can only fit in one pk4 class, you’re in an area that is equipped in meeting academic standards. |
Anonymous
What makes you think that charter staff kids are exempt from the lottery? Is this something new? I've known lots of staff at charters that were unable to get their kids to be in the charter that they taught at. They had to go through the lottery and they failed to ge tthe placement at their school, repeatedly. MAybe you are thinking of charter schools in another state? |
Anonymous
Some charters have a "children of staff" preference. DCPS does not. |
Anonymous
Sure, but the demographics that need it most often don't have the capability to travel. |
Anonymous
And they can go to PK3 and PK4 in their neighborhood school where there is early action (guaranteed seats) and also free aftercare. |
Anonymous
In DC? Which charters have this? Anyway, comparing charter staff to the chancellor is misplaced because the chancellor is the chancellor for the entire system whereas charter school staff are only staff for the one charter school that they work for. So if the charter school staff does get preference (which sounds to me like they still have to go through the lottery system, it is just that they will get something like sibling preference, right?) they only get preference for that school-- not for the entire DC public school system. Sounds like you are saying the the Chancellor should have carte blanche to step outside the regular process and place their kid where ever they like and I just don't see how a few charter staff getting preference for their kids at their school is at all comparable. |