Wash Post feature on Washington Latin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ditto to middle class kids - for some reason they aren't seen as worthy of a free and good public education. I've never understood the ' they can just go to private or move' thing.

It's about the numbers. 74% are economically at risk. If you want to move the needle or whatever the metaphor du jour is, you have to focus on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ditto to middle class kids - for some reason they aren't seen as worthy of a free and good public education. I've never understood the ' they can just go to private or move' thing.

It's about the numbers. 74% are economically at risk. If you want to move the needle or whatever the metaphor du jour is, you have to focus on that.

(74% of all students in DC public or charter schools, not 74% of all students living in the city.).

[Anonymous]

Since the public schools are failing them the city needs more charter or more specialized public schools. To put the onus on existing successful schools.is kind of unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since the public schools are failing them the city needs more charter or more specialized public schools. To put the onus on existing successful schools.is kind of unfair.

And to get more charters DCPS has to let go of some buildings. The hardest thing about starting a charter should be getting the leadership and academics in place. But in reality the space is the biggest barrier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ditto to middle class kids - for some reason they aren't seen as worthy of a free and good public education. I've never understood the ' they can just go to private or move' thing.

It's an old DC thing. The only good thing about the middle class is to tax it (a lot).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since the public schools are failing them the city needs more charter or more specialized public schools. To put the onus on existing successful schools.is kind of unfair.

Yet that's what has been happening with Hearst, Murch, Eaton, Deal, Hardy and Wilson for years.

[Anonymous]

After watching years of hand wringing over the 75%, I think DC should stop laying all responsibility on DCPS and instead implement a systemic effort to reprogram the parenting mores of that 75%. Ever single bit of public assistance -- from housing to food stamps-- should be coupled to mandatory parenting classes about what it takes to raise children to responsible adulthood and the values that parents need to demonstrate as role models.

No school-- Latin, Basis or KIPP-- can replace decent parenting. The woeful performance of DCPS students is not a schools problem, it a parenting problem---and not one single DC politician has the guts to say it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After watching years of hand wringing over the 75%, I think DC should stop laying all responsibility on DCPS and instead implement a systemic effort to reprogram the parenting mores of that 75%. Ever single bit of public assistance -- from housing to food stamps-- should be coupled to mandatory parenting classes about what it takes to raise children to responsible adulthood and the values that parents need to demonstrate as role models.

No school-- Latin, Basis or KIPP-- can replace decent parenting. The woeful performance of DCPS students is not a schools problem, it a parenting problem---and not one single DC politician has the guts to say it.

Some of this is happening. Maybe not enough.

Start by googling home visiting, a national approach. The below links about DC's effort to use it to promote better home life. Mostly through the Dept of Health.

http://doh.dc.gov/service/early-childhood
http://www.learndc.org/earlychildhood/resource/dc-home-visitation-program
http://www.dcfpi.org/home-visiting-programs-make-sense-for-dc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, just like Wilson which attracts kids from all over. Great spot--on Red Line and on Wisconsin Ave. Bus line. If you have a better spot, why don't you propose it and build it? these things called charter actually take effort you know.

It has been SO difficult for charters to get good spaces. Despite a law that required DCPS to give charters first priority for empty space, DCPS stonewalled during the Fenty years and for part of the Gray administration. Part of it was institutional hostility to charters from the school bureaucracy and a lot of it was that favored developers called in chits with the mayors' offices to get choice DCPS properties put up for sale. On top of that, charters have no capital budget for purchases and renovations. So they have to raise the money themselves and finance the rest, which is tough. It took Latin a while to find its permanent home. Moreover, when Latin rented on 16th St, they were in two buildings that were some distance apart, so I don't think that Latin has any appetite for a second, split campus.

Other than the Franklin School, which prior DCPS schools went to the developers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Concur! For all the haters, what do you hold up as a better example of a successful, diverse charter school?

I think you guys need to go back and reread the article. Martha Cutts, the HOS for Latin, is pushing this point, not the people on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After watching years of hand wringing over the 75%, I think DC should stop laying all responsibility on DCPS and instead implement a systemic effort to reprogram the parenting mores of that 75%. Ever single bit of public assistance -- from housing to food stamps-- should be coupled to mandatory parenting classes about what it takes to raise children to responsible adulthood and the values that parents need to demonstrate as role models.

No school-- Latin, Basis or KIPP-- can replace decent parenting. The woeful performance of DCPS students is not a schools problem, it a parenting problem---and not one single DC politician has the guts to say it.

I agree with you. However, the reason KIPP type academy (not Latin, not Wilson) is the best short term answer for a lot of DCs low SES is they build in so much to replace the parents (is longer school days). At risk kids need even more. Making a Latin program the band aid is ridiculous. Yes, we need more Latins - but also more specialized programs that address the endemic needs in these neighborhoods. If you are working with parents who can't figur eout how to get their kids to school, maybe the schools need to be nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, just like Wilson which attracts kids from all over. Great spot--on Red Line and on Wisconsin Ave. Bus line. If you have a better spot, why don't you propose it and build it? these things called charter actually take effort you know.

It has been SO difficult for charters to get good spaces. Despite a law that required DCPS to give charters first priority for empty space, DCPS stonewalled during the Fenty years and for part of the Gray administration. Part of it was institutional hostility to charters from the school bureaucracy and a lot of it was that favored developers called in chits with the mayors' offices to get choice DCPS properties put up for sale. On top of that, charters have no capital budget for purchases and renovations. So they have to raise the money themselves and finance the rest, which is tough. It took Latin a while to find its permanent home. Moreover, when Latin rented on 16th St, they were in two buildings that were some distance apart, so I don't think that Latin has any appetite for a second, split campus.

Other than the Franklin School, which prior DCPS schools went to the developers?

A few schools were closed went to developers, including:

http://www.dccondoboutique.com/parker-flats-at-gage-school.php
http://edmondsschooldc.com/
http://www.cparkre.com/logan-school-condos.php
http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/insight_plans_41_townhomes_and_40_condos_for_schoolhouse_in_capitol_hill/9796
http://dmped.dc.gov/page/mm-washington-school

That's probably not an exhaustive list. Most of these were closed in the late 90s and early 2000s, when there was a lot less attention to this issue, and fewer charters clamoring for space. There was a lot of delay in getting the buildings closed in 2008 to charters, during the Fenty and early Gray administrations. To their credit, the various agencies seem to have streamlined and rationalized the process of turning buildings over to charters, that process appears to be working much better now.

[Anonymous]

The Latin school location was in talks to go to developers as well.

[Anonymous]

Which is why criticizing the location is so funny. Its not like they had lots of options.

[Anonymous]

Why not expand and offer 2 or even 3 Latins, like AppleTree - multiple locations - to make the commute easier on parents and students?