Jay Mathews Points Readers in Wrong Direction on Top Charters

[Anonymous]

The good charters are the only schools that reflect the demographics of the city. The neighborhood schools are violently segregated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"While the racial composition of the city has changed dramatically over the past decade, the racial composition of public schools has been slower to shift. In a city where 2 out of 3 school-age children are black, about 8 in 10 charter students and about 7 in 10 DCPS students are black. Compared with charters, DCPS has about three times the share of white students and about twice the share of Asian students."

http://datatools.urban.org/features/OurChangingCity/schools/index.html#diversity

2 out of 3 school-aged children are black = 66% of school aged children are black. 1/3 or 33% = non-black school aged children in DC ( White, Hispanic, Asian and multiracial of combined)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've got some cock-and-bull theory on schools. Why won't Jay Mathews publish disgruntled, fired little me? Oh, he'll go into it next time. Got it.

Unless you have the letters AP somewhere in your message, Mathews or his minions won't even look at it. If they do, it helps to have the letters C H E C or K I P P to play Jay Bingo.

Breaking up may be hard to do, but Mathews is making it easier by the column.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many educators in HRCs feel the same way as Martel. They're in education to help poor minority kids succeed. If those kids do not get access to the better schools the achievement gap will grow. The poor families' hope is on a charter since they can't afford Wotp. When a white middle class kid takes a spot, there is palpable disappointment whether you realize it or not.

And when you are faced with a middle/upper class black student? Is that also a disappointment? Or is it ok because you can still post photos of your class on Instagram and feel virtuous? Tell all your friends how you work in the ghetto and are changing poor, black students' lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The good charters are the only schools that reflect the demographics of the city. The neighborhood schools are violently segregated.

The segregated ones tend to be either far NE/SE, are headed by near-criminals for profit, or are solid schools (KIPP) but their teaching methods are not loved my a large majority of white families.

I almost feel like I have to add that I am AA.

[Anonymous]

I wish we could see an actual smart news piece on school choice and whether or not there is a racial or socio-economic self selection preference for different kinds of programs? Or is it a social network thing? Are there actual barriers to white families applying to Howard University Math and Science charter or to poor black families applying to YuYing or Inspired Teaching? Or is it a social/cultural preference or exposure thing?

Smart reporting on this is welcome. The crap published in the Post and put forward by Mr. Martel is a waste of precious time and energy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many educators in HRCs feel the same way as Martel. They're in education to help poor minority kids succeed. If those kids do not get access to the better schools the achievement gap will grow. The poor families' hope is on a charter since they can't afford Wotp. When a white middle class kid takes a spot, there is palpable disappointment whether you realize it or not.

And when you are faced with a middle/upper class black student? Is that also a disappointment? Or is it ok because you can still post photos of your class on Instagram and feel virtuous? Tell all your friends how you work in the ghetto and are changing poor, black students' lives.

Educators are supposed to be there to help ALL kids succeed. It's a sad commentary on DCPS that most of the city, whether white or AA, whether low SES or high SES, sees charters and the small handful of good DCPS schools in NW and Capitol Hill as their only real hope for a decent education. And, that's ultimately where the real problem lies. Charters are not the blame - Charters ultimately are just filling the gaps and voids which DCPS has not been up to par in dealing with all these years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could see an actual smart news piece on school choice and whether or not there is a racial or socio-economic self selection preference for different kinds of programs? Or is it a social network thing? Are there actual barriers to white families applying to Howard University Math and Science charter or to poor black families applying to YuYing or Inspired Teaching? Or is it a social/cultural preference or exposure thing?

Smart reporting on this is welcome. The crap published in the Post and put forward by Mr. Martel is a waste of precious time and energy

I'm sure there's a certain degree of that. How many white kids apply to ROOTS PCS for afro-centric learning?

[Anonymous]

I toured KIPP on M Street SE when my DD was a toddler. The head of KIPP (Susan) told me to my face, "This school isn't for your family. If you want a better choice than your in-bounds DCPS school, move to Palisades."

Our public schools - charter and neighborhood - should serve all District kids. Jay Matthews is a joke. I'd like Mr. Martel to explain to those of us who pay taxes and live in the District why we all can't pick up the phone and call the Wilson (or Deal) Principal and get a spot for our out-of-boundary student athletes. Upper NW DCPS schools skirt the admissions system (in many cases based on sports) to the great detriment of the rest of the city.

[Anonymous]

The question at hand is: Are the leaders of these charter schools that have higher ( not too high ) percentage of white students doing the same thing the KIPP person did to pp: somehow discouraging or turning away or cheating black families.

The answer is no. The majority of students at these schools ARE African American. In one case, more than 80%.

Perhaps these programs ( classical education, language immersion, expeditionary learning ) appeal more to highly educated, middle class families. Now, is that a problem? Do we want charter schools that appeal to middle class families?

That is a conversation I am willing to engage in. A conversation about "too many white students". No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The good charters are the only schools that reflect the demographics of the city. The neighborhood schools are violently segregated.

The segregated ones tend to be either far NE/SE, are headed by near-criminals for profit, or are solid schools (KIPP) but their teaching methods are not loved my a large majority of white families.

I almost feel like I have to add that I am AA.

I think my white kid would have thrived at KIPP-- but when I toured the school I definitely got the impression that my white upper middle class kid would not be welcome by the school administrators. I got the impression my kid's attendance would mess up their narrative for fundraising. And it is tough to get into, so, yes, he would have had a shot at "taking the slot" of a kid that could have benefitted more from KIPP than he would have. So we didn't even apply. He is at Washington Latin instead-- a school with a minority population of whites--- and yet still subject to criticisms by some jackasses as suspiciously white..

If we hadn't gotten in either Latin (or BASIS), we would have gone with private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I toured KIPP on M Street SE when my DD was a toddler. The head of KIPP (Susan) told me to my face, "This school isn't for your family. If you want a better choice than your in-bounds DCPS school, move to Palisades."

Susan worked at KIPP KEY, which is off of Benning Road. What KIPP was on M St. SE? There is no KIPP there now. There's Eagle Academy not far off M St. SE near the Navy Yard, and some KIPPs not far off M St. NW (they're on P Street) but I am skeptical of your story. My experience with the more chain-based charter schools like KIPP and Appletree is that they are quite politically savvy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I toured KIPP on M Street SE when my DD was a toddler. The head of KIPP (Susan) told me to my face, "This school isn't for your family. If you want a better choice than your in-bounds DCPS school, move to Palisades."

Susan worked at KIPP KEY, which is off of Benning Road. What KIPP was on M St. SE? There is no KIPP there now. There's Eagle Academy not far off M St. SE near the Navy Yard, and some KIPPs not far off M St. NW (they're on P Street) but I am skeptical of your story. My experience with the more chain-based charter schools like KIPP and Appletree is that they are quite politically savvy.

You must not have been here long. KIPP (the original) was in the blue building across from the Navy Yard while the new Benning Rd campus was being built. I am AA, and when my DD was in 4th grade we had also toured KIPP. The story the PP is telling is true. I am an educated middle class mother and I also felt that my DD would be taking a slot away from a more deserving struggling AA student after the tour. At the time, they required Saturday "class" for extracurriculars (ballet, sports, musical instrument instruction, etc). I thought that was odd because my DD did all those things already without it being a school requirement. When I voiced my concern about that one piece, I was told the school may not be a great fit for my DD because not only did we have the resources for her to do those activities but she was also doing very well academically. We chose Latin instead.

[Anonymous]

Blue Castle building (old trolley bar) @ 8th & M Streets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blue Castle building (old trolley bar) @ 8th & M Streets.

I think that was Eagle, not KIPP.