What will Closing D.G. General Mean for DCPS Elementary Schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

Helping the children doesn't mean that those children need to be in my neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

Helping the children doesn't mean that those children need to be in my neighborhood.

It's so often in DC, in day to day life, that one just meets someone who is a complete douche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

Helping the children doesn't mean that those children need to be in my neighborhood.

Yes, there's a lot of "Yes, we need to spread the burden. Yes, Ward 3 needs to accept it's social responsibility and support the shelter. As long as it's in your school district!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

This is essentially correct, but I would assume that fewer students at the Ward 3 shelter would elect to continue in their former school(s). Eaton is a vastly superior school to basically most others except in Upper NW, and why would shelter residents take on the burden of getting their kids across town to go to an inferior school, say near DC General, when the kids can walk through a very safe residential neighborhood to a very good school - where they can stay and which guarantees a path to Wilson?! It's kind of a no-brainer for most people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

But it's not just a private effort needed to help the children. You Ward 3 folks seem to forget that public schools are *public*. You do not own them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of kids in DC shelters are under age 2. Like, babies and 1 year olds. Most kids in shelter are not elementary school aged. The new shelters are probably going to have no more than about 100 kids, so about 1 or 2 per grade will likely enroll in the IB elementary school.

I live in an area where a shelter is planned and our school is already about 10% homeless and about 1/4 have IEPs (not necessarily an overlap but in many cases it is). We need more support already, but this will only be a very small increase.

10:21 here.

That is definitely true right now, but given the huge percentage of kids under 2 and the degree to which charters are already saturated, I think this is an opportunity to plan for more children attending their IB schools at PK3. Today's 2-year-olds, depending on when their birthday is, are entering DCPS this year or the next. They will not oversaturate any specific school, but given the magnitude of the crisis, I don't think it's reasonable to plan that family homelessness is going to dramatically decrease in the next 2 years. I think it would be a better idea to plan for the schools who are receiving shelters sending some of their children - younger, older, whatever - to those schools and have systems in place to manage that. I know that at our school, we have already received contact from a shelter that is opening within our boundary about working together to provide the best transition for the kids. There is no reason that that cannot happen in an intentional way.

It's also time for the suburbs to shoulder their share of the burden and build shelters. For decades they've been sucking wealth out of the District at the District's expense. Time to pay the piper.

I understand what you're saying, but many of these people are long time DC residents. Sending them to Maryland or Virginia means relocating them to a different state, with everything that entails - new identification, new services, etc. The services they get at the shelters run through DC are provided by the government of the District of Columbia. The government of the District of Columbia can't provide services to residents of MD and VA outside of immediate crisis situations.

I think that because this area is so compressed, people often forget that it is actually 3 separate states.

this is actually wrong. Most homeless families are actually very fluid in their movement between DC and MD, VA, as they stay with friends and families etc. Its well discussed among DC officials that the offer of guaranteed housing for homeless families in DC induces many of them back to DC for the better services. MD and VA need to do this as well. I know for a fact that some police offivers in VA have "advised" homeless or soon to be homeless families to make their way into DC for guaranteed housing (which is likely to be a hotel in MD). Most of these families are in hotels in MD already, DC general is just a piece of the problem. Also, do you all really think these families will overcome all their issues in 90 days? no way these families will have permanent housing, education, job training, addiction counseling etc. So they will end up staying in these "temporary shelters" for years or just ending up homeless again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the D.G. General families on track to be scattered throughout the city, how will schools be impacted? Will Payne ES finally turn? What do you think.

What does "finally turn" mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:40% of kids in DC shelters are under age 2. Like, babies and 1 year olds. Most kids in shelter are not elementary school aged. The new shelters are probably going to have no more than about 100 kids, so about 1 or 2 per grade will likely enroll in the IB elementary school.

I live in an area where a shelter is planned and our school is already about 10% homeless and about 1/4 have IEPs (not necessarily an overlap but in many cases it is). We need more support already, but this will only be a very small increase.

Common misconception. The kids at DC general are 48% elementary school age. It is true most currently opt to get free transportation and stay at their school but the current option is to take transportation to their existing school or transfer to a low performing school. At the new shelter, at least in Ward 3, the option will now be take transportation to your old school or put your kids in a very high performing school. You are certifiably crazy if you don't think the percentage attending the IB school in Ward 3 will not increase drastically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't get why this is awful. I'm an eaton parent and Mary Cheh doesn't give a shit about Eaton. Too many oob families for her to give a damn. There is literally nothing she could at this point that would convince me she cares less than I already think she does. Her staff is awful and condescending to Eaton concerns. She can't be bothered to ever make any sort of appearance. Not only does she not give a shit, she doesn't give a shit that it's obvious she doesn't give a shit.

+1. I'm looking forward to her next re-election campaign. No doubt she'll encounter more opposition than she expects. As yesterday showed, incumbents can lose.

Are you really going to campaign against her for voting to allow a shelter in your school district? Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

You do realize that Ward 3 has the most diverse schools in the city, right? You do know that Ward 3 schools educate kids from all 8 wards, right? Ward 3 has been keeping DCPS viable for decades. Most Ward 3 people object only because our schools are bursting at the seems while most other wards have excess capacity. Maybe it's time for the other wards to do their part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

You do realize that Ward 3 has the most diverse schools in the city, right? You do know that Ward 3 schools educate kids from all 8 wards, right? Ward 3 has been keeping DCPS viable for decades. Most Ward 3 people object only because our schools are bursting at the seems while most other wards have excess capacity. Maybe it's time for the other wards to do their part?

Do their part how? Is there any other school IB for a new shelter that isn't already 99% farm students? How does that make them more diverse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40% of kids in DC shelters are under age 2. Like, babies and 1 year olds. Most kids in shelter are not elementary school aged. The new shelters are probably going to have no more than about 100 kids, so about 1 or 2 per grade will likely enroll in the IB elementary school.

I live in an area where a shelter is planned and our school is already about 10% homeless and about 1/4 have IEPs (not necessarily an overlap but in many cases it is). We need more support already, but this will only be a very small increase.

Common misconception. The kids at DC general are 48% elementary school age. It is true most currently opt to get free transportation and stay at their school but the current option is to take transportation to their existing school or transfer to a low performing school. At the new shelter, at least in Ward 3, the option will now be take transportation to your old school or put your kids in a very high performing school. You are certifiably crazy if you don't think the percentage attending the IB school in Ward 3 will not increase drastically.

A very high performing school that is a very safe 10 minute walk away from the shelter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't get why this is awful. I'm an eaton parent and Mary Cheh doesn't give a shit about Eaton. Too many oob families for her to give a damn. There is literally nothing she could at this point that would convince me she cares less than I already think she does. Her staff is awful and condescending to Eaton concerns. She can't be bothered to ever make any sort of appearance. Not only does she not give a shit, she doesn't give a shit that it's obvious she doesn't give a shit.

+1. I'm looking forward to her next re-election campaign. No doubt she'll encounter more opposition than she expects. As yesterday showed, incumbents can lose.

Are you really going to campaign against her for voting to allow a shelter in your school district? Really?

Cheh basically selected the site, as she admits. Where is the analysis of this site over others? The review of how the shelter will impact police operations while eliminating much of the department's already overcrowded parking? Consideration of how a compounding number of at-risk students will impact John Eaton and what considerable amount of additional resources will be needed to address the educational and social needs of such children? Where were the public hearings? The complete lack of analysis and process is what has people pissed off at Cheh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, let's assume there are 50 families at the ward 3 shelter, that each family stays 120 days, that each family has 1.5 kids, and that half of the kids are elementary school aged. This seems consistent with what I've been hearing from Cheh, etc.

So, there will be approximately 75 kids at the shelter at a time, and about 37 of them will be elementary school aged. Let's assume that about half decide to go to Eaton (noting that it may be time consuming and difficult to get the kids to their former schools as well as the high quality of Eaton). So, approximately 18 kids would go to Eaton. Then let's assume a third (so, 6) of those kids stay at Eaton after their families leave the shelter and, as is their right, for the subsequent school years. Now let's multiply that number (6) by the number of 120-days periods in a year (approximately 3).

Based on the assumptions above, Eaton would have 18 short-term additional students at a time, and would be adding 18 long-terms students per year, based on their families' time at the shelter. So who knows how many students of current or former homeless shelter residents will be at Eaton after a few years? One thing for sure, Eaton, and all of the other schools in a similar situation, will need extensive support to assist these children, who will have a much higher than average likelihood of being at-risk, and to accommodate the revolving door of a changing student body through the year (in addition to the usual number of students moving to and from the area). The idea that there will only be a "few homeless kids" is ridiculous and wholly underestimates the undertaking.

Ward 3/upper NW schools need to share this responsibility "in the best interest" of all the children involved. That is how the homeless children will be adequately helped without causing undue disruption to any one school.
Come on, everyone, put your money where you mouth is...everyone says they want to help the children...here is how we can do it.

You do realize that Ward 3 has the most diverse schools in the city, right? You do know that Ward 3 schools educate kids from all 8 wards, right? Ward 3 has been keeping DCPS viable for decades. Most Ward 3 people object only because our schools are bursting at the seems while most other wards have excess capacity. Maybe it's time for the other wards to do their part?

Do their part how? Is there any other school IB for a new shelter that isn't already 99% farm students? How does that make them more diverse?

The schools might be 99% FARMS, but the neighborhoods are not (with a few exceptions). It is not Ward 3 parents' fault that middle class parents from Wards 1,2,4,5, and soon 7 and 8 prefer to play lottery rather than promoting coordinated action and send their kids to their neighborhood schools. Ward 3 schools and families are indeed doing their part. It is Ward 1,2,4,5, 6 parents who are not doing it. Please stop blaming on Ward 3 parents, blame on yourselves, non-Ward 3 middle class parents, and on you going the easy way of lotteries and charters. If you look at the demographics , you see that the majority of Ward 1,2,4, 5, 6 ES MS and HS would be raising in no time if their IB families sent their kids to their IB schools.

Ward 3 parents are doing their part. What about you Ward 1,2,4,5, 6 parents?