DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any update from the Gtown ANC meeting last night?

The ANC is unanimously opposed to the deal. They will be sending a resolution to both DPR and the Mayor.

Lots of good testimony from Hardy families and younger local families with kids who will be affected by the decision 7-10 years from now. A Hardy father from Ward 8 showed up and made a very emotional plea to oppose the deal, as his daughters in the after-care can’t use the field and its one of their few opportunities to be exposed to sports.

It was a very good meeting. However, the ANC acknowledged that they have no power to force DPR to do anything. All the power rests with the Mayor and Trayon White (he’s the chair of the Parks Committee). It seems that pressure is build By on the Council to do something.

The ANC was also urged to send a resolution to the Office of the Inspector General, to begin looking into the technicalities of the contract. A number of constituents advocated that the contract violates DC procurement laws and rules in the DC Code. The chair of the ANC seemed to believe that the community would get more traction by making the inequity argument, rather than attacking DPR over the origins of the contract and the supposed violations of law. Frankly, it seemed like the ANC Chair was trying to downplay the potential violations of the law.

A few constituents said that shaming Maret may be the best strategy, as the school is largely composed of “people who have those ‘Hate has no place here’ signs on their lawns.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any update from the Gtown ANC meeting last night?

The ANC is unanimously opposed to the deal. They will be sending a resolution to both DPR and the Mayor.

Lots of good testimony from Hardy families and younger local families with kids who will be affected by the decision 7-10 years from now. A Hardy father from Ward 8 showed up and made a very emotional plea to oppose the deal, as his daughters in the after-care can’t use the field and its one of their few opportunities to be exposed to sports.

It was a very good meeting. However, the ANC acknowledged that they have no power to force DPR to do anything. All the power rests with the Mayor and Trayon White (he’s the chair of the Parks Committee). It seems that pressure is build By on the Council to do something.

The ANC was also urged to send a resolution to the Office of the Inspector General, to begin looking into the technicalities of the contract. A number of constituents advocated that the contract violates DC procurement laws and rules in the DC Code. The chair of the ANC seemed to believe that the community would get more traction by making the inequity argument, rather than attacking DPR over the origins of the contract and the supposed violations of law. Frankly, it seemed like the ANC Chair was trying to downplay the potential violations of the law.

A few constituents said that shaming Maret may be the best strategy, as the school is largely composed of “people who have those ‘Hate has no place here’ signs on their lawns.”

Thank you, PP!

[Anonymous]

I heard the meeting was "standing room only"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard the meeting was "standing room only"

Yes. It was. And parents came with signs.



ANC 2E urges Hardy parents to contact their respective Council members, especially if you live outside of Ward 2. Council members needs to hear from their constituents on this.

No sign of Jack Evans. It seems that ANC 2E has given up on him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Washingtonian did a nice summary article on Jack Evans investigation. Maybe we could add a pay to play deal with Maret Exclusive access to popular field in exchange for his son's admission to Maret.

Can't believe Evans hasn't had the decency to resign!

https://www.washingtonian.com/2019/07/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-jack-evans-investigations/

Thanks for posting this interesting read. Evans using his position to get a hold of goodies for Maret is not inconsistent with the behavior described in the article. A noteworthy tidbit in the article is that the FBI removed (or examined?) his son's computer, which I'd like to think means that they are on to something. I wonder, though, how exactly he would have been involved. Does he have any actual leverage over DPR or other means of inducing them to take this horrible deal? Trayon White is the one with oversight of DPR, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those Hardy people that don’t hate Maret, I would t even apply.

Thanks but Maret isn't that popular-it's definitely not in the Sidwell Friends/GDS tier that most public school parents would prefer. We don't want to spend 40K to go to a school too cheap to acquire and maintain its own playing fields.

I'm a suburbanite just following the thread because I deal with field space issues for a rec league as a volunteer and its amazing to me that this was ever permitted. I have definitely heard of Sidwell and GDS but Maret? Never heard of it (and I grew up in Fairfax).

[Anonymous]

Trayon has history with B&GC. From his bio on Wikipedia: "White enrolled at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Maryland, in the fall of 2002. Each week, he returned to the District of Columbia to coach sports with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America."

And he's not interested in helping a DC chapter get time at the field next door? What is going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any update from the Gtown ANC meeting last night?

It was a very good meeting. However, the ANC acknowledged that they have no power to force DPR to do anything. All the power rests with the Mayor and Trayon White (he’s the chair of the Parks Committee). It seems that pressure is build By on the Council to do something.

The ANC was also urged to send a resolution to the Office of the Inspector General, to begin looking into the technicalities of the contract. A number of constituents advocated that the contract violates DC procurement laws and rules in the DC Code. The chair of the ANC seemed to believe that the community would get more traction by making the inequity argument, rather than attacking DPR over the origins of the contract and the supposed violations of law. Frankly, it seemed like the ANC Chair was trying to downplay the potential violations of the law.

A few constituents said that shaming Maret may be the best strategy, as the school is largely composed of “people who have those ‘Hate has no place here’ signs on their lawns.”

So
A good meeting where public was told they have no power to force DPR to do anything
Do not complain about technical violations of a contract that break DC procurement laws
Instead make an inequality argument

What does that even mean? I thought inequality was the foundation stone!
I will be very surprised if things don't en favourably for the private sct

Is everyone at the meeting dumb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those Hardy people that don’t hate Maret, I would t even apply.

Thanks but Maret isn't that popular-it's definitely not in the Sidwell Friends/GDS tier that most public school parents would prefer. We don't want to spend 40K to go to a school too cheap to acquire and maintain its own playing fields.

I'm a suburbanite just following the thread because I deal with field space issues for a rec league as a volunteer and its amazing to me that this was ever permitted. I have definitely heard of Sidwell and GDS but Maret? Never heard of it (and I grew up in Fairfax).

It’s not a particularly good school. It’s where people who are afraid of public schools but can’t get in anywhere else send their kids. A bunch of kids from my upper NW elementary went there and it was always a safety.

[Anonymous]

It’s Wednesday. The day of the week Maret Head of School Marjo Talbott has been telling any media outlet that would listen that she generously grants Hardy use of the public Jelleff field (even though they don’t have to). Well, this Wednesday afternoon the Hardy football team, boys soccer team, and girls soccer team all had to share the small green space at Hardy for their practices. This is a space that isn’t regulation size for one team, much less three. So what happened to Wednesdays at Jelleff for Hardy? Another untruth? The absurdity and inequity just keeps ratcheting up.

[Anonymous]

Any of the organizers planning on doing anything else other than the petition? I think it is great that they have rallied support and started the petition. Just not sure that it will be enough given the lack of response from the mayor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard the meeting was "standing room only"

Yes. It was. And parents came with signs.



ANC 2E urges Hardy parents to contact their respective Council members, especially if you live outside of Ward 2. Council members needs to hear from their constituents on this.

No sign of Jack Evans. It seems that ANC 2E has given up on him.

t

Are you serious with this photo?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard the meeting was "standing room only"

Yes. It was. And parents came with signs.



ANC 2E urges Hardy parents to contact their respective Council members, especially if you live outside of Ward 2. Council members needs to hear from their constituents on this.

No sign of Jack Evans. It seems that ANC 2E has given up on him.

t

Are you serious with this photo?

If you’ve ever been to ANC meeting you know that’s a good turnout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any of the organizers planning on doing anything else other than the petition? I think it is great that they have rallied support and started the petition. Just not sure that it will be enough given the lack of response from the mayor

So is that the outcome?

A petition and nothing else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s Wednesday. The day of the week Maret Head of School Marjo Talbott has been telling any media outlet that would listen that she generously grants Hardy use of the public Jelleff field (even though they don’t have to). Well, this Wednesday afternoon the Hardy football team, boys soccer team, and girls soccer team all had to share the small green space at Hardy for their practices. This is a space that isn’t regulation size for one team, much less three. So what happened to Wednesdays at Jelleff for Hardy? Another untruth? The absurdity and inequity just keeps ratcheting up.

And I assume Maret was at Jelleff? While the aftercare kids were inside or standing on the north side of the fence looking in...