Considering Seaton, but concerned about the homeless encampment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Seaton parent but I am so relieved to hear the school/community is demanding action. There was a thread asking about this several months back and the majority of responses were like “this is harmless, it’s a teachable moment.” No, a homeless camp within arms reach of an ES is not a teachable moment; It’s a recipe for disaster.

Seaton parent here. Hearing about the gun was a tipping point. I think it has a lot to do with feeling empathy for the homeless during the pandemic year and not being directly affected bc kids were not in person. More in person kids + guns -- action happened very very quickly.

I'll also add that I feel like the Seaton community is a pretty compassionate bunch, and the IB group is extremely economically diverse... We have millionaires and we have students who are dealing with homelessness themselves. So finding the right words and actions took some thought.

true, but I bet that the homeless families probably had the least desire to see this as a “learning opportunity” instead of a risk.

in general, well meaning liberals are extremely naive about the nature of encampments. they are foci for criminal activities, trash, and interfere with public space. we can have empathy for the homeless and not tolerate encampments next to schools at the same time. it’s not actually a moral dilemma. it’s a *tent city.* it can be located in a less disruptive spot.

Yes, thank you. Naive. The encampments are foci for criminal activity and trash.
We can do better: we should be offering shelter and services to the homeless.
At the same time, we should be banning public-property tent living in cities.
Offer people housing, close the tents in DC.

.

Did you read the letter? Shelter and services were offered. People didn't use them.

[Anonymous]

I never realized how close Garrison elementary in Seaton elementary are to one another. Do they both fill up with in boundary kids for the most part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never realized how close Garrison elementary in Seaton elementary are to one another. Do they both fill up with in boundary kids for the most part?

In the lower grades yes.

I believe both have a waiting list for PK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Seaton parent but I am so relieved to hear the school/community is demanding action. There was a thread asking about this several months back and the majority of responses were like “this is harmless, it’s a teachable moment.” No, a homeless camp within arms reach of an ES is not a teachable moment; It’s a recipe for disaster.

Seaton parent here. Hearing about the gun was a tipping point. I think it has a lot to do with feeling empathy for the homeless during the pandemic year and not being directly affected bc kids were not in person. More in person kids + guns -- action happened very very quickly.

I'll also add that I feel like the Seaton community is a pretty compassionate bunch, and the IB group is extremely economically diverse... We have millionaires and we have students who are dealing with homelessness themselves. So finding the right words and actions took some thought.

true, but I bet that the homeless families probably had the least desire to see this as a “learning opportunity” instead of a risk.

in general, well meaning liberals are extremely naive about the nature of encampments. they are foci for criminal activities, trash, and interfere with public space. we can have empathy for the homeless and not tolerate encampments next to schools at the same time. it’s not actually a moral dilemma. it’s a *tent city.* it can be located in a less disruptive spot.

Yes, thank you. Naive. The encampments are foci for criminal activity and trash.
We can do better: we should be offering shelter and services to the homeless.
At the same time, we should be banning public-property tent living in cities.
Offer people housing, close the tents in DC.

.

Did you read the letter? Shelter and services were offered. People didn't use them.

Offer services, then remove the tents to the new shelter. Camping on public lands in DC shouldn’t be possible. It harms kids who live in the city and it harms the tent people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never realized how close Garrison elementary in Seaton elementary are to one another. Do they both fill up with in boundary kids for the most part?

Seaton to Garrison is about the same as Seaton to Thomson and Seaton to Cleveland. All about a half mile or so. Hence why the location across the street made sense for a middle school from a location POV. Lots of families in the area for elementary, but lowest (the lowest?) DCPS in bounds middle school rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone still riled up -- this is getting solved. Most tents have been removed and homeless relocated. They are pushing the gate out and that piece of grass will no longer be accessible.

it’s getting solved for now ...

Is this really happening? I live in the neighborhood and haven’t heard a peep from Charles Allen or our ANC. Also there are still large piles of garbage and at least 3 hold out tents. Where did you hear about the fence being moved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never realized how close Garrison elementary in Seaton elementary are to one another. Do they both fill up with in boundary kids for the most part?

Seaton to Garrison is about the same as Seaton to Thomson and Seaton to Cleveland. All about a half mile or so. Hence why the location across the street made sense for a middle school from a location POV. Lots of families in the area for elementary, but lowest (the lowest?) DCPS in bounds middle school rate.

There are a lot of in boundary kids, or kids who live nearby and are just over the boundary line. In 2014 DCPS re-drew the map and some kids' addresses are no longer in boundary but they were earlier.

IMO it's a good thing to offer out of boundary seats at schools that are very convenient to the metro and bus. It can be hard to get all the way from work to home by 6 pm, having a school closer to work is appealing to many people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Seaton parent but I am so relieved to hear the school/community is demanding action. There was a thread asking about this several months back and the majority of responses were like “this is harmless, it’s a teachable moment.” No, a homeless camp within arms reach of an ES is not a teachable moment; It’s a recipe for disaster.

Seaton parent here. Hearing about the gun was a tipping point. I think it has a lot to do with feeling empathy for the homeless during the pandemic year and not being directly affected bc kids were not in person. More in person kids + guns -- action happened very very quickly.

I'll also add that I feel like the Seaton community is a pretty compassionate bunch, and the IB group is extremely economically diverse... We have millionaires and we have students who are dealing with homelessness themselves. So finding the right words and actions took some thought.

true, but I bet that the homeless families probably had the least desire to see this as a “learning opportunity” instead of a risk.

in general, well meaning liberals are extremely naive about the nature of encampments. they are foci for criminal activities, trash, and interfere with public space. we can have empathy for the homeless and not tolerate encampments next to schools at the same time. it’s not actually a moral dilemma. it’s a *tent city.* it can be located in a less disruptive spot.

Yes, thank you. Naive. The encampments are foci for criminal activity and trash.
We can do better: we should be offering shelter and services to the homeless.
At the same time, we should be banning public-property tent living in cities.
Offer people housing, close the tents in DC.

.

Did you read the letter? Shelter and services were offered. People didn't use them.

Offer services, then remove the tents to the new shelter. Camping on public lands in DC shouldn’t be possible. It harms kids who live in the city and it harms the tent people.

Seating parent here. I feel terrible about how people talk about these folks. Homeless shelters are usually not desirable because they force the residents to leave all day and they're stuff gets stolen. Not to mention the mental health issues that also need to be addressed. If you don't want the challenges that come along with living in a urban environment move to the suburbs. DC is full of guns, drugs and homeless people. Moving these people doesn't make the kids any safer.

[Anonymous]

Seaton parent*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Seaton parent but I am so relieved to hear the school/community is demanding action. There was a thread asking about this several months back and the majority of responses were like “this is harmless, it’s a teachable moment.” No, a homeless camp within arms reach of an ES is not a teachable moment; It’s a recipe for disaster.

Seaton parent here. Hearing about the gun was a tipping point. I think it has a lot to do with feeling empathy for the homeless during the pandemic year and not being directly affected bc kids were not in person. More in person kids + guns -- action happened very very quickly.

I'll also add that I feel like the Seaton community is a pretty compassionate bunch, and the IB group is extremely economically diverse... We have millionaires and we have students who are dealing with homelessness themselves. So finding the right words and actions took some thought.

true, but I bet that the homeless families probably had the least desire to see this as a “learning opportunity” instead of a risk.

in general, well meaning liberals are extremely naive about the nature of encampments. they are foci for criminal activities, trash, and interfere with public space. we can have empathy for the homeless and not tolerate encampments next to schools at the same time. it’s not actually a moral dilemma. it’s a *tent city.* it can be located in a less disruptive spot.

Yes, thank you. Naive. The encampments are foci for criminal activity and trash.
We can do better: we should be offering shelter and services to the homeless.
At the same time, we should be banning public-property tent living in cities.
Offer people housing, close the tents in DC.

.

Did you read the letter? Shelter and services were offered. People didn't use them.

Offer services, then remove the tents to the new shelter. Camping on public lands in DC shouldn’t be possible. It harms kids who live in the city and it harms the tent people.

Seating parent here. I feel terrible about how people talk about these folks. Homeless shelters are usually not desirable because they force the residents to leave all day and they're stuff gets stolen. Not to mention the mental health issues that also need to be addressed. If you don't want the challenges that come along with living in a urban environment move to the suburbs. DC is full of guns, drugs and homeless people. Moving these people doesn't make the kids any safer.

Huh? Of course cleaning up the city makes it safer. Why is it ok to allow a city to fall into disrepair? Find solutions to help the homeless population. Leaving them out in tents is not beneficial for anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone still riled up -- this is getting solved. Most tents have been removed and homeless relocated. They are pushing the gate out and that piece of grass will no longer be accessible.

it’s getting solved for now ...

Is this really happening? I live in the neighborhood and haven’t heard a peep from Charles Allen or our ANC. Also there are still large piles of garbage and at least 3 hold out tents. Where did you hear about the fence being moved?

This was posted earlier but here it is again:

https://twitter.com/RemoraHouse_DC/status/1385647882833965060?s=19

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Seaton parent but I am so relieved to hear the school/community is demanding action. There was a thread asking about this several months back and the majority of responses were like “this is harmless, it’s a teachable moment.” No, a homeless camp within arms reach of an ES is not a teachable moment; It’s a recipe for disaster.

Seaton parent here. Hearing about the gun was a tipping point. I think it has a lot to do with feeling empathy for the homeless during the pandemic year and not being directly affected bc kids were not in person. More in person kids + guns -- action happened very very quickly.

I'll also add that I feel like the Seaton community is a pretty compassionate bunch, and the IB group is extremely economically diverse... We have millionaires and we have students who are dealing with homelessness themselves. So finding the right words and actions took some thought.

true, but I bet that the homeless families probably had the least desire to see this as a “learning opportunity” instead of a risk.

in general, well meaning liberals are extremely naive about the nature of encampments. they are foci for criminal activities, trash, and interfere with public space. we can have empathy for the homeless and not tolerate encampments next to schools at the same time. it’s not actually a moral dilemma. it’s a *tent city.* it can be located in a less disruptive spot.

Yes, thank you. Naive. The encampments are foci for criminal activity and trash.
We can do better: we should be offering shelter and services to the homeless.
At the same time, we should be banning public-property tent living in cities.
Offer people housing, close the tents in DC.

.

Did you read the letter? Shelter and services were offered. People didn't use them.

Offer services, then remove the tents to the new shelter. Camping on public lands in DC shouldn’t be possible. It harms kids who live in the city and it harms the tent people.

Seating parent here. I feel terrible about how people talk about these folks. Homeless shelters are usually not desirable because they force the residents to leave all day and they're stuff gets stolen. Not to mention the mental health issues that also need to be addressed. If you don't want the challenges that come along with living in a urban environment move to the suburbs. DC is full of guns, drugs and homeless people. Moving these people doesn't make the kids any safer.

City living doesn't mean we have to put up with disrepair, in particular guns and drugs. Instead of "put up or shut up," let's try to make it better for everyone, including the homeless folks. I grew up in NYC and it was nothing like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a Seaton parent but I am so relieved to hear the school/community is demanding action. There was a thread asking about this several months back and the majority of responses were like “this is harmless, it’s a teachable moment.” No, a homeless camp within arms reach of an ES is not a teachable moment; It’s a recipe for disaster.

Seaton parent here. Hearing about the gun was a tipping point. I think it has a lot to do with feeling empathy for the homeless during the pandemic year and not being directly affected bc kids were not in person. More in person kids + guns -- action happened very very quickly.

I'll also add that I feel like the Seaton community is a pretty compassionate bunch, and the IB group is extremely economically diverse... We have millionaires and we have students who are dealing with homelessness themselves. So finding the right words and actions took some thought.

true, but I bet that the homeless families probably had the least desire to see this as a “learning opportunity” instead of a risk.

in general, well meaning liberals are extremely naive about the nature of encampments. they are foci for criminal activities, trash, and interfere with public space. we can have empathy for the homeless and not tolerate encampments next to schools at the same time. it’s not actually a moral dilemma. it’s a *tent city.* it can be located in a less disruptive spot.

Yes, thank you. Naive. The encampments are foci for criminal activity and trash.
We can do better: we should be offering shelter and services to the homeless.
At the same time, we should be banning public-property tent living in cities.
Offer people housing, close the tents in DC.

.

Did you read the letter? Shelter and services were offered. People didn't use them.

Offer services, then remove the tents to the new shelter. Camping on public lands in DC shouldn’t be possible. It harms kids who live in the city and it harms the tent people.

Seating parent here. I feel terrible about how people talk about these folks. Homeless shelters are usually not desirable because they force the residents to leave all day and they're stuff gets stolen. Not to mention the mental health issues that also need to be addressed. If you don't want the challenges that come along with living in a urban environment move to the suburbs. DC is full of guns, drugs and homeless people. Moving these people doesn't make the kids any safer.

Of course it makes kids safer. It’s inappropriate to allow a homeless encampment right in front of a school. They can camp elsewhere. There are rules we all follow about public space no matter who we are. They chose to camp there - they have other options.

[Anonymous]

I mean it’s not even just about the children. Do people think it’s seriously ok to have HUGE tents that take up lots of space and smell to just stay?
Can we not have pride in the beauty of our city?

Someone was telling me they don’t offer enough housing for homeless people but I feel skeptical about DC. They need to provide more mental health services as well if that’s the reason it’s out of control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean it’s not even just about the children. Do people think it’s seriously ok to have HUGE tents that take up lots of space and smell to just stay?
Can we not have pride in the beauty of our city?

Someone was telling me they don’t offer enough housing for homeless people but I feel skeptical about DC. They need to provide more mental health services as well if that’s the reason it’s out of control.

+1 The homeless situation is out of control in DC. Across the street from the Kennedy Recreation Center a homeless man has turned a covered bus stop into his apartment complete with blinds made out of blankets. What are commuters who rely on the bus supposed to do? It’s not the fault of the homeless. The blame lies with the Mayor for not doing her job.