Eaton renovation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hearst parent here. I don’t know the details but there is a street right by Hearst where one side is designated for teacher parking on school days. Could that be a solution for Eaton as well? Maybe someone could call Hearst and see how they got that? I think There is a lottery or rotation each month to see which teachers park in the lot and which park on that street. Prior to that, families also shared their VPPs. Good luck.

It’s also worth pointing out that Hearst has an offstreet parking lot. It’s not enough for all staff, but it’s decent sized. Moreover, Sidwell across the street build a ginormous garage, which takes a lot of the pressure off of street parking demand. Unfortunately, Eaton has no space for above ground off street parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because the way DCPS and Mary Cheh think, castoffs and improvised solutions are always good enough for Eaton. Eaton has to swallow what other Ward 3 school communities would never put up with.

And somehow Eaton still manages to knock it out of the park year after year for those kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hearst parent here. I don’t know the details but there is a street right by Hearst where one side is designated for teacher parking on school days. Could that be a solution for Eaton as well? Maybe someone could call Hearst and see how they got that? I think There is a lottery or rotation each month to see which teachers park in the lot and which park on that street. Prior to that, families also shared their VPPs. Good luck.

Part of the problem is that there isn’t really an equivalent street near Eaton. I think you are talking about the street the borders Sidwell? Eaton is surrounded on all sides by private residences. Parking near Hearst is actually fairly plentiful given that the street has no residences given the park, sidwell, and the old retirement home. Parking near Eaton is already quite tight. Maybe the part of macomb that borders Tregaron could work, but that’s what, a dozen spots at most? And it’s still a residential street across from that...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hearst parent here. I don’t know the details but there is a street right by Hearst where one side is designated for teacher parking on school days. Could that be a solution for Eaton as well? Maybe someone could call Hearst and see how they got that? I think There is a lottery or rotation each month to see which teachers park in the lot and which park on that street. Prior to that, families also shared their VPPs. Good luck.

It’s also worth pointing out that Hearst has an offstreet parking lot. It’s not enough for all staff, but it’s decent sized. Moreover, Sidwell across the street build a ginormous garage, which takes a lot of the pressure off of street parking demand. Unfortunately, Eaton has no space for above ground off street parking.

Eaton could build a parking garage under the playground, and integrated with the renovation. It easily could be a cut-and-cover structure. that takes advantage of the sloping site. The problem was that, despite funding garages at Janney, Murch and Duke Ellington, DCPS wouldn't cough up the funds for Eaton and Mary Cheh, true to form, refused to fight for Eaton when she had done for for other Ward 3 schools. Why?

[Anonymous]

Now that the Eaton community is settled in at the gently-used "learning cottages" at UDC, when exactly will the Eaton renovation start

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to understand why teachers in an URBAN school district should have on-site parking.

What is it about the teaching profession that makes so many of us reflexively say, sure, teachers should be able to drive to work and park steps aways from their desk — for free? I personally suspect it has everything to do with the fact that they're with our Precious, Precious Offspring all day.

The equally hard-working respiratory therapists at Georgetown or GW Hospital who saved your dad's life last year when he had pneumonia don't have free on-site parking (and they're at work so much later in the day than a teacher, and earlier, too). The administrative assistants at all the do-good nonprofits in the District don't get free garage parking, though they make less than teachers.

Then there's the tens of thousands of less "noble," higher-paid professionals working in the District M-F who don't get free on-site parking, either.

Explain in rational terms why teachers can't take public transportation (or pay to park in nearby garages, if available) like everyone else in DC?

You mean the way that teachers at Ellington, Janney and Murch do?

Ellington is politically untouchable in DC. Murch and Janney have a far higher percentage of Ward 3 kids - meaning more parents who are Ward 3 voters - than at John Eaton. That's why Mary Cheh expends political capital on those school communities, but not much effort for Eaton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now that the Eaton community is settled in at the gently-used "learning cottages" at UDC, when exactly will the Eaton renovation start

I’ve heard they could begin a soon at Oct. 1, but it’s just a rumor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sincerely doubt the school is getting underground parking. Sorry neighbors. That was never in the DCPS budget and would have to come from separate funding that Cheh would need to secure.

Was parking in the DCPS budget for Murch? Then why not Eaton? And if not, why is Cheh not securing the extra funding. The school is almost at the construction drawings phase. It's now or never on parking.

Parking was required by zoning law because Murch doubled in size.

This is correct and important when making comparisons. Murch had some very particular issues because the school had not had any prior renovations and was increasing greatly in size. In addition to the same problems other schools face with parking and space (which I don't deny are very real), the Murch construction had problems with the zoning laws that may not apply at schools that have previously had renovations or additions (even if long ago).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to understand why teachers in an URBAN school district should have on-site parking.

What is it about the teaching profession that makes so many of us reflexively say, sure, teachers should be able to drive to work and park steps aways from their desk — for free? I personally suspect it has everything to do with the fact that they're with our Precious, Precious Offspring all day.

The equally hard-working respiratory therapists at Georgetown or GW Hospital who saved your dad's life last year when he had pneumonia don't have free on-site parking (and they're at work so much later in the day than a teacher, and earlier, too). The administrative assistants at all the do-good nonprofits in the District don't get free garage parking, though they make less than teachers.

Then there's the tens of thousands of less "noble," higher-paid professionals working in the District M-F who don't get free on-site parking, either.

Explain in rational terms why teachers can't take public transportation (or pay to park in nearby garages, if available) like everyone else in DC?

You mean the way that teachers at Ellington, Janney and Murch do?

Ellington is politically untouchable in DC. Murch and Janney have a far higher percentage of Ward 3 kids - meaning more parents who are Ward 3 voters - than at John Eaton. That's why Mary Cheh expends political capital on those school communities, but not much effort for Eaton.

Ha, if you actually knew the details of the decades-long fight for the Murch renovation, you'd know that Cheh did jack shit when Bowser played her little obnoxious games. It wasn't until the Murch kids did that video and people started to notice that Cheh did anything. Keeping in mind that CHEH'S KIDS WENT TO MURCH and she still didn't care.

Hell, Grosso did more and he'd sooner see Ward 3 be entirely taken over by eminent domain than help out anyone who lives there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that the Eaton community is settled in at the gently-used "learning cottages" at UDC, when exactly will the Eaton renovation start

I’ve heard they could begin a soon at Oct. 1, but it’s just a rumor.

That's not going to happen. They haven't gotten plans approved and have yet to go through the mayor's agent process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to understand why teachers in an URBAN school district should have on-site parking.

What is it about the teaching profession that makes so many of us reflexively say, sure, teachers should be able to drive to work and park steps aways from their desk — for free? I personally suspect it has everything to do with the fact that they're with our Precious, Precious Offspring all day.

The equally hard-working respiratory therapists at Georgetown or GW Hospital who saved your dad's life last year when he had pneumonia don't have free on-site parking (and they're at work so much later in the day than a teacher, and earlier, too). The administrative assistants at all the do-good nonprofits in the District don't get free garage parking, though they make less than teachers.

Then there's the tens of thousands of less "noble," higher-paid professionals working in the District M-F who don't get free on-site parking, either.

Explain in rational terms why teachers can't take public transportation (or pay to park in nearby garages, if available) like everyone else in DC?

You mean the way that teachers at Ellington, Janney and Murch do?

Ellington is politically untouchable in DC. Murch and Janney have a far higher percentage of Ward 3 kids - meaning more parents who are Ward 3 voters - than at John Eaton. That's why Mary Cheh expends political capital on those school communities, but not much effort for Eaton.

Ha, if you actually knew the details of the decades-long fight for the Murch renovation, you'd know that Cheh did jack shit when Bowser played her little obnoxious games. It wasn't until the Murch kids did that video and people started to notice that Cheh did anything. Keeping in mind that CHEH'S KIDS WENT TO MURCH and she still didn't care.

Hell, Grosso did more and he'd sooner see Ward 3 be entirely taken over by eminent domain than help out anyone who lives there.

So why does Ward 3 keep electing this cranky old Commissar? She doesn't expend political capital on the public schools and then on other matters, she makes up her mind on some project and rams it through, not caring a whit for public opinion unless it happen to align with hers. I'm sick of the Mary-knows-best attitude, particularly when she drops the ball -- or more accurately, refuses to carry the ball -- on big priority items like 50-year school renovations.