Tubman elementary?

[Anonymous]

You know, I have kids and still live in Col Hts. My kids have moved around a bit in the endless search for the "perfect" school, but now we feel settled in a good ES. I guess the message is, no one knows how schools will turn out until their kids are there, and my kids have survived and thrived in their various school environments. They love walking to Acre 121 and Lou's, they love playing in the myriad playgrounds, they love having the zoo practically next door, and they love walking to their friends' houses in Adams Morgan, Col. Hts, and Mount Pleasant. I love that we live close to the Green Line so we can commute quickly to downtown movie theaters and the mall and that my commute is 30 minutes door to door.

Living in Col. Hts may mean taking more than one trip through the lottery, but it didn't hurt my kids to experience different schools, and they have made lots of friends on the way. Hopefully some day folks will invest in Tubman if the new principal manages to sustain the academic growth of the past principal. In the meantime, we are happy with the school our children are in.

Can I guarantee that we'll stay here our whole lives or our kids whole lives? Don't be daft; this is DC, and by definition transient!

[Anonymous]

FWIW I have a very good friend who teaches at Tubman. Since Principal Hughes left the place has gone downhill fast. The kids are out of control in the hallways and classrooms and the principal and vice principal are arrogant and inaccessible to staff. Not to mention young and inexperienced. Teachers are unhappy and no longer as collaborative. Some teachers left mid-year. Many parents don't like them either. Not surprising that at least one of the administrators came from CHEC. This is how things roll there, I've heard from numerous sources.

It will be interesting to see how students do on DC-CAS. I really hope that despite the changes they continue to progress upward.

[Anonymous]

I live in CH and am saddened by these developments. My DC is in an excellent charter and we are very "lucky". This is actually sad as well. Luck shouldn't have to figure into our kids' futures. I love CH and hope to stay, but something has got to give with the school situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know, I have kids and still live in Col Hts. My kids have moved around a bit in the endless search for the "perfect" school, but now we feel settled in a good ES. I guess the message is, no one knows how schools will turn out until their kids are there, and my kids have survived and thrived in their various school environments. They love walking to Acre 121 and Lou's, they love playing in the myriad playgrounds, they love having the zoo practically next door, and they love walking to their friends' houses in Adams Morgan, Col. Hts, and Mount Pleasant. I love that we live close to the Green Line so we can commute quickly to downtown movie theaters and the mall and that my commute is 30 minutes door to door.

Living in Col. Hts may mean taking more than one trip through the lottery, but it didn't hurt my kids to experience different schools, and they have made lots of friends on the way. Hopefully some day folks will invest in Tubman if the new principal manages to sustain the academic growth of the past principal. In the meantime, we are happy with the school our children are in.

Can I guarantee that we'll stay here our whole lives or our kids whole lives? Don't be daft; this is DC, and by definition transient!

I have an elementary school kid and live in CH as well. I second what this PP said.

I think that the other PP, who says that priorities change, is right, but the thing is that priorities change in a lot of ways. I actually moved to CH when DD was about a year old, because I did not want to raise a child in the suburbs where we had lived until then. I wanted to be in DC, close to the museums and city parks and restaurants and such. Many people make the opposite choice, but I know a lot of people who have stayed in the city when they had kids and also people who have done what I did. The assumption that you will stop caring about good restaurants, short commutes, walkability, etc. when you have a child is pretty naive. I am not a totally different person with totally different priorities because I have a child. We lotteried into a school we like better than Tubman, but it's not one of the much-lauded WoTP schools. We also spent a year in a charter that ultimately was not a good fit for DD. The shuffle has resulted in her having several circles of friends, which is perfectly alright.

I'm also sad to hear about the developments at Tubman. I guess we'll see what happens in the next couple years.

[Anonymous]

My children are at Tubman in PK3 and I am very surprised by what I read on this thread.
Yes, the school's previous principal left, but I don't think it's fair to be so judgmental about the new team. A hugely charismatic and amazing person like Ppl Hugues is perfect to lead a transition, but a school which is led on charisma is not necessarily a school where sustainable systems are built, and schools need systems. Let the results of the next two years speak and in the meantime, give people the benefit of the doubt. The new team is very open about some challenges they have met and they have addressed them.
My children have had a fantastic year, and I certainty have not felt alienated.
Feel free to drop me a line if you are considering Tubman ([e-mail]) - although I am often abroad these days and may not respond immediately.
This is hugely personal and everybody has their own biases, but I try not to generalize based on hearsay. And yes, I am sure someone will (anonymously) say I am self-righteous. It's the nature of the beast.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your message. I've actually heard great things about Tubman from parents who have kids there and from teachers who work both there and at other schools. When I visited, I was pretty impressed by what they currently have to offer and with their future plans to continuing focusing on sustainability and adding a greenhouse, etc. The school has a gorgeous courtyard, by the way, and the kids are frequently invited by Michele Obama to take part in White House activities like tending the WH garden. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the negative drama but I think that Tubman has a lot of potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My children are at Tubman in PK3 and I am very surprised by what I read on this thread.
Yes, the school's previous principal left, but I don't think it's fair to be so judgmental about the new team. A hugely charismatic and amazing person like Ppl Hugues is perfect to lead a transition, but a school which is led on charisma is not necessarily a school where sustainable systems are built, and schools need systems. Let the results of the next two years speak and in the meantime, give people the benefit of the doubt. The new team is very open about some challenges they have met and they have addressed them.
My children have had a fantastic year, and I certainty have not felt alienated.
Feel free to drop me a line if you are considering Tubman ([e-mail]) - although I am often abroad these days and may not respond immediately.
This is hugely personal and everybody has their own biases, but I try not to generalize based on hearsay. And yes, I am sure someone will (anonymously) say I am self-righteous. It's the nature of the beast.

Another "thank you" for sharing your actual experience! I've got an older child at an OOB DCPS, but am considering Tubman (our neighborhood school) for my younger child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My children are at Tubman in PK3 and I am very surprised by what I read on this thread.
Yes, the school's previous principal left, but I don't think it's fair to be so judgmental about the new team. A hugely charismatic and amazing person like Ppl Hugues is perfect to lead a transition, but a school which is led on charisma is not necessarily a school where sustainable systems are built, and schools need systems. Let the results of the next two years speak and in the meantime, give people the benefit of the doubt. The new team is very open about some challenges they have met and they have addressed them.
My children have had a fantastic year, and I certainty have not felt alienated.
Feel free to drop me a line if you are considering Tubman ([e-mail]) - although I am often abroad these days and may not respond immediately.
This is hugely personal and everybody has their own biases, but I try not to generalize based on hearsay. And yes, I am sure someone will (anonymously) say I am self-righteous. It's the nature of the beast.

Thanks for putting yourself out there and offering up your perspective on it.

[Anonymous]

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